NHL Power Rankings: B/R Experts' Week 18 Poll
The NHL can be a cold league for a team that doesn't meet expectations.
NHL coaching legend Ken Hitchcock walked the plank on Wednesday, a victim of the struggles of the St. Louis Blues. The Blues were expected to be a contender this season but have fallen to the playoff bubble in the Western Conference.
General manager Doug Armstrong made it clear that Hitchcock wasn't the only one to blame in his explanatory press conference.
"We don't lose with pride," Armstrong said. "I don't think that we've given our best effort, and Ken, ultimately, he's paying the price with all our failures, starting with mine."
Armstrong may be hoping for a similar bounce in performance another underachieving team, the New York Islanders, got when they dismissed their coach. Since Doug Weight took over behind the bench in January, the Isles have been playing well enough to climb back into the thick of the playoff race in the East.
The purpose of these power rankings is to try to capture the ups and downs of teams like these, to give an indication of the direction in which clubs are trending before the standings capture it (though, naturally, there's some overlap). Where do the resurgent Isles rank? What about the faltering Blues?
To break everything down, we've turned to our panel once again. Adrian Dater, Steve Macfarlane, Allan Mitchell, Lyle Richardson, Carol Schram and I ranked the league's 30 teams, with the combined results going into this list.
Read on to see which direction your team is moving in.
30-26: Colorado Avalanche-Tampa Bay Lightning
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30. Colorado Avalanche (last week: 30)
The Colorado Avalanche looked pretty respectable on Saturday, knocking off the Winnipeg Jets by a 5-2 score in a game that saw them outshoot the opposition 28-25. The victory brought an end to a nine-game losing streak; it’s the fourth time since December that the Avs have snapped a losing run of at least five games. Calvin Pickard—now the team’s undisputed starting goalie with Semyon Varlamov on the shelf—has posted a .920-or-better save percentage in four of his last five starts.
29. Vancouver Canucks (last week: 19)
The Vancouver Canucks did themselves no favours this week. On January 25, a 3-2 win over Colorado propelled Vancouver into the final wild-card spot in the West. Then came a loss to the lowly Arizona Coyotes, followed by a six-day break and further losses to the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild, leaving the Canucks five points out of the postseason. Defenceman Philip Larsen picked up a point in both of those later losses and has two points in three games since returning from the injured list.
28. Arizona Coyotes (last week: 28)
The Coyotes took a three-game winning streak into this week but lost close games to the always formidable Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. San Jose on Saturday was at least as great a challenge, but Mike Smith made 38 saves and Arizona managed to collect a shootout win. That win came just one day after Anne Ryman, Mary Jo Pitzl and Jessica Boehm of the Arizona Republic reported that a plan for a new arena had fallen apart, once again leaving the team’s future uncertain.
27. Dallas Stars (last week: 26)
A win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday gave the Dallas Stars a two-game winning streak at the start of this week; incredibly, it's only the third time that Dallas has won at least two games in a row all season. The club wasn’t able to stretch that to a season-high three straight wins, though, allowing nine combined goals in losses to Winnipeg and Chicago. Jamie Benn had four points in those losses and is on a six-game scoring run.
26. Tampa Bay Lightning (last week: 25)
A four-game home stand is off to a rocky start, with the Tampa Bay Lightning picking up a shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks and a pair of regulation losses to divisional rivals the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators. The Bolts are seven points out of the postseason and in last place in the East; it’s highly unlikely that they can pass all the teams standing between them and the playoffs. Pending free agent Ben Bishop allowed six goals on 51 shots in his two starts, which won't have done much good for his trade value.
25-21: Buffalo Sabres-St. Louis Blues
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25. Buffalo Sabres (last week: 22)
The Buffalo Sabres snapped a three-game losing skid with an emphatic 4-0 win over Ottawa on Saturday, with Robin Lehner making 37 saves in the shutout victory. It needs to be a sign of things to come for Buffalo. The Sabres are tied with Tampa Bay for last in the East but have played just 51 games. In the two weeks between now and their five-day break, they’ll play nine games, and they will determine whether Buffalo has any shot at the postseason.
24. Detroit Red Wings (last week: 29)
Back-to-back wins over the Islanders and Nashville Predators ended a five-game losing streak for the Detroit Red Wings. Both wins came in regulation, meaning that after recording just three regulation wins in November and December, the Red Wings now have four in their last 10 games and a 5-2-3 record overall. Petr Mrazek’s 42-save shutout against Nashville was easily his best performance of the season and may be an indication that he's a turning a corner on a disappointing campaign.
