NHL Barometer: Nuge on Fire

This week's article includes the Nuge on fire, like a rolling Stone in Ottawa, old is new between the pipes for the 'Peg and a potentially devastating injury in the Hub.

First Liners (Risers)

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, EDM - The Oilers are set for another high lottery pick this season but RNH has been on fire lately. The Nuge had two goals an assist Saturday against the Flyers. Those three points gave him 14 points in his last seven games. Four of his last five outings have been multi-point games, propelling him to 53 points in 70 games on the season, just three shy of his career-high set last season. Almost as impressive is despite a minus-75 goals-for, goals-against differential, Nugent-Hopkins is just a minus-eight on the year. 

Paul Stastny, C, STL - Stastny looked lost earlier in the season but the past seven weeks, he seems to have regained his prior form. His goal Saturday gave Stastny 16 points in 25 games since Jan. 30, including four points his last five games. Overall, it's been a disappointing year for Stastny, but he is doing his best to make up for lost time.

Mark Stone, RW, OTT - Mike Hoffman got the bold treatment a few weeks ago. This week, it's Stone's turn. Stone had three assists Thursday and his helper Saturday gave him 32 assists and 50 points this season. Even more impressive than those numbers in his first full campaign is that he has tallied 33 points in his last 35 games. The future is bright for Stone, who looks to carry Ottawa to a playoff berth in the East.

Ondrej Palat, LW, TB - Kucherov-Johnson-Palat is now a law firm, but it has been the best trio on the ice this year for Tampa Bay. While Steven Stamkos gets most of the pub, it's the aforementioned three who have driven the Lightning offense. Kucherov and Johnson have been covered already, now Palat gets his turn. Palat missed 10 days and three games with a foot injury but returned to notch two assists Friday and a goal and an assist Sunday, giving him 12 (four goals, eight assists) in his last 10 games and 56 points on the year.

Erik Cole, RW, DET - Cole has given the Red Wings a solid winger with a little bit of size, which is something they were lacking. He has fit in nicely in the Motor City, scoring three times in his last five games, including his 21st of the season Sunday. Cole has recorded six points in 10 games since being acquired by Detroit, giving has 39 points in 67 games, his highest production since the 2011-12 season.

Alex Goligoski, D, DAL - Goligoski has been overshadowed by both Trevor Daley and John Klingberg this season. Lately, however, he has been the one carrying the Dallas blue line. Goligoski tallied a pair of assists Saturday against Chicago, giving him seven points in eight games after producing just three points in his previous 19 games. The Stars are on the outside looking in for the playoff, but Goligoski, who now has 33 points in 72 games on the season, looks to close the year in high fashion.

Patrick Wiercioch, D, OTT - The Senators have had a lot of heroes lately, one of which has been Wiercioch. He only has 12 points this season, but five have come in the past seven games. Wiercioch showed he could score at University of Wisconsin and in the AHL, but had failed to do so consistently at this level. Lately, that has not been the case, and he has been rewarded with more ice time, including on the man-advantage.

Ondrej Pavelec, G, WPG - Yes, you are reading correctly, Pavelec on the Risers side of the column. It's been a very up-and-down year for Pavelec, with large stretches of struggles, but recently, he has been red hot. Pavelec has only allowed four goals in 245 minutes over his last five games and has defeated the Bolts, Blues, Sharks and Capitals in that span. Michael Hutchinson has hit his own rough patch, and with Pavelec hot, look for Winnipeg to roll with the veteran down the stretch.

Semyon Varlamov, G, COL - Varlamov saw his six-game win streak snapped in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Ducks on Friday in which he made 37 saves. In the last seven games, he has allowed just 10 goals, lowering his goals-against average to 2.51 and upping his save percentage to .923 for the season. Varlamov hasn't been as good as he was during his magical campaign last year, but he still has 25 wins and five shutouts and will relied on heavily down the stretch by the Avalanche, who are on the fringes of the playoff race.

