Trending up
St. Louis Blues: With a 3-0 win against the Dallas Stars on Sunday night, the Blues passed the Nashville Predators for first place in a jam-packed Central Division. Though the two teams are tied with 93 points, the Blues have two games in hand on the Preds, who have won only two of their past 10. The Blues received key contributions from T.J. Oshie, Alexander Steen, Vladimir Tarasenko and goaltender Jake Allen, who made 28 saves in blanking a surging Stars team on Sunday. The Blues’ penalty kill also deserves some recognition after killing off all six of the Stars’ power-play opportunities. The Blues have now won four of their past five games.
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks: The 30-year-old goaltender is 5-0-1 in his past six games and has surrendered just seven goals during that span, posting a 1.15 goals-against average and .962 save percentage in what has been his longest point streak of the season. Meanwhile, the Hawks continue to hang in there in what has been the most competitive division in the league. Heading into Monday’s action, Chicago trailed first-place St. Louis and second-place Nashville by five points each, though the Hawks have one game in hand on the Blues and three on the Preds.
Trending down
San Jose Sharks: Well, things have certainly come to a head in San Jose after long-simmering tensions between general manager Doug Wilson and veteran center Joe Thornton boiled over during the weekend. After Wilson told a collection of season-ticket holders that Thornton was stripped of his captaincy because he had a hard time dealing with the pressure, Thornton fired back in the media, telling the San Jose Mercury News on Friday that Wilson should “shut his mouth.”
It's not often we see a spat this ugly and this public between a GM and a player, especially without a contract negotiation at the heart of the matter. This is becoming a toxic marriage within the Sharks organization, with head coach Todd McLellan left awkwardly in the middle of it all. The Sharks are coming off an embarrassing rout at the hands of the Blackhawks, losing 6-2 at the SAP Center on Saturday. The Sharks are not out of it yet -- they trail the Winnipeg Jets by a mere four points for the last wild-card spot out West -- but things won't get any easier from here as they embark on a seven-game road trip.
Arizona Coyotes: The season has been over for quite some time now, and Arizona has emerged as one of the strongest candidates in the race to the bottom of the league standings. Dave Tippett’s squad has been reeling for an extended stretch with 14 losses in the past 15 games. With Devan Dubnyk now looking like a Vezina Trophy candidate for the Minnesota Wild, the Yotes have given up a whopping 3.26 goals per game (28th in the league) and have been particularly anemic on offense lately, managing just eight goals in the past seven games. At least the prospect of adding a generational talent like Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel softens the blow of what has otherwise been an abysmal season in the desert.
Injury report
Kevin Bieksa, Vancouver Canucks: Bieksa returned to Vancouver’s lineup on Saturday for the first time since Jan. 20 after the defenseman was forced to undergo surgery for a hand injury. He chipped in with an assist in Saturday’s 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canucks also got two regular forwards -- Chris Higgins and Brad Richardson -- as well as defenseman Yannick Weber back in action over the weekend.
Jarret Stoll, Los Angeles Kings: Already without defenseman Alec Martinez, who remains out with a concussion, the Kings took a hit to their center depth as well with Stoll mending an upper-body injury, presumably sustained on a hit from Vancouver’s Derek Dorsett during a game on Thursday. Stoll missed Saturday’s game against the Predators and is seeking further evaluation, according to multiple reports. Just a reminder: The Kings do have Mike Richards toiling in the minors with their AHL affiliate.
James Neal, Nashville Predators: Neal sat out Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks with an upper-body injury. It was the second straight game missed for the 27-year-old forward. Neal is tied with Craig Smith for the Preds’ team lead with 22 goals.
What to watch for
Tough trip: As mentioned above, the Sharks are facing a daunting seven-game road jaunt that features stops in Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Detroit, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It's not only a make-or-break trip for their season but quite possibly for the organization’s future. With the team on the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2003 and discord between players and management reaching a crescendo, this could be the type of trip that seals the fate of at least a few folks moving forward.
Home, sweet home: Even without their heart-and-soul leader in captain Mark Giordano -- done for the season after surgery earlier this month to repair a torn biceps -- the Calgary Flames refuse to quit on their playoff hopes. The plucky bunch, whose stunning season should earn Bob Hartley some well-deserved Jack Adams recognition, remains in the thick of things in the third spot in the Pacific Division standings. And though many are expecting an eventual sag in performance -- one that would allow the defending Cup champion Kings to elbow their way back into the top eight -- the Flames have the schedule on their side. Tuesday's game against St. Louis opens a five-game homestand for Calgary.