Sabres, Lightning, Jets among those with long break before All-Star Game

For the third consecutive season, the NHL schedule includes a mandatory break for each team that consists of at least five consecutive days without games. Ten teams have their break beginning Sunday and running through the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVA Sports). The remaining 21 teams will have their break after the All-Star Game.
Today, we look at the teams that begin their break on Sunday:

Boston Bruins

Record:27-17-5, 59 points, third place in Atlantic
MVP: Patrice Bergeron --He missed 16 games with an injury, but still ranks third on the team with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists). A four-time Selke Trophy winner, Bergeron is one of the top two-way players in the game, and Boston is 17-10-3 with him in the lineup this season.
Unsung hero: Jaroslav Halak --Signed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract July 1, the goalie has been one of the best in the NHL this season. He's 13-9-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and three shutouts in 25 games helping to alleviate some of the pressure on starter Tuukka Rask, who sustained a concussion on Saturday.
Player to watch: Charlie McAvoy -- The injury history is a concern -- the 21-year-old defenseman has been limited to 21 games this season -- but he has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) and plays almost 21 minutes per game, often on the top pairing with Zdeno Chara, and is a difference-maker when healthy.
Second-half prognosis -- The Lightning hold a 17-point lead, so the Atlantic Division title may be out of reach. Boston could be competing with the Toronto Maple Leafs for home-ice advantage in a rematch of a first-round series from last season, won by the Bruins in seven games.

Buffalo Sabres

Record:24-18-6, 54 points, fifth place in Atlantic
MVP: Jeff Skinner -- Acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on Aug. 2, Skinner ranks tied for second in the League with 30 goals and tied for first with seven game-winning goals. He's brought an offensive presence to a Sabres team which had been missing that for the past decade.
Unsung hero: Carter Hutton --Signed to a three-year, $8.25 million contract July 1, Hutton has been the No. 1 goalie the Sabres have needed and has given them a chance to win every night.
Player to watch: Rasmus Dahlin --The No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft ranks tied for second among rookies with 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) in 48 games. He also ranks second among rookies in icetime per game (20:43). Forward Tage Thompson also could be a surprise playing with Skinner and Jack Eichel on the top line.
Second-half prognosis -- Buoyed by a 10-game winning streak from Nov. 8-27, the Sabres are battling for a top-three spot in the division and could end a seven-season playoff drought.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 28-17-3, 59 points, second place in Metropolitan
MVP: Artemi Panarin -- The pending unrestricted free agent forward has scored at more than a point-per game pace (51 points, in 44 games) and leads the NHL with four overtime goals. He's the spark of this team and is contention to finish among the top 10 scorers this season.
Unsung hero: Seth Jones -- His 29 points are fourth on the team and his 26:00 of ice time ranks first on Columbus and fourth in the NHL. Jones has played an integral role on the Blue Jackets both offensively and defensively.
Player to watch: Sergei Bobrovsky -- Between his contract status (he can become an unrestricted free agent July 1), and being missing a game after being disciplined by the Blue Jackets on January 9, it will be interesting to see whether he remains with them following the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 25.
Second-half prognosis --Much will depend on the fate of Panarin and Bobrovsky, arguably their two best players. Each is approaching unrestricted free agency and each could be traded before the deadline. If Bobrovsky remains, he will need to be better. He hasn't played his best this season and has a history of faltering in the playoffs.

Dallas Stars

Record:24-21-4, 52 points, fourth place in Central
MVP: Alexander Radulov --He's second on the team with 41 points and has been more consistent than forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn this season. Dallas is 8-4-0 when he scored a goal this season and 16-17-4 when he doesn't.
Unsung hero: Miro Heiskanen --The No. 3 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has had an impressive rookie season with 20 points in 49 games and has averaged more than 23:09 of ice time per game. He stepped up when No. 1 defenseman John Klingberg was out six weeks with a broken hand.
Player to watch: Andrew Cogliano --Acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks for Devin Shore on Monday, Cogliano, a 12-season NHL veteran, could play on the second line. He plays on the penalty kill and could see more ice time than the 13:15 he averaged with the Ducks.
Second-half prognosis -- The goaltending of Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin should keep them in the race for the No. 3 spot in the Central or a wild card spot after missing the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

New Jersey Devils

Record:18-23-7, 43 points, eighth place in Metropolitan
MVP: Kyle Palmieri --With Taylor Hall, last season's Hart Trophy winner, injured, Palmieri has been the most consistent player on the team. He leads the Devils in goals (22), points (38), power-play goals (eight) and shots on goal (157) and was named to his first All-Star Game on Saturday as a replacement for the injured Hall.
Unsung hero: Blake Coleman -- The penalty-killing specialist (two shorthanded goals) has set NHL career-highs in points (27) and goals (17) ranking second on the Devils in goals. What's more impressive is he's doing it while averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time per game.
Player to watch: Mackenzie Blackwood --With Cory Schneider injured and Keith Kinkaid a potential UFA after this season, Blackwood could be the goalie of the future. He'll likely get extended playing time in the second half of the season, especially if the Devils can't close the 15-point gap on the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Second-half prognosis --After ending a five-year playoff drought last season, the Devils made no moves to improve this offseason and could be sellers at the deadline and possibly a lottery team for the 2019 NHL Draft.

