Forwards
Trending up: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals -- When you get a phone call from The Great One himself, you know you’re doing something right. Ovechkin has reached the 50-goal milestone for the sixth time in his career, putting him in the company of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy as the only NHL players to reach that plateau. And No. 8 kept building from there, with a masterful two-goal performance against the Montreal Canadiens and the league’s best goaltender, Carey Price, in Thursday’s 5-4 win in Montreal. Ovechkin’s first of two power-play markers allowed him to surpass Peter Bondra as the Capitals’ all-time leading scorer with 473 career goals. The three-time Hart Trophy winner, who leads the league with 52 goals this season, continues to make his case for a fourth.
Trending down: Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings -- The team's recent struggles have coincided with those of their captain, as the 34-year-old veteran forward tries to battle his way out of a scoring slump. Zetterberg has gone nine straight games without a goal and has only two points in that span. With the Red Wings’ lineup hobbled -- Pavel Datsyuk has missed two straight games -- Zetterberg needs to find a way out of his dry spell before the playoffs commence.
Surprise of the Week: Drew Miller, Red Wings -- Perhaps we should not be surprised as hockey players continue to prove they are among the toughest athletes in the world. However, that doesn't make Miller’s decision to return to action just two days after almost losing his eye any less remarkable. Miller required almost 60 stitches after an opponent's skate blade sliced his face during Tuesday's game, leaving him with some nasty bruising and a lengthy zipper but no damage to his eye. Miller, who returned Thursday against the Boston Bruins, apparently had wanted to return in the third period of Tuesday’s game after the initial repairs were made. Wow.
Defensemen
Trending up: P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens -- Though his three-point performance Thursday could not stop Ovechkin and the Caps, Subban finished the week on an offensive tear with five points in three games. With a shoo-in Vezina Trophy winner (and top Hart Trophy candidate), plus Subban finding his scoring touch heading into the last week of the regular season, the Canadiens remain one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference.
Trending down: Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets -- Byfuglien was handed a four-game suspension, and rightfully so, after viciously attacking New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller in the Jets’ 3-2 loss on Tuesday night. Byfuglien, who somehow escaped even a penalty on the play, delivered a brutal crosscheck to the back of Miller’s head and neck, drawing the ire of the league’s department of player safety. Byfuglien is not eligible to return until the Jets' final regular-season game, against the Calgary Flames on April 11.
Surprise of the Week: Slava Voynov, Los Angeles Kings -- The suspended defenseman showed up at his felony domestic battery hearing on crutches this week, a confounding development considering he has not played since Oct. 19 following his arrest for allegedly beating his wife. Voynov reportedly underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, an injury he suffered during a "recreational activity," according to LA Kings Insider. His trial was again postponed Wednesday and is now slated to begin in July.
Goaltenders
Trending up: Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers -- Luongo deserved a better fate against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, when his desperate effort was spoiled by Milan Lucic’s game-deciding goal. Two nights later, the 35-year-old earned his 400th career win with a 31-save performance in a 6-1 drubbing of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Trending down: Ondrej Pavelec, Jets -- After a six-game winning streak heading into the week, Pavelec was saddled with two straight losses in which he surrendered seven goals on 48 shots. With the Jets on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture looking in (the team is tied with the Kings, though the Kings have two more non-shootout wins), they need their goaltenders to step up now more than ever.
Surprise of the Week: Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks -- Both Andersen and John Gibson had some shaky stretches recently, making the Ducks' goaltending picture a murky one heading into the playoffs, but Andersen has posted three straight wins in his past three starts, surrendering just five goals during that span.
