from Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun,

The official Hockey Day in Canada was held on Feb. 18. It apparently took another two weeks for this country’s NHL franchises to truly celebrate the occasion.

Fourteen days after the nation’s passion for the sport was embraced in a coast-to-coast love-in, Canadian NHL teams went a perfect 5-0 on Saturday, outscoring opponents by a combined goal total of 21-10.

With the trade deadline mercifully in the rear-view mirror, those results certainly can be viewed as a rallying point as teams kick off the stretch drive in the quest of post-season berths. And when it comes to Canadian teams, what a difference 11 months makes.

As of Monday, the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will find themselves sitting in playoff spots while the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets will be within two points of one.

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