NHL Power Rankings: B/R Experts' Week 20 Poll
The Stadium Series was the highlight of a busy week of NHL action, a week that brought some additional data to tight playoff races or positional supremacy in all four divisions across the league.
We'll catch up on the week that was and break down the status of all 30 teams in this edition of the B/R power rankings.
Our expert panel—Dave Lozo, Allan Mitchell, Lyle Richardson, Carol Schram and myself—is back and has voted to determine the ranking of the league's 30 teams, with that ranking based on its assessment of each of these teams rather than a pure look at the standings.
Read on to see where all 30 teams are ranked and which rise to the top this week.
News and statistics are courtesy of NHL.com, Hockey-Reference, war-on-ice.com and behindthenet.ca and are current through the start of action on February 23.
Our experts participate in weekly voting for B/R's NHL power rankings. Once a vote is cast for a specific team, it's assigned a value—30 points for the No. 1 team in the rankings, 29 points for the second spot and so on. The totals are then added up to create the power rankings.
30-26: Buffalo Sabres-Carolina Hurricanes
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30. Buffalo Sabres (Last week: 30): The Sabres needed the shootout, but they managed to beat Philadelphia on Thursday. It's the team's only win in its last seven games. New hire Zach Bogosian has now appeared in five games and seems to be working out; he somehow has a plus-one rating with Buffalo despite averaging better than 28 minutes a night.
29. Arizona Coyotes (Last week: 28): The Coyotes dropped both of their games last week and are now neck-and-neck with the Sabres in terms of ineptitude. A 3-2 shootout win over Chicago two weeks back is the team's only victory in its last eight games; it's also the only time in that span Arizona has scored more than two goals.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (Last week: 27): Toronto pulled off a come-from-behind win in overtime over the Jets on Saturday, bringing an end to a five-game losing streak. It's only the team's second victory in more than a month. Twenty-year-old Morgan Rielly picked up two assists and a plus-three rating in more than 25 minutes of ice time in the win.
27. Edmonton Oilers (Last week: 29): Edmonton has allowed four or more goals in three of its last five games, which unsurprisingly turns out not to be a recipe for success. The Oilers managed to force the Jets to the shootout and even got a rare win over the Bruins on Wednesday. Nail Yakupov, encouragingly, has eight points in his last eight games.
26. Carolina Hurricanes (Last week: 25): The Hurricanes played four games and went .500 on the week, topping a pair of Ontario teams but falling to the Devils and Islanders. Andrej Nestrasil picked up three points in the club's win over Ottawa, which is both a career high and more than the team that drafted him (Detroit) saw over the entirety of his Red Wings career.
25-21: Columbus Blue Jackets-Philadelphia Flyers
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25. Columbus Blue Jackets (Last week: 24): The Blue Jackets won two of four games on the week and went to the shootout in the other, toppling Pittsburgh and Philadelphia largely thanks to the efforts of goaltender Curtis McElhinney. McElhinney also recorded the losses, but even in those games he was solid.
24. Ottawa Senators (Last week: 23): The Senators are on a nice little roll, having won three of four games and with a 4-1-1 record in their last six. A big part of the reason is AHL goalie Andrew Hammond, whose 0.910 save percentage in Binghamton this year didn't lend itself to optimism. But he made his first NHL start against Montreal on Wednesday and made 42 saves; after another win against Florida on Saturday he is now 2-0-0 with a 0.930 save percentage for his NHL career.
23. New Jersey Devils (Last week: 26): The Devils, losers of four straight, returned home this week and kicked off a six-game stand in style. After needing the shootout to top Buffalo, New Jersey posted convincing wins over Vancouver and Carolina; it is the club's second three-game win streak in the last 10 games. With the club 10 points out of the postseason this is too little far too late, but it's still nice to see signs of life.
22. Colorado Avalanche (Last week: 21): The Avs are five points out of a crowded race for a playoff spot in the West, but they've made up some ground with their recent work. Denver's team has won four of its last five games, with Semyon Varlamov picking up all the decisions.
21. Philadelphia Flyers (Last week: 22): The Flyers salvaged a four-game week with matching 3-2 wins over Nashville and Washington over the weekend; previously, they had dropped decisions to bottom-feeders Buffalo and Columbus. With four points separating Philadelphia from Boston, the playoffs aren't a pipe dream, as long as they manage to collect some wins. Michael Del Zotto is certainly doing his share, routinely playing 20-plus minutes per game and posting five points in his last five contests.
