The Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers are battling in a crowded playoff race in the NHL's Western and Eastern Conferences.
Vancouver is 12th in the West with a 9-9-2 record and 20 points, and yet, the Canucks are only two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights, which are in the second wild-card spot. That said, five teams in the West have 22 points, so Vancouver still has catching up to do before it can try to jump ahead of the bunch.
The Rangers, meanwhile, have a 10-8-2 record and are tied in points with the Ottawa Senators, which are in the second wild-card spot in the East, with 22 each. The New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens also have 22 points.
A player on each squad had an incredible week on the stat sheet, and they're featured in this week's edition of who's hot and cold in the NHL since Nov. 10.
The Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators are also featured this time, but not for the reason their fans would have hoped for.
Cold: Steven Stamkos, LW, Nashville Predators
Stamkos’ decline in offensive production has been a significant area of concern for the subpar Predators.
While Stamkos did score an overtime-winner on Friday in Sweden – his fourth goal and fifth point of the season – that was his only point of the week. Stamkos managed only five shots on net in the three games he played.
The 36-year-old Stamkos was brought into Nashville to be a difference-maker, but this season, he’s been largely ineffective for the Preds. He's only averaging two shots per game this season, which is the lowest rate of his career. The previous low: last year, his first with the Predators.
Nashville’s playoff hopes are already nearly buried, and Stamkos’ inability to generate the type of offense that once was easy for him to produce is a key factor in the Predators’ woes.
Three Potential NHL Trade Fits For Steven Stamkos If Predators Don't ImproveIf the Nashville Predators don't improve, expect more trade speculation to arise about Steven Stamkos. Which NHL teams could have what he would want to waive his no-move clause?Hot: Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas Stars
The Stars have been one of the NHL’s top teams this season, and Robertson was on fire, putting up a league-best six goals and nine points in only three games. He recorded a natural hat trick against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
The 26-year-old now has nine goals and 23 points in 19 games, a pace that would give Robertson 38 goals and 99 points.
Those would be his best totals since 2022-23, when he put up a career-high 46 goals and 109 points. And given that Robertson will be an RFA at the end of the season, he could easily be in line for a raise on his $7.75 million salary.
Cold: Lukas Dostal, G, Anaheim Ducks
Dostal earned the starter’s job in Anaheim with consistently strong play in recent years, and he's done pretty well this season.
But in two games last week, Dostal went 0-2 with a 4.06 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.
His outing against the Colorado Avalanche wasn't bad, allowing three goals on 35 shots and recording 1.16 goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com. But when Anaheim had a chance to end a two-game skid, Dostal conceded five goals on 32 shots against the Detroit Red Wings, and he had a minus-1.85 goals saved above expected.
The Ducks have lost three straight games, and Dostal now has a 2.86 GAA and .903 SP. He's posted a save percentage below .900 in three of his last five games dating back to Nov. 4.
Dostal hasn't forgotten how to be a good goalie, and the loss to Colorado was more of a team underperforming in front of him rather than him dropping the ball. But his wobbly performance between the pipes at times has had a direct impact on Anaheim’s effectiveness as a group.
Dostal is vital to the Ducks’ chances of making the playoffs, but every goalie goes through some sort of adversity, and it would not be surprising if he went on a hot streak this upcoming week.
Hot: Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks
Hughes and the Canucks haven’t had their best start this season. Hughes even missed Friday's game due to an injury.
But Hughes still left his mark on Vancouver’s opponents, posting seven assists in two games, including a four-assist performance in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With Sunday’s showing, Hughes has 16 assists and 17 points in 15 games. Those would be terrific numbers for most defensemen, but Hughes’ status as a perennial Norris Trophy front-runner sets the bar higher for the 26-year-old. If he produces anywhere close to the pace he’s been on this week, Hughes will once again be challenging Colorado’s Cale Makar for the title of the league’s top blueliner.
How The Vancouver Canucks Stack Up To The Rest Of The NHL: 20 Games InThe Vancouver Canucks are 20 games into the 2025-26 NHL season: here's how they compare to the rest of the league. Hot: Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers
The Rangers were terrible out of the gate, but they’ve been markedly better last week, and star netminder Shesterkin led the way. He went 3-0-0 while generating a 2.28 GAA and .925 save percentage.
Shesterkin’s numbers this week were better than his season average of a .913 SP and a 2.39 GAA. He’s right up there with Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck as the top netminder on the planet, and if the Rangers are to claw their way back into the playoff picture and overcome their poor start to the year, they’ll need Shesterkin to continue thriving.
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