NHL Power Rankings: Week 7
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! The milestone is here and no, my favorite team most likely not make the playoffs. This is the milestone where teams need to make decisions if they are in win now modes. Don’t be surprised if lopsided trade deals pop up and raise some eyebrows. Yes, most certainly am including you Oilers fans. I hope everyone has a great holiday and enjoy the hockey games, the football games, friends and family. Good luck to your favorite teams for the rest of the season.
#16 Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-4; 22 Pts)
Previously #14
It may be time to consider that Tampa is just another team. They have won 3 in a row, but their win against the Oilers did not look pretty. They aren’t the same team anymore. Negative goal differential, 5-4-1 in their last 10…This team needs their tender back.
#15 St. Louis Blues (9-7-1; 19 Pts)
Unchanged
6-4-0 in their last 10 games. The Blues goaltending is looking great. They may be giving up too much defensively, but goaltending is bailing them out. They don’t score enough though and they will need to figure that out fast. Also learn to win on the road, that’s a tough record away from home. Binnington has looked so good this season. Great season for the Blues so far!
#14 Washington Capitals (9-4-2; 20 Pts)
Previously Unranked
Woah…the Washington Capital are good folks…really good! They are sporting a .667 point percentage, 4-wins in a row, and an 8-1-1 stretch over their last 10. Ovechkin is scoring again, as we know goal scorers are streaky. I would like to see better SV% numbers and their expected goals for is a bit light for my liking. But finding ways to win builds confidence and I think we will see those numbers improve over time. That is, if they are real. They play the Oilers this week, so they banked a win already.
#13 Pittsburgh Penguins (9-8-0; 18 Pts)
Previously 16
6-4-0 in their last 10 games is a solid stretch. They’re big streak has come to an end but they are still beating some great teams. They have a big test against the Rangers which will prove if they can really hang. They are getting offense from everyone, including the bottom six which has been their biggest weakness. They do need to string wins together, this win-loss-win-loss thing won’t keep you in the mix for too long.
#12 Philadelphia Flyers (10-7-1; 21 Pts)
Previously Unranked
Philly is looking soooooo good right now. 5 wins in a row, a PDO above 100 due to an 8.9% Shooting Percentage, and a respectable .913 SV%. They are creating a lot of scoring chances and are finishing…that’s enough to win hockey games. Torts has got to be proud of this. Expected goals for is way above expected goals against, which is another trend you want to see to win hockey games. This team might be real…let’s see how they continue.
#11 Winnipeg Jets (10-5-2; 22 Pts)
Previously Unranked…stupid I know
I left the Jets out of the rankings last week and I am a dumbass for that. The Jets have been very good all season long, but admittedly it’s been a quietly good start. They have a .925 SV% on 5on5 hockey, imagine that Jets goaltending is good. They are also scoring quite easily. They do need to improve their PK numbers and their PP numbers; special teams could prove to the death of this teams true chances.
#10 Toronto Maple Leafs (10-5-2; 22 Pts)
Previously #12
A very successful trip to Sweden lands this team taking a nice jump in the rankings. This team is really starting to click, and Willy Nylander continues to grow his paycheck, game after game after game. He’s going to be a tough signing for the Leafs, but it will need to get done. He is becoming a top player in the league guys and in terms of his playoff play, might be the Leafs best player all the way through…Nah kidding but probably 2nd best now.
#9 Carolina Hurricanes (9-6-0; 18 Pts)
Unchanged
Another solid week, despite the loss to the Flyers. They quickly responded with a win against the Penguins. They play the Oilers this week, so a win is in the books, and face the Bolts and Jackets to see if they can build off of that. They are seeing better results on the GAA, but I think their largest need is a goal scorer…as per usual.
#8 Colorado Avalanche (11-6-0; 22 Pts)
Unchanged
And even 5-5-0 through their last 10. They seem to be finding their scoring ways again. Cale Makar is as good as ever and the Avs will once again be a force in the West. They did have big wins against lesser teams, but they also had a comeback win against the Stars which is impressive within itself.
#7 Florida Panthers (12-5-1; 25 Pts)
Unchanged
The Panthers look resilient, and the goaltending looks solid enough. Getting back Ekblad and Montour now is a massive add because this team was doing fantastic before that. .932 SV% on 5on5 hockey just what Bob needs to be for this team. They have room to improve on the shooting percentage but at the end of the day, this team is slated to remain in the playoff picture all season, they don’t want to repeat their path to the playoffs from last year. Start strong and finish strong.
#6 Vancouver Canucks (13-5-1; 27 Pts)
Unchanged
The race for the Art Ross Trophy (most points) is tight, between 3 Vancouver Canucks guys! Can a Vancouver Canuck win the Art Ross…seemed insane to think about just 2 months ago. They did win back-to-back games but they bounced back nicely with a win against the Sharks. Let’s see how they perform against the Avs and Kraken this week.
#5 Dallas Stars (12-4-1; 25 Pts)
Previously #4
A great 7-3-0 stretch over their last 10 games. That included a nice drumming of the New York Rangers last night. A big marquee game this week is tomorrow’s hosting against of the Golden Knights, should be a great test for this team. The crazy part about this team is Jason Roberston isn’t even clicking. If they can get him going, they are a Stanley Cup team, no doubt.
#4 Los Angeles Kings (11-3-3; 25 Pts)
Previously #5
Perfect weekend for the Kings. They are looking so good right now. Best part is they let in just 3 goals all week, that’s how you improve your SV% and that’s how you maintain success. If the Kings are truly finding the solid goaltending they need. Btw, Byfield has finally emerged and all it took was putting him on the wing. Its tough to play center in the National League guys!
#3 Vegas Golden Knights (13-4-2; 28 Pts)
Previously #2
Vegas is having a few more stinker games than I thought they would over the last couple weeks. 3-0 loss to the Penguins is a tough look, and last win was against the Habs in a 6-5 shoot-out. Goaltending continues to be the highlight of this team. Granted, Vegas is very deep, and they are hard to play against, that’s always a recipe for long-term success.
#2 New York Rangers (12-3-1; 25 Pts)
Previously #3
The Rangers finally lost after a very long and successful winning streak. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games because this team is just finding everything, the scoring, the goaltending, and their stars stepping up in a big way. Crazy part is their PDO is not even great, meaning they have some room for improvement to the average…let that sink in.
#1 Boston Bruins (13-1-3; 29 Pts)
Unchanged
Finally the boys agree. Boston is such a wagon and it’s a big insane. How important was Bergeron after all? Complete jokes. Unbelievable start and the lineup is just so deep. This is your team to beat in the East, once again.
In-Season Cup
Oh great, Alex got a few more days with it and now sits with the Cup yet again. We are in trouble boys.