23. Winnipeg Jets (last week: 23)
A three-game winning streak pushed the Jets back into the Western Conference playoff race, though with 55 games played and three points separating them from the final wild-card berth, their hopes remain faint. A 5-2 loss to Colorado Saturday didn't help matters, either. Pending free agent Ondrej Pavelec has been entrusted with the starting goalie job but has posted a sub-.900 save percentage in four of his last five starts. It would be a better idea to return to Connor Hellebuyck, who made 38 saves in a win over Chicago in his most recent start and has a .908 save percentage on the year.
22. New Jersey Devils (last week: 27)
With their slight playoff hopes fading as January drew to a close, the New Jersey Devils managed an impressive week, collecting five of a possible six points, including two in a 5-1 win over the formidable Columbus Blue Jackets. Taylor Hall had four points on the week, but the real credit belongs in net. Goaltender Cory Schneider has driven the club's turnaround; after a terrible first half, he is 6-3-3 with a .928 save percentage since January 1.
21. St. Louis Blues (last week: 18)
The Blues fired Hitchcock on Wednesday, promoting Mike Yeo into the top job months before he was set to take on the role. In his first two games behind the bench, the team has a 1-1 record, scoring six goals and allowing five. Starting goalie Jake Allen had one good game and one poor game, and if he can't improve on this season's .897 save percentage it isn’t going to matter which coach is calling the shots.
20-16: New York Islanders-Calgary Flames
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20. New York Islanders (last week: 17)
The Islanders have been a much-improved team since making a coaching change in mid-January, but this week was a setback for a team that doesn't have a lot of margin for error. A big win over the Washington Capitals was followed by losses to Detroit and the Carolina Hurricanes, games which were especially disappointing because the Canes are one point ahead of the Isles and the Red Wings one point behind. Jean-Francois Berube allowed five goals on 25 shots in the loss to Carolina and has a .896 save percentage on the season; with Jaroslav Halak 7-1-1 with a .927 save percentage in the AHL, one wonders whether New York waived the wrong goalie.
19. Boston Bruins (last week: 16)
Having played a conference-leading 55 games this season, the Bruins hit a lull in their schedule, with just three games in a span of two weeks and four- and five-day breaks. That’s probably just as well. Although Boston has won three of its last six tilts, the team has some real problems, having averaged more than four goals against per game in that run. In their two most recent losses, the Bruins allowed a total of 11 goals. Getting Tuukka Rask some rest should help; the overworked starter hasn't had a save percentage north of .900 in his last five starts.
18. Carolina Hurricanes (last week: 22)
Carolina climbs the rankings after winning all three games it played last week, wins that moved the team to within four points of the postseason with two games in hand. They played the team they’re chasing for the final wild-card slot, the Philadelphia Flyers, on Tuesday, blasting five goals past Steve Mason in a regulation victory. Rookie forward Sebastian Aho had three of those goals and is at 16 on the season.
17. Florida Panthers (last week: 24)
Not only did the Florida Panthers win both of their games this week, but they got some welcome news prior to Friday's contest against the Ducks. Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov combined for 118 points in 142 games last season, but the latter hadn't played in 2017 and the former hadn't played all season. That changed against Anaheim, and both made immediate impacts on their returns, with Huberdeau scoring the game-winning goal and Barkov picking up the primary assist on it.
Florida is just outside playoff position, but with their forwards finally healthy, the team is in excellent shape to make a charge up the standings.
16. Calgary Flames (last week: 20)
The Calgary Flames continue to be life-and-death for the postseason, and two wins this week were just enough to lift them back into sole possession of the last wild-card berth in the Western Conference. Calgary's five-day break is coming up, so they'll only play the Pittsburgh Penguins, which will allow their rivals to catch up to their conference-leading 55 games played. Sean Monahan had a point in every game this week and has nine goals in his last 11 games.
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15-11: Philadelphia Flyers-Los Angeles Kings
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15. Philadelphia Flyers (last week: 15)
The Philadelphia Flyers had a bad week, though our panel declined to adjust their position in these rankings. They did beat the slumping Montreal Canadiens on Thursday but managed to score just one goal in defeats at the hands of Los Angeles and Carolina. The loss to the Hurricanes was particularly dangerous given that the two clubs are both vying for the final wild-card slot in the East. Reliable goaltending remains a moving target in Philly. Steve Mason got shelled for five goals by the Canes after posting a 34-save shutout win in his prior start.
14. Toronto Maple Leafs (last week: 11)
A 6-5 win in Boston was a welcome relief after three consecutive losses on a road trip that was threatening to go all wrong. All the Leafs need to do is manage a win Monday against the Islanders and they can return to Toronto with a 3-3-0 record. That's not bad for a six-game road swing. Nazem Kadri has carried much of the scoring of late, with 16 points in his last 14 games, while Auston Matthews has struggled to get on the board. The win over Boston may be a sign that is changing, though; Matthews picked up three assists after recording a single point in his previous seven contests.
