NHL Power Rankings: Rangers, Flyers and Stars Rise; Avalanche and Bruins Slip Down
The jockeying for playoff positions in the NHL has begun.
It's nearly two months before the puck is dropped on the postseason, but the teams hoping to reach the tournament—or working to earn themselves the most advantageous perch—have begun to cast eyes toward the finish line.
Each of the league's division leaders had won at least six of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday's action, including the scalding-hot Vancouver Canucks, whose 7-1-2 blitz has them four points up on the Boston Bruins for first overall.
Not surprisingly, the run has also endeared them to voters for B/R's Power Rankings, who were unanimous in placing Rick Tocchet's team in the top spot for the third straight week. The Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins shared all the votes for second and third place, with the Stars earning three of the second-place votes to ascend to the runner-up position.
The Bruins dropped a spot from second to third, while the Florida Panthers moved up from fifth to fourth, and the New York Rangers jumped four spots from ninth to fifth.
The Philadelphia Flyers were on the move, too, leaping four spots from 16th to 12th.
Scroll through to see where your favorite team wound up and drop a thought of your own in the comments.
Statistics were up to date and votes tallied before games on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
32. Chicago Blackhawks
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Previous Ranking: 32
Overall Record: 14-36-3
Where, oh where, has the offense gone for the Blackhawks, who have lost seven straight (0-6-1) and managed just eight goals.
Their 2.08 goals per game is tied for last in the league with San Jose. They trail the Sharks by two points for 32nd overall in the standings.
31. San Jose Sharks
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Previous Ranking: 31
Overall Record: 14-32-5
The Sharks cooled their heels for the first half of the month, a hiatus in a four-wins-in-six-games stretch. They returned Wednesday for a 1-0 loss to Winnipeg—their eighth shutout loss of the season.
"Frustration, really," coach David Quinn said. "Obviously, we've been off for a while here. You could see there were a lot of missed opportunities for us to generate way more offense than we did."
30. Anaheim Ducks
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Previous Ranking: 29
Overall Record: 18-32-2
It couldn't last forever for the Ducks, who have dropped two straight after a previous run in which they'd won three of four.
Anaheim allowed 10 goals in the losses, including seven by Lukáš Dostál who came in against Edmonton when John Gibson left with an injury.
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29. Columbus Blue Jackets
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Previous Ranking: 30
Overall Record: 16-26-10
The Blue Jackets lost four of five overall heading into Wednesday, including three on the road to fall to 7-12-6 away from home, tied for the fourth-worst road record in the league.
Only Chicago (4-23-1), San Jose (5-19-3) and Ottawa (7-13-0) are worse.
28. Ottawa Senators
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Previous Ranking: 28
Overall Record: 22-25-2
It's too late to salvage this season probably, but it's never a bad time for a four-game win streak.
The typically prolific Senators have 18 goals in the recent run but, more importantly, have allowed just 11—far better than their pre-streak 3.67 goals-against average.
27. Buffalo Sabres
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Previous Ranking: 25
Overall Record: 23-25-4
It was, unquestionably, a high point of the season on Tuesday for the Sabres, who blanked Los Angeles with a seven-goal barrage at home.
"If we stick to that game and commit to playing it every night, we can beat some good teams," winger Jordan Greenway said.
26. Montreal Canadiens
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Previous Ranking: 26
Overall Record: 22-23-8
It's all about the future for Canadiens fans and that was no more apparent than Tuesday when 2022 No. 1 pick Juraj Slafkovský had his first three-point night and goaltender Cayden Primeau, in his 28th career start, made 13 saves for his first NHL shutout.
25. Arizona Coyotes
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Previous Ranking: 24
Overall Record: 23-24-4
It's not an ideal time for a six-game skid (0-5-1) for the playoff hopeful Coyotes, who have plunged eight points off the West's wild-card chase.
Arizona has a minus-13 goal differential in the slide, falling beneath the 50/50 line to minus-8 overall.
