In a possible Stanley Cup Final preview, the Avalanche went head-to-head with the Tampa Bay Lightning and came out on top. It was an impressive effort from Colorado, and it vaulted the team back into the No. 1 spot. It has now been nearly two months since the Avalanche lost a game in regulation.
2The Panthers haven't played a game since Feb. 1, and they will need that rest with a couple of huge games this week. Florida goes on the road to play the Hurricanes and the Wild in what should be a couple of fantastic matchups.
3After a somewhat slow start to the season in which he scored just four goals in 29 games, Kevin Fiala's puck luck has turned in a big way. Fiala has now scored 10 times in his last 14 games. He was always generating scoring chances, but now Fiala is burying them.
4Outside of goaltender Tristan Jarry getting a right hook to the face from Brad Marchand, the Penguins had a strong week. They went 3-0-0, and Kris Letang added another point to continue his strong season. Even at 34-years-old, Letang has been an incredibly effective defenseman for Pittsburgh.
5New York will end a period of extended rest on Tuesday night against the Bruins, and the team only has six games left in February. The Rangers have a favorable schedule coming up, and they should be fresh for the stretch run starting in March.
6Toronto played well and got an impressive win against the Hurricanes, but the team followed that up with back-to-back losses against the Flames and Canucks. Things won't get any easier next week as matchups against the Penguins and Blues await.
7Since coming back from an injury that sidelined him for a couple months, Nikita Kucherov has had trouble remaining at full health. That's why it had to be encouraging for the Bolts to see him play well and score a goal in a close loss to the Avalanche.
8Because of his six-game suspension, Brad Marchand wasn't on the ice when his Bruins got waxed by the Hurricanes again. Sebastian Aho scored two goals in that game, and he could hit 40 for the first time in his NHL career.
9Calgary has won six games in a row, and it looks more and more like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender by the day. Since Jan. 1, the Flames lead in the league in expected goals share at five-on-five (58.43%). They are well on their way to overtaking the Golden Knights as the top team in the division.
10You cannot blame a goaltender in a shutout loss, but it still has to be concerning for Vegas that Robin Lehner allowed six goals on 2.99 expected goals against in a lopsided defeat against the Flames. I still believe Lehner can figure things out, but time is running out for him to do that.
11Jordan Binnington got his first start since Jan. 24, and it did not go well. He allowed five goals on 27 shots in a 7-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils. There was some speculation that Ville Husso might be available at the trade deadline, but now he looks like the Blues' clear No. 1 goaltender.
12Just four games into his return, Tuukka Rask announced his retirement from the NHL. Rask was having a hard time getting healthy and shaking off the rust, but the Bruins now have an even bigger issue on their hands. Brad Marchand is in the midst of serving his six-game suspension for decking Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.
13The Predators had the chance to put some distance between themselves and two divisional opponents, the Stars and Jets. Instead, Nashville lost both games and gave those two teams a combined 14 power play opportunities in the process. A lack of discipline and a poor penalty kill unit could cost the Preds down the stretch.
14This was a big week for playoff hopes in Dallas. The Stars did get soundly beaten by the Avalanche, but welcome to the club. They also scored a couple of huge wins against the Predators and the Jets. Dallas is now three points out of a playoff spot with three games in hand.
15Can the Kings hold on to their Western Conference playoff spot? I'm excited to find out the answer to that question, and we may get it sooner rather than later. Los Angeles has a crowded schedule the rest of the month, so it can solidify itself or it can start to slip in the standings.
16Blake Wheeler may have gotten a badly needed spark in Winnipeg's comeback win over the Predators. Wheeler notched two goals to double his total on the season, and he added three assists for a five-point night. The Jets need him to get going, so maybe Wheeler can build some confidence from here.
17The Capitals' playoff spot is almost certainly secure, but this team may only make a brief playoff appearance in 2021 if the team can't find a groove between now and then. Washington has been playing mediocre hockey for about six weeks now.
18The Ducks suffered a tough loss to the Kraken last week, but they have a very important set of games ahead in the upcoming week. Anaheim has a trio of road games against Pacific Division opponents, including a back-to-back set against the Flames and Oilers.
19J.T. Miller has been a major part of the Canucks' resurgence, and he is fourth on the team in expected goals created at five-on-five with 7.48. The more he continues to generate offense and put the puck in the net, the harder it is to see Miller being moved before the trade deadline.
20Following back-to-back losses to the Golden Knights and Blackhawks, the Oilers fired head coach Dave Tippett. It's certainly understandable that there is a lot of frustration in Edmonton, but Tippett can only do so much when the team's save percentage is among the worst in the league. Tippett was dealt a poor hand on the blue line and in goal.
21Detroit took down the Flyers twice last week, and the team's two star rookies had a big hand in those wins. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider combined for a pair of goals and six total points against Philadelphia.
22Few players in the NHL are as hot as Patrik Laine right now. In his last six games, Laine has scored seven goals and tallied 12 total points. The Blue Jackets have to be happy to see him having some success after an uneven start to the season.
23In his last 14 games, Anders Lee has scored just twice and has notched a total of five points. Lee's struggles are a big reason why the Islanders' offense has been rather anemic in recent weeks.
24The Sharks have a lot of work to do if they want to get into a playoff race, but they do have some games in hand over the teams ahead of them. San Jose plays six of its next seven games at home. The Sharks will be a team to watch in the Pacific over the next couple of weeks.
25Ottawa does have some exciting young players who could help the franchise build something, and it looks like 2017 second-round pick Alex Formenton could be one of them. He has 22 points in 42 games, and Formenton is second to Brady Tkachuk in expected goals at five-on-five with 3.43.
26All eyes are now on the trade deadline for the Kraken. They currently have six pending unrestricted free agents, including Mark Giordano, Calle Jarnkrok, and Marcus Johansson. Those three could bring back a nice haul for Seattle.
27Chicago has won two of its last 10 games, and the team isn't exactly doing its part to boost Marc-Andre Fleury's draft stock. Since Jan. 1, the Blackhawks are 25th in the NHL in expected goals against at five-on-five (35.45).
28Clayton Keller has come on strong for Arizona, and he has been an oasis in a desert of bad news for the Coyotes this year. Keller has 11 points in his last nine games, and he is second on the team in expected goals at five-on-five with 8.78.
29The Devils' offense suddenly exploded this week. They scored seven goals in two consecutive games against the Canadiens and the Blues. New Jersey will need to keep that up in order to win games with its current goaltending situation.
30Among the many Flyers who are having less than ideal 2021-22 seasons is Travis Konecny. His shooting percentage sits at 6.7%, which is nearly half of his career average. As a result, he is on pace for just around 15 goals on the year.
31Jeff Skinner is coming off a four-goal game in which he just got rewarded for having a strong season when it comes to generating scoring chances. Skinner is eighth in the league in expected goals at five-on-five with 11.11. At least something is working in Buffalo this year.
32It has been a long year in Montreal, and the team fired head coach Dominique Ducharme after he took the team to a Stanley Cup Final in an interim role last season. The Canadiens replaced him with Martin St. Louis, who was a legendary player but has little in the way of coaching experience. It was a head-scratching move for a team that is in disarray.
