The Washington Capitals still have control of the NHL Power Rankings, but the same thing cannot be said for the Dallas Stars in the Central Division. While the Stars have won just thrice in their last ten games, the Blackhawks rode a 12-game win streak to take first in the division and second in the Power Rankings. Tampa Bay continued their ascent, while Montreal may need a prayer at this point.
1. Washington Capitals (73 points)
Last week: 1 (69 points)
The Blackhawks are all the talk in the NHL lately (What else is new?), but they still have not reached the peak. The 2015-2016 Presidents Trophy still goes through the U.S. capital. Braden Holtby finally faltered in regulation, getting pulled in a 4-1 loss in Buffalo. On the bright side, that is the only time the Capitals have lost in their last eight games. Evgeny Kuznetsov’s monster breakout season hit new heights this weak. After a four-assist night against Columbus, he now has seven in his last two games. That is not a stat you see every day.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (68 points)
Last week: 3 (62 points)
The 12-game winning streak came to an end against last year’s Stanley Cup rival, but it was enough to vault them in both the standings and Power Rankings. Not many people appreciated seeing Corey Crawford getting snubbed for the All-Star game, but Jonathan Toews proved that he deserved to join Patrick Kane in Nashville. With eight goals during the winning streak, he now has 19 goals, but Kane’s 71 points is still more than double the captain’s total of 35.
3. Dallas Stars (65 points)
Last week: 2 (62 points)
It was only a matter of time before the team that failed to reach the playoffs last year was going to come down to earth. Unfortunately, they have to fend off the Blues as well. They had gone 0-3-1 in their last four games before taking out the Oilers. Jason Spezza has points in all but two January games, and he added a goal and an assist in the win against Edmonton.
4. St. Louis Blues (63 points)
Last week: 6 (57 points)
They are no favorites, but they will gladly ride the coattails of the Hawks and Stars, looking for a mistake. The Blues have shredded the Eastern Conference lately, with tough wins over Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Montreal. Brian Elliott has regained the top goalie spot, starting the last seven games and winning five of his last six. He has given up just one or two goals in four of those wins.
5. Los Angeles Kings (61 points)
Last week: 5 (57 points)
The crowd from the City of Angels must hate me. While the Central Division and Florida fool around with the rankings, the Kings have been locked up in the fifth position. I guess that is what playing in the Pacific Division will do. They can celebrate knowing they beat their SoCal rivals this week in “enemy territory”. Jonathan Quick has scuffled as of late, but that is occasionally forgivable considering the Kings’ lead in the division.
6. Florida Panthers (57 points)
Last week: 4 (57 points)
Losing to the Lightning hurt based on their division, but losing to the crippled Oilers (more on that later) was a dagger. To top it all off, they get to play the Blackhawks and the Lightning in their next two games. Beautiful. They have not scored a power play goal since January 2 against the Rangers? Gorgeous…
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (56 points)
Last week: 14 (48 points)
Giving up on the Eastern Conference champions is a bold strategy, but it was a reality in December. Now they are just one win away from taking first place in the Atlantic Division. Their current seven game winning streak was capped off with a defensive win against the explosive Blackhawks, in case anyone needed any more proof that they are for real. Ben Bishop has gotten some rest lately, and it has paid off, for he has given up just two goals in his last three starts.
8. New York Islanders (54 points)
Last week: 7 (53 points)
Not much to talk about. They had one game this week, and it was a barnburner against the Canucks. It is amazing, however, how pedestrian it feels to see the ISLANDERS do well. History tends to make a big impact sometimes. Even in their shootout loss against Vancouver, they had 48 shots on Ryan Miller, and the Vancouver goalie finally blinked with 50 seconds in regulation. A vicious Islanders attack was answered with a career night for Miller. Salute.
9. Detroit Red Wings (54 points)
Last week: 8 (53 points)
Another team with little to talk about, especially considering that they make the playoffs every year. Their offense has gone cold, and that has caused Petr Mrazek to suffer two losses he did not deserve. He has not allowed more than two goals in a game since January 2, and he could be a dark horse for the Vezina trophy.
