With most teams nearing the 40 game mark of the 2021 NHL season, January is almost in the books. As trade rumors begin to swirl with the deadline less than two months out, contending teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Along with this, the league announced the rescheduling of 96 games between February 7-22.
This will create a sprint for the postseason for those teams currently looking in from the outside of the playoff picture. Back with our weekly stock-up stock-down article, the New York Rangers continue to prove that they are among the game’s elite groups. Furthermore, the Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche also remain red hot after winning five of their last six games.
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Stock Up: Florida Panthers
Arguably the hottest team in the league, the Panthers have won eight of their last ten games. They defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 9-2 on Saturday night before hammering the Edmonton Oilers 6-0 on Thursday. Continuing to score goals at a rapid pace, they are averaging 4.1 per contest to sit second in the league. In the conversation for the Hart Trophy, Jonathan Huberdeau is enjoying another strong season.
The 28-year-old has racked up eight points over his last five games to sit in a tie for second with Leon Draisaitl in the league-wide race. One of the deepest rosters in the game, look for general manager Bill Zito to make additions to the group at the trade deadline as they chase the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup.
Stock Down: Calgary Flames
Fading quickly in the new year, the Flames have dropped four of their last five games since the start of the month. This has led the team to fall to fifth place in the ultra-competitive Pacific Division. Head coach Darryl Sutter recently called them out for their struggles in their own zone. Calgary has surrendered 11 goals over their last three contests while giving up more than four per game during January.
Needing to get more out of their top two defensemen, Noah Hanifin has racked up a -6 plus-minus rate since the team has returned from its COVID-19 pause. Furthermore, Rasmus Andersson has recorded a miserable 35.54 percent Corsi rate. With a three-game stretch against the struggling Oilers, St. Louis Blues, and Columbus Blue Jackets on deck, all eyes will be on them to see if they can snap their losing skid.
Stock Up: New York Rangers
Led by the play of their core pieces, the Rangers have vaulted their way to the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. Fresh off a come from behind victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, the team has won seven of their last ten games. Building off his Norris Trophy-winning season a year ago, defenseman Adam Fox is making head waves to become the first back-to-back winner since Nicklas Lidstrom in 2009.
The 23-year-old has racked up six points over his last three games to sit in a tie with Roman Josi for second in scoring by a blueliner. Furthermore, the team continues to get rock-solid play from their goaltending tandem. Stellar after returning from injury, Igor Shesterkin has racked up a 2.03 goals-against average, while backup Alexandar Georgiev has recorded a .908 save percentage.
Stock Down: Los Angeles Kings
Trying to make things interesting in the Pacific Division, the Kings rattled off four straight victories to begin 2022. However, Todd McLellan’s group has now dropped their last three contests, including a 4-1 loss to the Avalanche on Thursday. Struggling to score goals on the offensive end, the team is averaging just 2.78 per contest. Along with this, they are also ranked inside the bottom five in the NHL in shooting and power-play percentage.
This has forced them to rely heavily on the play of longtime netminder Jonathan Quick. He is enjoying a resurgence this season after recording just a .898 save percentage a year ago. The 36-year-old is sitting in a tie for eighth with two shutouts through 25 starts.
Stock Up: St. Louis Blues
Fresh off a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday night, the Blues are sitting four points clear of the Minnesota Wild for the final playoff spot in the Central Division. The team has won four of their last six and six of their last eight. Led by their standout line in Pavel Buchnevich, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ivan Barbashev, the trio has combined to score 43 goals through 35 games.
Along with this, winger Jordan Kyrou is also enjoying a breakout campaign in his fourth year in the league. The 23-year-old is currently leading the club with 39 points while playing over 16 minutes per night. The only cause for concern for St Louis has been the play of goaltender Jordan Binnington. While struggling to find consistency on a night-to-night basis, the 28-year-old has allowed more than three goals in ten of his last 13 starts.
Stock Down: Anaheim Ducks
Beginning to come back to earth after a red hot start to the season, the Ducks have dropped eight of their last ten games. They have been unable to keep the puck out of the back of their net. Since the new year, the group has given up 26 goals, leading them to give up 2.79 per game on average.
Still relying heavily on the play of their three young stars in Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, and Sonny Milano, the trio have combined to record nearly 30 percent of the team’s offensive point totals. However, the group has struggled to get any consistent offensive production from other areas of the lineup. Captain Ryan Getzlaf has racked up just four points in his last 12 games, while Rickard Rakell has gone scoreless over his last 15.
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