Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.

▲ New York Islanders

A change behind the bench appears to be paying off for the New York Islanders.

The club has posted a record of 3-0-1 since Doug Weight took over from the fired Jack Capuano, and while they remain tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 49 points, the fact they've played only 46 games gives the Islanders a leg up on other teams trying to climb into a playoff spot.

In fact, the Islanders now have a the best chance at grabbing the second wild-card spot, according to Sports Club Stats.

John Tavares has also stepped up as of late, scoring eight goals and adding three assists for 11 points in his last seven games.

▼ Brad Marchand

On one hand, Brad Marchand is having a career year. His 47 points put him in a tie for the fifth-highest total among all NHL players this season, and on pace for a career-high 76 over the course of a full 82-game schedule.

The problem is, he's likely to miss at least one game after a hearing was scheduled for this dangerous trip on Detroit's Niklas Kronwall.

The Boston Bruins have been struggling of late, with whispers of head coach Claude Julien being on the hot seat growing louder with each loss. On track to miss the playoffs for the third season in a row, Boston can ill afford to lose arguably its best player - who scored a pair of goals in a big win over the Red Wings - to suspension for such an unnecessary incident.

Marchand has displayed growth both on and of the ice in recent months, but this moment of regression could cost his team dearly.

▲ Filip Forsberg

The Nashville Predators highest-paid forward appears to have found his scoring touch.

After a quiet start to the season, Filip Forsberg has flipped the script, and has been absolutely on fire over the past seven weeks.

• Before Dec. 5: 24 GP, 2 goals, 14 assists
• After Dec. 5: 24 GP, 13 goals, 3 assists

Forsberg has also been especially clutch this month, setting a Nashville record for most game-winning goals with five so far in January.

The 15 goals and 17 assists to date put him on pace for the lowest single season totals of his career to date, but the manner in which he's turned things around suggests he's headed for at least 30 goals while, most importantly, helping the Predators secure a playoff spot.

▼ Colorado Avalanche

Maybe Patrick Roy knew something we didn't.

The former Colorado Avalanche head coach appears to have read the tea leaves and bailed on the club before things snowballed out of control, thereby being saved from taking the blame for issues that run far deeper than coaching.

Colorado has posted a record of 1-8-1 in the past 10 games, dropping to an astonishingly bad record of 13-31-2 on the season. The 28 points accumulated by the Avalanche put them eight points behind 29th place Arizona, and 24 points out of a playoff spot.

Their .304 point percentage also puts them on track for the worst mark in the shootout era, wherein teams are rewarded for losing.

The 2013-14 and 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres are next lowest with point percentages of .317 and .329, respectively. Those teams were deep in the midst of a rebuild, with the latter roster seemingly constructed with the intent of making sure the club had the best possible chance of drafting at least Jack Eichel and hopefully Connor McDavid.

Expect a major shakeup in Colorado to begin sooner rather than later.

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