NHL Power Rankings 12/11/15: Dallas Stars #1

I’ve always wanted to do a Power Rankings, and now I have the opportunity to do so right now. If you don’t like my rankings, you are always free to comment on you opinion.

1. Dallas Stars: 20-5-2 (46 points)                                                                                             How did this team miss the playoffs last season? The two-headed hydra that is Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn has gone off this season, and John Klingburg already has 25 assists! Not even a goalie meltdown from Kari Lehtonen against Carolina (ugh!) could stop Patrick Sharp from pulling off a game-winner late. While not perfect, the Stars have at least one point in seven straight games.
2. Washngton Capitals (40 points)

   They looked bad against Florida, but the guy controlling the crazy ambulance siren at the Verizon Center has sure gotten his money’s worth. Washington is 5^th in goals per game (You know who’s leading the team), and they got at least one point in eight straight games, winning seven, before the clunker in the tropics. Did I mention Braden Holtby has given up less than two goals per game? That helps.

3. New York Rangers (39 points)                                                                                                                                           They should be crushing everyone in the power rankings, but they have hit the skids. They have lost to Montreal (twice), Philly (twice), Boston, New Jersey, the Isles, and Tampa Bay as of late. Losing at home to the lowly Avalanches and only scoring once in a loss to Vancouver (on a penalty shot) doesn’t help either, but losing to bitter rivals is a bigger issue. They do realize they need to beat those teams to win a Stanley Cup, right?
4. Montreal Canadiens (41 points)

   They still lead the conference in points, but 9-0-0 seems so far away now. Fine. Carey Price has been injured for a large portion of the schedule, and Mike Condon and Dustin Tokarski can only play like Price for so long. They may not fall much farther in these rankings if Price returns and remains healthy for the remainder of the season. Just don’t expect him to win another Vezina this season.

5. Los Angeles Kings (39 points)       I guess nobody wanted to win the Pacific Division…until now. LA looks like they are returning to their 2013-2014 ways. They have ripped off five straight wins, including a wild comeback overtime win in Ohio. He’s not Patrick Kane, but Jeff Carter does have a point in seven straight games, and he and Tyler Toffoli are looking for further damage on their current road trip, which include Buffalo, Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto.
6. Detroit Red Wings (38 points)

   When will Detroit’s playoff streak end? Probably not this season. Dylan Larkin has fired this team up and will most likely win the Calder Trophy. Meanwhile, Justin Abdelkader has regained his scoring touch from the beginning of the season, neither Petr Mrazek nor Jimmy Howard are willing to give up the starting position, and Danny Helm just helped Detroit pick up a huge win over division rival Montreal. Just another usual season for the Red Wings.

7. Minnesota Wild (34 points)                                                                                                       It’s amazing how being on a decent team has helped Devan Dubnyk turn his career around. He has continued to be spark plug for the Wild, giving up just 2.3 goals per game. Unfortunately, he was hurt in the first game of a home-and-home with Colorado. Darcy Kuemper has been decent as a backup, but Minnesota could use Dubnyk in a very strong Central Division.
8. Chicago Blackhawks (36 points)                                                                                                  It was a slow start, but the Hawks look like they have returned. Patrick Kane is somehow hanging onto his point streak after a few empty-net goals and a controversial goal against Nashville on Thursday. He had no help in that game; however, as the Preds got revenge with a blowout win following a loss in Chi-Town. Will Vancouver, Colorado, or Edmonton finally stop Kane?
9. New York Islanders (37 points)

   If I based my rankings on arena quality, I would put the Islanders near the bottom because the Barclays Center clearly wasn’t constructed for hockey. Their shootout game has been on point, though. Kyle Okposo’s toe drag against Philly gave the Isles their third straight shootout win. If they want to win in the postseason, they need to learn to win in overtime. They have zero overtime goals since October 24 (a span of seven games).

10. Nashville Predators (35 points)                                                                                                                                         Their record makes them look average, and so do their stats (14^th in goals scored and 15^th in goals against), but they have had some big performances of late, including a Shea Weber’s hat trick in a losing effort against Detroit. The second half of December could be a make or break month for Nashville, as they have to play, St. Louis, Minnesota, Montreal, Detroit, New York, St. Louis, and Dallas. Tough schedule.
11. Boston Bruins (33 points)

    Road Warriors! 10-2-2 on the road this season and the Bruins suddenly look like a contender again. I’m not sure if that will hold up, but Tuukka Rask’s performance against Montreal just may be the momentum he needs to go back to his Stanley Cup ways.

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (31 points)         Ondrej Palat is back, but it was Nikita Kucherov who took over against Ottawa. Tampa Bay have underachieved considering they were just in the Stanley Cup Finals last season, but they have had to combat injuries. Despite having Steven Stamkos, the Lightning has looked balanced as a team, and could pay dividends in the long run.
13. Ottawa Senators (35 points)                                                                                                           I battled with this team because I know they have the power to pull off another stunning finish to their season like last year. They are currently slotted in the 3^rd spot in the Atlantic Division, but I’m still unsure of what their identity is as a team. Sure, Erik Karlsson is a monster, and he makes any defense fearsome, but why is goalie Craig Anderson, who has a 2.76 goal average, playing every game? Is Ottawa trying to burn him out before the playoffs?
14. Winnipeg Jets (30 points)

    For a team hounded in a scary good Central Division, the Jets are holding the ground. What’s even scarier is the fact that their fate could rest on a raw rookie. Connor Hellebuyck had yet to lose a game in the NHL through four games, but after he was finally roughed up in a 6-4 win against Columbus, he lost to Chicago. Michael Hutchinson really needs to step up if the Jets want to be taken seriously because I have a hard time believing Hellebuyck will be able to sustain his early success.

