How about Jackson LaCombe? The Ducks D-man leads the NHL in playoff scoring. Some Stars and Sabres players are also hot, while a couple of big-name players are ice-cold.
Some NHL players who were cold this past week lost the chance to get hot in the playoffs.
We're partially speaking about Ottawa Senators players, who were eliminated from the post-season on Saturday.
Most Sens players were cold, including center Tim Stutzle, who had just one point in Ottawa's four-game elimination by the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Los Angeles Kings were also eliminated on Sunday. Captain Anze Kopitar could not add to his playoff point totals before his retirement, recording no points in the four-game sweep.
Los Angeles and Ottawa's offensive woes ended their season. However, other NHLers have thrived in these playoffs, and some have been ice-cold since Monday, April 20.
Hot: Matt Duchene, C, Dallas Stars
Duchene's five assists and seven points in three games put him near the top of the NHL leaderboard this past week.
The 35-year-old center was held off the scoresheet in Game 1 of the Stars' series against the Minnesota Wild, but he roared back this week, putting up at least two points in Games 2, 3 and 4.
Duchene had a subpar regular season, generating 16 goals and 45 points in 57 games after posting 30 goals and 82 points in 82 games in 2024-25.
But he's made an impact in the playoffs, putting up 44 points in 73 career post-season games.
If Dallas is to advance to the second round, they're going to need more production from Duchene and the rest of the cast. But thus far, he's been capable of helping the Stars' cause.
Cold: Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators
The Senators had a very tough first-round opponent in the Carolina Hurricanes, but Ottawa got swept in part because Tkachuk didn't register a single point in their four games, including three games this week.
In those three games, Tkachuk was tied as a team-worst minus-four, and he couldn't produce a goal despite firing nine shots on net. Clearly, that's not close to good enough.
In his first six career playoff games last season, Tkachuk had four goals and seven points. The pressure on him next season won't ease until the 2027 playoffs arrive as he tries to atone for what happened this past week. The Sens need more from Tkachuk next year, and he knows it.
Hot: Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks
LaCombe emerged as one of the NHL's best up-and-coming young defensemen this year, posting 48 assists and 58 points in 82 regular-season games with the Ducks. That's a 15-point improvement from his 2024-25 output.
In these playoffs, LaCombe has been a legitimate threat, generating seven assists and eight points in four games this past week.
LaCombe leads the NHL in playoff points and assists right now. He has one more point than Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl and twice as many as Connor McDavid's four points. That's no small feat.
The 25-year-old is a plus-five and has had at least two points in each of Anaheim's three wins versus the Edmonton Oilers.
LaCombe is averaging 26:42 of ice time, and he logged 29:54 in Sunday's overtime win.
LaCombe has been stellar at both ends of the ice, and Anaheim has surprised the Oilers in part due to his impact on the series.
Cold: Jamie Benn, LW, Dallas Stars
The Stars earned a 2-1 first-round series lead, but that changed Saturday when Minnesota beat the Stars to pull even in the series.
It's hard to criticize the Stars' offense when five players are averaging at least a point per game in the series, and they scored four goals in each of their wins.
But beyond the Stars' top five players, the offense is very quiet. That includes Benn, who has zero points and a minus-4 rating in four games. He's also taken three minor penalties this past week.
Benn managed only three shots since April 20, and at age 36, he's looking like he hasn't got much time left in the NHL.
He's now looking at a best-of-three series against the Wild. Benn must contribute secondary scoring because what he's done thus far is unacceptable.
Hot: Alex Lyon, G, Buffalo Sabres
Lyon didn't begin the playoffs as the Sabres' starter. But he's been a reason why Buffalo is winning, posting a .964 SP and a 0.89 GAA in two starts and three appearances against the Boston Bruins this past week.
Obviously, Lyon didn't need to be lights-out when his team beat the Bruins 6-1 on Sunday, and yet, he still stopped 23 of 24 shots. But in Game 3, he did need to be stellar, and he was, stopping 24 of 25 shots in a 3-1 win that included an empty-netter.
Lyon shocked the Bruins by coming off the bench in relief of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and giving the Sabres a real chance to win this series.
The 33-year-old only had four career playoff games before this past week, but he's delivering terrific results in high-stakes situations.
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