24. Seattle Kraken
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Previous Ranking: 22
Overall Record: 22-21-10
Philipp Grubauer's 26-save defeat of the New York Islanders came at a good time for the Kraken, who had lost two straight to start a four-game road trip.
The 32-year-old netminder had not played since a lower-body injury on December 9, and Seattle had lost eight of its last 10 (2-7-1).
23. Washington Capitals
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Previous Ranking: 23
Overall Record: 23-21-8
It's been a largely uneventful season for goal-scoring wizard Alex Ovechkin. Until recently, that is.
Wayne Gretzky's nearest pursuer netted his 14th in Tuesday's loss to Colorado, marking his sixth straight game with a tally and seventh straight with at least a point.
22. Minnesota Wild
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Previous Ranking: 27
Overall Record: 24-23-5
The Wild have returned from the break on a roll, and head coach John Hynes is pumped.
"The thing I'm most encouraged about is the process of the last two games is the style of game and commitment that it's going to take to be able to win down the stretch," he said.
21. New York Islanders
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Previous Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 22-18-13
The Islanders will play a part in the NHL's outdoor series on Sunday, but they'll arrive after consecutive losses in which they've scored just three goals following two wins in which they netted nine.
Coach Patrick Roy responded with a particularly intense Wednesday practice.
20. Nashville Predators
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Previous Ranking: 19
Overall Record: 27-24-2
Forty-three Juuse Saros saves couldn't prevent a 4-2 loss to New Jersey on Tuesday, and captain Roman Josi wasn't pleased.
"In our position at this time of the year, we need to be a lot better," he said.
Nashville entered Wednesday two points off the wild-card pace in the West.
19. Calgary Flames
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Previous Ranking: 21
Overall Record: 25-23-5
A streak-breaking loss to the New York Rangers wasn't pretty, but Calgary's 3-1-0 run on a four-game road trip to follow the All-Star break was timely.
The Flames have recovered from an awful start to creep within three points of the second Western wild-card position.
18. Pittsburgh Penguins
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Previous Ranking: 15
Overall Record: 23-19-7
A two-game mini road trip didn't go so well for the Penguins, who dropped consecutive decisions at Minnesota and Winnipeg and saw Sidney Crosby's point streak end at nine games.
The 36-year-old had six goals and 11 points in the stretch, during which Pittsburgh was 3-3-3.
17. St. Louis Blues
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Previous Ranking: 18
Overall Record: 28-22-2
Seven wins in 10 games for the perpetually streaky Blues have moved them into Western playoff contention.
In fact, St. Louis entered Wednesday's game in possession of the second wild-card spot, having gone 15-8-1 since coach Drew Bannister replaced Craig Berube in December.
16. New Jersey Devils
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Previous Ranking: 17
Overall Record: 27-21-4
Goaltender Nico Daws is the unlikely hero of late for the Devils, who called upon the 23-year-old for consecutive starts with Vitek Vanecek shelved by injury and illness.
The goaltender stopped 57 of 60 shots (.950 save percentage) in back-to-back defeats of Seattle and Nashville.
15. Los Angeles Kings
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Previous Ranking: 14
Overall Record: 24-16-10
They have 32 games left on the schedule, but it's not trending well for the Kings, who dropped an embarrassing 7-0 decision at Buffalo in their second game under interim coach Jim Hiller.
Los Angeles started the season 20-7-4, but it has lost 15 of 19 (4-9-6) since.
14. Detroit Red Wings
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Previous Ranking: 13
Overall Record: 27-19-6
The good news? An 8-4 loss at Edmonton doesn't erase a run of 10 wins in the previous 14 games for the surging Red Wings.
The bad news? Goalie Ville Husso left the game with a lower-body injury in his first start since mid-December.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning
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Previous Ranking: 11
Overall Record: 29-20-5
It's starting to look familiar in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning are 10-3 across their last 13 games and getting heroics from the usual places.
Nikita Kucherov scored, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves, and the penalty kill was 6-for-6 in a 3-2 win at Boston on Tuesday.
12. Philadelphia Flyers
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Previous Ranking: 16
Overall Record: 29-19-6
Just when it seemed like the Flyers' surprising season was teetering on the brink, they respond with a four-game win streak that's got them nearly as close to first place in the Metropolitan (seven points) as they are to the East's last wild-card spot (six).
11. Toronto Maple Leafs
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Previous Ranking: 12
Overall Record: 27-16-8
It's all hands on deck these days for the Maple Leafs, who lost defenseman Morgan Rielly to a five-game suspension and missed forwards John Tavares and Mitchell Marner on Tuesday with an illness.
Enter Bobby McMann, who notched a hat trick in a defeat of St. Louis.
10. Carolina Hurricanes
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Previous Ranking: 10
Overall Record: 30-17-5
It's hard to quibble with five wins in seven games, but head coach Rod Brind'Amour was pleading for more aggressiveness after a 4-2 loss at Dallas.
"We had some odd-man rushes in the first period and we passed it, passed it, passed it instead of firing at the net," he said.
9. Vegas Golden Knights
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Previous Ranking: 8
Overall Record: 31-16-6
A 5-3 loss wasn't exactly the objective, but defenseman Alex Pietrangelo played his 1,000th NHL game against Minnesota on Monday.
The 34-year-old, who was selected fourth overall in 2008, had two assists and played better than 25 minutes across 26 shifts.
8. Winnipeg Jets
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Previous Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 31-14-5
When you're trying to end a skid, it helps to have a Vezina-caliber goalie.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 35 shots to lift the Jets past Pittsburgh to end a five-game drought (0-4-1).
Winnipeg had managed just four goals in the losses and were shut out twice.
7. Colorado Avalanche
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Previous Ranking: 4
Overall Record: 33-17-4
Four straight losses (three in regulation) didn't help Colorado's cause in its duel with Dallas atop the Central, but the skid was halted with a 6-3 win at Washington.
The Avalanche entered Wednesday's game two points behind the Stars, who have a game in hand.
6. Edmonton Oilers
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Previous Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 31-17-1
Leave it to Connor McDavid. Just as a fatalist fanbase was lamenting losses to division rivals Vegas and Los Angeles after an epic win streak, the captain dropped six assists in an 8-4 rout of Detroit.
All is well again. And if the Oilers land Jake Guentzel, perhaps things can be even better.
5. New York Rangers
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Previous Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 34-16-3
The Rangers opened their most recent 10-game stretch one victory in five games (1-3-1), but that's all behind them for the time being after they strung together five straight wins.
Of particular note was a recently slumping Igor Shesterkin's first shutout of the season over Calgary.
4. Florida Panthers
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Previous Ranking: 5
Overall Record: 33-15-4
The Panthers continued to make magic in south Florida in a 4-0 defeat of visiting Colorado that was their sixth win in seven games.
It also was the 850th win of coach Paul Maurice's career, lifting him past Ken Hitchcock and into fifth on the all-time victories list.
3. Boston Bruins
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Previous Ranking: 2
Overall Record: 32-11-10
Brad Marchand isn't the league's most popular player but he's among the most durable, reaching the 1,000-game milestone in Tuesday's loss to Tampa Bay.
He's the eighth player to reach 1,000 games with Boston and is fifth in franchise history in scoring (912 points).
2. Dallas Stars
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Previous Ranking: 3
Overall Record: 33-14-6
Goalie Jake Oettinger allowed 16 goals across four starts from January 18-27 but he's been rock-solid since, stopping 97 of 102 shots (.951 save percentage) in consecutive defeats of Buffalo, Montreal and Carolina.
His 19 wins are eighth-best in the NHL.
1. Vancouver Canucks
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Previous Ranking: 1
Overall Record: 36-12-6
Earning 16 of a possible 20 points over the last 10 games (7-1-2) doesn't make it easy on Vancouver's pursuers in the Pacific, but don't expect much sympathy from the Canucks.
They are 10 points up on Vegas and 15 ahead of the recently red-hot Oilers.
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