13. Ottawa Senators (last week: 12)
With a strong performance this week, the Senators could have pulled away from the playoff bubble and closed on the slumping Canadiens. Instead, Ottawa dropped two of three games, beating only the injury-ravaged remnants of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fill-in goaltender Mike Condon, who has been a surprise standout this season, may be starting to slip. The Sens goalie has allowed 14 goals in his last four games, and his .905 save percentage performance against the Bolts was his strongest individual game in that span.
12. Nashville Predators (last week: 10)
Nashville climbed the standings in January, in large part thanks to the strong performance of goaltender Pekka Rinne, whose play seems to dictate the Predators' fortunes. He’s been great in 2017, with a 7-4-1 record and .939 save percentage this year. Rinne was good this week too, stopping 83 of the 88 shots that he saw, but he had to settle for a 1-2-0 record as the Preds struggled to generate offence.
11. Los Angeles Kings (last week: 14)
The Kings won three of four games on the week, taking advantage of weak opponents Arizona and Colorado in the early part of the week before splitting games in Philadelphia and Washington on the weekend. Nevertheless, they could not have been totally satisfied with the results given that Sunday's 5-0 loss to the Caps not only ended a five-game winning streak but was also the most lopsided defeat the club has suffered this season.
That loss also brought an end to a personal five-game scoring run for Anze Kopitar. The Kings captain has been red-hot in 2017, with 16 points in 15 games since January 1.
10. Edmonton Oilers
5 of 14
Record: 29-18-8, 66 points
Last week: 3
Big Picture
A mini-slump has decreased the likelihood of the Oilers winning the Pacific Division. They have lost three of four games since the All-Star break, scoring only five non-shootout goals in the process. Sunday’s win over Montreal didn’t show progress in that area, either; the two teams dueled to a 0-0 draw through 65 minutes and it took a shootout goal for Edmonton to claim the victory. A playoff spot is secure, but with a tough February schedule starting, a postseason on the road looks increasingly probable.
By the Numbers
How bad has the offensive drought been? Outside of the first-line duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton’s next-best scorer over its last 10 games has been stay-at-home defenceman Adam Larsson, who sits tied with Jordan Eberle at six points over that span.
Free-agent addition Milan Lucic, hyped as a replacement for Taylor Hall, hasn’t scored an even-strength goal since December 6. He has just three points total at evens in the 27 games since that marker, but he has collected seven points on the power play during that run.
9. Montreal Canadiens
6 of 14
Record: 30-16-8, 68 points
Last week: 9
Big Picture
It’s a good thing the Habs had such a lead on their Atlantic Division rivals because they’ve spent most of the past month squandering it. Montreal has lost nine of its last 14 contests, but still boasts an eight-point lead on second-place Ottawa. However, the Senators do own four games in hand, so the Habs could see that lead evaporate when they take their five-day break next week.
By the Numbers
The Canadiens learned the importance of a solid backup last season, when Carey Price got hurt and Mike Condon couldn’t stop the team’s fortunes from going down with him. Al Montoya has done a good job of giving them that this year. He made 32 saves in a shutout (and shootout) loss to Edmonton on Sunday, improving his record on the year to 7-4-3 and his save percentage to a more than respectable .915.
8. Anaheim Ducks
7 of 14
Record: 28-16-10, 66 points
Last week: 13
Big Picture
The Ducks' jump in the rankings this week is probably less evidence of their own success and more the erosion of some of the teams in front of them. Anaheim went 1-1-1, beating Colorado in regulation, dropping a close contest to the Panthers and then falling in the shootout to Tampa Bay as the tired team in the second half of a back-to-back. They're tied with Edmonton but have a game in hand and have fallen three points behind San Jose for the division lead.
By the Numbers
The Ducks are not an especially formidable team at five-on-five—in fact, they have allowed more goals than they have scored—but they make up for that to some extent on special teams. With a power play that converts on more than 21 percent of its chances and a penalty kill that stops 84 percent of the opposition's, their combined special teams efficiency of 105.5 ranks fifth in the league.
7. New York Rangers
8 of 14
Record: 33-18-1, 67 points
Last week: 8
Big Picture
It never seems to change for the New York Rangers, and two wins in three games this week saw them stay more or less where they've been all season. Stuck in the Met, they haven't been able to stay above fourth place in the division and still find themselves four points back of both Pittsburgh and Columbus. At the same time, they're so good that they have a virtual lock on the top wild-card spot in the East, even with a third of the schedule left to be played.
