NHL Power Rankings: Week 7
I apologize, I am late on these rankings this week. I was honestly excited to get these out because the divisions are really starting to settle a little bit into what we should expect the playoffs to look like. Further, the trade deadline is April 12 this year, but I think the unofficial trade time will be earlier than that due to the covid quarantine rules for international travel and more importantly, playoffs start March 11, teams will want to get their transactions done earlier to get ready for the postseason. All records are of the night of 3.2.21
#16 Montreal Canadians (9-6-5, 23 Points)
Previously #10
I shouldn’t even have the Habs in the top-16 right now, this is mainly for my boy James, and the fact that they actually still sit in a playoff spot. Look, when you lose twice to the lowly Senators, fire your head coach, and continue to drop games, it is becoming a team issue. The team doesn’t have the fire to compete it seems. Carey Price looks awful and I won’t completely blame him because the team is not winning battles defensively, but he looks like he has no confidence. They will make the playoffs if only because the bottom 3 teams in the division struggled early and often. My issue with this team is they spent the 2nd most money in the offseason and were gifted the weakest defensive division. This was the greatest chance of any to go on a run and they are letting is slip right between their damn fingers.
#15 St. Louis Blues (12-8-2, 26 Points)
Previously #12
The weak point percentage has caught up to the Blues as teams with games at hand have taken advantage. The Blues sit with a positive goal differential, albeit by 1. They have won their last two games which is good but sit with a mediocre 5-4-1 split over their last 10-games. They did manage to beat the Sharks on Saturday in what was otherwise the most fun hockey game I have ever seen. I really wish Dubnyk would have fought Binnington, as much as I love confident hockey players, sometimes they need to be knocked down a couple notches. Check out the highlights of that game though, it was wild.
#14 New York Islanders (11-6-4, 26 Points)
Previously #15
The Islanders are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games and sit with a solid .619-point percentage. They are 4th in the MassMutual East and have a healthy +7 goal differential. The bottom 4 teams in that division all sit with a negative differential, illustrating that the standings are really starting to take shape.
#13 Edmonton Oilers (14-10-0, 28 Points)
Previously #8
My Oilers went 2-2-0 in their last 4, dropping 2 games to the mighty Leafs. I did wonder how the Oilers would compete against the Leafs, and to be honest the main issues have been goaltending and an inability to solve the competition’s goaltending. They dropped below .60 in the point percentage race but still have a solid +7 goal differential and are 7-3-0 in their last 10 still. The Oilers finish their series against the Leafs, which might have some ugliness, before hosting another Battle of Alberta on Hockey Night in Canada.
#12 Chicago Blackhawks (12-7-4, 28 Points)
Previously #15
Wait. Weren’t the Blackhawks supposed to be rebuilding? Well, I do, and they still sit well in 4th in the Discover Central division with no major worry about getting pushed down, at least for now. There is a fairly wide gap between the 4th and 5th-8th placed teams which is so interesting to me. The Hawks are getting very good goaltending from newbie Kevin Lankinen and Patrick Kane is playing incredible, once again. I am sure every team would love to have a rebuild year like this. I do wonder if they will do anything at the deadline, something I think would be a major mistake.
#11 Colorado Avalanche (11-7-1, 23 Points)
Previously #5
This might be a bit of disrespect, but what are power rankings without a little bit of controversy. That said, the Avs went 2-3 in their last 5 games, with last night’s game against the lowly Sharks particularly troubling to my eye. They sit 13th in point percentage, not great. They sit with a 5-4-1 split over 10 games. They play the Sharks and lowly Ducks this week so we will see if they can turn it around against teams they should beat. They are still one of the best on paper, but right now it’s a little tough sledding for them so they need to find a way to get back into the winning stride. Cale Makar is taking up 24 minutes a night and is +6, what a young superstar.
#10 Winnipeg Jets (13-7-1, 27 Points)
Previously #9
These Jets are flying high. They sit with a respectable 6-4-0 split over their last 10 games, a very strong +12 goal differential and sit 2nd in the Scotia North. They are sitting at 10th in point percentage. What drove them down 1 spot this week was less so about the Jets as much as it was about the team that took the spot ahead of them. Losing 4-0 to the Canucks last night is troubling but they quickly can return the favor today, so we will see how they will handle a game after a loss.
