With teams starting to lock up playoff spots, the NHL power rankings are getting even more interesting as we continue to close in on the postseason. Always remember that a loss or win doesn’t necessarily mean that one team will be ranked higher than a team they beat or lost to. Without any further delay, here are this week’s rankings.
Numbers in parentheses reference last week’s rankings and all stats are current as of 4/3.
No.32: Philadelphia Flyers (-3)
The Flyers have been quite bad all year, but during this four-game losing streak, they have looked especially bad. Carter Hart looked horrid in their loss against the Maple Leafs with a .786 save percentage. Their offense has been bad, their defense has somehow been worse. Why the Flyers have not totally blown things up yet is anyone’s guess.
No.31: Seattle Kraken (-1)
When it is difficult to choose who should be in the bottom three, that is no fun. Nevertheless, Seattle has proven that they still belong at the bottom. As things stand, there is still not a single player on the Kraken roster who has at least 40 points. Their offense is starved and Philipp Grubauer is having the season of nightmares. That is a combination that Seattle fans won’t like for the last few weeks of the season.
No.30: Arizona Coyotes (+2)
Coyotes fans might be feeling whiplash from their team going back and forth in the rankings so often. Arizona has been dealt a huge blow with Clayton Keller out for the rest of the season, as he was basically all of their offense to this point. To be frank, they move up simply because of the play of the Flyers and Kraken. No other reason.
No.29: New Jersey Devils (+2)
Speaking of teams moving up because the teams below them have been worse, hello New Jersey. The Devils have had their fair share of issues, but none have been bigger than their issues in goal. Ever since losing Mackenzie Blackwood in January, they have struggled to find consistent goaltending, be it Nico Daws or Jon Gilles. Their offense has been decent enough to compete, but without Blackwood, they have had their depth exposed.
No.28: Chicago Blackhawks (-3)
The Blackhawks fall three spots this week. They are on a three-game losing streak and one of the issues that has really risen to the forefront is their penalty kill. One of the worst in the NHL, it contributes to many of the poor plus/minus numbers on the team. However, congratulations to Jonathan Toews on 1,000 games in the NHL.
No.27: Detroit Red Wings (+0)
On a two-game losing streak of their own, the Red Wings once again stay put at 27. The offense has plenty of great weapons including two of the Calder Trophy front-runners in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, but their goaltending has been very lackluster, and that’s being nice about it.
No.26: Anaheim Ducks (+0)
The Ducks stay at No. 26 this week. Their skid has continued, going 1-6-3 in their last 10 games. Not to mention that teams seem to be figuring out answers for their top offensive weapons such as Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry. Although Jay Beagle may have had a different way to stymy the offensive output of Terry.
No.25: Ottawa Senators (+3)
On a two-game winning streak, the Senators move up three spots this week to 25. The Senators have had some solid outings from Anton Forsberg in net, but their offense is still struggling. It was a pretty cool moment to see them get a win after the passing of Eugene Melnyk.
No.24: Montreal Canadiens (+0)
The Canadiens stay put at 24 this week. While they are still struggling in all facets, Martin St. Louis has put in the work to help Cole Caufield become the second-leading point scorer on the team. St. Louis will likely have the interim tag taken off at the end of the season, if not sooner.
No.23: Buffalo Sabres (+0)
The Sabres remain 23rd this week. It’s been quite the year for Buffalo, but Tage Thompson has been one of the steady spotlights on this team with 53 points in 65 games. He is the only player on the team currently with over 50 points. Nice to see him finally having his breakout year.
No.22: Columbus Blue Jackets (-1)
The Blue Jackets are struggling and struggling quickly as they move down to 22. They very easily could be lower than this but for now, they only drop one spot. Their goaltending has been their biggest issue by far, with some even thinking that Joonas Korpisalo could be traded. The surprising thing is that their offense may be one of the most efficient in the league, and Patrik Laine is having an incredible bounce back season.
No.21: San Jose Sharks (-2)
The Sharks fall to 21 this week due to a three-game losing streak. Kaapo Kahkonen has struggled initially, but that is to be expected considering he is adjusting from the Minnesota Wild’s defense to the Sharks’ defense. Their offense does not have nearly as much firepower as everyone thought it would, but Timo Meier has continued to play outstanding.
No.20: Vancouver Canucks (+0)
The Canucks stay at 20th this week, continuing what has been an unlikely string of teams staying in their positions. Vancouver has steadily been improving their offense, although there still is work to do. Thatcher Demko continues to be one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL today, but he can only do so much.
No.19: Winnipeg Jets (-2)
The Jets fall as many spots as their losing streak. Connor Hellebuyck has started to return to the elite goaltender he has been in the past, the key word being started. Kyle Connor is having a legendary offensive year with 82 points in 67 games, but he is carrying this offense, and that is not something that can sustain success for this team.
