Brent Burns, Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Justin Schultz.

Those are the top-four scoring defensemen in the NHL as of Friday night.

Of course, the first three are your usual suspects and are to be expected, but for Schultz to enter the conversation is a pleasant and much-welcomed surprise for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With another two assists in the Penguins' 7-1 trouncing of the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, Schultz now sits fourth in blue-liner scoring with 32 points in 45 games.

For Schultz, it truly highlights the resurrection of a career that looked to be in jeopardy just one year ago.

Once believed to be a key part of the Edmonton Oilers' core, the former second-round pick saw his point totals drop and his defensive play deteriorate in his fourth season in Canada's Festival City, before he was shipped to the Penguins last season - just in time to win a Stanley Cup.

After combining for just four goals and 18 points last season, Schultz has been reborn this year. Having nearly doubled those totals, he now sits just a single point away from matching his previous career high of 33, which he hit during his sophomore campaign.

Offense aside, Schultz has become a more well-rounded defender. He leads the Penguins in plus-minus with a plus-25 rating, while playing an average of 18:58 a night.

Sure, injuries to Kris Letang have opened the door for Schultz this season, but he is taking advantage of his opportunities, and the Penguins are all the better for it.

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Claude Julien wasn't in the mood to discuss his future following another defeat Friday night.

The Boston Bruins head coach dismissed the swirling scuttlebutt about his long-term job security when asked about it by CSNNE's Joe Haggerty after a 1-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Here's the exchange, according to Chris Mason of the Boston Herald:

That's how Julien ended his postgame presser, standing up and leaving following that answer after thanking Haggerty and the other assembled reporters.

ESPN's Joe McDonald reported shortly thereafter that no coaching change is imminent and that Julien will keep his job "for now."

It won't get much easier for the longtime Boston bench boss, though. The Bruins travel to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins on Sunday, return home to host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, then host the Penguins on Thursday.

For the time being, the Bruins are clinging to third place in the Atlantic Division with a sub-.500 record of 23-20-6, but the Toronto Maple Leafs sit two points back with six games in hand.

Julien is in his 10th season as Boston's head coach.

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Claude Julien wasn't in the mood to discuss his future following another defeat Friday night.

The Boston Bruins head coach dismissed the swirling scuttlebutt about his long-term job security when asked about it by CSNNE's Joe Haggerty after a 1-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Here's the exchange, according to Chris Mason of the Boston Herald:

That's how Julien ended his postgame presser, standing up and leaving following that answer after thanking Haggerty and the other assembled reporters.

ESPN's Joe McDonald reported shortly thereafter that no coaching change is imminent and that Julien will keep his job "for now."

It won't get much easier for the longtime Boston bench boss, though. The Bruins travel to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins on Sunday, return home to host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, then host the Penguins on Thursday.

For the time being, the Bruins are clinging to third place in the Atlantic Division with a sub-.500 record of 23-20-6, but the Toronto Maple Leafs sit two points back with six games in hand.

Julien is in his 10th season as Boston's head coach.

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It wasn't a pretty outing for the Carolina Hurricanes Friday night.

The club was embarrassed on home ice by the Pittsburgh Penguins, dropping a 7-1 contest to their Metropolitan counterparts, leaving a bad taste in the mouth of Jordan Staal.

It certainly wasn't pretty with the Penguins out-shooting the Hurricanes 41-28. It also saw the Penguins continue their dominance over the club.

Related - Watch: Crosby feeds Sheary with slick behind-the-back pass

After Friday's demolition, the Penguins have now bested the Hurricanes in five straight games, outscoring their opponents 20-6.

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Claude Julien's seat just got a whole lot hotter.

Marian Hossa unsheathed the dagger Friday night against the Boston Bruins and their embattled head coach, converting on a pretty pass from Tanner Kero to give the Chicago Blackhawks the only goal of the game with less than 90 seconds to play.

Related: If Julien needs wins to save job, Bruins schedule could be his undoing

The Bruins have lost three straight games and four of their last five. Boston has only three wins in 10 contests since the calendar slipped to 2017.

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Gene Principe is an international treasure.

The Sportsnet reporter for Edmonton Oilers broadcasts took his pregame shtick to a new level Friday night, channeling Donald Trump on the day of the new U.S. president's inauguration.

Wearing a truly frightening Trump mask, Principe opened his scene-setter by highlighting Connor McDavid's production with a reference to the president's pronunciation.

Then came mention of Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot as a tie-in with Trump's proposed construction project along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Then, he cited P.K. Subban's return as a "trump card" for the Predators.

That apparently wasn't enough for Principe, who snuck in a reference to the Russian president ("I'm not Putin you on!") before throwing to the anthem singer.

Principe's pregame hijinks are a staple of Oilers broadcasts, but this one towers above the rest.

(Images courtesy: NHL.com)

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Another day, another outrageous play by Sidney Crosby.

Crosby pulled off another highlight reel pass Friday night, putting the puck on a platter for Conor Sheary with a behind-the-back feed, who easily fired it into an empty cage for his 15th goal of the season and second of the game.

The goal would add insult to injury for the Carolina Hurricanes, pushing the Penguins lead to 7-1.

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The Buffalo Sabres are good at these.

Less than two weeks after airing an incredible video game-themed pre-game presentation, the Sabres made and shared another one in the arena before the second period of Friday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.

This edition once again featured the likes of Dominik Hasek, Maxim Afinogenov, Stu Barnes, and Matthew Barnaby, but zeroed in specifically on the club's black and red jersey era of the late 1990s and 2000s.

No one will be complaining if these become regular part of the in-game experience at KeyBank Center.

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Some fans don't forget.

Ahead of Friday's contest between the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens, one Devils fan made sure to remind Carey Price not to throw punches with his blocker - citing the NHL's official rule book.

Of course, the fan was referring to a game between the two clubs on Dec. 8, when, after Kyle Palmieri slid into Price, the Canadiens goaltender got his revenge by throwing a series of punches with his blocker.

Luckily, Al Montoya got the start Friday night, so the Devils and this fan can rest easy.

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Typical Washington Capitals.

That's how you could sum up the NHL's first-place club. The Capitals are firing on all cylinders, and at the midway part of the season, are back to doing exactly what made them such a powerhouse last season.

Sure, it might not be that hard to believe considering nearly the entire roster remains intact from last year's regular-season dominance - but the fact is the team has not skipped a beat and is actually putting up better numbers than it did one year ago in besting all NHL clubs in the overall standings.

Check it out:

The Capitals are riding a hot streak at the moment, having gone 9-0-1 in their last 10 games with their only blip coming in a mystical 8-7 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Related: On the Fly: 3 thoughts from a goal-filled week in the NHL

Once again the team is expected to have at least five players hit the 20-goal plateau, Braden Holtby could reenter the Vezina Trophy conversation, and with 21 goals so far, Alex Ovechkin is certainly in the running for another Rocket Richard Trophy.

The Capitals are on pace to finish the year with a league-high 120 points which - wouldn't you know it - is exactly what they won the Presidents' Trophy with last season.

Here we go again.

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