NHL Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Penguins March to No. 1, Red Wings Fall

There's this guy from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, who made his return to the Pittsburgh Penguins this past week, making the hottest team in the NHL even better.

His name is Sidney Crosby, don't know if you've heard of him. He's kind of the best player in the world, and he's been showing it thus far in his return.

Another player making a return to his team is Alexander Radulov, who joins the Nashville Predators after playing in the KHL. Radulov is arguably the best player in the world that doesn't play in the NHL, and he'll give the Preds a boost.

It'll be interesting how both of these players help their respective teams during the final stretch. 

Until then, here are some updated power rankings for y'all.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Last week: No. 2)

Is it fair to call the Penguins the Miami Heat of the NHL?

They're just too star studded. How do you defend this team? They roll out three solid lines and one of them is arguably the best line in the NHL in Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin, and James Neal. 

Sidney Crosby also has a knack to make the players around him better. Matt Cooke already has four goals since his return and Tyler Kennedy has added two for himself. He's the greatest playmaker in the league.

Throw in the Sullivan-Staal-Dupuis line that has been an absolutely stingy line to play against, and you get a championship team.

Oh yeah, we're forgetting Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Zbynek Michalek and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Good luck, Eastern Conference.

2. St. Louis Blues (Last week: No. 1)

The Blues defensive supremacy has been well-documented, but two stats that are a cause for some concern are their strength of schedule and division record. They're 26th in the league in strength of schedule and are just 9-8-3 against the Central Division, which has three other Stanley Cup contenders within the division.

3. New York Rangers (Last week: No. 3)

The New York Rangers are 5-5 in their last 10, but a pair of wins against New Jersey and Detroit have kept them in the No. 3 spot. There's plenty to like about this team, from their stingy defense to their high-octane offense.

That being said, securing the No. 1 seed is extremely vital for the Rangers, so they must find a way to hold off the Penguins. Facing Philadelphia instead of Washington can make a huge difference. 

4. Philadelphia Flyers (Last week: No. 6)

If Ilya Bryzgalov continues to play this way, one has to seriously consider the Flyers as a Stanley Cup contender. He literally was the reason why they weren't reaching their potential, but now that he's received the first star of the NHL in consecutive weeks, fans in the City of Brotherly Love are smiling at the prospects of spring success.

5. Nashville Predators (Last week: No. 4)

The Predators are all about balance. They're in the top half of the league in scoring and goals allowed. They're also first in the NHL in terms of power play. Oh yeah, and they're getting Alexander Radulov to bolster the team.

One concern for the team is whether Pekka Rinne has what it takes to take them to the promise land. He's a solid goaltender, but he's not at Jaroslav Halak's or Brian Elliott's level. Also, the team can't rely on their powerplay to win games. They need to improve on even strength, and Radulov definitely helps them there.

6. Vancouver Canucks (Last week: No. 5)

Once again, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves among the best teams in the Western Conference. It's going to be the same old story with them, though. Can Roberto Luongo come through the clutch?

Right now, Luongo is wilting. He's only won one game in his last seven starts and he's allowed 18 goals in the last five games. 

In fact, the Canucks have only won once in the last five games and that one win was against Columbus. 

7. Chicago Blackhawks (Last week: No. 8)

The Hawks are certainly heating up at the right time. They've recorded points in their last seven games and won their last five. They defeated powerhouses like the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and the New York Rangers recently. These wins will give them the confidence to do well in the playoffs.

8. Detroit Red Wings (Last week: No. 7)

While the Hawks have soared, the Red Wings have fallen flat. The Wings haven't won on the road against a team not named Columbus since February 2. They've lost six games in a row and five of those have come on the road.

As powerful as Detroit is at the Joe, they need to start winning on the road if they're going to make a run in the playoffs.

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9. Boston Bruins (Last week: No. 10)

No more messin' around? 

After defeating the red hot Flyers, the Bruins punched the Maple Leafs in the forehead with an 8-0 victory. Perhaps this is a sign of the Bruins kicking it into high gear with the playoffs approaching.

10. New Jersey Devils (Last week: No. 9)

The New Jersey Devils are built for the playoffs. They have three elite scorers, a legitimate defense, and a hall-of-fame goalie that can get hot and steal a few series.

Don't count them out. They're also fortunate to be in the No. 6 hole because they're on track to play against an inexperienced Florida team.

