The Easter Bunny has gifted us not only a late edition of NHL power rankings, but also a locked-in Eastern Conference for the playoffs and a much clearer playoff picture in the West. Even as postseason spots are locked up, the power rankings are not locked in. As has always been the case, a loss or win doesn’t necessarily mean that one team will be ranked higher than a team they beat or lost to. Let’s get on the road.
The numbers in parentheses reference last week’s rankings and all stats are current as of 4/18.
No.32: Arizona Coyotes (+0)
It’s now a six-game losing streak for Arizona. Yikes. Although, that has not been something uncommon for Arizona this season. At this point, fans are hoping that all this losing will translate into the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
No.31: Philadelphia Flyers (-1)
The Flyers are not far behind the Coyotes in terms of a losing streak, currently sitting at five straight games in the loss column. Carter Hart may be out for the rest of the season, but it might be better for Hart that he won’t be back on the team.
No.30: Chicago Blackhawks (+1)
The Blackhawks move up one spot this week, more due to the play of the Flyers than anything. Chicago is 1-8-1 in their last 10 games and have been struggling mightily on the offensive side of things.
No.29: Montreal Canadiens (-7)
The Canadiens suffer a big fall this week. After all the good they had been doing these past few weeks, maybe they realized they were starting to get too far out of the race for the first pick in the draft. They are in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
No.28: San Jose Sharks (-7)
Another huge fall, but that’s what happens when you are winless in your last 10 games. That is the position the Sharks find themselves in. Their offense had a nice mini-resurgence against the Wild in a game they likely shouldn’t have been in to begin with, so that was good to see.
No.27: New Jersey Devils (+0)
The Devils stay put this week at 27. They have seen a slight improvement and beat the Vegas Golden Knights late Sunday. That is a good sign for progression.
No.26: Seattle Kraken (+3)
The Kraken move up another three spots this week, but that could say more about the teams beneath them than Seattle. When the biggest headline of your team is Marshawn Lynch and Macklemore officially becoming part of the ownership group, you know there isn’t a lot going on as far as the ice.
No.25: Detroit Red Wings (-2)
The Red Wings are currently on a two-game losing streak, which slides them back that many spots in the rankings this week to 25. Losing Dylan Larkin is a big blow, but this gives their captain more time to rest up for next season with Detroit far out of the playoff picture at this point.
No.24: Ottawa Senators (+4)
The Senators move up to the highest point they have seen in the rankings in quite some time. That is mostly because of the play of the teams beneath them, but nevertheless they made quite the jump this week. Their offense has stalled as of late, but they will have some time to get a look at what things could look like for next season.
No.23: Columbus Blue Jackets (+2)
The Blue Jackets are currently on a two-game losing streak. However, from the simple eye test and statistics, they are still better than the teams that they lead in the rankings. Patrik Laine has had a wonderful bounce-back year and looks to continue the momentum not only for the rest of this season but for Jarmo Kekalainen‘s sake, next season as well.
No.22: Anaheim Ducks (+2)
Anaheim is 3-4-3 in their last 10 games. But in all honesty, this is the closest that all of these teams have been at the bottom of the rankings. The Ducks have had a rough second half at large, skidding towards the season’s finish line. At least Ducks fans can continue to see Troy Terry rock the hockey world.
No.21: Buffalo Sabres (+5)
The Sabres on a two-game winning streak take quite the rise this week up to 21. The aforementioned winning streak improves their record in the last 10 games to 5-5 which (all things considered) is good for Buffalo. Hopefully, this momentum can keep up in the last week of the season.
No.20: Winnipeg Jets (+0)
The Jets stay put at 20 this week after a two-game losing streak. They have been a team that got stuck with a very competitive division but have not done themselves any favors by going on slides like 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.
No.19: New York Islanders (-1)
The Islanders fall one spot this week to 19. They have been on a better run as of late, being 6-4 in their last 10, but their offense is still a problem. Ilya Sorokin will need some offensive help in front of him eventually.
No.18: Nashville Predators (+1)
The Predators swap places with the Islanders this week, climbing to 18. Their run may not be as good as the Islanders currently, going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, but Nashville looks like a better team and poised for a playoff berth.