#9 Minnesota Wild (12-6-1, 25 Points)
Previously #16
Wow. Don’t look now but the Wild just went 4-0-1 this week and were sitting on a 4-game winning streak before that OT loss to the Golden Knights, the best team in the division and 3rd best in the league. Rookie Kaprizov is looking great, leading the team with 17 points on the season and they are looking very good. Rookie goalie Kaapo Kahkonen has been sensational for the Wild as well, leading to the waiving of Alex Stalock, hoping he’d make it to the taxi squad, I like this team, they also sit 2nd in the Honda West, yes ahead of the Avalanche and Blues.
#8 Washington Capitals (12-5-4, 28 Points)
Previously #11
The Capitals did not miss out on a point this week, which to me a big deal, that’s why they shot up the standing and my power rankings. They sit atop the MassMutual East Division and are just below the Fliers in the point percentage race. Between my 6th ranked Boston Bruins, the Caps and my #8th placed Fliers, these teams are tight and could be arranged in any way you’d like. The Caps will face the Bruins this week, so they have the chance to gain some traction in my rankings. They have a +4-goal differential, which needs to improve if they want to compete in the playoffs.
#7 Boston Bruins (12-5-2, 26 Points)
Previously #3
Boston has lost their high stride a little bit here, dropping a couple defeats to the Islanders (7-2) and the Rangers (6-2), which is a bit troubling. They do have some injuries which are starting to affect the compete level. They lost their top spot in the division, but I give them the 6th spot due to their stronger point percentage and goal differential which is at .684 and +9, respectively. They have a 6-4-0 record over the last 10 so that is still above .500. The Bruins play the Caps twice before my next rankings so we will see who benefits from that head-to-head matchup.
#6 Philadelphia Flyers (11-4-3, 25 Points)
Previously #13
I will give credit where its due, the Flyers have won their last 3 games and with a +7-goal differential even after having a unique February. I give them the nod over the Bruins and Capitals, even if they are 3rd in points in the division because I appreciate the point percentage more here. But in reality, you could put any of the last three teams in any order because they are very tight right now and don’t’ have too much to worry about the teams below them, at least for now.
#5 Carolina Hurricanes (14-6-1, 29 Points)
Previously #2
I understand the Canes just beat my #4 Panthers twice in OT in a row, but I wanted to give the Panthers the credit for the point percentage. Let’s say the Canes and Panthers are tied for 4th, a 4A/4B situation here. Look we have three Discover Central teams in the top-5 because they are doing that well, albeit the bottom 4 teams in the division are playing very poorly and giving the top-4 a nice punching bag. So, most of the ranking competition will come from the competition of those in at the top. That said, Carolina has a +14-goal differential and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
#4 Florida Panthers (13-4-4, 30 Points)
Previously #6
The Miami Cats are legit. They are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games, which isn’t as strong as the teams behind them, but their last two games have made it to OT, they sit with a +7-goal differential, and until their last 2 back-to-back OT losses, the team was 6-0-0 following a loss. They were not stringing together losses which to me is a sign of team that is bought in to the system and playing for each other. This shortened season gives you the chance to quickly get over any losses and this is an example of that. They get the Predators for a couple games here before going back to Carolina for a chance at revenge. They sit with a .714-point percentage…the Panthers yes.
#3 Vegas Golden Knights (13-4-1, 27 Points)
Previously #5
Good teams find ways to turn things around quickly, and that seems to be the Vegas Mo. Vegas has won 3 games in a row now, sit with a healthy 7-3-0 record over their last 10 games and have a very solid +16 goal differential. They rank 3rd in the point percentage at .750, just below the two teams above them in the power rankings. They rank 2nd in GA/PG and 2nd in team save percentage. Did I mention that Fleury is just incredible?
#2 Tampa Bay Lightning (14-4-1, 29 points)
Previously #7
I told you all, Tampa would be fine just fine. They did not lose last week and are on a 4 game winning streak. More importantly, and the main driver of this large move is that they swept the Hurricanes in this most recent 3-game series, holding the Canes to only 3 goals over that stretch, and then recorded another shutout against the Dallas Stars. They own the league in goal differential at +30 and are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Look the best teams get a pass for having a short stretch because they find ways to right the ship sooner than later.
#1 Toronto Maple Leafs (17-4-2, 36 Points)
Unchanged
Why does it have to be this way? Why do I have to give my appreciation to the Leafs? If you haven’t figured it out, Oilers fans hate two teams in particular more than other Canadian teams and that’s Calgary and Toronto. Toronto has beat the Oilers in already 2 of their 3-game series that started last week. They are on a 3-game winning streak and continue to put the puck in the net and showing their defense is improving with a +26-goal differential. Auston Matthews getting hurt is really sad to see as he was scoring at a ridiculous pace, aiming for 50 in 56, which is insane for those asking.