Max Pacioretty should have been in Los Angeles over the weekend.

The break did the Montreal Canadiens captain good, though, as he returned to the ice Tuesday and scored the second hat trick of his season, with each tally coming at even strength. He's now up to 24 goals, a mark only five players have hit, with only Sidney Crosby (28) having scored more.

Among the league's top goal-scorers, it's Pacioretty who stands apart with his 5-on-5 play:

The majority of the game's contested at 5-on-5, and that's when Pacioretty's been the most adept at driving play. When he's on the ice, the Canadiens have the puck, and he's a major threat to score.

When it comes to power-play goals, Pacioretty's near the bottom among the league's top snipers - because he's too busy dominating at 5-on-5:

Here's a look at power-play ice time, with Pacioretty again near the bottom:

Auston Matthews and Pacioretty are both dominant at 5-on-5 and deserving of more power-play minutes, but it's hard to argue that Mike Babcock and Michel Therrien must find these two more playing time with the man advantage. The Toronto Maple Leafs rank second in the league on the power play at 23.6 percent, while Montreal's right behind them at 23.4 percent.

May as well save the guys for even strength. Montreal's lineup is one of the more balanced in the league, with Pacioretty leading all forwards in ice time, averaging 19:02 per game. It's probably a sound strategy - by keeping his captain fresh, Therrien can push him over the 20- and 21-minute mark come the spring.

It's harder to score in the playoffs, which means Pacioretty will need a few more minutes per game - at even strength and on the power play - to make sure he does.

The point is: Pacioretty is an elite goal-scorer who does it while everyone's on the ice, when it's hardest to do so. It's hard to believe a hockey universe exists in which the Canadiens' captain is underrated, but it's safe to say that's the case, especially after a Pacioretty-free weekend in Hollywood, where the game's best were celebrated.

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Max Pacioretty should have been in Los Angeles over the weekend.

The break did the Montreal Canadiens captain good, though, as he returned to the ice Tuesday and scored the second hat trick of his season, with each tally coming at even strength. He's now up to 24 goals, a mark only five players have hit, with only Sidney Crosby (28) having scored more.

Among the league's top goal-scorers, it's Pacioretty who stands apart with his 5-on-5 play:

The majority of the game's contested at 5-on-5, and that's when Pacioretty's been the most adept at driving play. When he's on the ice, the Canadiens have the puck, and he's a major threat to score.

When it comes to power-play goals, Pacioretty's near the bottom among the league's top snipers - because he's too busy dominating at 5-on-5:

Here's a look at power-play ice time, with Pacioretty again near the bottom:

Auston Matthews and Pacioretty are both dominant at 5-on-5 and deserving of more power-play minutes, but it's hard to argue that Mike Babcock and Michel Therrien must find these two more playing time with the man advantage. The Toronto Maple Leafs rank second in the league on the power play at 23.6 percent, while Montreal's right behind them at 23.4 percent.

May as well save the guys for even strength. Montreal's lineup is one of the more balanced in the league, with Pacioretty leading all forwards in ice time, averaging 19:02 per game. It's probably a sound strategy - by keeping his captain fresh, Therrien can push him over the 20- and 21-minute mark come the spring.

It's harder to score in the playoffs, which means Pacioretty will need a few more minutes per game - at even strength and on the power play - to make sure he does.

The point is: Pacioretty is an elite goal-scorer who does it while everyone's on the ice, when it's hardest to do so. It's hard to believe a hockey universe exists in which the Canadiens' captain is underrated, but it's safe to say that's the case, especially after a Pacioretty-free weekend in Hollywood, where the game's best were celebrated.

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Now or never.

Turning to reckless hyperbole seems almost excusable when assessing Bruce Boudreau's title chances, considering the position he has the Minnesota Wild in through one night in the post-All-Star break schedule.

The Wild now sit atop the points percentage standings with the NHL's top goal differential after their convincing 5-2 win over the upstart Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, as they capped the month of January with a 10-2-1 record with their 33rd win from 49 starts.

