theyre still living off the power play (and got a lot of puck luck in winnipeg). by the stats test, the underlying 5×5 numbers are a touch better but nothing major. the pk has been better. pp too.
living off the power play is not a recipe for long term success.
with that said, by the EYE test they are playing better. playing harder. kane has shown life. the top line is scoring as many of the team's goals as any line in the league. they'll need someone (kane?) to step up on line 2 and or 3.
who could that be? kasper? compher? i imagine that if it comes, it might have to come from the blue line. their forwards other than kane leave a lot to be desired with the only one with significant room for growth being kasper.