Consider the race to the top over. The Washington Capitals have not clinched the Presidents’ Trophy quite yet, but another inevitable victory will seal the deal. They continue to hog the top of the NHL Power Rankings, while the Pittsburgh Penguins are the newest invite to the Top Ten. The Nashville Predators could potentially join them next week.
1. Washington Capitals (111 points)
Last week: 1 (107 points)
They could have a terrible week and still have a stranglehold of the top spot. Their 53-16-5 record is just as impressive as Golden State’s and San Antonio’s record. Maybe close wins over Ottawa and New Jersey after an embarrassing loss in Pittsburgh are not impressive, but they are now preparing for a healthy championship roster so that they can shake off their mediocre playoff history. Defenseman John Carlson, who has 32 points despite battling injuries all season, scored the overtime winner, and only goal of the game, in a defensive clash in New Jersey. They clinch the Presidents’ Trophy with a win or a Dallas loss.
2. Dallas Stars (99 points)
Last week: 2 (95 points)
The Stars should celebrate for locking up a playoff spot, but they will be without Tyler Seguin for at least the rest of the regular season. That is a devastating blow for a fully charged offense hoping to prove their worth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially if Seguin has trouble recovering. Kari Lehtonen has really improved his goaltending over the second half of the season, and Vernon Fiddler helped bury the Blackhawks with two goals on Tuesday.
3. St. Louis Blues (99 points)
Last week: 2 (93 points)
They certainly will not be raising eyebrows for shutting out Vancouver twice in one week, but they have also not given up a goal since losing 6-4 to Edmonton on March 16. That means they have shut out their opponent in four straight games. Not bad! Brian Elliott had three shutouts this week after getting just one beforehand, and Vladimir Tarasenko scored his 100th career goal at Vancouver. Jake Allen then shut out Washington.
4. Los Angeles Kings (93 points)
Last week: 3 (93 points)
After one of the most impressive weeks this season from the top defense in the NHL, the Kings went on the road and went way off the tracks. Their defense looked very beatable in Nashville and Winnipeg, and the offense was once again average at best in Minnesota. They wrapped up a playoff spot, but a heavy lineup of Pacific Division teams will determine LA’s spot in the playoffs. Drew Doughty has four points in five games, including an early third period missile that deflected off Predators’ defenseman Roman Josi into the net.
5. New York Rangers (94 points)
Last week: 8 (88 points)
The California trip was an unfortunate turn of events, but they thrived at home this week. They feasted on the Atlantic Division’s elite, taking out the Panthers and Bruins at MSG before going to the Bell Centre and eliminating the Canadiens. It gets easier from here, with Carolina and Buffalo in the near future. After just one goal before February 25, Tanner Glass now has three in the past month. His most recent goal came on an empty netter against Florida.
6. Chicago Blackhawks (93 points)
Last week: 5 (90 points)
Things are going horrendously for the Blackhawks. Forget not winning the Central Division. The Nashville Predators have now moved within two points behind Chicago, so the Blackhawks could be a wild-card team. This would be a major disappointment considering the lofty expectations before and during the season. Chicago could be on the bad end of the Andrew Ladd trade. He has just three goals since being traded (11 total games) and the Hawks cannot seem to win as of late.
7. Florida Panthers (93 points)
Last week: 6 (89 points)
The Atlantic Division is certainly not wrapped up yet, but Saturday’s duel in Tampa sure made a statement. The Panthers disposed of Boston and Tampa Bay, the other top teams in the division, to grab sole possession of first place. The only other divisional games they have left are against Canadian teams (Two with Toronto, two with Montreal, and one with Ottawa). That is very encouraging. Jussi Jokinen has become the most valuable piece to Florida recent success. He now has five goals and eight assists in March, and that followed an impressive February that included two goals and 11 assists. He had a goal and assist in the wins over the Bruins and Lightning.