New York Rangers

Record:21-20-7 points, 49 points, fifth place in Metropolitan
MVP: Chris Kreider -- He hasn't missed a game this season and plays a hard-nosed style of hockey that sets an example for his younger teammates. He leads the Rangers with 22 goals, many of which have come from in front of the net.
Unsung hero: Neal Pionk -- The defenseman has a lower-body injury and won't play until after the All-Star break but has been their best offensive defenseman this season with 20 points and leads the team with 22:42 of ice time per game.
Player to watch: Kevin Hayes --He has been with the Rangers for five seasons, but the pending UFA could be moved by the trade deadline. Hayes does it all, playing on the power play, during shorthanded situations, and is one of their top face-off men.
Second-half prognosis --With a winning streak, the Rangers could find themselves in the mix for a wild card spot, but likely will be sellers with Mats Zuccarello and Hayes garnering plenty of attention.

Philadelphia Flyers

Record:19-23-6, 44 points, seventh place in Metropolitan
MVP: Claude Giroux -- After finishing second in the League with 102 points, Giroux is on pace for another fine season with 52 points in 48 games. He continues to be a wizard in the face-off circle, winning more than 59 percent of his draws and is the leader of this team.
Unsung hero: Carter Hart -- The Flyers have used seven goalies this season and the highly touted Hart has been the best of the bunch. The 20-year-old could be their goalie of the future and has handled himself well, going 6-5-1 with a team-best .918 save percentage.
Player to watch: James van Riemsdyk --It hasn't been the season he or the Flyers hoped after he signed a five-year free agent contract July 1. Van Riemsdyk has 12 goals and 22 points, although he has turned it on late with six goals in five games.
Second-half prognosis --Without a stable goalie and a defense allowing more than 3.5 goals per game, it's hard to see them making a push for the playoffs. The Flyers should look different after the trade deadline and could be without forward Wayne Simmonds, a pending unrestricted free agent who will likely be in demand among contending teams.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Record:26-16-6, 58 points, fourth place in Metropolitan
MVP: Sidney Crosby --The captain is having another MVP-type season and has helped Jake Guentzel blossom into a star. Playing with Crosby as his center, Guentzel has scored almost a point-per game this season (47 points in 48 games). As Crosby goes, so do the Penguins.
Unsung hero: Phil Kessel -- He continues to produce on third line without Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, who center the top two lines. Kessel has 53 points, including 23 on the power play and gives the Penguins an All-Star player on each of their top three lines.
Player to watch: Bryan Rust -- With 22 points this season, Rust has given the Penguins a depth scoring option at forward after Crosby, Malkin and Kessel.
Second-half prognosis -- With goaltender Matt Murray surging for the past month, the Penguins have looked like the team that won the Stanley Cup two of the past three seasons, and they should contend again this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 37-10-2, 76 points, first place in Atlantic
MVP: Nikita Kucherov -- After a 100-point season playing with Steven Stamkos in 2017-18, Kucherov leads the NHL in points (78) without playing with him this season. Kucherov has shown chemistry with Brayden Point (30 goals) and could should shatter his personal bests in assists (61) and points.
Unsung hero: Louis Domingue --With goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy out a month with a foot injury, Domingue got his chance as the starter. He was 11-3-0 in 14 games during Vasilevskiy's absence and played well, although he was often overshadowed by the Lightning's offense.
Player to watch: J.T. Miller --After having 18 points in 19 games following his trade from the Rangers at the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline, Miller has not performed as well this season. He has 27 points in 43 games and will be expected to contribute more offensively.
Second-half prognosis --Anything short of the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup will be a letdown for the Lightning, who have been in a class by themselves throughout the season.

Winnipeg Jets

Record:31-15-2, 64 points, first place in Central
MVP: Blake Wheeler -- He is a big reason linemate Mark Scheifele has been so successful, as many of his 52 assists are on goals by Scheifele. Wheeler has 61 points and leads the NHL with 21 power-play assists.
Unsung hero: Laurent Brossoit -- The goalie signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets this offseason and has looked like a bargain, going 10-1-1 with a 2.01 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. He's been a big boost for Connor Hellebuyck, who has struggled.
Player to watch: Dustin Byfuglien -- The defenseman has been out since Dec. 29 with a lower-body injury. He has 29 points and is a big, physical presence (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) who creates havoc for opposing teams.
Second-half prognosis -- After making the Western Conference Final last season before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Jets appear poised to return. The offense isn't a concern; the question is whether Hellebuyck, the Vezina Trophy runner-up last season, can rediscover that form in time for the playoffs.