Of course, Boudreau, one of the best coaches on the planet, is in just his first season of a four-year contract with the Wild, and would be hired immediately, again, if his time in Minnesota fails to bear a championship.

But, in many respects, this season is shaping up to be his next best chance to finally - finally - experience the immense success he's had in the regular season come spring and summer.

Balance, and that Dubnyk guy

Minnesota's balanced, fourth-ranked overall attack has produced more goals than any team at five-on-five without a single player in the top 20 in league scoring. Meanwhile, netminder Devan Dubnyk has a tight, two-hand grip on the Vezina Trophy with a league-best .936 save percentage and five shutouts.

This combination, and the corresponding PDO wave, has the Wild on pace for 119 points, or the second-most in Boudreau's wildly successful career. He's averaged 108 points in the space of seven uninterrupted 82-game campaigns behind an NHL bench.

Yet again, he's extracted all he can from the parts he's been provided. But this season, what's beyond Boudreau's control works in tandem, further boosting Minnesota's postseason chances.

Altered NHL landscape

The balance of power in the NHL has shifted to the Eastern Conference, with many West Coast outfits slipping into mediocrity. The league's taken another bite out of the Kings, who continue to diminish, while the Blues are suddenly a mess. The Predators seem to be working through an adjustment period, and the Oilers have improved by leaps and bounds, but still seem to be below the elite tier. Boudreau's old team, the Ducks, may win a fifth consecutive division title, but their underlying data is merely ordinary. The Blackhawks' stars aren't scoring, and continue to trend toward the mean in shot-based possession metrics. And the defending conference champion Sharks are formidable once again, but long postseason runs are taxing, and nearly impossible to survive in consecutive seasons.

The conference is there for the taking. A Stanley Cup Final coin flip awaits.

Another reason that this must be the year? Minnesota's bracing for a mini cap crunch this summer.

Leading scorer Mikael Granlund is a restricted free agent when the season is up, and is putting himself in position to command a considerable raise on his current $3-million salary. Nino Niederreiter and Erik Haula will also need new deals. To that, the upcoming expansion draft will claim a body, in turn creating some financial wiggle room to retain free agents, but losing a key asset is an obvious detriment to the program.

Entrance into the tournament has been a certainty for Boudreau-led teams over the past decade; it's been the consequence of crashing out early that has changed over the years.

Boudreau won't have to worry about his job if the Wild suffer more heartbreak, but failure to seize this opportunity may torment the coach just the same.

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Here are the fantasy repercussions following the news Pittsburgh Penguins RW Conor Sheary will miss four-six weeks:

Sheary had proven to be a valuable fantasy asset while playing almost exclusively on a line with C Sidney Crosby. The shifty winger has 17 goals and 18 assists on the season. Fantasy owners will surely miss his production.

Yet, when one door closes, another opens.

Whoever is granted the glorious opportunity of skating on Pittsburgh's first line will instantly obtain fantasy value. At this point it time, it is unclear who will slot in on the left side of Crosby and RW Patric Hornqvist.

Rookie C/LW Jake Guentzel and veteran LW Chris Kunitz are the most logical candidates. There's an outside chance RW Carl Hagelin could, but it would make more sense to put him back with C Nick Bonino and RW Phil Kessel to reunite the HBK line which was key to the Penguins' Stanley Cup victory last season.

Guentzel has spent his season bouncing up and down from the AHL to the NHL. He has performed admirably with the big club, scoring four goals and adding three assists in 12 games.

Kunitz has plenty of experience playing with Crosby, though at 37, he has been used more as a bottom-six forward this year. With 21 points and 127 hits this season, he still has value in banger leagues.

Whichever player is named to Crosby's line on any given night, via Left Wing Lock or Daily Faceoff, can be added as a replacement for Sheary. If you choose to look outside of Pittsburgh for a replacement, consider the following three options:

Waiver-Wire Targets

• LW Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks: Marleau is a shadow of his former self, but his race to 500 career goals may have lit a spark under him. He has 18 goals on the season, including six in his last four games. San Jose's schedule for the month of February is very breezy.

