Welcome to the fourth edition of "Looking North," our weekly Friday dive into the all-Canadian division. This installment dates back to Feb. 5.
The rundown
The Toronto Maple Leafs further separated themselves from the rest of the division Wednesday night with a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, who may be their biggest competition in Canada.
The Habs appear to have hit a bit of a rut, though. After starting the season 7-1-2, they've gone 1-3-0 in their last four games and have been leapfrogged by the Winnipeg Jets for second place in the division (by points percentage). The red-hot Calgary Flames are also gaining ground on Montreal.
The Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators, meanwhile, continue to be the division's punching bags.
| Team | Points Percentage | Last week's results |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | .821 | 3-0-0 |
| Winnipeg Jets | .654 | 1-1-0 |
| Montreal Canadiens | .643 | 1-2-0 |
| Calgary Flames | .576 | 3-0-0 |
| Edmonton Oilers | .562 | 3-1-0 |
| Vancouver Canucks | .353 | 0-3-0 |
| Ottawa Senators | .166 | 0-4-0 |
The stars
Auston Matthews is establishing himself as a legitimate Hart Trophy contender. The center has further developed his defensive game while still putting up gaudy offensive numbers. His eight-game goal streak came to an end Wednesday against the Canadiens, but he's riding an 11-game point streak. He collected three goals and an assist this past week.
The Jets only played twice this week, but Nikolaj Ehlers made them count, registering three goals and one assist. The Danish speedster is on pace for a career year.
Speaking of Danes, Frederik Andersen has brushed off a slow start, going 3-0-0 with a .958 save percentage and a 1.34 goals-against average this week. He's started seven straight games since backup Jack Campbell suffered an injury.
Canadian of the week
Darnell Nurse's development was going to be key to the Oilers' success with Oscar Klefbom out for the season. The Hamilton, Ontario, native hasn't disappointed, posting the best underlying numbers of his career despite averaging more ice time than ever before. He has 12 points in 16 games, including three goals in four contests this past week.
The moments
The highlight of the week comes courtesy of Matthews, who undressed Jalen Chatfield before going bar down on Braden Holtby.
Auston Matthews this was just FILTHYYYY #NHLonSN | #ItsOn | #HockeyNight pic.twitter.com/tWMjR8vOrk
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 7, 2021
Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson also went bar down this week ... but on his own net.
Adam Larsson goes bardown, just at the wrong end of the ice... 😬 #NHLonSN | #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/P5llctk7ym
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 9, 2021
The question
How will Pierre-Luc Dubois settle into the Jets' lineup? He's failed to record a shot in his first two games with his new club. Jumping right into NHL action after a 14-day quarantine can't be easy, so patience is important.
Head coach Paul Maurice has used a variety of combinations since Dubois joined the club. On Tuesday, he was between Kyle Connor and Mason Appleton. On Thursday, it was Connor and Blake Wheeler. It seems as though Maurice is still searching for answers on how to deploy his newest weapon.
Stat of the week
Edmonton's 3-2 victory over Ottawa on Tuesday marked the Oilers' first win without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl recording a point since Nov. 28, 2017. The Oilers were previously 0-26-2 in that span when their two offensive catalysts were held off the scoresheet.
Games to watch
The Leafs and Habs will go at it again on Saturday. Look for Montreal to come out hungry in an effort to avenge Wednesday's loss and cut into Toronto's division lead.
The Flames will look to win their second straight over the Canucks on Saturday. Calgary will need to take care of business against the division's bottom-feeders to make the postseason. Vancouver should be desperate for a win, though.
