The Noise: Kessel flying, Gustavsson sinking

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.

Phil Kessel

How does Kessel follow up a Stanley Cup win? Easy. By offering up the best season of his career.

The 29-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins winger has soared through the past week and change, collecting two goals and four assists in five games. Those numbers make him not only one of the hottest members of the Penguins, but also on pace to match his career-best 82 points, set in his third season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Very quietly, Kessel has played his way into the NHL's top scorers, sitting 11th overall, and in the top 10 among forwards - San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns sits even with Kessel at 39 points. Kessel also ranks nine points back of the league lead in scoring, but just five points from second overall, shared by teammate Sidney Crosby and Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane.

Jonas Gustavsson

There's a problem in the Edmonton crease. While starter Cam Talbot has been impressive this season, coming away with 20 wins plus a .920 save percentage and 2.44 goals-against average, the same cannot be said for backup Gustavsson.

The Swedish netminder has made seven appearances this season, while finding a single win in the process. That includes Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators, in which Gustavsson allowed four goals on just 17 shots, before the Senators finished off the evening with an empty netter. Gustavsson's only win on the season came Nov. 6 in a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, in which he stopped 22 of 23 shots.

In any event, such shaky play by Gustavsson has forced Oilers bench boss Todd McLellan to regularly call on Talbot. That's left the Edmonton faithful curious about the long-term fatigue on Talbot. The 29-year-old goaltender is on pace to play 72 games this season, despite his previous high-water mark of 56 games, while he's pushed north of 37 games on only two occasions.

Anthony Duclair

Saying it was a rough start to the season for Duclair would be an understatement.

The Arizona Coyotes winger struggled through the classic sophomore slump well into the season's early goings, coming away with just five points through the first 31 games. That marked the polar opposite from Duclair's first year in the desert, when the rookie impressed with 20 goals and 24 assists through his freshman campaign.

But things have turned around for Duclair of late, as he's tallied four points in Arizona's last six matches. It's a good sign for Duclair, who was a frequent subject of trade speculation through the early months of the season. Given his improved play, Duclair has been rewarded with greater ice time, as the 16:32 he saw Saturday versus the New York Islanders was his fourth-most in 37 games this season, a game in which Duclair added a shootout marker as the Coyotes secured their first victory in nine games.