Welcome to the 10th edition of "Looking North," our weekly Friday dive into the all-Canadian division. This installment dates back to March 19.
The rundown
It was a relatively quiet week up north with some teams only playing a handful of games due to scheduling, and in the Montreal Canadiens' and Edmonton Oilers' cases, COVID-19 postponements.
The Calgary Flames had a glorious opportunity to make up some ground in the division but squandered it, losing three straight games - two of them to the last place Ottawa Senators. The Flames scored just twice in those three contests.
| Team | Points over last week |
|---|---|
| Ottawa Senators | 5 (2-0-1) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 (2-1-0) |
| Winnipeg Jets | 4 (2-1-0) |
| Montreal Canadiens | 3 (1-0-1) |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3 (1-2-1) |
| Edmonton Oilers | 2 (1-0-0) |
| Calgary Flames | 2 (1-3-0) |
The stars
Forward: Andrew Copp scored four goals for the Jets on Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks, winning a Winnipeg resident $100,000. He also chipped in with a goal and assist in the Jets' other two games. The gritty forward is now up to 10 goals and 15 assists in 33 contests.
Defenseman: Jeff Petry has put together a season worthy of Norris Trophy consideration, but he's played especially well as of late. In his last three games, he's amassed two points and a 73.3 expected goals percentage at five-on-five.
Goalie: Filip Gustavsson may have entered the campaign as the Sens' fourth goalie, but the rookie has shined since being called upon. In two starts this week - both wins against the Flames - the 2016 second-round pick stopped 63 of 65 shots for a .969 save percentage.
Canadian of the week
Jason Spezza is aging like a fine wine. The 37-year-old has potted goals in three straight games. He's now up to eight goals and 11 assists on the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs despite averaging just 10:33 per contest. Talk about efficiency.
The moments
J.T. Miller produces candidate for OT winner of the year 🤯
The Canucks forward scored a highlight-reel OT winner Friday against Montreal, blowing past Tomas Tatar, undressing Nick Suzuki, and beating Jake Allen. Miller's versatility has been integral to Vancouver; primarily a winger, he's filled in at center with Elias Pettersson out.
Blake Wheeler displays frustration 😠
The Jets captain showed off his arm strength by heaving a puck into the stands after the final horn in Saturday's loss to the Oilers, earning himself a game misconduct. Maybe the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers should give Wheeler a call.
Rasmus Andersson causes a stir 🥄
Perhaps it's been slightly overblown, but the Flames defenseman created controversy Monday when he took the game puck after losing to the Senators. This wouldn't normally create headlines, but it happened to be Gustavsson's first career win. Andersson tossed the puck back onto the ice before heading to the dressing room and said afterward that he wasn't aware of Gustavsson's milestone.
The question
The Flames have easily been the division's most disappointing team, sitting in sixth place with 33 points. They trail Montreal by just four points for the fourth and final playoff spot, but the Habs have three games in hand. It begs the questions: Will Calgary be a deadline seller, and does the club need an offseason overhaul?
Calgary's coaching change has not panned out as hoped. After winning its first three games under Darryl Sutter, the team has dropped four of its last five. If the issue isn't the coach then it's the roster.
The Flames don't have many appealing UFA rentals ahead of the deadline (David Rittich, Josh Leivo, Derek Ryan), so it's hard to imagine they'll do anything major during the season, but it could be an interesting summer in Calgary. Mark Giordano and Johnny Gaudreau will be UFAs after 2022, so it seems possible that two of the team's key players could potentially be moved out to spark a rebuild.
Stat of the week
It would feel wrong not to mention Connor McDavid's brilliance. The Oilers captain has collected seven goals and 13 assists during his nine-game point streak. With 60 points in 34 contests, he's on pace for 99 in 56 appearances this year. That's the equivalent of 144 over 82 games. Just absurd.
Game to watch
The Maple Leafs and Oilers are scheduled to play at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Matthews versus McDavid is always must-see TV, but Edmonton should come out hard after being swept - and outscored 13-1 - by Toronto in their recent three-game set.
(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)
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