• LW/RW Andre Burakovsky, Washington Capitals: Burakovsky may be skating on the third line, but it hasn't hindered his production. In fact, the 21-year-old has five goals and seven assists in his last nine games.

• LW Antoine Roussel, Dallas Stars: Roussel makes for a great addition in banger leagues. His 20 points won't completely bring your team's offensive production to a halt. He leads the league with 102 PIMs, has 58 shots, 58 hits and an impressive 34 blocked shots for a forward.

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It's time for the captain to rally the troops.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who was selected to wear the 'C' following the departure of David Backes this past offseason, addressed the firing of head coach Ken Hitchcock after practice Wednesday, saying it's time the team pulls itself together.

Related: Emotional Armstrong laments firing 'best friend' Hitchcock

Fellow blue-liner Kevin Shattenkirk added the Blues need to add some shake to that wake.

Certainly it's on the back end where new bench boss Mike Yeo needs to focus, as the Blues have allowed 157 goals against to date, the fifth-highest total among all teams.

Related: Jake Allen key to Ken Hitchcock's early dismissal

Pietrangelo and the Blues will get their first crack at righting the ship Thursday against Toronto.

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Gold is a good color for Matt Duchene. He proved as much in September's World Cup of Hockey, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

In keeping with that trend, maybe the 26-year-old should be draped in those colors full time as a member of the Nashville Predators.

Duchene's name continues to be thrown around in trade rumors, and he said he's open to the idea of joining a new club. The number of teams that have inquired about him is reportedly extremely high.

The Anaheim Ducks and New York Islanders have been discussed as potential destinations for the former third overall pick, but it's the Predators that make the most sense. Here are a few reasons why:

Lineup fit

Sure, the Ducks and Islanders could use the services Duchene can provide as a dependable offensive center, but the fact is he can't just slot right into either team's top six that easily.

Moving Duchene into the Ducks' lineup means one of Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and Duchene would be either playing on the third line, or forced to play the wing.

Duchene has experience on the wing, where he played as a member of Team Canada at the World Cup. The biggest difference there - and why that ultimately worked - was the ridiculous talent that Canada has. It makes sense when the world's elite are involved, and when the team is made up almost entirely of centermen.

It could work in the short term for a playoff run, but given Duchene's contract carries an extra two years, that's a long-term commitment.

A similar conundrum exists with the Islanders. Sure, Brock Nelson would certainly get pushed down from the second line in favor of Duchene, but considering Nelson has posted nearly identical numbers to Duchene this year, you could be messing with his potential success.

The Predators, on the other hand, have the luxury in that after Ryan Johansen, each center could slot down one spot. Plus, the thought of James Neal on Duchene's wing is intriguing, and could provide the team with a potentially lethal second line.

Predators expansion preparation

Acquiring Duchene could also help the Predators fix their expansion protection problem.

As it stands, the team is likely to go with the second protection option, wherein the club will elect to protect eight skaters (forwards or defensemem) and a goalie over the potential to save seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goalie.

This is because the Predators have one of the strongest quartets of defensemen in the league, and they would be silly not to try to hold on to it.

Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan Ellis are about as mobile a unit as any team could want, but a deal for Duchene would could see one of these four go.

It would likely be either Ekholm or Ellis, and, while it hurts, the fact is it comes in the form of Duchene, and gives the team the ability to in turn save three extra forwards. It's a blessing in disguise, especially with the club boasting many young, budding forwards, such as Austin Watson, Jarnkrok, Craig Smith, and Colin Wilson.

Goals wanted

The Predators hold the third playoff spot in the Central Division, but it's far from cemented, with Winnipeg just four points behind.

With that in mind - along with the fact the team will need to compete with the offensive juggernauts of the West in Chicago and Minnesota - the Predators need to keep pace, and Duchene can help them do that.

The Predators sit in the middle of the pack with 2.76 goals per game and the 15th-ranked power play. The team does muster the seventh-most shots, though, so they could simply need a finisher, and Duchene could help in that department.

There are still many clubs throwing their hat into the Matt Duchene sweepstakes, but the Predators are the best fit.

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Conor Sheary will miss at least a month with what head coach Mike Sullivan would only describe as an "upper-body" injury.

Sheary ranks third on the Penguins in goals (17) and fourth in points (35). He'd been clicking with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust since being bumped up to Pittsburgh's top line earlier in the season.

The 24-year-old had scored nine goals in nine games before collecting just a single point over his last three contests.

Sheary is in his second NHL season, both with the Penguins who signed him after he went undrafted out of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

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It's official - Evgeny Kuznetsov has gotten his game back on track.

After a miserable start to the season, the Washington Capitals forward earned first-star honors for the month of January. Kuznetsov finished second in the league with seven goals and 20 points in 15 games.

The 24-year-old recorded seven multi-point games in the month and was instrumental in the Capitals reclaiming top spot in the standings. He now sits third in team scoring with 39 points in 50 games.

Despite a $10,000 fine for his dangerous trip on Niklas Kronwall, Brad Marchand was equally lethal on the scoring sheet in January.

The Boston Bruins forward earned second-star honors, leading the NHL with 11 goals in the month - including a five-point outing against the Philadelphia Flyers - while pacing the league with three shorthanded goals and four shorthanded points.

Brent Burns also continued to do his thing and earned the month's third star. The San Jose Sharks pivot extended his lead in the defensemen scoring race by putting up a league-best six goals and 18 points in 14 games.

Burns now has a 12-point cushion in league scoring by defensemen, while his 53 points are fourth overall.

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It's Mitch Marner's turn.

The Toronto Maple Leafs center has been named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for January after recording four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 13 games.

Marner joins teammates William Nylander (October) and Auston Matthews (December) to earn the honor during the current campaign, making the Maple Leafs the first NHL team with three different Rookie of the month honorees in a single season.

As a result of his productive month, Marner sits in a tie with Winnipeg's Patrik Laine for first in rookie scoring with 41 points. Matthews ranks second (39), while Nylander is in a tie for third (31).

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It was a difficult day for Ken Hitchcock, but Doug Armstrong didn't have an easy one, either.

The St. Louis Blues general manager fought back tears during his opening remarks Wednesday at the first press conference of the Mike Yeo era, after Armstrong named the former Blues associate coach Hitchcock's replacement earlier than initially planned.

Yeo also expressed regret that his early promotion had to come at the expense of Hitchcock.

"I learned a great deal from him and I'm very appreciative," Yeo said. "I feel extremely bad that I'm sitting up here today."

Armstrong said he spoke to Hitchcock after Tuesday night's loss to the Winnipeg Jets, adding that the decision was especially tough because the veteran coach is "probably my best friend."

The GM gave an unprompted and topical comparison in reference to his outpouring of emotion Wednesday.

"As a Canadian citizen, I gave you my best impression of (U.S. Senator) Chuck Schumer," the GM quipped. Schumer teared up over the weekend discussing President Donald Trump's controversial immigration and travel ban.

The Blues have struggled mightily over the last two months or so, and are now clinging to the second and final Western Conference wild-card spot after losing five of their last six games.

Related: Jake Allen key to Ken Hitchcock's early dismissal

"It's my responsibility why we're off track, and it's my responsibility to get them back on track," Armstrong said.

Yeo wasn't supposed to take over for Hitchcock until next season, as initially dictated by Armstrong when Yeo was brought on as associate coach last summer.

Armstrong also announced Wednesday that goaltending coach Jim Corsi was fired, and that both assistant general manager Martin Brodeur and former NHL netminder Ty Conklin will share goalie coach duties for the rest of the season.

As for Hitchcock, the GM summed up his conflicting emotions in one sentence.

"I'm disappointed for a friend, but excited about the future."

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