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

Calgary Flames

Plus: A 7-3-0 record leading up to the holiday break helped the Calgary Flames slide into a Western Conference wild-card spot, and well within striking distance of the three teams ahead of them in the Pacific Division.

Minus: Calgary's minus-nine goal differential is the worst among all teams currently sitting in playoff position.

Take: The Flames' last two wins came with Brian Elliott in net. He'll need to reclaim the starting job from Chad Johnson and play at a high level in order for Calgary to remain in postseason contention.

Edmonton Oilers

Plus: Leon Draisaitl leads the the Edmonton Oilers in December scoring with seven goals and seven assists over 12 games. Both Connor McDavid and Mark Letestu rank second with 11 points.

Minus: Winger Tyler Pitlick will miss the remainder of the regular season with a torn ACL. He'd recorded two goals and two assists in five games prior to the injury.

Take: It's not yet a perfectly constructed roster, but anything less than a 2017 playoff spot would be a massive disappointment after a strong start to the season.

Montreal Canadiens

Plus: Captain Max Pacioretty has stepped up, scoring nine goals over his past 11 contests, and tying Jeff Carter for the league lead so far this month.

Minus: Shea Weber's offensive contributions have dried up. The defenseman has posted just a single assist across 11 December games.

Take: As long as Carey Price is in net, the Montreal Canadiens are the class of the Atlantic Division, and it's not really all that close at the moment.

Ottawa Senators

Plus: Bobby Ryan appears to have found his scoring touch after posting four goals in five games heading into the break.

Minus: Twenty-one-year-old Curtis Lazar has been held without a point in 14 appearances this season, and the Ottawa Senators will need something from their 2013 first-round pick to maintain their surprising success.

Take: General manager Pierre Dorion looks like a genius for grabbing Mike Condon from Pittsburgh. Condon's been used heavily in relief of Craig Anderson (personal reasons) and Andrew Hammond (ankle), while posting a save percentage of .922 across 14 appearances.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Plus: After a rough first month with his new club, Frederik Andersen has been lights out for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Minus: While Auston Matthews' goal scoring has picked up, Mitch Marner and William Nylander have been good for only one apiece through 10 December games.

Take: The Maple Leafs sit five points back of an Atlantic Division playoff spot, but also only three points up on last-place Buffalo. Things could go either way, but count on Toronto remaining a bubble team instead of seeing it burst.

Vancouver Canucks

Plus: N/A

Minus: Yes, things are that bad for the Vancouver Canucks.

With a record of 14-18-3, the Canucks sit 28th in the NHL, and, to make matters worse, they seem to believe things should be better than they are.

A full rebuild is in order, and should have already been initiated.

Take: This isn't how the Sedins should be winding down their legendary careers.

Winnipeg Jets

Plus: Patrik Laine's game seems be be rounding out. The rookie sniper has recorded five assists in his past 11 contests - one fewer than he posted across his first 25 appearances.

Minus: Another split with Alexander Burmistrov could be in the cards after the center recently voiced displeasure over his lack of playing time.

Take: The Winnipeg Jets have some talented, young players on the roster, but general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff still has work to do in terms of building a consistent playoff team. At this point, one can't help but wonder if he's really the man for the job.

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