<
        >

          Cross Checks Blog

          Kings, Wild making strong pushes; Hawks and Sharks must regroup out West

          • Katie Strang, ESPN.comFeb 23, 2015, 11:31 AM ET
            Close
              Katie Strang covers the Detroit Tigers for ESPN.com. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
            Follow on X

          Trending up

          • Los Angeles Kings: A 2-1 win in Saturday’s Stadium Series game against the San Jose Sharks was the Kings' seventh straight as the defending Stanley Cup champions appear to have awakened from their midseason slumber. Kudos to the Kings for treating this past weekend as nothing more than a business trip, as they seemingly spurned all of the hype and trappings of the outdoor event, focusing instead on clawing their way back into the playoff picture out West.

          • Minnesota Wild: There was a healthy amount of doubt that the Wild would get to this point -- and it’s tough to imagine them getting here at all were it not for the shrewd acquisition of goaltender Devan Dubnyk. But they are now among the top eight in the Western Conference standings after a 6-2 drubbing of the Dallas Stars on Sunday that allowed them to slot into the last wild-card spot. The Wild are 8-1-1 in their past 10 games. Impressive.

          • Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche: With his first NHL hat trick in the Colorado Avalanche’s 5-4 win against Tampa Bay on Sunday -- and seven points in the past six games -- MacKinnon is getting his groove back offensively. The 2014 Calder Trophy winner has had some struggles this season, just like his team, but his three-goal effort snapped a 13-game goal-less drought and helped propel the Avs to their second straight win.

          Trending down

          • Chicago Blackhawks: We all assume it’s a matter of time before the Hawks get their act together, just like the Kings, but there are some warning signs right now for the perennial contenders following their third straight loss. Though the Blackhawks were merely edged in the shootout by the Detroit Red Wings last week, they suffered a couple of blowouts over the weekend with a 4-1 loss to the Avs on Friday and a 6-2 manhandling by the Boston Bruins on Sunday. They now trail the St. Louis Blues by five points and the Nashville Predators by 12 as they sit in third place in the Central Division standings.

          • Ilya Bryzgalov, Anaheim Ducks: The NHL might have gotten a whole lot less interesting over the weekend with the news that the Ducks waived the always-colorful Bryzgalov. But it comes as no huge shock that he is not sticking with Anaheim after a putrid stretch that did little to help his chances of remaining in the league. He was 1-4-1 this season for the Ducks, with an abysmal .847 save percentage and 4.19 goals-against average.

          Injury report

          • Miller forced from game: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller left the team’s 4-0 win against the New York Islanders on Sunday after a collision with teammate Jannik Hansen left him unable to continue playing. Backup Eddie Lack made 27 saves in relief but there has to be ample concern in Vancouver if Miller misses much time. A source tells ESPN.com that Miller will return to Vancouver on Monday for an MRI to assess the extent of the injury.

          • Ducks down two: Anaheim is smarting from two particularly costly losses, with both defenseman Sami Vatanen (lower body) and forward Matt Beleskey (upper body) missing time because of injuries. Expect that to dictate general manager Bob Murray’s approach heading into next week’s trade deadline.

          What to watch for

          • Sharks season on the line: You can bet that Saturday’s loss to the Kings in the outdoor game at Levi’s Stadium added a bit of extra sting to a stretch that has been concerning for the inconsistent Sharks. Coach Todd McLellan insists his club is a playoff team, but right now they are out of the playoff mix in the West. With the Sharks receiving some much-needed time off before their next game, will we see them regroup and recover, or stumble toward another disappointing spring?

          • Vermette, Michalek's days numbered: With the Arizona Coyotes one of the clear sellers out West, one has to imagine that both forward Antoine Vermette and defenseman Zbynek Michalek are entering their last week as members of the beleaguered franchise. Both players are pending free agents and considered top trade targets with the March 2 trade deadline approaching.

          • Push for Petry: Speaking of the deadline, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jeff Petry has emerged as one of the most likely to be moved by Monday. The fact that he has a right-handed shot will make him an attractive option for teams looking to bolster their defense heading into the playoffs. Maybe he could be a good fit for the Red Wings. Just thinking out loud.