8. Anaheim Ducks (92 points)
Last week: 5 (87 points)
One of the more expected, yet dramatic, recoveries of the season has officially been completed. The Ducks went from an October disaster to a guaranteed playoff team in March. They also went from by far the worst offense in the NHL to 21st, which is fairly shocking considering the way they started. They are also first in Power Play percentage and Penalty kill percentage (they can be the first team to lead the league in both categories since the 1985 New York Islanders), as well as third in GAA. While his March has not been as eye-popping as February, Rickard Rakell continued his breakout season with an overtime goal to beat Ottawa on Saturday.
9. Tampa Bay Lightning (91 points)
Last week: 10 (87 points)
The Lightning continued their success after shutting out Arizona, scoring a combined 13 goals in wins over Detroit and the Islanders. Unfortunately, losing to Florida hurt them, for they now have to leapfrog the Panthers in order to win the division. That will likely be a challenge. Before failing to get a point against the Panthers, Victor Hedman had a four-game point streak, including an empty-net goal against New York. The defense, however, became weaker after Anton Stralman was lost for the remainder of the regular season with a fractured fibula.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins (86 points)
Last week: 13 (82 points)
Curious question popped up this week in a hockey conversation I had with friends. Are the Penguins better when either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin is hurt? That once again appears to be the case the way Pittsburgh is playing without Malkin. A blockbuster deal is unlikely this offseason, but the front office should at least consider such a move. This situation was amplified this week. They scored six goals on Washington and seven on Detroit, with Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino scoring once and assisting four times in Joe Louis Arena, alone. That has not happened for two players on the road in the same game since 1997.
11. Nashville Predators (91 points)
Last week: 15 (85 points)
They took out LA, Vancouver, and Columbus this week, and a loss to Washington is the only reason they do not have a six-game winning streak. It seemed like the Preds were poised for a wild card spot, but now they can pass the Blackhawks next week and send Chicago to an unexpected position in the playoffs. It was a fun night when the Kings came to town. Mike Fisher played in his 1,000th game (and his wife, Carrie Underwood, was on the ice). He went on to score in what was a three-goal second period for Nashville. Roman Josi also scored his first goal in March (his twelfth goal of the season) in that game, and he added three assists against the Jackets to put him at 44 for the season.
12. New York Islanders (89 points)
Last week: 11 (85 points)
Their two wins against Ottawa and Carolina are not wins to write home about, but those victories kept them ahead of Philadelphia/Detroit for the first wild card spot. They also kept pace with Pittsburgh, which is one point ahead of them and currently has the last guaranteed playoff spot for the Metropolitan Division. Cal Clutterbuck has made a trend of coming up clutch this season. He has two game winning goals inside 1:40 in regulation, the only player to accomplish that in the NHL this season. He then scored two goals in Raleigh, including the overtime winner. Should the Islanders make the playoffs, could Clutterbuck make some memories and spark a huge championship run for Brooklyn (I need some way of differentiating with the Original Six team in the Empire State)?
13. San Jose Sharks (88 points)
Last week: 12 (86 points)
With home losses to St. Louis, Edmonton, and Dallas, the Sharks are the only California team that still needs to lock up their spot in the playoffs. With no other Pacific division team at 75 points, that should not be a problem, but San Jose could be in trouble against Anaheim or LA when mid-April arrives. Before Edmonton made him look like Swiss cheese, James Reimer perplexed Arizona for his second shutout since being traded to the Sharks.
14. Boston Bruins (88 points)
Last week: 9 (86 points)
A red flag would have really been cast had they not won in Toronto. With the help of some awfully questionable referee calls, the Bruins had not won since before the California road trip, losing six of their last seven games. Boston currently leads Detroit by just three points, and they must finish ahead of them to guarantee a playoff spot, something they basically gave away to Ottawa last year. Springfield, MA (wink!) native Frank Vatrano, who had not played a game since January 19 before this week, has had a point in three straight games, including a goal at the Rangers.
