"On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable series, will reflect on a week full of goals in this installment. Below are three thoughts on a brief flashback to the '80s in the NHL.

Moderation, please

Hagerman: How much fun was this week's 8-7 goal fest between the Penguins and Capitals? Everyone - minus the three goalies who dressed in the game - would likely give it a big thumbs-up.

It was fantastic. It almost never happens. And such an uncanny display makes for great TV, so long as it doesn't happen all the time.

Sure, many fans - and the league - would like to see more goals, but that comes with a limit. As the NHL looks at ways to increase scoring, one could argue problems would also arise with too many goals being scored. Heck, goalies might argue for larger equipment.

Continued onslaughts would have coaches searching for a way to lower the number of goals and slow down the game, while the luster of such crazy contests would fade quickly. It takes away the allure of scoring a goal when everyone is scoring in bunches.

Bring on more 8-7 games, but give us the time and space to recognize just how crazy they are.

Goals, goals, and some more goals

Gold-Smith: Just hook it to my veins.

High-scoring games seem to be happening more frequently this season, and after years of lament about declining offense league-wide, it's refreshing to see more high-octane affairs with crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

Everyone loves great goaltending, and there's something to be said for solid defense, but most fans would probably prefer a plethora of filthy dangles, bar-down wristers, and perfectly executed one-timers to a game lacking a slew of highlight-reel offensive plays.

Why not have the frenetic pace of three-on-three overtime at five-on-five and all the time?

Back-and-forth barnburners are much better for ratings, and they make for a far more marketable product. They're not ideal for those with heart conditions or fans invested in the teams involved, but for everyone else, they're far more exciting than a 1-0 defensive clinic.

Low-scoring games are fun, too

O'Leary: I like defense. Sue me.

While watching the Capitals and Penguins use up the ink in the scorekeeper's pen was entertaining, it didn't represent the best product the sport has to offer.

Although there were 15 goals - nine of which came in one period - it wasn't exactly a showcase of offense so much as a defensive slopfest.

Scrambles and deflections off shinpads and various other extremities aren't the most entertaining concept to me, even if the puck does wind up in the back of the net.

When teams trade dangerous scoring chances, but don't beat the goalie on every opportunity, it creates intensity. A 0-0 tie late in the third period can be just as gripping as a 7-7 score.

A high number of goals doesn't always determine the quality of the game.

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If we're lucky, the first shoe will soon drop in advance of an eventful March 1 trade deadline in the NHL. Fingers crossed.

We took a look at the Metropolitan on Thursday; now it's time to examine the potential trade candidates from each team in the Central Division.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks haven't sold in a long time, and that's not expected to change. Besides, since they didn't win the Stanley Cup last year, they're quite clearly due.

With negligible cap space and Artemi Panarin's raise coming into effect next season, the Blackhawks are fairly limited in what they can bring in. But with the expansion draft approaching, they may consider turning Trevor van Riemsdyk, who will in all likelihood be exposed, into a serviceable part up front.

With Brian Campbell and Michal Kempny making for a sudden surplus on defense, the Blackhawks are in an uncommon position: they require help up front. Van Riemsdyk could fetch a nice return, especially if packaged with one of the club's 10 draft picks.

Colorado Avalanche

Where to start?

Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog are the big fish being discussed around league circles, but aside from Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, there isn't a nameplate safe in the Avalanche dressing room.

With the talented defensive prospects Colorado covets worth their weight in gold, we may not see one of the larger commodities dealt until after the season, once Vegas has constructed its roster. But because the Avs are essentially the only team preparing a fire sale, they'll most certainly be busy.

"By any means necessary" has to be the approach, as the Avs desperately need to turn over a large portion of their personnel.

Dallas Stars

Dallas is in an interesting spot.

On one hand, the Stars are fifth in the wild-card chase and have a multitude of expiring contracts. And on the other, they're three points out in a shaky Central, and boast a similar roster to that which finished atop the conference last season.

Both on expiring deals, Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya are the most obvious trade chips. Dealing them would almost certainly require retaining salary, and waiving the proverbial white flag on the season.

Minnesota Wild

The prevailing belief that it's in Minnesota's best interest to ship out a defender before the expansion draft has obviously cooled with its 29-10-5 start. The risk of losing a piece on the back end for nothing just isn't worth undermining what has the chance to be a long postseason run.

The Wild have less than $1 million in cap space, and not a single expiring deal in a featured role. There isn't an obvious trade candidate to identify - especially with the resurgent Jonas Brodin currently on the shelf.

Nashville Predators

It's unlikely Nashville can solve its expansion conundrum with one move at the deadline. That said, proactive measures would help soften the blow.

In a perfect world, the Predators preserve their top four, keeping Ryan Ellis, and including Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok in their safeguarded forward list. But because squeezing all three young assets into the protected roster is next to impossible, trading one - depending on Nashville's spot in the playoff chase - might be the club's best option.

Jarnkrok, in particular, is a fascinating candidate and maybe the most likely to be exposed. There isn't a team - including Vegas - that couldn't benefit from his auxiliary talent at $2 million each season through 2022.