By the Numbers
Michael Grabner scored his ninth goal of January against the Flames on Sunday, improving to 23 on the season. It's already the second-best mark of his career, and with another strong month, he could even move past the 34 he managed with the Islanders in 2010-11.
6. Chicago Blackhawks
9 of 14
Record: 32-17-5, 69 points
Last week: 7
Big Picture
The Blackhawks started a six-game road trip off relatively well, winning two of their first three games. Like the Rangers, there just isn't that much week-to-week variation in their overall status, though. Minnesota continues to hold a formidable lead for first place in the Central Division, while Nashville is stuck well back in third.
By the Numbers
After a brilliant run at the start of the year, goaltender Corey Crawford has hit a bit of a rough patch. It's tempting to chalk it up to missing three weeks in December, but he played well in the first few games at the end of that month after coming back. Since January 1, Crawford has posted a thoroughly mediocre .895 save percentage, though that hasn't prevented the Blackhawks from winning seven of his 12 starts during that run.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
10 of 14
Record: 33-13-5, 71 points
Last week: 4
Big Picture
It's been 15 games since the Blue Jackets' 16-game winning streak came to a close. Columbus is just 6-8-1 over that span, a disappointingly pedestrian record from a club that looked as good as any in the game. The slump has led them to fall well back of the Capitals in the race for the division title. It has also allowed the Penguins to pull into a tie for second overall in the Met.
By the Numbers
One player not slumping is top defenceman Seth Jones, who has been the club's most effective attacker of late. He has seven points in his last six games and scored two goals in a win over divisional rivals the Rangers on Tuesday.
4. San Jose Sharks
11 of 14
Record: 33-17-3, 69 points
Last week: 5
Big Picture
Over their past 10 games, the Sharks have picked up 17 of a possible 20 points. Even allowing that they played more at home than on the road and against some weaker opposition, that's an impressive run. It has allowed San Jose to create a three-point gap between itself and its nearest divisional opponents, Anaheim and Edmonton, a gulf that looks more impressive given that the Sharks have played fewer games than either of those clubs.
By the Numbers
Martin Jones started his 45th game of the season on Saturday, becoming just the second goaltender in the league to hit that many starts (a third, Peter Budaj in L.A., has played 45 games but started only 44). The Sharks have only played 53 games, meaning that he's been given 85 percent of the starts. No goalie started more than 83 percent of his team's games last season.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
12 of 14
Record: 33-13-5, 71 points
Last week: 6
Big Picture
Pittsburgh won all three of its games this week, and in so doing, the team climbed into a tie with slumping Columbus for second in the Metropolitan Division. This puts the Penguins in great position to leapfrog their divisional rivals, and not just because the Blue Jackets are struggling. Two of the Pens' three games next week are against bottom feeders Arizona and Colorado, and their third is against playoff bubble team Calgary. The sun is shining; it's time to make hay.
By the Numbers
Kris Letang is obviously important on the Pittsburgh blue line, but it's been amazing to see how resilient the team has been without him this season. He's missed 18 games, and in that span, the Pens are a respectable 12-4-2. Justin Schultz's emergence (37 points in 51 games) on the blue line would seem to be a big part of the reason the club has been so capable without its top defenceman.
2. Minnesota Wild
13 of 14
Record: 34-12-5, 73 points
Last week: 2
Big Picture
No team in the Western Conference has played fewer games than Minnesota's 51. No other team in the West is closer than four points away from the Wild's total of 73. They just keep winning too: four of their last five, six of their last eight, 10 of their last 13. The schedule shows nothing but smooth sailing ahead. After a quick trip to Winnipeg on Tuesday, the Wild will play eight straight games on home ice.
By the Numbers
Eric Staal has received a lot of attention for his bounce-back year with the Wild, but he's cooled lately, with only three points in his last 10 games. Mikael Granlund has stepped up in the meantime, though, with a four-point night Saturday in Vancouver capping off a 12-game scoring run in which he's collected 17 points total.
1. Washington Capitals
14 of 14
Record: 36-11-6, 78 points
Last week: 1
Big Picture
The Capitals have a five-point lead in the race for the Presidents' Trophy. Their record of 175 goals for ranks third in the NHL. Their total of 114 goals against is the best number of any team in the league—as is their plus-61 goal differential. They've won three games in a row, play their next three at home and then get a well-deserved five-day break. This is the best team in the league to this point in the season, and it has managed to earn that status while playing in the toughest division in hockey.
By the Numbers
Washington starter Braden Holtby ranks second in the NHL in shutouts, with six, which isn't a big surprise. What may be more unexpected is that his backup, Philipp Grubauer, is tied for seventh in the league with three. His latest, a 38-save performance against the Kings on Sunday, pushed his save percentage on the year to an impressive .931.
Statistics used here courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com and the NHL.
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