Welcome to a special edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings, which will encompass the last 10 seasons. With the new decade now underway, it's time to take one last look back at the previous 10 years and see which franchises were the class of the league.

Let's rank how each team performed in the 2010s, considering overall performance, division titles, and championships:

1. Chicago Blackhawks

Stanley Cup titles: 3 (2010, 2013, 2015)
Division titles: 3
Playoff appearances: 8
Best player: Patrick Kane

The only team to claim three championships this decade is the no-brainer selection for the No. 1 spot. Even after trading a series of high-profile cap causalities in 2010, the Blackhawks were able to win two more Stanley Cups over the following five years, cementing their decade of excellence. Chicago has been disappointing recently, with no playoff wins over the past three seasons. But the team still accomplished plenty in the 2010s.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

Stanley Cup titles: 2 (2016, 2017)
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 10
Best player: Sidney Crosby

The Penguins were the decade's most consistently competitive club, qualifying for the postseason every year - and more than any other team - while also claiming the ultimate prize on back-to-back occasions. Only the Blackhawks won more playoff series than Pittsburgh and the Boston Bruins over the 10-year span. The Penguins won the second-most games of the decade too, with a dominant core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, and Matt Murray leading the way.

3. Washington Capitals

Stanley Cup titles: 1 (2018)
Division titles: 7
Playoff appearances: 9
Best player: Alex Ovechkin

If the Capitals had won more than one Stanley Cup, it would be almost impossible to argue against them being No. 1 on our list. They earned the most wins in the 2010s, won the most division titles, only missed the playoffs once, and secured three Presidents' trophies along the way. Ovechkin and Co. endured a lot of criticism for their playoff futility before 2018, largely overshadowing a decade of dominance.

4. Boston Bruins

Stanley Cup titles: 1 (2011)
Division titles: 3
Playoff appearances: 8
Best player: Patrice Bergeron

After kicking off the decade with a championship in 2011, the Bruins have been one of the league's top contenders almost every year since. Following two additional trips to the finals in the 2010s, Boston is tied with the Blackhawks for the most Cup appearances this decade (three). The Bruins have been one of the league's most consistent teams, and the club is set up well for years to come with a mix of veterans and youth.

5. Los Angeles Kings

Stanley Cup titles: 2 (2012, 2014)
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 7
Best player: Drew Doughty

For the first half of the decade, the path to the Western Conference title went through Los Angeles or Chicago. The Kings and Blackhawks traded Stanley Cups over four straight seasons, likely costing each other an additional championship in the process. With two-time Selke Trophy winner Anze Kopitar leading the team alongside Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Drew Doughty and one of the decade's top netminders in Jonathan Quick, this era of Kings hockey will be championed for generations to come.

6. St. Louis Blues

Stanley Cup titles: 1 (2019)
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 7
Best player: Alex Pietrangelo

The Blues established themselves as a consistent title contender while logging the fourth-most regular-season wins this decade, but they made just one conference finals appearance before finally breaking through. After knocking on the door for so many years, St. Louis finally won its Stanley Cup in 2019.

7. San Jose Sharks

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 9
Best player: Joe Thornton

Considered a strong contender every year, the Sharks were unable to get over the hump come playoff time. They missed the playoffs only once this decade, appeared in one Stanley Cup Final, and made the conference finals four times. San Jose is starting a new chapter following the departure of Joe Pavelski, and with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau winding down their careers.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 6
Best player: Steven Stamkos

Despite routinely falling short of claiming hockey's ultimate prize with loaded lineups, the Lightning were still one of the NHL's most competitive clubs for much of the decade. Tampa Bay reached at least the Eastern Conference Final in four of its six playoff appearances this decade, and the team made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015. The Lightning also unforgettably flopped in the first round last spring after a historically dominant regular season. But overall, they were still a model of consistency in the 2010s.