St. Louis Blues

All eyes on Kevin Shattenkirk.

With the Blues reluctant to bleed out another asset, and two talented right-shot defenders on the roster, Shattenkirk could wind up being the marquee rental commodity on the market regardless of where his team stands in the Central Division race.

Related: Oilers have to take another run at Kevin Shattenkirk

With his potential impact and an expiring deal that many contenders could fit into their salary structures, Shattenkirk has the potential to generate a return few can match.

Winnipeg Jets

While the Jets will hold out hope goaltender Ondrej Pavelec will give them a chance to win, in reality, his return is the worst-case scenario from back when the decision was made to demote him.

The Jets, who cannot maximize the talent on their roster while carrying three goalies, are third from the bottom in the West, and have a few expiring assets they could turn into futures to help push this exciting program over the top.

There's speculation surrounding Mathieu Perreault, but that seems tenuous, given he's having a miserable offensive campaign and the clock will begin next season on his four-year extension. Drew Stafford seems like a more viable option. He's on an expiring deal, and the Jets can eat a portion of his salary.

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Clarke MacArthur will not return for the Ottawa Senators this season, general manager Pierre Dorion announced Friday.

MacArthur has been denied clearance to pursue a return from team doctors and multiple specialists, despite being symptom free, according to TSN 1200's Dean Brown.

Dorion said MacArthur is "devastated" by the news.

MacArthur suffered his fourth concussion in 18 months when he took a hit from Patrick Sieloff in a training camp scrimmage. He's been limited to four games over the last two seasons due to post-concussion syndrome.

He said in October that he's unwilling to give up on his NHL career.

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Ottawa Senators netminder Craig Anderson will return from his indefinite leave "for good" in either late January or early February, general manager Pierre Dorion said Friday, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.

Anderson has been absent from the club for the last six weeks to be with his wife, Nicholle, who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer.

Mike Condon has filled in admirably, and has been one of the main reasons the Senators are in a postseason position. He's fashioned a .920 save percentage and earned three shutouts since his acquisition in November, and appeared in 20 consecutive games for the club.

Dorion said he expects Anderson to need a couple weeks of practice to return to form.

Nicholle wrote in her last blog post that her final radiation treatment was scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19.

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The Arizona Coyotes shipped struggling sophomore Anthony Duclair down the road to Tucson on Thursday to open up space on the active roster for grinder Ryan White.

With three goals and nine points from 41 games following his 20-goal, 44-point rookie season, the move doesn't require a rationale. Duclair needs a change in setting, and a chance to recoup some confidence; his production is too important to a club ranked second from the bottom in total scoring.

Duclair's teammates have faith in his talent, and believe his demotion is as much an indictment of themselves as it is of him.

"He's too good to not be back up," forward Jamie McGinn said, according to the Coyotes' Dave Vest. "We know he's going to be back up. It's just a wake-up call for our team."

If and when Duclair returns is unknown, though John Chayka and Dave Tippett both indicated that he would be back. Timing his recall with the return of Max Domi, who has been out for more than a month with a fracture in his hand, might be the best thing for Duclair and the team.

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A piece of glass proved to be a real pane in Anaheim.

Midway through the second period, a shot from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Eric Gelinas caused the glass behind the Ducks' net to crack.

After a 45-minute delay during which the two teams were sent off to their respective locker rooms for an early intermission, the players returned to the ice to play what essentially became an extended final frame.

Why did it take so long?

A fresh piece of glass was initially brought out as a replacement, but had to be cut so it would accommodate the camera behind the net, per Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times.

That forced the crew to make some adjustments behind the scenes.

After some measure of carving, a new piece of glass was installed and the crew made its way off the ice, presumably to figure out why there wasn't one ready to go in the first place.

Here's a look at how the whole scene played out.

The Ducks scored two goals following the dry scrape and emerged with a 2-1 win over the lowly Avs.

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Jonathan Drouin is pretty good at hockey.

This vast understatement was made evident once again in Tampa Bay's game in San Jose, wherein the young forward burned stalwart defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and outwaited Aaron Dell for a jaw-dropping power-play goal.

Drouin recorded his 14th goal of the season on the play.

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The absence of Morgan Rielly didn't explain the generally poor effort put forth by the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

That was Mike Babock's assessment, at any rate.

"I don't think Rielly made us not compete hard enough tonight or not take care of the puck or not stop on defense. I don't think he had anything to do with that," Babcock said after the game.

"Obviously the back end was in trouble lots tonight," he continued. "We weren't very good. We didn't skate (Wednesday) so we should have been fresh and we should have had jump. Obviously we shouldn't have done that, we weren't mentally sharp. We'll get that fixed tomorrow and get right for Ottawa (Saturday)."

The Maple Leafs were outshot 41-25 on the night, and old teammate Michael Grabner scored a pair of third-period goals - one on a shorthanded breakaway and one into an empty net - to seal the win for New York.

Heading into Saturday's game against the Senators, Toronto sits two points back of both Ottawa and Boston in the race for second spot in the Atlantic Division.

Rielly, by the way, remains day to day with a lower-body injury.

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