So, have we had enough of Salute-Gate 2014 yet?
In a week where the aftermath of the Nashville Predators’ 9-2 dismantling of the Toronto Maple Leafs — plus Buffalo’s massive snowstorm, Slava Voynov’s felony charge and Rene Bourque being shipped out of Montreal—stole the headlines, there were plenty of other storylines that were worth taking note.
Here’s what’s trending up and down across the NHL.
TRENDING UP: Mean Malkin 
Evgeni Malkin always shows finesse, but lately the Russian has been playing with a serious edge. First it was his tussle with Dion Phaneuf after the Leafs captain levelled Patric Hornqvist. Then it was this massive hit on Rangers blueliner Dan Girardi.
In his last four games, he has five points and 10 penalty minutes. The penalty minutes aren’t a shock–he has 550 penalty minutes in 536 career games–but it’s that he’s not shying away from the physical elements of the game. He officially only has seven hits the entire season, but he’s certainly making them count. Seeing Malkin use his six-foot-three, 200-pound frame for things besides shielding the puck is exciting.
TRENDING UP: Nick Bjugstad 
The 19th-overall pick from 2010 has developed into one of the best young forwards in the NHL, but because he plays for the Panthers he’s under appreciated. Only the lowly Sabres have scored fewer goals than the Panthers, but Bjugstad is leading his team in that category and coming off an outstanding week where he had four goals, three assists in a three-game span.
Bjugstad, one of the tallest players in the league at six-foot-six, is terrific at protecting the puck when he takes it wide and is surrounded by some burgeoning talent in Florida. Having developed solid chemistry with linemates Jonathan Huberdeau and veteran Brad Boyes, Bjugstad is on pace for a career year.
TRENDING UP: Andrew Cogliano’s durability 
He’s coming off a career high in goals and while his offensive production has tailed off, he’s still a valuable member of the Ducks, averaging 16:04 of ice-time per game, much of it spent on the penalty kill.
However, the most impressive aspect of his game is his durability, which is something he doesn’t get enough credit for. Since making his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers in 2007, the 27-year-old has never missed a game. His current streak of 561 consecutive games is 12th best in NHL history. Longevity is often taken for granted in the NHL and Cogliano has that in spades. He’s also scored two goals in his last three games, which isn’t too shabby.
TRENDING UP: Proud hockey parents 
Tony Grosenick’s 45-save shutout in his NHL debut was something to behold and lucky for him his family was in attendance to witness it.
Is it getting a bit dusty in here, or is someone chopping onions?
What a moment.
TRENDING UP: Ron Hextall F-bombs 
The Flyers have lost four straight, sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division and were shut out by Rangers backup Cam Talbot Wednesday in a game where Steve Mason was the only Flyer who came to play for a full 60 minutes. This upset the team’s GM, Ron Hextall, who went on a profanity-laced tirade after the game.
“Are you [bleeping] kidding me!…That’s [bleeping] embarrassing!…Jesus [bleeping] Christ!”
These were just a few of the things overheard by nearby reporters as Hextall chewed out his team.
Who knew this man was capable of losing his temper every once in a while?
Trend to watch for: Expect Ryan Getzlaf to turn it around
The Ducks captain has struggled of late with just two points and a minus-4 rating in a five-game stretch before a two-point effort against the Canucks Thursday. Much of his recent struggles can be attributed to the absence of Corey Perry, who was out with the mumps. With Perry back in the lineup and working his way to full strength, Getzlaf’s stock just got a major boost.
TRENDING DOWN: Oilers against the West 
Don’t look now, but the Edmonton Oilers are in last place in the Western Conference…again. It’s something Oilers fans have become all too familiar with in recent years and it’s weighing on the players.
“Something has to change. When you are making [basic] mistakes, something needs to happen,” forward David Perron said after Friday’s loss to the Devils. “They are the same mistakes we were doing last year. We keep talking about how much better we are this year, but for me it is the same record now that we had last year. It is not better. It is pretty frustrating.”
The main reason the Oilers are in the basement is the fact they can’t beat any team from their own conference. They have a dismal 0-9-1 record against the Western Conference, which simply won’t suffice.
Jamie Thomas on Twitter
On the bright side, they boast an impressive 6-3-1 record against teams from the East, but it’s mental lapses like this that have led the Oilers to porous results against the West.
TRENDING DOWN: Nick Holden
Nick Holden’s production compared to what he did a year ago is a microcosm of what we’re seeing with the Colorado Avalanche this season. The 24-year-old was outstanding with 25 points, a plus-12 rating and 22 penalty minutes in 54 games as he helped the Avs make the playoffs. In 20 games this season, however, he has just three points, has racked up 18 PIMs and is a league worst minus-15.
TRENDING DOWN: Bobrovsky’s depth perception
This. Was. Bad.
TRENDING DOWN: The joke you’re about to read
Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo wondered why the puck was getting bigger and bigger. Then it hit him.
(Mark J. Terrill/AP)
Trend to watch for: Sharks could stumble at home 
The Sharks are about to begin a five-game home stand. That’s a good thing, right? Not necessarily. The Sharks are one of six teams teams with sub-.500 home records this season.