9. New York Rangers

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 7
Best player: Henrik Lundqvist

The Rangers didn't win it all, but they were among the league's best for a good chunk of the decade. New York recorded four seasons with 100-plus points, one of which resulted in a Presidents' Trophy. The Blueshirts also notched nine playoff series wins, peaking with a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

10. Nashville Predators

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 8
Best player: Pekka Rinne

Defense and goaltending were staples for the Predators throughout the 2010s. Rinne was one of the best puck-stoppers of the decade, and strong defense has always supported him, whether it was Shea Weber and Ryan Suter anchoring the blue line, or Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. In addition to a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, the Preds claimed the Presidents' Trophy in 2018.

11. Anaheim Ducks

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 5
Playoff appearances: 7
Best player: Ryan Getzlaf

The Ducks are mired in their second season of a rebuild, making it easy to forget how dominant they were in the 2010s. No, they didn't win a Stanley Cup, but there's nothing to be ashamed of after five straight division titles and two trips to the conference finals. This team was near the top of the league when Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were in their primes.

12. Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Marc-Andre Fleury

A master class in expansion drafting, the most successful inaugural season in North American sports history, and two trips to the playoffs in two seasons of existence is a heck of a lot more than what many teams have accomplished this decade.

13. Montreal Canadiens

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 3
Playoff appearances: 6
Best player: Carey Price

Montreal lacked a superstar forward throughout the decade, but the team often hustled and never quit. With two trips to the Eastern Conference Final, the Canadiens went as far as their goaltending could take them, most memorably when Jaroslav Halak transformed into a brick wall against the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010.

14. Philadelphia Flyers

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 6
Best player: Claude Giroux

Philadelphia peaked at the beginning of the decade, advancing to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Blackhawks in six games. The rest of the Flyers' playoff appearances in the 2010s ended in first- and second-round exits. A lack of star forwards, lackluster defending, and inconsistent goaltending held the club back for most of the decade.

15. Vancouver Canucks

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 4
Playoff appearances: 5
Best player: Henrik and Daniel Sedin

The Canucks are on the verge of doing a full 360 this decade. From 2009-10 to 2012-13, no team racked up more points than Vancouver. The 2010-11 club that lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final may be the best team this decade to not win a Cup. There were plenty of dark times after the Alain Vigneault era ended in 2013, but a successful rebuild is churning out a promising young core featuring Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes. Now the Canucks could be one of the best teams of the 2020s.

16. Minnesota Wild

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 6
Best player: Ryan Suter

The massive free-agent contracts handed to Ryan Suter and Zach Parise in 2012 helped the Wild reach the playoffs in six straight seasons from 2013 to 2018. But Minnesota was never able to get over the hump, winning just two playoff series this past decade. Now the club is transitioning into a rebuild with Suter and Parise on the books until 2025. It's safe to say the team's championship window was missed.

17. Dallas Stars

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Jamie Benn

The Stars will look back on the decade and lament not being able to muster more than a few playoff appearances and just a pair of series wins, but they've endured a tough go in the ultra-competitive Central Division. Still, the entire decade was a case of what could have been because Benn was in the fold, Tyler Seguin was around for over five years, John Klingberg was in Dallas for five of the 10 years (not including 2019-20), and Alexander Radulov was aboard for the final few campaigns.

18. Winnipeg Jets

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Blake Wheeler

Making the move from Atlanta in 2011, the Jets didn't take off right away. After missing the playoffs in five of their first six seasons in Winnipeg - including a sweep in their first appearance in 2015 - the Jets loaded up at the draft and hit on a number of picks. It was a long process for hockey-starved fans in Winnipeg, but the Jets have now been one of the league's best teams over the last few seasons, and they went to the conference finals in 2018.

19. New York Islanders

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: John Tavares

When a team's best player of the decade is someone the fan base now despises, it wasn't a pretty 10 years. The 2010s were full of dysfunction for the Islanders. Ex-GM Garth Snow was unable to build a team around Tavares, whiffing on several high draft picks. The Islanders moved out of the aging Nassau Coliseum in 2015 and into the Barclays Center, which proved to be a disaster for fans and players alike. However, with a new arena on the way, and Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz changing the team's culture, the Islanders are entering the 2020s on a high note.

