The Biggest Takeaways from Week 10 of the 2014-15 NHL Season

The last full week before the NHL's Christmas holiday break featured some truly never-before-seen moments.

Sure, we're all familiar with the Edmonton Oilers' ritual coach firings. That happened again. But an 88-year-old goaltending record got smashed, and the shootout—of all things—made headlines.

The seasonal roster freeze may not have sparked a flurry of trades, but there was lots to watch in the hockey world. Take a look at the most important things we learned this week.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.

The Edmonton Oilers' Problems Run Deeper Than Coach Dallas Eakins

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On December 15, Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish announced the firing of second-year head coach Dallas Eakins, per NHL.com.

MacTavish said he'd step behind the bench on an interim basis, with the intent that coach Todd Nelson of the Oilers' Oklahoma City farm team would eventually take the reins.

"There is blood all over my hands in this too as well," MacTavish admitted at Monday's press conference, "because I put the lineup together and the roster."

Even with that understanding, MacTavish may not have been prepared for the scenes that greeted him during his first week back behind the bench.

On Tuesday, a chance at a shootout win slipped away when Oliver Ekman-Larsson gave the Arizona Coyotes a 2-1 win over the Oilers with one second remaining in overtime. Thursday night, Edmonton built a 3-2 lead over the San Jose Sharks before ultimately falling 4-3. Then on Sunday, a 5-2 lead over the Dallas Stars evaporated into a 6-5 overtime loss.

If there's one things these Oilers have shown they're good at, it's finding ways to lose.

Trades Are Tough in Today's NHL

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As the clock ticked down to the NHL's holiday roster freeze on December 19, rumors swirled about which players could be on their way to new homes before the Christmas break.

The most surprising name to come into play was Taylor Hall's in Edmonton, a result of the fallout from the Dallas Eakins firing and words from TSN's well-connected Darren Dreger, who appeared on TSN Radio in Toronto and explained how the Oilers' most promising star "isn't open to change" (from Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo Sports).

Though Hall's name certainly added some spice to the rumor mill, the week was quiet on the trade front. Plenty of teams would like to boost their rosters, but the only deals that got completed were minor, according to TSN.ca.

On December 14, the Chicago Blackhawks sent forward Jeremy Morin to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Tim Erixon. Then, on December 18, the Winnipeg Jets picked up defenseman Jay Harrison from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

The roster freeze will be lifted on December 27.

Sharks and Rangers Back from the Dead

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What a difference a good streak can make.

The San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers are right back in the playoff hunt after two winning weeks of hockey.

The Rangers used a gritty 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins to run the table through three games in Western Canada before two one-goal victories over the Caroline Hurricanes on the weekend stretched their winning streak to six games, currently the longest in the league. That moves New York into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have recovered from a lethargic start to their season.

As recently as late November, coach Todd McLellan was rumored to be on the hot seat, according to ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun (h/t David Pollak at the San Jose Mercury News), but the situation has improved considerably since then.

The Sharks are now 8-1-0 in December and put the bow on a perfect five-game holiday homestand with a 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

San Jose didn't make wholesale changes after getting bounced in last year's playoffs because it was very good last year. Most of those elements remain in place for one more kick at the can.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Depth Is Carrying Them Through Tough Times

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The Pittsburgh Penguins started their week dealing with the fallout from Sunday's announcement that captain Sidney Crosby had been diagnosed with the mumps.

Injured players Beau Bennett and Olli Maatta were also stricken over the course of the week, while top defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Paul Martin, as well as depth forward Craig Adams, were knocked out of the lineup with injuries by the end of the week, according to Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Herald-Tribune.

No worries. The Penguins went 3-0-0 and gave up just four goals.

Crosby and Chris Kunitz were back in the lineup by the end of the week, while rookie defenseman Derrick Pouliot was the latest prospect to make an impressive debut. He scored his first NHL goal on his first career shot, which proved to be the game-winner in Pittsburgh's 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

Whether they've been called to action due to cancerous tumors, blood clots, mumps or just run-of-the-mill injuries, Pittsburgh's depth players have been plugging holes magnificently this season.

It has been another tumultuous week, but the Penguins end it at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 22-6-4.

New Goalies Are Making Waves

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On Sunday, 33-year-old Rob Zepp became the latest unheralded goalie to put up a "W" in the NHL.

Zepp spent the last seven years with the Berlin Polar Bears, where he won five German League titles, according to Avi Saper of The Canadian Press (via the Toronto Star). He also played with Claude Giroux during the 2012-13 NHL lockout.

After signing with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent last summer, Zepp was recalled from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms when starter Steve Mason was injured in practice on Friday. Sunday night, he held the fort, as Philadelphia came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime.

He also became the oldest goaltender in nearly 90 years to win his NHL debut. Hugh Lehman holds the record as a 41-year-old who played his first game for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1926, per The Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports).

Zepp's accomplishment comes as we're learning the names of young goaltending standouts Michael Hutchinson and Calvin Pickard.

Though the Winnipeg Jets have been decimated with injuries on their blue line, Hutchinson leads the league in goals against and save percentage as part of his 7-2-2 record. 

Pickard has also turned heads as a fill-in for the injured Semyon Varlamov in Colorado. The 22-year-old backstopped the Avalanche to a 2-1 win after a nine-round shootout on Sunday, improving his record to 6-5-2 with a 2.06 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.

Shootouts Can Be Fun

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Remember the Sochi Olympics, when T.J. Oshie scored four times on six shots for Team USA against the Russians?

The same rules don't apply in the NHL. Teams are required to use each shooter just once, until everyone has had a turn. Then they can go again, which is what we learned on December 16, when the Florida Panthers defeated the Washington Capitals 2-1 after a record-setting 20-rounder.

It's the first time a shootout has ever featured all 18 skaters for both teams; the previous record was 15 rounds between the Capitals and the New York Rangers back in 2005.

"That was exciting," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant told Alain Poupart of NHL.com after the game. "Everybody loved that, especially with the way it ended, winning a game like that with Bjugstad's goal. Everybody got a chance to shoot, and a big two points, so we're real happy."

The Panthers picked up two more points with another shootout win on Thursday. The battle only lasted six rounds in Philadelphia against the Flyers, but these extra points are part of the reason why Florida is now contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.