The Noise: Schenn, Rinne pulling their clubs in 2 different directions
theScore's new series, "The Noise," is published every Monday. It kicks off each week with a quick look at three teams or players making headlines, good or bad.
Brayden Schenn
The Philadelphia Flyers can't and won't be stopped.
With a 1-0 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, the club pushed their win streak to nine games. The team's usual suspects of Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Wayne Simmonds have been sensational, but look out as Brayden Schenn is getting in on the action and in a big way.
The 25-year-old had himself quite the weekend, doubling this season's goal total in just two games thanks to a hat trick against the Dallas Stars and the game-winner on Sunday.
Schenn had been riding a fairly quiet season up until this weekend, coasting on just four goals and 16 points in 26 games. Those totals are now up to eight and 20, respectively, and Schenn now has six points over his last six games.
His continued production is the last thing teams hoping to knock off the Flyers need.
Nashville Predators
Just when it looked like Nashville had ironed out all its wrinkles, December hits, and boy has winter been cruel to the Predators.
After constructing a ridiculous 9-3-2 record in November, the Predators have gotten off on the wrong foot in December having now gone 1-3-1 after the club's latest blemish - a 4-1 loss to the league's basement-dwelling Arizona Coyotes.
The most glaring difference in the team's sudden drop has been Pekka Rinne. After recording nine wins in 11 games, while giving up just 18 goals in November, Rinne has been dismal this month.
In four contests, Rinne has just one win, allowing more than three goals in each, conceding a total of 16. If the club is to inch back into a playoff spot, Rinne is going to have to be better - simple as that.
Scott Darling
No Crawford, no problem.
The Chicago Blackhawks have been forced to weather the storm without their No. 1 netminder after Corey Crawford was sidelined due to an appendectomy early this month.
However, the Blackhawks haven't missed a beat thanks to Scott Darling.
This week Darling went 2-1-1 in four games, picking up his second shutout of the year while allowing just four goals and managing a ridiculous .967 save percentage.
Doing his part has helped the Blackhawks take their usual perch atop the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile his solid play means Crawford won't be needing to hurry back anytime soon.