20. Detroit Red Wings

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 7
Best player: Henrik Zetterberg

The Red Wings slowly came back down to earth this decade. A perennial powerhouse throughout the aughts, Detroit is on track to miss the postseason for a fourth straight campaign, extending the team's streak of not winning a playoff series to seven years. With a rebuild in the works, the Red Wings' quest to return to relevancy will take some time over the next decade.

21. Colorado Avalanche

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Nathan MacKinnon

Despite missing the postseason six times this decade, the Avalanche experienced tremendous draft success. Colorado added blue-chip forwards Gabriel Landeskog (2011), Nathan MacKinnon (2013), Mikko Rantanen (2015), and defenseman Cale Makar (2017) to assemble one of the NHL's most talented core groups. Denver has become a hockey hotspot once again with the Avs likely to make a third consecutive postseason appearance this season.

22. Ottawa Senators

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 5
Best player: Erik Karlsson

The Senators have been a laughingstock over the past few years, but they did make the playoffs five times this decade, coming within a goal of the Stanley Cup Final in 2017. However, it's mind-bending to wonder how far proper management could have led a core that was all 23 years old or younger at one point and featured Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, Mika Zibanejad, Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman, and Jakob Silfverberg, with a 26-year-old Ben Bishop in goal to boot.

23. Calgary Flames

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Mark Giordano

The Flames have spent most of the decade trying to find a replacement for Mikka Kipprusoff between the pipes. From Karri Ramo to Jonas Hiller to Brian Elliott to Mike Smith and now to David Rittich, the ongoing carousel in goal is a major reason why Calgary never made the postseason in back-to-back seasons this past decade and won just one playoff series.

24. Toronto Maple Leafs

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Auston Matthews

As promising as the Maple Leafs may look in 2019-20, the majority of their decade was truly ugly. From 2009-10 to 2015-16, Toronto ranked 29th in wins (225) and points (517), and if it weren't for the "Shanaplan" and the arrival of No. 34, the Leafs would likely be even lower on the list. Three straight playoff appearances to close out the decade bumped the Leafs up a few spots, but they're hoping to be much higher in the rankings when this list gets recreated heading into 2030.

25. Columbus Blue Jackets

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Sergei Bobrovsky

On the bright side, this decade was far better than the Blue Jackets' first in existence. Their four-game sweep of the Lightning last spring for the first series win in club history is easily the franchise's best moment. Unfortunately, it may take a while before that upset is topped.

26. New Jersey Devils

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Andy Greene

Aside from one surprise trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011-12, the Devils did a whole lot of nothing over the last 10 years. They bowed out in the first round in five games both times in their two other playoff appearances. They've finished near the bottom of the league a handful of seasons over the last several campaigns, and New Jersey will hope its stockpile of high draft picks propels the team in the right direction for the next decade.

27. Florida Panthers

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Aleksander Barkov

The first half of the decade featured some forgettable teams in Florida, even including the 2012 squad, which might be the worst division-winning team of the entire decade. The second half has been better, but also a bit disappointing. After winning another division title in 2016 with a 20-year-old Barkov, 22-year-old Jonathan Huberdeau, 22-year-old Vincent Trocheck, and 19-year-old Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers have yet to return to the postseason despite an enviable core. However, the club seems to be on the right track this season through Joel Quenneville guidance.

28. Arizona Coyotes

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Oliver Ekman-Larsson

The Coyotes made the playoffs three straight years to begin the decade, reaching the conference finals in 2011-12, but it was all downhill from there. Even a mid-decade name change from Phoenix to Arizona couldn't save them. However, after a long, winding rebuild, the Yotes finally look to be playoff-bound this season. If they can re-sign Taylor Hall, their outlook for the 2020s looks significantly better.

