Moving right along with the 2021 NHL season, many teams have already played a quarter of their games. However, COVID-19 continues to loom over the league. Decimated by the virus early on, the Ottawa Senators had eight players and multiple assistant coaches on the league’s reserve list at one time. The New York Islanders have also been hit hard. Barry Trotz’s group has lost their last seven games while being without Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, Kieffer Bellows, Ross Johnston, and Adam Pelech.
In this week’s Stock Up, Stock Down, the Calgary Flames continue to be one of the hottest clubs in the league. The team has won five of their last six games while earning a point in each of their previous seven matchups. The Toronto Maple Leafs have continued on their red-hot streak. Sheldon Keefe‘s team has darted into second place in the Atlantic Division after winning seven of their last eight.
You can find last week’s Stock Up, Stock Down article right here.
Stock Up: Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus became an afterthought to many hockey fans heading into the year. Fresh off a disappointing season in 2020, the team won just 18 games during the league’s COVID-19 shortened season. They also shipped out star defenseman Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks in the offseason for multiple draft picks. However, Brad Larsen‘s group continues to impress early on. Winners of four of their last five games, the team sits in the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
One of the top offensive clubs in the game, the Blue Jackets have seen six players reach double digits in points early on. This has led them to rank in the top-10 in both goals per game and shooting percentage. Backed behind one of the best young goaltending tandems in the game in Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo, the former has posted eight wins while racking up a .926 save percentage and a 2.44 goals-against average.
Stock Down: New York Islanders
The Islanders are desperately in search of a victory, and are beginning to sink in the Metropolitan Division. Losers of seven-straight games, the team is still without more than half of their lineup as the schedule resumes after Thanksgiving. Recently defeated by their bitter rival New York Rangers, the team also was shut out by the Maple Leafs on Sunday Night. Still struggling on the offensive end, the team ranks 31st in the NHL in goals per game while ranking dead last in power play percentage and shooting percentage.
Following one of the finest years of his young career, Mathew Barzal has just eight points in 16 games this season. Forwards Kyle Palmieri and Josh Bailey have two goals combined. Largely bailed out by their stellar goaltending tandem of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, the Islanders need to right the ship in a hurry before it becomes too little, too late.
Stock Up: Las Vegas Golden Knights
What Peter DeBoer’s team is doing is one of the most impressive stories across the NHL. Decimated by injuries early on, the team lost Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and William Karlsson. Along with this, young defenseman Zach Whitecloud also missed time. The Stanley Cup semi-finalists from a year ago won just one of their first four games in a slow start, but have caught fire in November. Las Vegas has won 11 of their last 15 games.
Quickly becoming one of the best centers in the game, Chandler Stephenson leads the group with 19 points in 20 games. After returning from the injured reserve list, Stone has recorded points in four of his last six games. Finally getting healthy up front, the Golden Knights remain one of the elite groups in the league and a major threat to repeat as Pacific Division champions.
Stock Down: Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are back on a losing streak after winning seven games in a row. They lost to the lowly Arizona Coyotes in overtime on Sunday Night before falling 6-2 to Toronto on Thursday. Struggling to score goals, Los Angeles has scored two goals or less in four of their last five games, losing all five of those contests.
Free agent acquisition Phillip Danault has just one point in his last six games. Additionally, after a hot start to the season, winger Alex Iafallo has also been held off the score sheet over that same stretch. Longtime netminder Jonathan Quick has enjoyed a resurgence in 2021 at 35 years old. He ranks in the top 20 in the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage, and is what the Kings have been forced to rely on.
Stock Up: Tampa Bay Lightning
Looking to become the first franchise to win three Stanley Cups in a row since the New York Islanders did it in the early 1980s, the Lightning received more unfortunate news. Already without star winger Nikita Kucherov, it was revealed that playoff hero Brayden Point will miss up to six weeks with an upper-body injury. Regardless of their mounting injuries Tampa Bay is still rolling, and currently sits in third place in the Atlantic Division.
Remaining one of the deepest lineups in hockey, captain Steven Stamkos has led the way with 22 points in 18 games. Victor Hedman also looks poised to be nominated for another Norris Trophy as the 6’6″ defenseman has racked up 14 assists in 18 games. Once again, Andrei Vasilevskiy has been rock-solid in goal and has already recorded nine victories and one shutout on the season. Possessing enough star talent to remain in the hunt without their two superstars, Jon Cooper’s team is still as dangerous as ever as they aim to make history.
Stock Down: Ottawa Senators
A team that just can’t seem to get on track this season, nothing seems to be going right for the Senators these days. Forced to pause for three games after placing 10 players and multiple coaches on the COVID-19 list, the team has lost their last two games. They sit in last place in the NHL with just nine points. One of the worst groups in hockey in their own zone, they sit in the bottom five in the league in almost every major defensive category.
Ottawa has also been unable to get a timely save from free-agent acquisition goaltender Matt Murray. The two-time Stanley Cup Champion is still winless on the season. This is while posting a disappointing 3.26 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage.
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