The plight of the Edmonton Oilers was the main topic of conversation amongst NHL fans this week, as the team looks to gain some semblance of respectability back – finding a way to snap a disheartening 11-game losing streak would be a start.
Nothing is going right for this team at the moment and things reached a boiling point Friday when general manager Craig MacTavish held a press conference to open up about his frustration with how things have gone this season and where the team is headed.
Here’s what else is trending up and down across the NHL.
TRENDING UP: Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks
Look out world, Patty Kane is once again doing Patty Kane things on a nightly basis.
Following a subpar stretch through the end of October and into November, the Blackhawks have gotten back to their winning ways and Kane is leading the charge. Since a Nov. 14 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Blackhawks have gone 7-1 with Kane lighting it up along the way.
In his first 17 games, he had 11 points and only two multipoint games, but in his last nine contests he has 15 points including six multipoint efforts.
Let’s face it, when Kane plays well the dude is as smooth as it gets.
Playing on a line with Kris Versteeg and Brad Richards has served the 2007 first-overall pick well and with Patrick Sharp likely to return to the lineup next week, the Blackhawks are hitting their stride as the calendar year winds down.
TRENDING UP: Bob Hartley and the Flames
There’s no extinguishing the Flames this season. Boom! *high five for wordplay*
The Flames should no longer be considered a plucky, overachieving underdog because they are simply one of the more complete teams in the NHL. They’ve won four in a row and 12 of their last 16 and have developed a reputation as a tough team to play against. They don’t afford opposing teams the luxury of taking shifts off. A major contributor to their success has been head coach Bob Hartley, whom the players think highly of.
TRENDING UP: Zemgus Girgensons
The forward from Riga, Latvia is developing into a star on the ice by displaying his offensive flare and thanks to his passionate fans in Latvia he leads the NHL All-Star Fan Vote.
He is one of the few bright spots on the rebuilding Sabres and he leads the team in goals. He also picked up his first career NHL fighting major when he dropped the gloves with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette this week in a penalty-filled contest.
Seriously, look at the third period rap sheet.
TRENDING UP: Nicklas Backstrom 
While Alex Ovechkin is always front and centre in Washington, Nicklas Backstrom is quietly having another solid season as the centre on Washington’s first line. He is among the league leaders in assists with 20 in 25 games and recently had a six-game point streak snapped. We often applaud Ovechkin’s heavy shot and knack for the net, but this week we give a hat tip Backstrom’s soft hands and his playmaking ability.
TRENDING DOWN: Martin Brodeur in a Blues jersey
The future Hall of Famer debuted for the St. Louis Blues this week, making 20 saves in a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators. However, after watching Brodeur make saves with the New Jersey Devils for 21 seasons, something just didn’t seem right about him in a Blues uniform.
Brodeur now joins the pantheon of NHLers that have donned jerseys that didn’t look quite right on them. To name a few: Bobby Orr on the Chicago Blackhawks, Wayne Gretzky on the Blues, Denis Savard on the Tampa Bay Lightning, Mats Sundin on the Vancouver Canucks, Peter Forsberg on the Nashville Predators.
Remember the epic Chris Chelios era with the Atlanta Thrashers?
TRENDING DOWN: Dallas Stars 
While things are a train wreck in Edmonton, it’s not much better in Dallas this season. The Stars currently occupy the basement of the Central Division, allow a league high 3.58 goals per game, and don’t play well defensively.
Frustration boiled over Thursday night following a 5-2 loss to the Red Wings, as Tyler Seguin – one of the few Stars having a great season – summed up the team’s attitude at the moment.
TRENDING DOWN: New York Rangers schedule 
During a two week stretch in December, the Blue Shirts are scheduled to play only four games and that’s pretty weird. They’ve had five days to think about a 6-3 loss to the Lightning before they hit the ice against the Red Wings in Detroit Saturday. Then they host the Penguins Monday before another five-day layoff prior to their Western Canadian road trip later this month. It’s tough generating momentum—even in the short term—when you have an unbalanced schedule like this, but the Rangers are no strangers to odd schedules, when you consider last season began with nine-straight road games due to renovations at MSG.
TRENDING DOWN: Thomas Greiss
Thomas, buddy, play the puck or stay in your crease. Don’t do this. (1:13 mark)