29. Carolina Hurricanes

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 1
Best player: Eric Staal

The Hurricanes ranked 23rd in wins over the decade, with only one playoff appearance to show for it. Carolina advanced to the Eastern Conference Final last spring, but the overwhelming majority of the 10-year span was largely forgettable in Raleigh. That's especially true for all five seasons before 2018-19 when the Hurricanes finished sixth or lower in their division. At least there's some hope for the future now.

30. Edmonton Oilers

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 1
Best player: Connor McDavid

The 2010s began with so much promise for the Oilers. The club secured three straight first overall picks (2010, 2011, and 2012), but between Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Nail Yakupov, only "The Nuge" remains. The Oilers' optimism grew further after selecting Connor McDavid first overall in 2015, but Edmonton still can't seem to find consistent success, largely due to a series of poor front-office decisions - primarily from Peter Chiarelli. Going through five different GMs and eight head coaches this decade best illustrates this organization's instability.

31. Buffalo Sabres

Stanley Cup titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Jack Eichel

When they won only 23 games in 2014-15, the Sabres thought they had successfully tanked their way to drafting Connor McDavid. After losing the lottery and settling for the second pick, they got the next best thing in Jack Eichel. The Sabres haven't recorded a winning campaign since 2011-12, but they'll likely snap a nine-year playoff drought this season.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday versus the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period, the team announced.

Gallagher was shaken up after a collision with teammate Ben Chiarot, and he didn't come out for the third period.

The 27-year-old winger entered Tuesday's contest second on the team in scoring with 32 points in 39 games.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury ended his decade making history.

With Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, Fleury passed Curtis Joseph on the NHL's all-time wins list to earn sole possession of sixth place with 455. He made 26 saves in the victory.

Here's where the 35-year-old stands on the all-time ranks:

Fleury is in hot pursuit of Lundqvist, the only other active goaltender ahead of him on the list. He trails the Swedish netminder by just three wins.

Tuesday's victory was Fleury's 80th with the Golden Knights. He claimed 375 wins over a 13-year stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Takes, thoughts, and trends is theScore's monthly spin around the NHL.

Lacrosse-goal fever

First, it was Nils Hoglander in October during a Swedish league game. Then it was Andrei Svechnikov a few days later during an NHL game. Then it was Svechnikov again in early December. And, as if to say "let me catch up here," Hoglander did it again last week at the World Junior Championship.

The so-called lacrosse goal was all the rage toward the end of 2019. A Minnesota high schooler recently got in on the fun as well:

Svechnikov, the fantastic Carolina Hurricanes sophomore, isn't the only NHLer capable of filling the highlight reel with such skill. Someone will join him soon.

Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews has tried to pick the puck up behind the net numerous times this year. Elias Pettersson, the wizardly Vancouver Canucks center, is open to the idea. Might Jack Eichel, whose puck skills are off the charts, attempt a lacrosse goal in the near future?

"Probably not. ... If the opportunity presented itself, maybe, I don't know," the Buffalo Sabres captain said this past weekend. "You've seen it done a few more times, so teams are probably a little more prepared for it. It's tough to do. To be able to do it as smoothly as (Svechnikov's) done it, it's really, really impressive. You've seen a lot of guys try and not be successful, and he's done it twice. It's awesome, honestly."

Old-school Boston Bruins forward David Backes - who, at 35 years old, admits he would never try to pull off a lacrosse goal - is intrigued by the recent development and tips his cap to Svechnikov. As he explains, so much goes into the result.

"Fresh ice, fresh stick, warmer puck - all of those things. What you've got on your stick for tape or wax. Everything can factor into how easy or difficult that would be. Or, if it just hops (onto the toe of your stick) as you're going behind the net, maybe you can fling it in there. I'm impressed by them," Backes said before adding with a smile: "Would I try to take a run at that guy in the next shift against him? I certainly would. But that's my thought process."

Fully evolved Eichel

Speaking of Eichel, he's firmly in the Hart Trophy discussion. For my money, Nathan MacKinnon has been more valuable to his team, but if the Sabres break their eight-season playoff drought, Eichel has a chance with voters. It's been a treat to watch him level up to bona fide superstar status.

