NHL Weekender: Bruins, Blackhawks surging; Joe Thornton chases down legends

The Washington Capitals continue their rise, winning four straight and officially taking over the Metropolitan Division. However, everyone should also keep an eye on the Boston Bruins, who have caught fire recently. Young guns Charlie McAvoy and Jake DeBrusk have been responding well to adversity and giving the B's a much-needed boost as the games get more and more competitive.

Out in the Western Conference, the Chicago Blackhawks are working their tails off to get back to their dominant ways. After a dodgy start to the season, Chi-Town has exploded with a five-game winning streak under its belt. Despite getting blanked by Dallas on Thursday night, the Blackhawks are starting to take advantage of a Central Division where the standings are so close that it's, literally, anyone's game. (More on the Central team that is floundering in just a minute.)

Who's on a skid

In the Eastern Conference, the New York Islanders have gone from looking lean and mean to dropping four of their last five. They made a strong comeback in their Thursday night tilt with the Anaheim Ducks, only to fall 5-4 in overtime play. Even with captain John Tavares registering 13 points in the span of five games, the Isles' Swiss cheese-like defense continues to let them down.

Out West, the previously dominant St. Louis Blues have hit a snag. While they haven't been a complete letdown over their last 10 tilts, they have lost three straight. Plus, they have stiff competition on the horizon with bouts against the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars. We asked earlier in the season how long the Blues could keep up their hot streak. It may be too early to call this a full-blown skid, but it is a troublesome trend.

New blood to watch

The Vancouver Canucks dropped a 5-4 overtime bout to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, but not before their star rookie Brock Boeser found the back of the net. The young winger saw a little NHL ice time last season and notched five points in a small nine-game stint. He currently leads all rookies with 19 goals and 33 points. There are already whispers that Boeser has the makings of a future captain, especially since this could potentially be the Sedin brothers' farewell tour.

Milestone tracker

Joe Thornton has built the latter part of his career as a playmaker, a setup guy, to the point that hockey fans often forget what it looks like when he puts his stellar shot to work and notches a couple goals. He did just that on Thursday against the Canucks, registering two power-play goals and adding an assist. With the three markers, he tied and then passed Doug Gilmour on the NHL's all-time points list. He currently sits alone in 18th place with 1,416 points. With four more points, he can tie Adam Oates.

What to watch this weekend

If holiday weekend football isn't your cup of tea, there is plenty of hockey to hold you over. (Well, at least for part of the weekend.)

Saturday, Chicago at New Jersey, 7 p.m. EST, MSG+, WGN

Saturday, Washington at Vegas, 8 p.m. EST, ATRM, NSWA

Saturday, Los Angeles at San Jose, 10 p.m. EST, NSCA, FSW

On Saturday, the scrappy New Jersey Devils host the Chicago Blackhawks, who will be looking to rebound from their dismal performance against Dallas. The surging Washington Capitals head out to Sin City to take on the Golden Knights, who continue to surprise in their inaugural season.

If you're on the East Coast, consider staying up late to catch the West Coast rivalry matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.