from Katie Stranf of ESPN,
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New York Islanders: The Isles continue to prove they belong among the top teams in the East as they rattled off their fourth straight win with a 3-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Getting back defenseman Travis Hamonic, whose shot set up the go-ahead goal in the Islanders' third-period rally against the Bolts, should be a major boost to their back end.
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The Detroit Red Wings' offense: The Wings took a surprising lead in the Eastern Conference earlier this month, but it was a short-lived grasp on the top spot as the team has sputtered heading into the holiday break. The Wings have dropped six straight games and have struggled mightily on offense, scoring just six goals during that span. Their shootout woes aren’t helping matters either.
more in each category plus other notes...
Katie Strang on the Western Conference...
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Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars: It was an amazing individual effort by Seguin in the Stars’ come-from-behind, 6-5 shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. With his team trailing by three goals, the league’s leading goal scorer tallied twice and set up the equalizer before Dallas prevailed in the shootout. Seguin, who recorded his fifth game this season with three or more points, continues to prove he is one of the league’s most dynamic and dangerous young talents.
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Arizona Coyotes: The Yotes have only two wins in the month of December, and both have come against the floundering Oilers. The team’s penalty kill has been atrocious; it ranks 29th in the league with only a 75.2 percent success rate and has exposed an already-suspect goaltending duo as a serious weakness. Expect to hear Keith Yandle's and Antoine Vermette’s names a lot once the league's trade freeze is lifted.
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