10. New York Rangers (55 points)
Last week: 10 (51 points)
This team’s logo should be a giant question mark. They clearly have no chance against Washington, at least in the regular season, but could they still be Stanley Cup contenders? Captain Ryan McDonagh has an assist in three straight games, including one to JT Miller against Vancouver in overtime. Miller’s style points and the explosion in the Rangers’ broadcast booth summarized the rest. It was a sight, I must admit.
11. Minnesota Wild (54 points)
Last week: 9 (52 points)
They looked good in LA, but they have dug themselves in a hole in the division, with Colorado and Nashville looking to make a move. The offense has made Devan Dubnyk’s record look bad lately, but at least Dubnyk is proving he is worthy of the All-Star label.
12. Colorado Avalanche (51 points)
Last week: 12 (47 points)
After climbing a mountain the past few weeks, they have reached zero slope (Excuse my awful Colorado joke). This has been a very impactful season for the Avalanche, but the team is still in the second wild card spot. They still have a lot to do to make a statement. Adding Francois Beauchemin in the offseason has certainly helped the team, and he capped off a big third period against Buffalo when he scored the game-winning slap shot goal with 31 seconds remaining. Before the blue line blast, he assisted the first goal of the 2-1 victory earlier in the period on a tough pass that eventually led to an Alex Tanguay backhand.
13. Boston Bruins (51 points)
Last week: 15 (47 points)
They are certainly better than 13, but they have also been inconsistent, so this is a good spot. After taking care of their division rivals (Buffalo, Toronto, and Montreal), they fell flat against Vancouver, allowing three goals in the third period. After being pointless for the first three games since his suspension, Brad Marchand has a point in four straight games, including a goal in three straight games.
14. New Jersey Devils (53 points)
Last week: 18 (47 points)
They were laughably bad last week, but they have reversed things lately, winning three straight games. It was capped off with a wild five-goal first period (and just one afterwards) in a 6-3 win against the Senators. Kyle Palmieri had two goals in the first period, and he reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career. He never had more than 14 goals in a season with Anaheim.
15. Nashville Predators (50 points)
Last week: 16 (46 points)
No one should be surprised to hear that the only all-stars in the home barn are defensive players (including the goalie). The offense is the primary reason this team is on the outside looking in. It took a hike to Winnipeg for Craig Smith, who had just nine goals and five assists for the season, to get his first goal (and point) of 2016.
16. Arizona Coyotes (49 points)
Last week: 13 (49 points)
No points this week and they fall out of the top three in the Pacific Division, and therefore the playoff picture. They also let Buffalo…BUFFALO…stomp on them at home, both on the scoreboard and physically. Where is “All-Star captain” John Scott when you need him?
17. Vancouver Canucks (51 points)
Last week: 21 (44 points)
This is the crowded part of the Power Rankings, so picking the order was hard. Vancouver gets the benefit of the doubt because of their impressive performance on their East Coast road trip. They have at least a point in every game except Washington, so that is pretty much best case scenario. Daniel Sedin scored two goals in a wicked strong third period against Boston, and he must be wicked honored to be the franchise leader in goals. Unfortunately, his twin is on the sideline until after the All Star break.
18. Ottawa Senators (50 points)
Last week: 17 (46 points)
With the conferences uneven, maybe the Sens should move to the West (I am NOT serious). Then again, they sure looked locked and loaded against the Sharks and Kings, two teams that are no doormats. Then they went back east and gave up five goals in the first period to the Devils. Am I still crazy? Jean-Gabriel Pageau had no points since December 20, but he came up big with a goal and an assist in the win against Los Angeles.
19. Carolina Hurricanes (50 points)
Last week: 19 (47 points)
Making the playoffs is not urgent for this team, but their rebuilding period may be coming to a close. Their offense still has that young feeling, though. The Penguins blew them up on Sunday, and the Canes needed overtime to get one goal, and the win, in Toronto. Jordan Staal struck again.