Always a strong skater, a neutral-zone champion, and the heartbeat of the Sabres, it's this year - his fifth in the NHL - that's been Eichel's most impressive. He's produced 52 points in 39 games, and at times, he's been unstoppable. The 23-year-old plays 21:51 a night, second on the entire squad.

Asked what he's learned about Eichel since joining the Sabres in training camp, forward Marcus Johansson's eyes widened.

"I didn't know that he could be so dominant so consistently like he's been. I don't know how many games he's won for us this year. He's got something special," said Johansson, who has also played for the Capitals, Devils, and Bruins over a 10-year career. "There's only a couple of guys, maybe, that have that. He can take over games completely, and he puts the team on his shoulders. It's impressive. I don't know what to say - if it's a talent or what it is - but it's special."

What exactly is Eichel doing so well when he's dominating?

"(It's about) how in control he is," Johansson said. "He's got the puck on his stick a lot. It's anything from making moves to unbelievable passes, unbelievable shots. There's just nothing that he can't do. To be as big as he is and to have all of that skill, it's pretty fun to watch."

Johansson didn't mention the sequence below as an example of this evolved form of Jack Eichel, but it qualifies, with a tremendous mix of skill, confidence, and patience on display:

The Marchand Show

Based solely on raw production, Brad Marchand is 2019's king.

Counting regular-season and playoff action, the Bruins star ranks first in points, first in assists, and second in goals, with only Tuesday's 13-game slate remaining in 2019. Marchand, who has appeared in 105 total games and faces the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday afternoon, obviously benefited from team success. Nevertheless, the "Little Ball of Hate" accomplished a ton.

Marchand has piled up 140 points in the calendar year. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid ranks second with 121 points, and his teammate Leon Draisaitl is third with 117. Just eight others have hit triple digits - among them Marchand's center, Patrice Bergeron.

The lone player to accrue 80 assists in 2019, Marchand is at 88. McDavid is second with 79. As for goals, David Pastrnak, the third member of Boston's top line, has scored one more than Marchand's 52. Draisaitl (51) and Washington Capitals gunslinger Alex Ovechkin (50) are the only others who have bagged 50 in the calendar year.

The main takeaway here is that Marchand, 31 years old, is bucking the typical NHL aging curve. He didn't really arrive as a top-line producer until he was 27, and he is wrapping up his finest year four seasons later. Quite a career arc.

Duclair, Sens a match?

Sixteen players on the Ottawa Senators' 22-man roster are on expiring contracts, but none of them are showcasing themselves like Anthony Duclair.

The 24-year-old pending restricted free agent can start negotiating a new contract with the Sens on Wednesday. Since October, general manager Pierre Dorion must have been asking himself: Is Duclair's breakout season for real, and is he part of the club's long-term core?

If the answer is "yes" to both questions, there should be a fit.

Now with his fifth NHL organization, Duclair seems to have found stability in the form of playing time and production. In just 40 games, he's set a career high in goals with 21. He was named an All-Star on Monday.

Rare 1-2 punch

Fun fact: 1966-67 was the last time defensemen finished first and second in Calder Trophy voting. Bobby Orr was crowned rookie of the year, while tough-as-nails Ed Van Impe earned runner-up honors.

More than 50 years later, with Vancouver's Quinn Hughes and Colorado's Cale Makar dominating the first three months of the 2019-20 season, we may finally witness another one-two showing. (Just 11 defensemen have won ROTY in the Calder's 82-year existence.)

Only a drastic drop-off in production or a severe injury to Hughes or Makar, and/or a transcendent second half from another rookie, can derail the tandem's momentum. They're simply peerless in the crop of first-years.

The best part? The numbers suggest neither player is running away with the award:

If we're splitting hairs, Hughes has been a smidgen better. Through the prisms of advanced stats and the eye test, the Canucks cornerstone is a more well-rounded player. On several occasions, the 20-year-old has demonstrated the rare ability to control the flow of an entire game.

