WINNIPEG -- An uneasy question permeates nearly every storyline surrounding the Winnipeg Jets this month, and it does not even concern the NHL Trade Deadline.

To what extent should coach Claude Noel rely on workhorse goaltender Ondrej Pavelec heading down the stretch?

The Jets lead the Southeast Division with a 16-13-2 record, putting the franchise in position to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2007. With a young core starved for postseason experience, pressure exists inside and outside the organizational brain trust to do nearly anything necessary to keep the Jets in the Eastern Conference's top eight at the end of April.

But memories of March 2012 remain fresh in Winnipeg. Pavelec sputtered down the stretch last season with the Jets in the midst of a playoff race. Starting 13 games that month, he went just 5-7-1 with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage as the Jets faded from Eastern Conference contention.

This past week had no shortage of great highlights, but we thought the three exciting moments below stood out from the rest. After you watch these videos, be sure to vote on what play you think deserves to be the Bridgestone Performance Moment of the Week.

Passing Stars: On Monday, Dallas put on a passing clinic vs. Calgary. While in the Flames zone, the Stars passed the puck around Joey MacDonald four times before Loui Eriksson buried an easy goal.

Doan's royal redirection: Coyotes captain Shane Doan redirected Keith Yandle's blue line blast past Kings' goalie Jonathan Quick to get Phoenix on the scoreboard.

Vitale goal: Penguins center Joe Vitale scored a top-shelf goal, while falling down, off of a rebound Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask could not control Sunday, in a 2-1 Pittsburgh win.

Not long after their brother, New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, was injured when a puck hit him in the eye, Eric and Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes had visors on their helmets for practice Friday and will continue to wear them in the future.

Eric Staal told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that it wasn't an experiment for him and his brother, and they will continue to wear them. Carolina's next game is Tuesday night at PNC Arena against the Winnipeg Jets.

The New Jersey Devils added a veteran forward for the stretch run, acquiring Matt D'Agostini from the St. Louis Blues on Friday for a conditional fourth- or fifth-round draft pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

The Devils will also receive a conditional seventh-round pick in 2015.

The 26-year-old right wing has one goal and one assist in 16 games this season.

D'Agostini was a sixth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2005 NHL Draft. In 254 NHL games over parts of six seasons for the Canadiens and Blues, he has 45 goals and 91 points.

Buffalo Sabres forward Thomas Vanek expects to return from a one-game injury absence and play Saturday night at the Montreal Canadiens, according to a report by Buffalo News reporter John Vogl.

The grind of a fantasy hockey season is just that: A grind. When you consider all the details, big and small, all the nuances and all the possibilities, you're still left with roster setting and juggling, trade offers and rejections and day-to-day focus and attention. But ain't it great?

To get fantasy hockey owners to where they want to be, NHL.com fantasy insider Sergei Feldman brings you his weekly piece highlighting various players who have increased or decreased their value after each week and suggesting which players to buy or sell moving forward. In the end, you'll have a clearer picture of the marketplace and be in perfect position to enhance your fantasy hockey portfolios.

Let's be frank, with a condensed 48-game schedule, you've been in the thick of things from the first drop of the puck. But nowadays, you're in the thick of the thick of things. As such, tinkering with your rosters becomes a much more difficult task.

The stars aren't available. The sleepers woke up and are likely picked up by your competitors. Trade deadlines have come and gone.

What now? Simple: pick 'em and drop 'em. Do a couple repetitions of that a couple times a week and you'll find your lineups growing into lean, mean machines.

The first trick is to find players who have come out of nowhere or who have been forgotten and, in all likelihood, will ride their waves of success for just a little while longer.

Alex Kovalev reportedly has called it a career.

Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon confirmed to The Miami Herald on Thursday that the 40-year-old forward signed his retirement papers and is no longer a member of the Florida Panthers organization. Kovalev, who signed a one-year contract before play started in January, hadn't played for the Panthers since a loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 22.

Kovalev practiced with the Panthers on Feb. 24 but was a healthy scratch that night against the Boston Bruins. He left the team soon afterward.

Teams are converting their power-play opportunities better than they have in any season since 2008-09. They're just not getting many chances to do it. Power plays per game dropped to a 34-year low of 6.61 per game last season, and that total will end up even lower in 2012-13 if current trends continue.

Whether it's officials allowing more things to go uncalled or players adapting to the way games are called, power plays are plummeting as the season goes on. The first quarter of the season saw an average of 8.28 power plays per game. By the end of February, that number was down to 7.67 -- and through Thursday's games, the average had dropped to 7.10 per game.

More telling is the fact that power plays this month continue to drop. The 153 games played so far this month have seen an average of just 5.99 power plays -- matching the average of the last three-plus months of 2011-12. If the March average were to continue through the remainder of 2012-13, the full-season average would drop to 6.55; the last time there were fewer power plays per game was 1977-78 (6.38).

It is an argument that inspires passion in every rink, sports bar and living room where hockey is being played or is on the television. It can incite elevated heart rates in person and long discussion threads on the Internet.

Who is the best?

NHL.com and NHL Network gathered 10 writers and television personalities and asked that very question. Each was asked to rank their top eight in eight categories -- centers, left wings, right wings, defensemen, goalies, coaches, general managers and guys who wore the No. 8 sweater.

The voting, which took place for all eight segments in mid-February, is complete and the points have been tallied. Here is our answer to the simple question, who are the best in the NHL?

Already down one goaltender, the Carolina Hurricanes apparently will have to play without veteran netminder Dan Ellis for the next 7-10 days.

According to Raleigh News & Observer reporter Chip Alexander, that's how long Ellis is expected to be out with a cut near his knee suffered near the end of Thursday's 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils.