NHL Power Rankings: Playoff Picture Forming in Eastern, Western Conference

As teams close in on the 41-game mark (Carolina and Colorado are at 40), the NHL playoff picture has begun to form.

Here are the current conference standings.

The Atlantic Division is the class of the east. If the playoff games were to begin today, four teams would represent that division and New York would have the top seed.

I expect to see New Jersey, Winnipeg and Ottawa drop out of the playoff picture.

Toronto has a good thing going this season, and they are only two points out of the playoffs right now. They have enough offense to get a six or seven seed.

They’ll be an easy out, though. They don’t play defense.

If Buffalo gets healthy, they have enough personnel to get a late seed as well. Injuries have really hampered this squad this year.

Finally, it may seem out there, but Tampa was in the Eastern Conference Finals last year and has underachieved in the first half of the season. They should squeak in as a late seed, but their defensive-minded game makes them a threat to upset a division winner.

Four teams from the Central are in the playoff picture. Don’t expect any changes there. Chicago and Detroit are juggernauts, and Nashville and St. Louis will be great late-seed sleepers.

The playoff picture will be similar to what you see now, except San Jose will win their division (again). This will be vital, as there are 12 teams that all could make the playoffs in the West.

Expect the elderly Flames and scrappy Coyotes to fade early. LA is built for the playoffs and will capture a late seed. This means Dallas and Colorado, two franchises that could use the postseason to fill empty buildings in the future, will close up shop early.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

Last week: 30

Columbus’ win in Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak.

Then they lost to Washington two days later…

29. Anaheim Ducks

Last week: 29

A win in San Jose to finish off a miserable road trip (1-4) may soothe some pain in the OC, but the Ducks are in trouble.

They had three wins in December.

28. New York Islanders

Last week: 28

The Islanders had back-to-back wins three times this month.

They also had a four-game and a three-game losing streak.

New York looks like they’ll be sitting in the Atlantic Division cellar once again this season.

27. Edmonton Oilers

Last week: 25

December was a rough month for the Oil.

They finished the month off with one win in their last eight games.

26. Montreal Canadiens

Last week: 26

Montreal finished the 2011 off with one win on their six-game road trip.

The going is tough for one of the NHL’s most passionate fanbases.

25. Carolina Hurricanes

Last week: 27

The Canes won three of their last five games to close out December.

Things aren’t as dreary as they once looked, but this team has a big hill to climb if they want to get back into the playoff picture.

24. Buffalo Sabres

Last week: 23

Buffalo has lost three in a row.

A bad January will spell doom for a team that came into the season with a lot of promise.

They need to get going now.

23. Calgary Flames

Last week: 12

Calgary had a nice four-game winning streak going.

Then they stubbed their toe on the road against the Islanders and fell to Ottawa in OT the next night.

Things don’t get better, either…

The Flames have had their last four games on the road and have to play in Nashville, Washington and Boston before returning home.

22. Toronto Maple Leafs

Last week: 18

The road has been tough on the Leafs.

They have lost three of four away from the ACC.

Fortunately, Toronto starts the new year with four home games.

21. Florida Panthers

Last week: 21

Florida didn’t finish the month off strong; they had a three-game losing streak before winning two of their last three games.

The Cats remain competitive in the East, however, and have held off the surging Jets in the Southeast Division.

20. Minnesota Wild

Last week: 17

The injury-riddled Wild picked up one win in their last 10 games, but built enough of a buffer early in the season that they remain in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Barring additional injuries, Minnesota will improve once they get Devin Setoguchi and Guillaume Latendresse back.

19. Ottawa Senators

Last week: 19

The Senators haven’t bothered to play defense, but still have won five of their last seven games.

In all honesty, this team has benefitted from playing a weak schedule this month.

18. Phoenix Coyotes

Last week: 13

The Yotes lost four in a row before picking up a win in Minnesota to finish off the year.

They remain in the Pacific Division hunt, however, and could separate themselves with a strong January.

17. Tampa Bay Lightning

Last week: 22

The underachieving Lightning have all of a sudden gotten hot, beating Philly, 5-1, to start a three-game win streak.

Tampa has the talent necessary to compete in the Southeast Division, and with the young Jets, upstart Panthers and floundering Capitals ahead of them, this team is capable of getting back into the race if they have a strong January.

16. Washington Capitals

Last week: 20

Washington beat the Rangers to initiate a three-game win streak.

The Southeast Division is not out of reach, and if the Caps iron out some issues, they can jump right back into the race.

15. Los Angeles Kings

Last week: 24

No offense? No problem.

LA has won three of their last four.

The only issue in Los Angeles is Drew Doughty’s celebrations.

14. Nashville Predators

Last week: 16

Losing Shea Weber, the team’s points leader, is going to be tough for Nashville.

The Preds have won their last two games and are fortunate to play Calgary and Carolina at home in two of their next three games.

13. San Jose Sharks

Last week: 9

San Jose had a nice four-game winning streak going, but then inexplicably lost to Anaheim at home and were clipped by the Canucks in OT the next night.

The Sharks have a chance to get back at Vancouver on Monday in what will be the first NHL game on NBC’s new 24-hour sports network.

12. Dallas Stars

Last week: 10

Fortunately for Dallas, the Pacific is a tight four-team race.

A 4-1 loss to Columbus had to be tough, but they bounced right back and beat Boston, 4-2, to close out the year.

11. St. Louis Blues

Last week: 5

Losing three straight to division opponents is a step in the wrong direction for the once-surging Blues.

St. Louis remains in the Central Division hunt, however, and gets to play their first three games of 2012 in Missouri.

10. Winnipeg Jets

Last week: 15

The Jets finished off the month winning four of their last five.

People around the league thought this team had a honeymoon period.

As indicated by the way they’ve been playing, they expect to win.

9. Vancouver Canucks

Last week: 14

Owners of the league’s best power play, the Canucks are a top 10 team in offense, defense and special teams.

The road has been tough on this team, though.

In December, they lost to Columbus, Carolina and LA away from home this month.

8. Colorado Avalanche

Last week: 11

Winners of seven of their last eight games, Colorado is on track to get back into the playoff race in the West.

A team that once looked in jeopardy, the Avs can capitalize on a good month to put butts in the seats of the Pepsi Center.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins

Last week: 6

A top 10 team in offense, defense and special teams, the Penguins are playing good hockey.

They had a four-game winning streak snapped by Philly, however, and stumbled against the Devils to finish off the month.

6. Philadelphia Flyers

Last week: 4

A five-game road trip prior to the Winter Classic has been tough on the Flyers.

They only picked up two wins and lost to the Rangers, 4-2, and the Lightning, 5-1, during that time.

5. New Jersey Devils

Last week: 8

Losing in Carolina is tough, but the Devils only have two losses in their last nine games and are hanging around in the Atlantic Division.

4. Detroit Red Wings

Last week: 7

Convincing wins over division rivals Nashville and St. Louis (twice) and a loss to Chicago indicates that there’s a clear hierarchy in the Central.

Detroit has played well, but Chicago’s still the team to beat in that division.

3. Chicago Blackhawks

Last week: 2

Losses to Phoenix and LA this month are tough to swallow (the one in Pittsburgh is understandable), but Chicago has continued to hum along in a tough division.

They finished off the month winning three of their last four.

2. New York Rangers

Last week: 3

The Blueshirts enter the Winter Classic with only one loss in their last seven games.

If New York keeps it up, they’ll be a bona fide Stanley Cup contender this season.

1. Boston Bruins

Last week: 1

The Bruins own the league’s best offense and defense.

Boston lost in Dallas, 4-2, ending December on a low note, but can feel good about themselves knowing that loss ended a seven-game winning streak.