15. Philadelphia Flyers (85 points)
Last week: 16 (80 points)
The Flyers have the momentum of the Capitals at this point. It was not long ago that they were seventh in the Metropolitan Division, but they are now deadlocked with Detroit (the team that supposedly makes the playoffs EVERY year) for the second wild card spot. They had a golden opportunity to lead full control of that spot, but they could only salvage one goal, with their goalie on the bench, against Arizona. Ryan White scored against Colorado (he actually was tripped up while trying to score on an empty net, which by rule results in a goal) and Columbus this week, putting him in double figures for goals scored.
16. Detroit Red Wings (85 points)
Last week: 14 (83 points)
The Wings could be giving the Bruins a run for a playoff spot, but instead, they have to battle with the Flyers just to extend their playoff streak to 25. Issues were clearly visible after nearly blowing a lead to Montreal, but they were evident after giving up seven goals in two periods to Pittsburgh. Is this team is danger of being a bad team for the first time in a generation? Incredible. Anthony Mantha debuted this week and scored his first career goal in front of his grandparents in the win against Montreal. Riley Sheahan scored two goals of his own to reach double figures in goals this season.
17. Minnesota Wild (85 points)
Last week: 17 (77 points)
There were a lot of questions on who would be the second wild card for the Western Conference. After the week the Wild had, there is a little more certainty…for now. Minnesota won the final regular season matchup against Colorado, the team they have been fighting with for the final playoff spot, and they now have a five-point lead on the Avalanche. Zach Parise has not had a great season. He just reached 20 goals this week, but this was a big week for the forward from Minneapolis. He got a hat trick in the first period in a win over Calgary and followed it up with two goals on Colorado.
18. Colorado Avalanche (80 points)
Last week: 17 (78 points)
Maybe their playoff chances have run out. After losing to Minnesota, they now trail the Wild by five points with just seven games to play. Their schedule includes St. Louis (2), Nashville (2), Washington, Anaheim, and Dallas. Simple, right? Tyson Barrie scored a goal against both Alberta teams this week and leads all Colorado defensemen in goals (13), assists (34), and points (34).
19. New Jersey Devils (80 points)
Last week: 21 (75 points)
The Devils are doing all they can to stay alive in the playoff race. They are currently trailing the Flyers by five points with just seven games left, and they got points in all their games this week. The solution could be…Scott Wedgewood? The Devils goaltender, who made his NHL debut on Sunday, has given up just two goals in three games. One of those, unfortunately, resulted in an overtime loss to Washington. Still, Keith Kinkaid’s spot in next year’s depth chart may be in danger if Wedgewood continues his torrid start in the NHL.
19. Carolina Hurricanes (79 points)
Last week: 19 (74 points)
Carolina needed a big week to stay with the Flyers and Red Wings, but that did not happen. They will need to pull off some upsets on all of the New York Metro teams (including the Devils), Florida, and Boston to make the playoffs. Unlikely considering they lost to Buffalo this week. Defenseman Ryan Murphy has not scored a goal this season, but his offensive production has improved. With an assist against the Islanders on Saturday, he now has four assists in March after just four in 19 games beforehand.
20. Ottawa Senators (77 points)
Last week: 20 (76 points)
While the Devils are coming alive in a late attempt to make the playoffs, the Senators are playing dead at a bad time. Their only point this week came on Saturday, when they blew a three-goal lead to Anaheim in the third period and lost in overtime. With all of the other Canadian teams eliminated, the Senators may have officially humiliated Canada, especially since the already-eliminated Canadiens have just three fewer points. Chris Neil scored his first goal since February 11 in the overtime loss to the Ducks.