11. Florida Panthers (Last week: No. 14)

The Panthers five-game winning streak finally came to an end on Wednesday night. It's still stunning that this team has set themselves up to win their division with a negative goal differential.

12. Dallas Stars (Last week: No. 11)

Today they're leading the division. Next week they can be on the outside looking in. Such is life in the Pacific Division

13. Ottawa Senators (Last week: No. 13)

The Senators only have eight games left and they had an inconsistent week. Hot Buffalo is only four points behind them for the seventh seed. That being said, if the Senators hold on to make the playoffs, it'll be a major accomplishment for a team that was projected to be one of the worst in the NHL.

14. Los Angeles Kings (Last week: No. 19)

The Kings looked all but dead a week and a half ago, but they've reeled off five in a row against teams like Chicago, San Jose, and Nashville and are now very much in the thick of things.

What's most surprising is that their once-anemic offense is averaging over four goals per game during their winning streak.

15. Colorado Avalanche (Last week: No. 16)

The team's 5-0-1 run has put them in seventh in the Western Conference. That said, they've played more games than anyone else in the West so they could easily fall out of contention with a small losing streak.

Good news is that Matt Duchene will be returning soon. 

16. Phoenix Coyotes (Last week: No. 12)

After an unbelievable February, the Coyotes only have two March wins. It'll be safe to bet against the Yotes to make the playoffs.

17. Buffalo Sabres (Last week: No. 20)

The Sabres have recorded points in their last six games and have officially risen from the dead. With 80 points, they are tied with the Washington Capitals for the eighth seed. Thank Ryan Miller. 

18. Washington Capitals (Last week: No. 15)

How a team with so much talent fails to win the Southeast Division is beyond me. Failure of a season for the Capitals unless they go on a magical and unlikely playoff run. Only then will their regular season struggles not matter.

19. San Jose Sharks  (Last week: No. 17)

March hasn't been kind to San Jose. They only have three wins and they find themselves in an unfamiliar place outside of the playoffs. The Sharks seem to lack intensity in the last few months as they've only won consecutive games just twice since the All-Star break. 

20. Winnipeg Jets (Last week: No. 21)

Two consecutive losses against Carolina and Pittsburgh have set back the Jets in their quest to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Just imagine where this team would be had they been at least mediocre on the road.

21. Calgary Flames (Last week: No. 18)

This definitely isn't the time of year to halt a five-game winning streak with consecutive losses to Edmonton and Columbus.

22. Carolina Hurricanes (Last week: No. 25)

Eric Staal has 27 points in his last 20 games, and the Hurricanes are wondering where that output was in the first half of the season.

23. New York Islanders (Last week: No. 24)

After it seemed like he was never going to join the team, Evgeni Nabokov decided to sign an extension with the Isles, proving to everyone that you have to give everything and everyone a chance!

24. Anaheim Ducks (Last week: No. 23) 

The Ducks have games against the Sharks, Coyotes, and Flames left. This is a great chance for the team to act as spoiler.

25. Tampa Bay Lightning (Last week: No. 22)

Another fantastic season for Steven Stamkos as he hits the 50 goal mark again.

26. Montreal Canadiens (Last week: No. 26)

Perhaps Patrick Roy might come to coach the Habs next season?

27. Toronto Maple Leafs (Last week: No. 27)

I went to the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston earlier this March and GM Brian Burke ridiculed analytics in hockey and even went on to say that "Moneyball" never won a World Series.

Well, Burkie, at least it made the team competitive. Perhaps, he needs to reevaluate the way he scouts talent, or risk losing his job. 

28. Minnesota Wild (Last week: No. 28)

Clayton Stoner has my vote for the Bill Masterton Trophy.

29. Edmonton Oilers (Last week: No. 29)

Give credit to the Oilers, who have continued to fight hard in a meaningless season. They've now won three of their last four.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets (Last week: No. 30)

Rick Nash is barely going to break the 50-point plateau this season. It's sad because we all know if he was surrounded by good players he'd be one of the most dangerous players in the league.

Power Rankings History: Dec 13-19 | Dec 20-26 | Dec 27-Jan 4 | Jan 5-11 | Jan 12-18 | Jan 19-26 | Jan 31-Feb 14 | Feb 15-22 | Feb 23-29 | March 1-9 | March 10-15