Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."

Calgary Flames

Plus: Johnny Gaudreau's return to the lineup three weeks early seemed to give the Calgary Flames a shot in the arm. The club went off for eight goals against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, with Gaudreau collecting one and an assist.

Minus: With the second-worst power play and fourth-worst penalty kill, the Flames' special teams are still a cause for concern. Gaudreau's return should aid the PP, but he's just one man - and that does not solve the PK.

The Take: After it appeared the sky was falling, Calgary is now 5-1-1 in its last seven games. Will the improved play hush the Dougie Hamilton rumors?

Edmonton Oilers

Plus: Yeah, yeah, we know Connor McDavid is good, but so is Leon Draisaitl. The 21-year-old put up five points in four games last week, including a three-spot against the Winnipeg Jets, giving him 21 points on the year.

Minus: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got his first goal in five games this week. That's great, but four goals and 12 points in 27 games simply isn't good enough.

The Take: With a modest 2.56 goals-against per game, the Oilers' defense appears to be doing a solid job of keeping the opposition at bay. However, it might be worth exploring the market on Nugent-Hopkins soon for an even greater upgrade on the back end.

Montreal Canadiens

Plus: After a slow start, captain Max Pacioretty now has five points in his last five games, including a three-point effort against the Los Angeles Kings - perfect timing for the club, as you'll see.

Minus: The Canadiens received devastating news Monday with the announcement that their leading scorer, Alex Galchenyuk, will be sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury. The club's scored three goals or more just twice in its last seven games, so Galchenyuk will surely be missed.

The Take: The Habs continue to roll with wins in four of their last five games on the back of Carey Price, who continues to do his thing. As we head toward Christmas, there appear to be minimal flaws in the club's game.

Ottawa Senators

Plus: Two questionable performances against the Penguins and Sabres aside, Ottawa's strength has been between the pipes, no question. Whether it's Craig Anderson or Mike Condon, their teammates can only praise the netminders for the club's 32 points so far.

Minus: Their record is great, but the Senators are eventually going to have to provide their goaltenders some more run support. Averaging 2.35 goals per game is just not going to cut it.

The Take: Ottawa did provide glimpses of offensive firepower in its 5-4 loss to Buffalo and 8-5 defeat to Pittsburgh. The Senators can score, but can they mesh their defensive systems and offensive touch in the same game?

Toronto Maple Leafs

Plus: The Maple Leafs are getting production from all over. With three players with 10 goals or more and six with 15-plus points, the team is clearly spreading the offense. Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri is making a name for himself as a shut-down center. Who knew?

Minus: The Jhonas Enroth experiment looks to have failed. The team put the veteran backup on waivers Monday and all signs point to a new man warming the bench behind Frederik Andersen in the coming days.

The Take: The Maple Leafs' youngsters continue to show promise, but with night-and-day results home and away, consistency is still the biggest issue - along with a defensive core that simply doesn't stack up to the elites of the league.

Vancouver Canucks

Plus: The jury is likely still out on the Vancouver Canucks, but with a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games, they're clearly doing something right.

Minus: As great as the team's recent run has been, look closer and you'll see two of those wins came against the Arizona Coyotes (19 points), one against the Colorado Avalanche (18 points), and one against the Maple Leafs (25 points) ... not the toughest competition around.

The Take: The Canucks aren't a playoff team. We all know this. However, this week, president Trevor Linden asserted that a rebuild is not forthcoming as long as the Sedins are in town. That likely means they'll miss out on both a high-end draft pick and the playoffs at season's end, a worst-case scenario for any club.

Winnipeg Jets

Plus: Four points in four games is all the Jets could have asked from Bryan Little following his return to the lineup last week.

Minus: As impressive a week as the Jets had, they've still now gone 10 games without managing four or more goals. Patrik Laine and company continue to chip in, but some secondary scoring would go a long way.

The Take: Three wins against the perceived titans of the Central Division in Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis have leapfrogged the Jets over the Predators and into a playoff spot. With slightly more consistent goaltending, Winnipeg could become a dominant force in the West.

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