Others include Marko Dano, Kyle Turris, Claude Giroux, Ryan Spooner, Ryan Johansen, Adam Henrique, Kevin Hayes, Sean Monahan, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Joe Thornton, John Tavares, Vladislav Namestnikov, Brandon Pirri, Melker Karlsson, Drew StaffordJ.T. Miller, Steve Bernier, Jordan Eberle, Radim Vrbata, Jarome Iginla, Jakub Voracek, Jiri Hudler, Alexander Ovechkin, David Backes, Justin Abdelkader, Alexander Steen, Blake Wheeler, Nail Yakupov, Thomas Vanek, Jaden Schwartz, Nick Bonino, Jussi Jokinen, Jesper Fast, David Backes, Erik Karlsson, Alex Pietrangelo, Travis Hamonic, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Ryan Ellis, Victor Hedman, Mike Green, Marek Zidlicky, Justin Faulk, Roman Josi, Andrew Hammond, Eddie Lack, Corey Crawford, Carey Price, Devan Dubnyk, Cory Schneider, Pekka Rinne and Cam Talbot.

Training Room (Injuries)

Dougie Hamilton, D, BOS - While it has yet to be confirmed, Hamilton is feared to have suffered a significant shoulder injury Saturday against the Panthers. Hamilton, who has 10 goals and 32 assists this year, was injured on a hard check and now could be lost for the season. He carried the Bruins' D earlier in the year before tailing off for a bit. With the Bruins fading, they can ill-afford to be without one of the best blueliners, but it looks like that will be the case.

Henrik Lundqvist, G, NYR - Lundqvist, sidelined since Feb. 2 with a sprained blood vessel that occurred when he took a shot to the neck on Jan. 31, was cleared to practice this week. The birth of his second child and the Rangers' heavy schedule means that his first true practice will come Wednesday. The hope is that he will play one of the Rangers' two games this weekend, but that has yet to be confirmed. Presuming he has no setbacks, the latest he should be back in March 31 against Winnipeg.

Others include Pavel Datsyuk (LBI, DTD), Evgeni Malkin (LBI, 50-50 for return Tuesday), David Krejci (knee, could play Thursday), Erik Johnson (knee, could return March 28), James Neal (UBI, out since March 12, no date for return), Valeri Nichushkin (hip, AHL conditioning stint), Craig Anderson (hand injury, aggravated it this week, with Hammond hot, Anderson will sit), Ryan Miller (sprained knee, skating without gear, may miss rest of the season) and Roberto Luongo (right shoulder, returned to action).

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)

Mark Arcobello, C, ARI - Arcobello has bounced between a few teams this year but has a golden opportunity on an Arizona team playing out the string, as he is seeing second-line minutes. He isn't doing much with it, tallying just two assists in the last eight games and no goals in nearly a month. Look elsewhere down the stretch.

Kris Versteeg, LW, CHI - Versteeg was a healthy scratch Wednesday against the Rangers but return to action Saturday. He skated with Bryan Bickell and Brad Richards on the third line but failed to notch any points. Early in the season, Versteeg was having the best start of his career, tallying 27 points in 34 games before being sidelined with a hand injury that cost him a month. Since then, he has just five points in 16 contests.

Brian Campbell, D, FLA - Campbell has been widely overshadowed by Aaron Ekblad in Florida this year. Despite that, one would have been expected Campbell to produce a lot better than he has, especially lately. Campbell has just three goals and 20 assists, with no points in his last nine contests.

Antti Niemi, G SJ - Niemi has been better in March, but he is just 4-4 for the month while allowing 16 goals in those eight games. He has allowed 1, 1, 3, 5, 0, 1, 3 and 2 goals in those eight games, showing that like his year, he has been up-and-down in the month. San Jose is on the outside looking in, and Niemi is likely to receive much of the blame, which could result in the Sharks moving on from him and possibly trying to make Alex Stalock their No. 1 netminder.

Others include Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, Antoine Vermette, Joffrey Lupul, Rick Nash, Alex Galchenyuk, Kyle Okposo, Sergei Gonchar, Torey Krug, Tobias Enstrom, Eric Gelinas, Zdeno Chara, Michael Hutchinson and Jonathan Bernier.