22. Arizona Coyotes (75 points)
Last week: 23 (69 points)
For what it is worth, the Coyotes have ripped off a three-game winning streak. They have played the game of spoiler very nicely, knocking off Dallas and Philadelphia at home to shake up their playoff positioning and playoff chances, respectively. It has become the Mike show in Glendale. Michael Stone has a three-game point streak, which non-coincidentally matches the length of the winning streak, and he beat the second period clock with the eventual game-winner over the Flyers. His namesake goaltender, Mike Smith, has not given up more than two goals since returning from injury. He had no problems disposing Philadelphia on Saturday.
23. Buffalo Sabres (72 points)
Last week: 24 (68 points)
All of the other teams in the NHL Power Rankings are officially eliminated, and Buffalo is the only team from here on out that should feel good about themselves. They have a great opportunity to pull into sixth, and maybe even fifth, in the Atlantic Division with a string of wins. Jack Eichel scored another game-winning goal, this time against Winnipeg on Saturday. Meanwhile, Hudson Fasching, a former Minnesota Golden Gophers standout and LA Kings draft pick, scored in the first period of his NHL debut against the Jets. Just another rookie looking good in the Nickel City.
24. Montreal Canadiens (74 points)
Last week: 22 (72 points)
No. I cannot put Montreal at 30 even though I would like to. Their collapse, however, is now complete, and it may only be a matter of time before the Sabres shove them into seventh in the Atlantic Division. Defenseman Joel Hanley’s NHL career has gotten off to a great start, for he has four assists (two in Montreal’s win over Anaheim and two in a loss to Detroit) already. Alex Galchenyuk scored on the Ducks, and he now has ten goals in March and 16 in February and March combined. Maybe the Habs’ offense can center, and recover, around him next season.
25. Calgary Flames (68 points)
Last week: 27 (66 points)
Only beating Montreal this week should not result in a jump like this, but they benefit from the other teams. Now we have an idea of who the really bad teams are in the NHL. Sean Monahan has remained consistent on the stat sheet for the entire season. He has not had more than six goals in any month this season, but he does has 26 goals, which is comforting since he is only 21 on a team made for future success. He had two goals to help Calgary stifle the Canadiens.
26. Columbus Blue Jackets (68 points)
Last week: 26 (66 points)
No team has been off the NHL map as long as Columbus has, but at least they are not losing eight straight games and firing their coach, which they did at the beginning of the season. That is not saying much because the Jackets have lost five of seven. Boone Jenner carried the offense this week, scoring a goal in three straight games, including the only goal against Nashville.
27. Winnipeg Jets (68 points)
Last week: 29 (63 points)
Good week for Winnipeg. They ended the week poorly, blowing a slim third period lead in Buffalo (Jack Eichel can do that to teams, you know), but that was after two big wins over Vancouver and Los Angeles to fire up the home crowd. Like the hockey-hungry crowd needed something to be fired up about, anyway. Adam Lowry scored in both wins, and he should be watched for a potential breakout next season.
28. Vancouver Canucks (67 points)
Last week: 25 (66 points)
The agony of losing to the Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs five years ago surely did its damage. Apparently it also crippled the Canucks in the long term. With seven straight losses, including being shut out four times in their last five, the Canucks are on the verge of having the fewest points in the league. How the mighty have fallen. After a promising January, where he had seven goals, Bo Horvat has just three goals in the past two months, including one against the Predators on Tuesday.
29. Edmonton Oilers (67 points)
Last week: 28 (65 points)
We are close to figuring out whether poor Ed-y will get another #1 pick. If the Oilers could just put together performance like the one in San Jose this week more consistently, there would not be such an issue in the NHL. Taylor Hall scored two goals on the Sharks and hit the 60-point mark for the season.
30. Toronto Maple Leafs (65 points)
Last week: 30 (61 points)
They still have the fewest points in the NHL, but they have shown signs of life. They won three straight games before finally succumbing to the previously slumping Boston Bruins. With a seemingly anonymous roster to work with, Nazem Kadri is looking to fulfill a leadership role in the Hockey Capital. He showed it when the Ducks came to town, scoring two goals, including the overtime winner, and two assists to give the Leafs their most thrilling victory of the season.