No.17: Dallas Stars (+0)
The Stars are destined to stay in the teens, and they stay at 17 this week. They have been on fire, and that has continued with a 6-2-2 run in their last 10 games. They’ll still need to work out some kinks in their offense if they want to make that push for the playoffs.
No.16: Vegas Golden Knights (-1)
The Golden Knights fall to 16th this week. They’ve had a good run in their last 10 games going 7-2-1 in that span, but they are in danger of missing out of the playoffs with their inconsistency as of late.
No.15: Vancouver Canucks (+1)
The Canucks move into the top 15 for the first time this season. They have been on an absolute tear lately, and a five-game winning streak may have put them back into the playoff mix. Bruce Boudreau should certainly get some consideration for the Jack Adams Award and Thatcher Demko will no doubt receive Vezina Trophy consideration.
No.14: Los Angeles Kings (-1)
The Kings fall one spot this week down to 14. Their run as of late has not been quite what they would’ve hoped. They continue to try to get a playoff spot clinched, going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Their offense has continuously struggled, with this run proving no different.
No.13: Pittsburgh Penguins (-2)
The Penguins’ late-season skid has continued, which continues their slide down the power rankings. They are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and frankly are only above the Kings because they have locked up a playoff spot. They need to figure out what’s going on, and quickly.
No.12: Edmonton Oilers (-2)
The Oilers fall two spots this week. We have entered that all too familiar range of teams falling through no fault of their own. Edmonton looks as though they will be going to the playoffs, but they need to figure out ways to get other offensive contributors besides Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. We’ve seen in the past that it doesn’t spell out success in the playoffs with just those two.
No.11: Carolina Hurrcianes (-3)
The Hurricanes have been on a storm surge, just not in the way you would want to be on a surge. They are on a two-game losing streak with a 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games. Their offense has taken a large dip during that time and will need to be back to its purest form come playoff time.
No.10: Boston Bruins (-3)
Another three position drop for the Bruins this week, falling back to 10. They are 5-5 in their last 10, which is going to leave you on the weaker side of the top 10 teams at this stage in the game. They still have one of the most balanced teams in the NHL, and very much have a chance to finish in a divisional spot rather than as a Wild Card.
No.9: Tampa Bay Lightning (+6)
Well, hello Tampa Bay. Welcome back to where you belong. On a two-game winning streak, and with a playoff spot now clinched, the Lightning look like they are back to being the defending two-time Stanley Cup Champions on both ends of the rink.
No.8: Minnesota Wild (-3)
The Wild fall another three spots, despite having a solid showing in their last 10 games going 6-1-3. One regulation loss in your last ten is a solid stat, but there are seven teams right now who have shown more consistency than the Wild, who have gone through their fair share of ups and downs. Congratulations to Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello for breaking the franchise goals and assists single-season records, respectively.
No.7: Washington Capitals (+2)
The Capitals move up two spots to seventh this week. They have certainly proven to be the offensive powerhouse that everyone knows they are capable of being, but their defense could still use a little bit of work.
No.6: New York Rangers (-2)
The Rangers fall two spots this week. Once again, through no fault of their own. They are on a two-game winning streak and look to be legitimate contenders coming out of the Eastern Conference.
No.5: Calgary Flames (+1)
The Flames move up another spot this week back into the top five. Calgary is also on a two-game winning streak and are 7-2-1 in their last 10. Johnny Gaudreau continues to have a season for the ages.
No.4: Toronto Maple Leafs (-1)
The Maple Leafs fall to fourth this week thanks to the play of teams above them. They are on a three-game winning streak, going 8-1-1 in their last 10 and have continued to be an offensive dynamo.
No.3: St. Louis Blues (+9)
The Blues go up as many spots as their winning streak. That’s right, St. Louis is on a nine-game winning streak. Ville Husso has had a breakout season and seems to have finally officially taken the mantle from Jordan Binnington. Not to mention they have several offensive juggernauts.
No.2: Colorado Avalanche (+0)
The Avalanche stay in second. Their winning streak may have ended, but they’ve still won nine of their last 10 games. That’s quite impressive. Their defense still has some question marks, but it’s nitpicking at this point.
No.1: Florida Panthers (+0)
This team is nuts. The Panthers have now won 10 games in a row. The amount of times they have gone on these runs is insane. This team has to be the Stanley Cup favorite with all the depth they have from top to bottom.
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