No.18: Dallas Stars (+0)
How is this possible? How can one team stay in one spot in the rankings as consistently as the Stars have stayed at 18? Anyway, the offense has improved considerably since the beginning of the season being led by Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson as well as Roope Hintz. Not to mention since joining the Stars, Scott Wedgewood is undefeated. That has to feel good after toiling away in Arizona.
No.17: New York Islanders (+5)
Well then. Didn’t see that coming, but the Islanders have been rolling of late with a four-game winning streak in their back pocket. The offensive resurgence of Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal has been a large part of that. It also doesn’t hurt to have one of the best goaltenders in the NHL right now in net in Ilya Sorokin.
No.16: St. Louis Blues (+0)
The Blues stay put at 16 this week. They have had a very intriguing last 10 games going 4-3-3 in that stretch. Their offense is still one of the best in the game today, but their goaltending remains a question mark as the league marches towards the playoffs. It appears that Ville Husso may have finally taken the mantle from Jordan Binnington, and Robert Thomas has had an fantastic offensive surge recently.
No.15: Nashville Predators (-1)
The Predators fall down one spot to 15th this week. As we get closer to the top, the margin for error gets smaller. The Predators have been quite inconsistent lately, going 6-4 in their last 10. After hot starts to the year, Ryan Johansen and Mikael Granlund have cooled off offensively, but Roman Josi has been able to pick up the slack with an astonishing 81 points in 66 games. Quite impressive, especially for a defenseman.
No.14: Washington Capitals (-4)
This is where things start to get difficult. The Capitals have not looked like themselves on their current losing streak, especially during Sunday night’s loss to the Minnesota Wild. Also, Alex Ovechkin is still 29 goals away from tying Gordie Howe for second in goal-scoring all-time.
No.13: Vegas Golden Knights (+2)
There are a lot of teams who are extremely hot, and Vegas is one of them. After having two very inconsistent weeks, they are now on a five-game winning streak. At this point, it’s still hard to tell which team the Golden Knights are, and that’s something they will need to figure out before the playoffs, if they make it there.
No.12: Tampa Bay Lightning (-3)
For the first time in a long time, the defending champions are outside of the top 10. Nothing of their own design, but right now there are 11 teams that are hotter than they are. Tampa Bay is still one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, but it is getting to the point where several teams are really heating up.
No.11: Edmonton Oilers (+2)
Look who is making their way back to where they started things off. The Oilers are getting back on track with a four-game winning streak. This has looked like the team at the start of the season again. As for the offense, it is still the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl show.
No.10: Los Angeles Kings (+2)
The Kings move up to the top 10 with their two-game winning streak. The offense has slowed down considerably, but the defense has been absolutely phenomenal.
No.9: Pittsburgh Penguins (-2)
The Penguins fall another two spots this week. In an area of the rankings where things are very critical, the Penguins’ 5-4-1 record in their last 10 just isn’t good enough. They could easily fall further next week.
No.8: Carolina Hurricanes (+0)
The Hurricanes stay put at eighth this week. Their last 10 games haven’t been adequate either with a 4-3-3 record. Frederik Andersen has been excellent, but their offense could help him out a little bit more, as outstanding as it is.
No.7: Calgary Flames (-5)
Yikes. The Flames take a large stumble this week. With the same problems as the Penguins and the Hurricanes, the Flames are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. They are still one of the best, but to get back up to the top, they need to figure out some consistency.
No.6: New York Rangers (-1)
The Rangers are here for one reason and one reason only: A shootout loss to Philadelphia. Yes, technically a point was still gained, but with the amount of talent this team has, it shouldn’t have come to a shootout. Then again, anything can happen in the world of sports.
No.5: Toronto Maple Leafs (+6)
This has been a long time coming. The Maple Leafs have been one of the best teams in the NHL as of late, and are riding a four-game winning streak coming into this week’s rankings. Not to mention Auston Matthews may be the best goal scorer in the NHL right now.
No.4: Boston Bruins (-1)
Believe it or not, even on a two-game winning streak, the Bruins fall this week. Again, this is not Boston’s fault, there are just three teams that are lighting the world on fire. They will no doubt be back in the top three very soon.
No.3: Colorado Avalanche (+1)
Taking the Bruins’ place is the Avalanche. On a three-game winning streak, the current league leaders continue to dominate on the offensive side of the ice. Defensively, they have stumbled slightly but at the end of the day, they still are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best right now.
No.2: Minnesota Wild (+4)
Another big jump. The Wild have gone undefeated in regulation in their last 10 games, going 9-0-1. They have earned a point in every game, and after their overtime loss to Pittsburgh, they are back on a two-game winning streak. Congratulations to Kirill Kaprizov for breaking Marian Gaborik‘s single-season franchise record in points.
No.1: Florida Panthers (+0)
Who can stop the wrath of the Panthers? Not only are they the best scoring team in the NHL, but they are on a four-game winning streak. Their defense could still use some improvement, but that’s nitpicking at this juncture. As long as it doesn’t collapse entirely, the Panthers should be just fine.
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