Everything you need to know about the weekend in the NHL
Every Monday we take a look back at games from the weekend to get you caught up on all the news you may have missed.
The Maple Leafs probably aren't a playoff team
Toronto capped off a rather grim four-game road trip with a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, casting serious shade on its chances of qualifying for the postseason.
For one, the Maple Leafs sticks have gone ice cold, as the shutout loss to the Blues gave them a grand total of one goal scored on the trip through California and Missouri.
While they're sure to start scoring again soon (we think), the loss kept them seven points back of the Eastern Conference's second wild card spot, with the second-highest games played total in the league (46), thereby giving them a 12.8 percent chance of making the playoffs (according to Sports Club Stats).
The team has shown improvement defensively under interim head coach Peter Horachek, but it might be time to start looking more to the long-term future.
Jets flying high, Perreault grounded
The Winnipeg Jets made a statement with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, showing they can hang with one of the league's top teams while remaining viable postseason candidates.
Rookie goalie Michael Hutchinson sparkled with a 31 save performance, but the game was clouded by an ugly incident that's likely to result in a multi-game suspension.
Blackhawks tough guy Dan Carcillo will have an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety after this vicious cross check on Mathieu Perreault.
Perreault, who scored four goals in a game on Jan. 13, is likely to remain sidelined until after the All-Star break.
Winnipeg followed that up with a shootout win over the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday, drawing even with the aforementioned Blackhawks with 58 points in the race for third spot in the Central Division.
The Jets, led by Dustin Byfuglien's 10 points in nine January games, have won five of their past six games and are providing fans with some warm feelings amid another frigid Manitoba winter.
McDavid-Eichel sweepstakes are heating up
The race to the bottom of the standings is in full effect, with the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres both sitting on 31 points, a clear four behind the league's next worst team, the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Sabres - who hold down the 30 spot thanks to a grand total of eight wins in regulation or overtime - managed to fall all the way to the bottom of the standings courtesy of weekend losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings, dropping the latter despite amassing an early 3-0 lead.
The Oilers actually drew even with the Sabres in points with a shootout win over the Florida Panthers that same night, but have the "advantage" of sitting in 29th place thanks to a grand total of nine regulation/overtime victories in 46 games.
Both teams are setting new standards of lowliness, but our money's on Buffalo remaining in the depths of the basement for the balance of the regular season.