Hot or not
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Sedin tallied a hat trick and added an assist in the Canucks' 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Daniel's twin brother, Henrik, assisted on all three goals.
Reto Berra, Colorado Avalanche
Berra allowed four goals on 11 shots in Colorado's 7-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday and was pulled after the first period.
How impressed are you by the recent play of the San Jose Sharks?
@ESPN_Burnside: Apparently, all the Sharks needed in order to right the ship was a little internal chaos. Maybe they're one of those teams that can only operate in a state of disharmony. Whatever it is -- the threat of a Patrick Marleau trade or something else -- the Sharks are cooking. They erased a 3-1 third-period deficit against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday and won going away 5-3. It was the Sharks' sixth straight win and completed a perfect six-game road trip, a franchise first. The win also vaulted the Sharks into the top spot in the Pacific Division, with the Los Angeles Kings being upended by the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. The division may well be the home of the most mediocre hockey in the league, but as we head into the second quarter of the season it does make for some terrific drama. And you have to wonder about Marleau -- who had three goals and three assists on the road trip -- and whether the trade talk will die down or whether his perceived value to other teams will increase.
@Real_ESPNLeBrun: Sorry, I'm just a little wobbly here, because I saw Scotty just pick up Jason Chimera in our World Famous Toronto Media Hacks Fantasy League and fell off my chair. I'm OK, though. As for the Sharks? What a trip, indeed. I honestly wonder if the sixth-place team in the Central Division -- which will miss the playoffs -- won't have more points than the third-place team in the Pacific, a club that will get in. But I digress. I'll tell you who is impressing me yet again for the Sharks, and that's captain Joe Pavelski. With 12 goals and 20 points overall, he's rock-solid in every area of the game and remains such an underrated star in this league.
@ESPNJoeMac: Guys, it definitely took a little bit for the Sharks to figure out their expectations and who they want to be as a team, on and off the ice. When changes are made to the coaching staff and the roster, it takes some time for a team to find its identity. San Jose got off to a 4-0-0 start, then followed that with a 3-8-0 stretch. Then came those Marleau rumors, and suddenly the Sharks turned it around. During the team's earlier skid, it seemed as though veteran players were taking nights off. That mindset has changed and San Jose is proving it can still be a threat in the Pacific. Pavelski said recently that he was happy with the way his teammates prepared during the offseason, and he believes the team's recent success is a better indication of what the Sharks are all about. Like most teams in the NHL, no matter how well the Sharks are playing now there will be another rough patch soon, and it'll be interesting to see how they deal with the next one. I've said in the past that Joe Thornton is an incredible talent and a nice person off the ice, but I still don't believe he will ever win a Stanley Cup, especially in San Jose.
@CraigCustance: The Sharks certainly have experience functioning in the middle of chaos, and making their just-completed road trip even more impressive is that they did it without Logan Couture. I caught them at the beginning of their road trip, and a couple of players mentioned injuries as a reason for some struggles at home before the trip. That's just the reality when a guy of Couture's stature is out of the lineup. He hasn't played since Oct. 13, but it looks like his return is coming soon, after he started skating again in full equipment during the trip. When he does return, we'll see how this team functions with a little bit of good news.
Around the league
St. Louis Blues center Paul Stastny has missed 16 games with a broken foot but could return to the lineup Monday against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Minnesota Wild's plan to limit the minutes of defenseman Ryan Suter hasn't really played out in recent games.
Washington's Andre Burakovsky has started slowly this season, but he still was not pleased with being a healthy scratch over the weekend.