20. San Jose Sharks (51 points)
Last week: 22 (46 points)
Their only blemish in their last seven games was an incredible shootout loss to Ottawa. After watching that game, I felt like that was the most evenly-matched game of the season. So the Sharks are having a huge stretch to their season, and they are in the Top 3 in the Pacific again. Patrick Marleau scored his first goal of 2016 in the Sharks’ win over Arizona.
21. Pittsburgh Penguins (51 points)
Last week: 20 (46 points)
They unloaded against the surprisingly contending Canes, but the Blues figured them out. They then got the better end of the heated Keystone battle. Maybe that is the win they need to make a run. With two goals against the Flyers, Phil Kessel now has points in five of his last seven games. He also got some help after the Pens traded for Carl Hagelin.
22. Philadelphia Flyers (48 points)
Last week: 23 (45 points)
Contrary to what those negative Philly fans say, I honestly do not think the Flyers are doing too bad this season. Except they just lost two straight games to Toronto and Pittsburgh. That is a red flag. RJ Umberger is having a dismal season. He has no goals this season, and he was on the ice for two of Toronto’s three goals. He has never had a season with fewer than eight goals, and that was during the lockout season.
23. Montreal Canadiens (50 points)
Last week: 11 (49 points)
11 to 23. Yeah, that is right. I do not usually make drops that big this late in the season, but many people should agree with this. They have been deteriorating since December, and even the Winter Classic could not stop it. Do not blame this on the lack of Carey Price, either. Mike Condon has done his job. The offense is walking in South Carolina mud right now (If you are wondering what that is like, take a trip with me to Baruch Institute in a downpour. You will find out soon enough). Speaking of Price, he is out until at least February or March.
24. Anaheim Ducks (47 points)
Last week: 26 (43 points)
Beating Dallas and Minnesota helps, but Washington, Detroit, Boston, San Jose, and LA await. To make matters worse, they might be must-wins. Rickard Rakell has a goal in his last two games (vs. LA and vs. Minnesota) and could make a breakout push with some more goals against the marquee opponents.
25. Calgary Flames (45 points)
Last week: 24 (42 points)
They are beginning to slip, but they are not their strongest yet. Not even close. Give it two or three years, and this team is a force. After a bad shootout loss to Edmonton and flunking in Jersey, they got a confidence booster against the lowly Jackets. Sam Bennett continues his torrid pace, blazing to three more goals in as many games, including two in Ohio.
26. Winnipeg Jets (45 points)
Last week: 25 (43 points)
Their transition to the doormat of the Central Division is almost complete, as they now have fewer points than five of the Pacific Division teams. Not good considering their small market and contract situations. It might be time for some blockbuster trades. Rookie sensation Connor Hellebuyck shut out the Wild on the 15th, his second shutout of the season. It was also his first win in the North Star State since winning his NHL debut in November.
27. Edmonton Oilers (43 points)
Last week: 28 (37 points)
They had two huge wins against Calgary and Florida, but beating the Panthers came at a terrible price. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins blocked a shot with his hand and will miss 6-8 weeks. So two #1 picks, with Connor McDavid still out, are hurt and another (Nail Yakupov) is a devastating bust. What do the hockey gods want from the Oilers?
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (42 points)
Last week: 27 (39 points)
Toronto’s expectations are much higher than Buffalo’s, so look for a potential switch next week if the Leafs continue to disappoint. Joffrey Lupul has been part of the problem. He had no points from December 21 to January 19 before scoring against the Flyers, which helped give the Leafs a rare win.
29. Buffalo Sabres (42 points)
Last week: 29 (38 points)
Buffalo pulled off two stunners against Washington (what?) and Arizona, and those are certainly wins that the young team will cherish. Zach Bogosian had an eventful week, recording two assists against the Caps and laying the hammer down in a brawl with Anthony Duclair in the desert.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (38 points)
Last week: 30
They have not even reached 40 points. Dang. Rough season, eh? They got a good win against the Avalanche, but that was their only celebration. The young Flames looked like champions when they came to town, so that has to be painful for the Blue Jackets. Seth Jones has four assists in three games, but Sergei Bobrovsky is not looking good, and that could really hurt his trade value. Oh Ohio…