• It wasn't that long ago that the Flames and Ducks were tangled in a clump of teams in the middle of the Western Conference. Now, they're among the leaders. Such seems to be the way of the West this season, with clubs rising and falling like a game of Chutes and Ladders. Calgary's climb to the top of the pack amid a 7-2-1 run has been fueled by terrific play from its top line and steady goaltending from Mike Smith and David Rittich. As for the Ducks, their 8-2 showing in the last 10 games has put them back in contention for one of the top spots in the Pacific Division after a rough finish to October and up-and-down start to November.
• The Coyotes' push to remain competitive in the Pacific will carry on without goalie Antti Raanta. He's out indefinitely, potentially for the entire season, after undergoing a procedure Saturday that revealed more extensive damage. Raanta had been sidelined with a lower-body injury. In his absence, Arizona is carrying three goalies — former Wild netminder Darcy Kuemper, Adin Hill and Calvin Pickard.
• Tampa Bay is also without its No. 1 goalie. Andrei Vasilevskiy continues to recover from a fractured foot. But that hasn't stalled the Lightning. It sits atop the NHL, and the performance of backup Louis Domingue has helped key the team's recent surge. Domingue went 3-0 last week with a .957 save percentage and 1.33 goals-against average.
