Trending up
Minnesota Wild: Goaltender Devan Dubnyk is looking like a pretty shrewd acquisition by general manager Chuck Fletcher right about now. Dubnyk stopped 35 of 37 shots he faced Sunday night, helping lead the Wild to their third consecutive road victory, a 4-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks. Since joining the Wild via trade in mid-January, Dubnyk has posted an impressive 5-1-1 record while the Wild have recorded a point in six of their past seven games. Those points are absolutely critical for a club that struggled in the first half and is desperately trying to claw its way back into the playoff mix.
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues: Tarasenko’s standout season continues as the youngster reached another important milestone over the weekend, notching his 25th goal of the season. Tarasenko, who leads the Blues with 50 points, also chipped in with an assist in the Blues’ 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals in D.C. on Sunday. Tarasenko now has five game-winning goals and 13 multipoint games this season.
Carter Hutton, Nashville Predators: All of the Western Conference, and the rest of the NHL for that matter, was waiting to see what Nashville would get out of backup netminder Carter Hutton with Pekka Rinne on the shelf with an injured knee. Hutton was impressive in shutting the door on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, turning away all 21 shots faced to record his first shutout of the season in the Predators’ 4-0 win. It was Nashville’s first regulation win in Pittsburgh since 2004.
Trending down
The Blues’ depth: St. Louis remains one of the most dangerous teams in the Central Division, sitting just two points back on the Predators, but the Blues have taken some blows to their team depth as of late. Already without Patrik Berglund and Jori Lehtera, the Blues saw All-Star defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk leave Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury, the severity of which is not immediately known. The Blues were hit hard with injuries at the end of last season, and it did not bode well for them in the postseason. Coach Ken Hitchcock has to hope that won’t be the case for them again this spring.
Winnipeg Jets: We’ve been treating the Jets like the Cinderella team in the Western Conference for so many weeks now that it’s become disconcerting to see them stumble recently. With a 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday at the MTS Centre -- in which the Jets surrendered four power-play goals on eight opportunities -- the Jets have now lost three straight. Safe to say coach Paul Maurice was not pleased with the lack of discipline on display from his team this weekend. The Stars have now pulled within seven points of the Jets in the Central Division standings, plus they have two games in hand.
Injury report
Johnson to miss extended time: The Colorado Avalanche got some depressing news upon return from the All-Star break last Monday: defenseman Erik Johnson, who pulled out of the star-studded game, will miss three to eight weeks with a knee injury.
Shattenkirk’s status unknown: Hitchcock told reporters after Sunday’s game that the team would know more about Shattenkirk’s injury on Monday, though the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Sunday night that the defenseman was walking with a limp following the game, but did not leave the rink on crutches.
McGinn leaves game: The San Jose Sharks could be without one of their depth players in the immediate future. Fourth-liner Tye McGinn left Saturday’s 2-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks with an injury in the second period and did not return to the game.
What to watch for
Trade bait: We’ve been banging this drum for weeks now, but expect trade speculation to only pick up in Arizona, where almost every Coyote is available for the right price. General manager Don Maloney said as much this past week, telling folks on a radio appearance with TSN that the only true untouchable on his team is veteran Shane Doan. Antoine Vermette will be one of the top names to monitor in the weeks ahead before the trade deadline on March 2.
Road tripping: The puzzling Los Angeles Kings, whose playoff chances are in a precarious position at the moment, continue a road jaunt that features four more stops before a return home to Staples Center. Sitting three points back on the last wild-card spot in the West, the Kings will travel to Washington, Florida, Tampa Bay and Columbus before they get back to the West Coast.
Home sweet home: Meanwhile, the Wild will be hoping to make the most of a three-game homestand, which begins with Tuesday’s match against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild are gaining traction in the standings, but it’s still an uphill battle. One reason for optimism? Thomas Vanek is showing signs of life. The snakebitten sniper now has two goals and four points in the past four games.