20-16: Florida Panthers-Boston Bruins
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20. Florida Panthers (Last week: 20): The Panthers had a chance to pull themselves into the playoffs over the weekend but squandered it, falling 4-1 to Ottawa on Saturday and 5-1 to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Wins over Toronto and Montreal earlier in the week kept this stretch from being a total write-off, but it still qualifies as a missed opportunity.
19. Dallas Stars (Last week: 19): Dallas dropped three of four on the week, putting its already thin playoff hopes on life support. The team remains a defensive nightmare, allowing an incredible average of six goals against per game over those three losses.
18. Calgary Flames (Last week: 18): A week that started with an encouraging win over Boston went downhill thanks to consecutive losses to Minnesota and Anaheim. The loss to the Wild stings particularly, because as of Sunday night, Minnesota had displaced the Flames for the final wild-card spot in the West. Curtis Glencross has been subject to trade rumours lately, and he isn't doing Calgary any favours; he has just a single assist in his last 11 contests.
17. Winnipeg Jets (Last week: 15): The Jets had a disappointing week, losing two of three and requiring the shootout to beat the struggling Oilers. They have a three-point lead on San Jose and Calgary as they try to hold on to a wild card slot in the West, but that won't last if the team can't pick up some wins. It is now 4-6-3 in its last 13.
16. Boston Bruins (Last week: 16): Boston recorded a much-needed win over Chicago on Sunday, bringing an end to a six-game losing streak that had put its grip on the final postseason berth in the East in serious jeopardy. If not for the Panthers' stumble, the Bruins would be out in the cold right now.
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15-11: San Jose Sharks-Los Angeles Kings
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15. San Jose Sharks (Last Week: 14): The San Jose Sharks did not help their reputation for choking under pressure with a big loss to Los Angeles on Saturday. Not only was the loss in front of 70,000 fans embarrassing, but it cost the team its lead over the Kings for a playoff spot in the West.
14. Vancouver Canucks (Last Week: 17): Vancouver is far from safely ensconced in second in the Pacific Division, but the Canucks did some work to solidify their hold on home ice in the opening round of the postseason, winning three of four this week and four of their last six overall.
13. Washington Capitals (Last Week: 13): A loss to the desperate Flyers on Sunday brought an end to a run of four consecutive wins. Washington has managed to keep pace in a hot Metro division. They may technically be in a wild-card slot, but the Caps are only four points back of the Isles for the division lead and have a lofty nine-point lead on Boston in the other slot.
12. Minnesota Wild (Last Week: 10): I have no idea how the Wild fell two spots in our panel voting, but here we are. Must have been that loss to Vancouver on Monday. Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in hockey, winning 11 of its last 13 games. Devan Dubnyk is 13-2-1 with a 0.936 save percentage since joining the team.
11. Los Angeles Kings (Last Week: 12): The only team hotter than the Wild is the Kings, whose win over San Jose on Saturday was their seventh straight victory. Dwight King has been shockingly productive, recording eight points and a plus-six rating over that run.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins
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Record: 34-17-9, 77 points
Last Week: 8
Recent Trend: The Pens have been pretty hit-and-miss of late. They are currently on a two-game winning streak; that comes on the heels of a three-game losing streak.
Big Picture: Pittsburgh is in the thick of a heated race for the Metropolitan Division, which sees four teams separated by all of four points.
By the Numbers: The Penguins' success in February has been largely driven by Marc-Andre Fleury. The Pittsburgh starter has a modest 4-3-1 record in eight games, but that comes despite a 0.950 save percentage. If not for his efforts, his team would likely be in a wild-card slot right now.
9. Chicago Blackhawks
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Record: 35-20-5, 75 points
Last Week: 3
Recent Trend: Chicago has lost three in a row and has just one regulation win in its last seven games.
Big Picture: The Blackhawks look likely to start the playoffs on the road. The team has fallen to third in the Central Division and has just a four-point lead on Winnipeg for that position; if not for the Jets' struggles, the situation would be even worse than it is.
By the Numbers: Patrick Sharp, who may end up as a cap casualty this summer, has not been living up to his contract of late. The veteran forward has just one assist in his last 11 contests and an ugly minus-10 rating over that span.
8. Montreal Canadiens
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Record: 38-16-5, 81 points
Last Week: 9
Recent Trend: The Habs have won three of their last six and six of 11 games overall on February.