15. Florida Panthers (32 points)                       Clearly Jaromir Jagr is not done yet, but will the 43-year-old be able to keep it up? He moved into 4^th place all-time in goals scored with an early goal against Washington, so he still has the skills for now. One concern: with all the cities trying to get a franchise, don’t you think an attendance of 12,810 with Jagr on the team could spell an end of hockey in the Everglades?
16. Vancouver Canucks (30 points)

    Two wins against two New York State teams was the parachute the freefalling ‘Nucks needed. A Radim Vrbata hat trick against Buffalo and a hard-fought defensive battle against the Rangers have given Vancouver second in the weak Pacific Division. Unfortunately, they will be without Dan Hamhuis indefinitely because of a gruesome facial fracture.

17. New Jersey Devils (34 points)         Who knew the Devils were in the a playoff spot right now? It’s early, but the contributions have been plenty. Mike Cammalleri and Adam Henrique have carried the team, but newcomers Kyle Palmeiri, who scored the overtime goal against Detroit on Friday, and Lee Stempniak, who assisted Palmeiri, have stepped it up offensively. Perhaps New Jersey is the Cinderella team in the NHL.
18. St. Louis Blues (36 points)                                                                                             Hmmmmm…they have just four wins since November 17. Those wins? Buffalo (twice), Columbus, and Arizona. I shouldn’t forget to mention they have also lost to Columbus, and they also have home losses to Toronto, Philadelphia, and Florida. At what point do we add quicksand to the Gateway Arch?
19. Philadelphia Flyers (30 points)                                                                                          Claude Giroux is keeping this team afloat, but keep an eye on rookie Shayne Gostisbehere (I think that’s spelled correctly). The defenseman already has five goals and four assists in 13 games.
20. Pittsburgh Penguins (33 points)

    Sidney Crosby already has his Stanley Cup, but his team is now awfully overrated. After barely hanging on to a playoff spot last year, Pittsburgh is once again fighting for a wild card spot at this point. With so many big names, they really should be better.

21. Edmonton Oilers (26 points)            They have been a joke for so long, and not even the draft could save them. Now they are showing life. Much of that credit should be given to Anders Nilsson, who wasn’t even on an NHL team last year. He has won five of his last six starts, including some big wins against San Jose and Dallas in overtime. If Connor McDavid is as good as scouts say when he returns, it would be idiotic to rule them out as a playoff contender. When was the last time we have said that about the boys up north?
22. Calgary Flames (26 points)                                                                                                     They are terrible as a road team, but they have won eight straight games at home. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan came up clutch against Buffalo late, weathering a Rasmus Ristolainen hat trick in the third period. Calgary should be warned that it would hit the basement if Jonas Hiller can’t save Calgary in being 30^th in goals allowed per game. Karri Ramo just isn’t a viable solution anymore.
23. San Jose Sharks (29 points)

    Forget losing five straight. The Sharks are getting no respect for losing to Anaheim, Calgary and Edmonton, all of whom are underneath them in the division standings, in a span of a week. Martin Jones is continuing to make former Kings backups look unworthy, and Alex Stalock is struggling too. Now they have to stop the bleeding against Minnesota and Montreal. Not good.

24. Toronto Maple Leafs (25 points)                                             Toronto is showing life, and nine players have hit ten points. But the goalie situation is more intriguing. Garret Sparks is 3-1-0 with 2.21 GAA in his first NHL action, and James Reimer is back to his 2012-2013 ways, with a 2.01 GAA (but just seven wins in 15 starts). They still have a high ladder to climb in the Atlantic Division.
25. Anaheim Ducks (27 points)                                                                                                     They are trying really hard to save themselves from perhaps the most lethargic month ever witnessed back in October. John Gibson and Frederik Andersen have amped up Anaheim’s stellar defense, but the offense is still holding them back.
26. Buffalo Sabres (25 points)

    Buffalo certainly has the potential to bust loose next season, and Rasmus Ristolainen could factor in that breakout. He had three assists against Detroit on December 1 and scored a hat trick against Calgary on Thursday, but Buffalo lost both games. As the Sabres’ rebuilding process continues, those losses will turn into hard fought, scrappy wins.

27. Arizona Coyotes (29 points)                                          Maybe returning to the Talking Stick Resort Arena will help the team, but there’s another problem. Mike Smith is too big of a liability. It’s sad that Arizona has a starting goalie that is so predictably inconsistent and has given up more than three goals a game. Max Domi can only save the Desert Dogs so much.
28. Carolina Hurricanes (26 points)                                                                                         Kudos to Carolina for turning their offense up against Montreal, Arizona, Dallas (late, albeit), and Anaheim. Unfortunately, the forwards need an upgrade. How is Justin Faulk, a defenseman, leading the team in goals by three?
29. Colorado Avalanche (25 points)

    The wheels are falling off for Semyon Varlamov and Reto Berra. Oh well, maybe the defense will make up for it. Oh…they have surpassed 20 shots in just two of their last five games? Something tells me Patrick Roy doesn’t have much coaching magic left.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets (24 points)                                             They deserve props for going 11-9-2 since losing their first eight games and firing Todd Richards. Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets have once again fallen back into that tough hole of a small-market expansion team that just can’t keep up with hockey’s powerhouses. Then again, Nick Foligno had 31 goals and 42 assists last season, and has just four goals and 11 assists through 30 games this season. I hate to point fingers, but…