Trending Up, Trending Down: Mason pushing Flyers, Capitals coasting
Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.
▲ Steve Mason
A six-game winning streak has propelled the Philadelphia Flyers back into a playoff spot, and Steve Mason has been providing the kind of high-end goaltending needed to succeed in today's NHL.
Look at the numbers from his last five starts:
| Opponent | Result | Saves | Save % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruins | W 3-2 (SO) | 45 | .957 |
| Senators | W 3-2 (OT) | 19 | .905 |
| Blackhawks | W 3-1 | 26 | .963 |
| Predators | W 4-2 | 30 | .938 |
| Panthers | W 3-2 (OT) | 42 | .955 |
His overall numbers aren't all that impressive (.908 save percentage through 22 appearances), but he's certainly found his game as of late and is giving the Flyers every opportunity to move up the standings.
▼William Nylander
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock put one of his star rookies on watch following a loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, calling out William Nylander's defensive effort and overall competitiveness.
Nylander began the night on the fourth line, and was bumped up late in order to help his team try to send the game to overtime, but to no avail. In truth, his offensive game hasn't been much to write home about following a scorching start.
After recording four goals and seven assists in nine October games, the 20-year-old has managed only two goals and three assists over his past 15 appearances.
Many young players experience growing pains, but Nylander clearly needs to put in the work to get out of Babcock's doghouse.
▲ Calgary Flames
After a disappointing start, the Calgary Flames are heating up under Glen Gulutzan's guidance, winning their past four games and thereby jumping into a Western Conference wild-card spot.
The Flames do have a goal differential of minus-10, by far the worst among all teams currently in a playoff position, but they've outscored the opposition by a margin of 15-6 over the course of the current streak.
Chad Johnson is proving to be a bona fide NHL starting goalie, while Johnny Gaudreau is sparking the offense with four points in two games since his return from injury, so things are definitely looking up in Calgary.
▼ Washington Capitals
Despite beating Boston in overtime Wednesday, the Washington Capitals held a players-only meeting after coughing up a 3-0 lead to the Bruins in the process.
Through 25 games, the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners are clinging to a wild-card spot, and perhaps a bit of regular-season malaise has set in for a team hoping to finally get over the hump when it matters most.
"We had a little talk in here, and there's some things we've got to clean up," T.J. Oshie said, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "I think it's more of a mentality than it is any systems or anything like that.
"Obviously, we want to play within our team game, but it's just a mentality that we've got to get back to. Once we get a step up on someone, we've got to get that mentality that we're going to finish them off."
Without that shift in mentality, the Capitals could be facing yet another early end to their season.