But, again, it's stupidly close. Makar, who has missed some time due to injury, has proven his 2018-19 playoff performance was no fluke. He's 21 and already a legit star. Flashier and more productive than Hughes, Makar has no problem keeping up with MacKinnon and the Avalanche's other skilled forwards.

It'll be interesting to see if either stud earns a spot on his divisional team ahead of All-Star Weekend in late January. Both can be added to the festivities in St. Louis through the NHL's "Last Men In" fan vote. Something to remember: Hughes' competition in the Pacific (Getzlaf, Keller, Gaudreau, Nugent-Hopkins, Doughty, Hertl, Pacioretty) pales in comparison to Makar's rivals in the Central (Toews, Benn, Suter, Duchene, Perron, Laine).

The ideal scenario, of course, would be the inclusion of Hughes and Makar. These super rookies are made for the skills event and three-on-three tournament.

Fascinating rookie class

Behind Hughes and Maker is a lengthy list of lesser-known freshmen who haven't encountered the dreaded rookie wall so far.

Victor Olofsson of the Sabres leads all rookies in offense with highs in goals (16) and points (34). Ilya Mikheyev, the leader in even-strength points with 22, has been a crucial component of Toronto's attack. Edmonton's Ethan Bear and Pittsburgh's John Marino are playing 20 minutes a night as defensemen and, for the most part, looking comfortable in their high-profile roles. Adam Fox of the Rangers, another blue-liner, has quietly recorded 17 points in 38 games.

The rookie goalie group is holding its own, too. Washington's Ilya Samsonov (.918 save percentage in 14 games), Vancouver's Thatcher Demko (.907 in 13), and New Jersey's Mackenzie Blackwood (.906 in 29) have quickly established themselves at the NHL level, which is much easier said than done.

If I were to fill out my Calder ballot right now, I'd put Hughes first, Makar second, Olofsson third, Marino fourth, and Mikheyev fifth.

McCann's new groove

Scouts say Jared McCann had a pro-level shot at 14 years old. He had worked tirelessly on his wrister growing up in the London, Ontario, area, and it had started paying off early. At 18, he became a first-round NHL draft pick.

Yet it wasn't until the former Canucks speedster landed in Pittsburgh four years later that he really hit his stride at the NHL level. Playing mostly center for the Penguins, McCann's built off a strong finish to the 2018-19 season by collecting 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 37 games this year.

That's big-time production compared to his stint with the Florida Panthers, where McCann struggled to cope with dry spells. He sought professional help in Florida and found it made a world of a difference for his mental health.

"The pressure of playing well every single night weighs on you. It really does," McCann, 23, explained. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a good player, and when you have a bad night, and everybody's on you - like the media, and stuff. It's not fun. It gets into your head. Even if you say it doesn't, it does."

"You don't need to take everything so seriously," he added. "But that's the kid I am, right? Growing up in a construction family, when you do a job you do it right and you move on. But going through that stuff is tough, and you need to talk to someone. You really do."

McCann emphasized that his struggles weren't overly serious; he wasn't diagnosed with any condition, as his issues were mainly linked to on-ice success. Still, he seems to be playing freer in Pittsburgh, and it's nice to see.

Sharks still drowning

No underachieving club has a steeper hill to climb in the 2020 portion of the 2019-20 campaign than the San Jose Sharks.

Unlike three of the NHL's four other coaching changes this season, the Sharks' fire-and-hire earlier in December hasn't yielded much success:

Yes, seven games is a small sample size. That's why concluding anything definitive about Bob Boughner and his job as Pete DeBoer's replacement would be unfair. The facts are the facts, though: A team is in trouble when it doesn't get the usual new-coach bump. Time is running out for the Sharks.

Heading into Tuesday's tilt against Detroit - San Jose's 41st of the season - the team is eight points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Only the Red Wings, Devils, and Kings, squads firmly in rebuild mode, have accumulated fewer points than the 17-20-3 Sharks.

