The Man Advantage: Post-All-Star Break Edition

This week, we look at a handful of players who went into the All-Star break on a hot streak, and have come out the other side still with guns-a-blazing.

Vincent Trocheck, C, FLA - Trocheck went into the All-Star hiatus with a pair of goals (one on the PP) and an assist in his last two games before the break. Since play resumed this week, he's picked up right where he left off with a whopping five points in two games, including one PP helper. The Panthers are looking revitalized following a three-game swoon in the second half of January. They've now won five in a row and Trocheck is a big reason behind that success. He looking really good centering the Panthers' second PP line between Jaromir Jagr and Jussi Jokinen.

Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA - While we're on the subject of the Panthers, Barkov is thriving as the team's top center. With 34 points in 41 games, he's just two points away from setting a career high and could be in line for a 60-point season if he keeps up this pace. He had a PP goal and two even-strength helpers in three games before the All-Star break and followed that with two more PP goals and an assist in two games since. He's part of one of the hottest PP units in the league with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad on his wings. The trio has combined for an impressive nine PP points in the last five games.

David Schlemko, D, NJD - Schlemko had three assists in his last three games before the break, and he's come out of the blocks strong since with two goals and a helper in his latest two contests. Even better, five of his last six points have come with the man advantage, including his first career PP goal earlier this week against the Rangers. Schlemko has typically been a member of the Devils' second PP unit, but he's seen first-line minutes lately, including a season-high 4:41 Thursday against the Maple Leafs. In recent games, he's often been the sole defensemen on a line featuring Travis Zajac, Kyle Palmieri, Joe Blandisi and Jacob Josefson.

Brayden Schenn, C, PHI - After a slow start to the season -- just 15 points in his first 34 games to end December -- Schenn has picked it up nicely since the calendar flipped to 2016. He has 14 points in his last 13 games, including eight points on the power-play (4G, 4A). After posting 47 and 41 points, respectively, in his last two seasons, Schenn is now on pace for a career-high 50-point campaign. He has really benefited from the emergence of Shayne Gostisbehere (4 PP assists in last 4 games), who is quarterbacking the Flyers' power play, and the resurgence of Wayne Simmonds (3G, 1A in last 4 games).

Jordan Eberle, C, EDM - Eberle's been a frustrating fantasy commodity this season. He missed the Oilers' first 13 games with a shoulder injury, then returned and had just three points in his next 13 games. Since then, aside from a quiet second half of December, he's been much better, with 24 points in his last 26 games. In two games since the All-Star break, he's notched five points, including three on the power play (2G, 1A). Mind you, riding shotgun with Connor McDavid, who just returned this week from a 37-game absence due to a broken clavicle. McDavid has made quite a splash this week himself, with a goal and four assists (three coming on the PP) in just two games since his return. With McDavid now back in the lineup, Eberle and the Oilers have won two in a row and finally look like they could dig themselves out of last place in the Pacific division.

Nikita Kucherov, LW, TAM - Here's another player who got off to an extremely slow start this season (just two points in his first 11 games), but has really picked up the pace since. In fact, since the start of December, Kucherov has been so consistent, he's been held off the scoresheet just five times in 25 games, never for longer than one game. Twenty of his 43 points this season have been scored on the power play, with two goals and two assists in his last four games. The Lightning are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games and now are challenging Florida for first in the Atlantic, and Kucherov looks like their MVP (apologies, Steven Stamkos).

P.K. Subban, D, MTL - Looking solely at the numbers, Subban would appear to be having a perfectly normal season -- for him. He has 39 points in 52 games, putting him on pace for just about the same 60-point season he had last year. If you peel back the layers, however, you'll see where the problems lie. Subban isn't scoring nearly as often, with just just a single goal in his first 42 games, though he does have three in his last 10. His plus-minus is also down, from +21 last season to just +5 this year; however in fairness, that has a lot to do with Carey Price not tending the Habs' net most of this season. Yes, the Habs are a mess. But Subban's been just fine, points-wise, with 15 in 15 games since the end of December, including four PP assists in his last four contests.