First-liners on the Jets and Avalanche were red-hot this past week, while a Senators veteran and Golden Knights netminder got called out for not meeting expectations.
The NHL's incredible parity this season means whoever is hot at the right time could be playing in late April and beyond.
The NHL trade deadline has passed, and six teams are within five points of a wild-card spot: two in the Eastern Conference, and four in the West.
In the case of Winnipeg Jets star center Mark Scheifele, who was the NHL's first star of the week, his team is on a three-game winning streak, but it's 12th in the West with 20 games left to play. So time has more or less run out for them unless an incredible run happens.
The Ottawa Senators are also five points out, but they're 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. That said, they'll need everybody to get hot if they want to catch up to a wild-card team.
Pride is at stake for NHLers in any game, and they won't stop playing hard, no matter what time of year it is. So even players on teams in playoff spots must ensure they're hot by the post-season if they want the best possible chance of winning rounds.
Here's who's been hot or cold in the NHL this past week.
Hot: Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg Jets
It all feels like it's too little, too late for the Jets to make themselves a Stanley Cup playoff team this season, but you can't deny Scheifele was a beast in the past seven days.
The 32-year-old center posted five assists and eight points in three games last week. Two of Scheifele's three goals were game-winners, and he led all NHLers in points per game in that span, with 2.67.
Scheifele now has 30 goals, 48 assists and 78 points in 62 games. He's on pace for 39 goals and a career-best 63 assists and 103 points.
Hindsight being 20/20, Scheifele would've been a good pick for Team Canada at the recent Olympics, but he's come back from the break looking terrific.
The Jets are unlikely to make the playoffs, with BetMGM listing their odds of making the playoffs at 4.60 (+360), or 21.7 percent implied odds. So while last week was exceptional for Scheifele, it must become the norm for the next 20 games if they want to make the post-season.
Cold: Claude Giroux, C, Ottawa Senators
The Senators won two of three games last week, but Giroux has been ice-cold of late. He didn't have any points in those three games, and he had only two shots on net in that span. He's now on a seven-game scoring drought.
Giroux, 38, has a mileage on him that's starting to show. He has 11 goals and 39 points in 62 games – not a terrible total for most NHLers, but considering where Giroux was at when he was at his peak, a scoring drought this long is cause for concern.
He has the Sens' remaining 20 games to ratchet up his game, but Giroux may not be able to get there.
Hot: Martin Necas, RW, Colorado Avalanche
Since returning from playing for Czechia at the Olympics, Necas has been on a roll, generating 14 points in seven games.
Last week, Necas had eight points with a plus-6 rating in four games. Not only did he have one more point than Nathan MacKinnon did, but his 23:28 of average ice time was more than MacKinnon's 22:55 as well.
His Avalanche teammates have also played well, but Necas has consistently been a driver of play this year, and he deserves the flowers that should be coming his way.
Necas now has 28 goals, 48 assists and 76 points in 59 games this season. The 27-year-old has already tied his career high in goals, and he's on pace to set new highs in assists and points.
He's an integral part of the NHL's best team. It doesn't get much better than that.
Cold: Akira Schmid, G, Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have used four goalies this season, and none of them have excelled.
Last week, Schmid lost both his games, recording a 3.59 goals-against average and an .865 save percentage. He allowed three goals in 28 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, and he conceded four goals on 24 shots from the Minnesota Wild in a 4-2 loss.
Adin Hill wasn't much better last week, with an .864 save percentage and 2.96 goals-against average in two starts. But at least he won one of those games.
Schmid has lost six of his past seven games. If this keeps up, Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy will have to cut back on Schmid's games and give more to Hill.
Schmid must take advantage of the opportunities he gets from Cassidy, because the Golden Knights have a goaltending issue right now that could cost them a chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Their Stanley Cup odds are 9.50 (+850) on BetMGM.
Hot: Scott Wedgewood, G, Colorado Avalanche
The Avs were great all-around this week, and Wedgewood deserves credit for backstopping Colorado to a 3-0-0 record.
Last Friday, the veteran was called into action in relief of Mackenzie Blackwood against the Dallas Stars and stopped all 10 shots he faced as the Avs came back from 4-2 down to win 5-4. Beyond that, Wedgewood has been the hot hand over Blackwood coming out of the Olympics.
Last week, Wedgewood had an .958 SP and 1.09 GAA was 1.09. He now has a 2.19 GAA and .916 SP in 35 games this season.
If Bednar chooses Wedgewood over Blackwood in the playoffs, the Avalanche could still go far.
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