Terrible goaltending, porous five-on-five defense, and an uncharacteristically mediocre offense have put the Sharks in a peculiar spot: They are in great danger of missing the postseason during a year in which they don't own a first-round pick. It's a cringeworthy reality for one of the NHL's top franchises.

And the most puzzling part is their special teams, which rank first (penalty kill) and 28th (power play). Such an odd dynamic. The most recent NHL team to finish a season with the top-ranked penalty kill/power play and also a bottom-five PK/PP was the 2014-15 Minnesota Wild (1st in PK, 27th in PP).

Disaster in the Pacific

How crazy is it that, at what's essentially the midway point of the season, no Pacific Division team has banked enough wins and overtime/shootout losses to crack the league's top 10 in points percentage?

The fast-starting Canucks, at .575%, are now 14th among 31 teams; the sleeping-giant Golden Knights, at .571%, are 15th; the steady Coyotes, at .561%, are 16th; the roller-coaster Flames, at .549%, are 19th; the reeling Oilers, at .537%, are 23rd; the retooling Ducks, at .474%, are 26th; the disappointing Sharks, at .463%, are 27th; and the lifeless Kings, at .439%, are 29th.

What a gong show.

Winter Classic beauties

In my humble opinion, the Dallas Stars' Jan. 1 attire is among the best in Winter Classic history. It's truly a wonderful work of art:

The look, in part a tribute to the Dallas Texans of the 1940s, strikes a balance between clean and creative. It's simple from a design standpoint, yet the jersey's large "D" logo and the colors of the throwback gloves and pants command attention. The state of Texas arm patch is a neat touch.

This year's event - Stars versus Predators on Wednesday at the Cotton Bowl - is the 12th of its kind, which means there have now been 24 Winter Classic looks. The 2009 Red Wings, 2010 Bruins, and 2017 Blues donned noteworthy ensembles. But let's be honest: The 2020 Stars look deserves a stall alongside the 2008 Penguins and 2016 Bruins in the Winter Classic Looks Hall of Fame. (That is, if such a museum existed ...)

Empty-net dreams

One final thing: Whatever happened to goalie goals?

The beginning of the decade produced three - Cam Ward in December 2011, Martin Brodeur in March 2013, Mike Smith in October 2013 - but there hasn't been a single, glorious netminder tally in the six-plus years since.

On the surface, it doesn't add up. NHL teams send out an extra attacker more frequently than in previous eras. And the sixth skater typically hops over the boards earlier in the third period. Oftentimes, the trailing team is down by two or more goals, which gives the goalie on the leading team a prime opportunity to shoot their shot. Despite all of these factors, however, no five-on-six empty-netters have come to fruition.

Since I'm far from a goalie expert, I reached out to InGoal Magazine writer Paul Campbell for his take on the disconnect. He shared three rough theories.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that teams can’t obstruct like they used to, so goalies get far fewer chances to do it. Like a QB with a bad O-line," Campbell said, referring to the lack of quality shooting opportunities and lanes available to netminders in an NHL that disincentivizes forms of interference.

The modern goalie operates on his knees regularly throughout a game, "which is great for sealing the posts, but bad for playing the puck," Campbell noted.

"I also think we're seeing the aftermath of the trapezoid rule now," he added. "Goalies and goalie coaches have been prioritizing puck handling far less, so we have a generation of goalies that isn't so confident with it."

Hmm. Maybe 2020 won't be the year of the goalie goal after all.

John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Justin Holl to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2 million, the club announced Tuesday.

Holl has collected 11 points in 38 games in 2019-20 and has become a reliable defender for Toronto after working his way up from the ECHL and AHL.

He became the first Maple Leafs player and sixth blue-liner in league history to score a goal in each of his first two NHL games in 2017-18.

The 27-year-old joined the Maple Leafs organization in July 2015 when he signed an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies. Holl inked his first NHL contract in July 2016.

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