Big Picture: Montreal has a thin lead for the Atlantic Division crown, with two teams within five points. It's likely going to be a tooth-and-nail fight all the way to the end of the season.
By the Numbers: At the start of December the Canadiens were 16-9-3 with a plus-three goal differential. In a little under three months since, the team has gone 22-7-2 while posting a whopping plus-23 differential.
7. New York Rangers
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Record: 36-16-6, 78 points
Last Week: 11
Recent Trend: New York is red hot, having gone 6-0-2 over its last eight games.
Big Picture: The Rangers are now only two points back of the Isles for the lead in the Met; significantly, they also have three games in hand on their crosstown rivals. First place in the East is within striking distance for the team with the best goal differential in the conference.
By the Numbers: In his last 12 games, Rick Nash has scored nine times and contributed six assists to the cause. He's having a wonderful season and hasn't been held without a shot in a game all year.
6. Anaheim Ducks
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Record: 37-16-7, 81 points
Last Week: 7
Recent Trend: The Ducks ended the week with consecutive wins in Alberta, the first time since the start of the month the club has won two in a row. Anaheim is a modest 5-4-1 so far in February.
Big Picture: Since Anaheim is still holding a 10-point lead on Vancouver, there's no particular reason to panic over a middling February. The Pacific Division lead should be safe, barring a massive collapse.
By the Numbers: The Ducks have the NHL's best record in one-goal games, going a ridiculous 25-0-7 in close contests. They are four games under .500 in contests decided by more than one goal.
5. Detroit Red Wings
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Record: 33-14-10, 76 points
Last Week: 6
Recent Trend: The Red Wings ended a three-game losing streak with close wins over Chicago and Dallas late in the week. The club is 4-2-1 in February.
Big Picture: Detroit is five points back of Montreal on the season but has two games in hand, and with a decent push, they could win the Atlantic Division. It's a three-way race between those two clubs and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
By the Numbers: Jimmy Howard is a modest 1-1-1 with a 0.904 save percentage since returning to the lineup after losing a month to injury. He was doing significantly better prior to allowing six goals in a win over Dallas on Saturday.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
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Record: 37-19-6, 80 points
Last Week: 5
Recent Trend: The Lightning have won three of their last five games, and even the losses have been close, one-goal decisions against L.A. and Colorado.
Big Picture: Tampa Bay remains in the thick of a three-team race for the Atlantic Division.
By the Numbers: Ben Bishop has played well in his last couple of starts, which is a big improvement from earlier in the month. So far in February he has allowed 18 goals on 173 shots; it's the first month of the season in which he has a sub-0.900 save percentage.
3. New York Islanders
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Record: 39-20-2, 80 points
Last Week: 4
Recent Trend: New York had won six of seven games prior to consecutive losses on the weekend.
Big Picture: The race in the Atlantic is tight, but it's even tougher in the Met. The Islanders are at the lead of a four-team race for the division crown and have a four-point jump on a Washington team that brings up the rear of the pack.
By the Numbers: John Tavares was held pointless in a shutout loss to Vancouver on Sunday, though he did have six shots in more than 25 minutes of ice time. He'd recorded a ridiculous five goals and 11 points in the five preceding games.
2. St. Louis Blues
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Record: 38-17-4, 80 points
Last Week: 2
Recent Trend: The Blues dropped two out of three games on the week but are still 7-4-0 on the month.
Big Picture: Barring a big late-season surprise, the Blues are bound for a first-round matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, which is going to be fun to watch but awfully brutal for one of those two teams.
By the Numbers: Jake Allen has won all six of his decisions in the new year. He also has a solid 0.937 save percentage over that span.
1. Nashville Predators
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Record: 40-13-7, 87 points
Last Week: 1
Recent Trend: Nashville's dominant run had a little hiccup late last week; the club dropped games against the Islanders and Flyers and needed a late third-period marker from Mike Ribeiro to force a shootout against Buffalo.
Big Picture: The Predators have seven points on St. Louis for the Central Division lead, which (assuming Los Angeles continues playing well) should ensure them a reasonably favourable matchup in the first round. It's all about fine-tuning for the postseason now.
By the Numbers: Head coach Peter Laviolette is still riding his top defencemen like every point matters. Shea Weber played just a minute shy of a full hour in back-to-back games this weekend; Roman Josi topped 30 minutes in both of them.
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