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NHL Power Rankings: Playoff Races Heating Up
We've reached the final month.
OK, sort of. The NHL regular season ends on April 17, which is actually next month, but there are less than 30 days remaining on the schedule and things are getting interesting when it comes to playoff races.
The New York Islanders are in a four-team pack within three points of the final Eastern wild-card berth, and they've done themselves a favor with a 6-3-1 run that yielded a four-spot jump in B/R's Power Rankings.
Meanwhile, a team that's tied with the Islanders, the Columbus Blue Jackets, is on the other side of the momentum ledger and plummeted seven spots thanks to a four-game losing streak.
Additionally, the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks spiked three places apiece, while the defending champion Florida Panthers moved three positions in the other direction after weekly voting, which awarded 32 points for a first-place vote down to a single point for last.
Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the app comments.
Votes were tallied after games played on Tuesday, March 18.
32. San Jose Sharks
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Previous Ranking: 32
Overall Record: 18-41-9
Sometimes it's not great to be first, particularly when you're the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention as the Sharks were when St. Louis defeated Anaheim on Sunday.
The miss is the sixth straight for San Jose, which last participated in the 2018-19 season and reached the Western Conference Final with a team that included Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane, among others.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
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Previous Ranking: 31
Overall Record: 20-39-9
The latest skid in a long season, namely an 0-4-1 record in the last five games, has at least one player in the Chicago locker room suggesting the end of the schedule can't come soon enough.
"(Morale is) probably the worst it's been all year, to be honest with you," defenseman Alex Vlasic said after Tuesday's 6-2 home loss to Seattle. "I think we're trying to take steps as a group almost at game 70."
30. Nashville Predators
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Previous Ranking: 29
Overall Record: 25-34-8
It's another week in season-long oblivion for the Predators, who have dropped three straight games (0-2-1) since a four-game win streak from March 4-11.
Nashville has scored just two goals in the losses to Anaheim (2-1), Los Angeles (1-0, OT) and St. Louis (4-1) after netting 17 in the win streak against Boston, Seattle, Chicago and San Jose.
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29. Buffalo Sabres
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Previous Ranking: 30
Overall Record: 27-33-6
The best remedy for a six-game losing streak (0-5-1)? Win three of the next four, including a visit to a traditional rival, which is what the Sabres did on Monday with an OT defeat of Boston.
Defenseman Owen Power had an assist on the game-winner against the Bruins to cap off a three-point night that gave him 35 points on the season, equaling the career high he established across 79 games in 2022-23.
28. Philadelphia Flyers
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Previous Ranking: 26
Overall Record: 28-33-8
The nine-game slide (2-7-0) that has the Flyers on the brink of playoff oblivion in the East can be attributed to one glaring statistic: Only 12 regulation goals scored in the month of March.
Philadelphia's drought dropped it to 24th in the league (2.71 goals per game) entering Wednesday, and its 1.33 rate this month is last among 32 teams by 0.42 goals per game.
27. Seattle Kraken
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Previous Ranking: 28
Overall Record: 30-34-5
The playoffs are a long shot given a 10-point deficit entering Wednesday, but the Kraken are playing like contenders in a 3-0-1 stretch that included a six-goal outburst in Chicago on Tuesday.
It's the ninth time this season Seattle has reached a half-dozen goals and the first since a 6-3 defeat of Vancouver on March 1. The team has climbed to 13th in the NHL with a per-game average of 3.01 after it was 29th last season at 2.61.
26. Pittsburgh Penguins
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Previous Ranking: 27
Overall Record: 28-32-10
Just when it looked like things were on the up for the Penguins, who had won a season-high four straight, they gave up four in the third period to drop a 4-2 decision to the New York Islanders.
It was a first loss for goalie Tristan Jarry since he returned from a stint in the AHL. The 29-year-old had stopped 120 of 129 shots (.930 save percentage) in the four victories and made 34 saves against the Islanders.
25. Anaheim Ducks
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Previous Ranking: 25
Overall Record: 29-31-8
A plummet that began in late February has continued into mid-March for the Ducks, who lost at Dallas on Tuesday to drop their second straight (0-1-1), their fourth in five games (1-3-1) and their ninth in 13 games (4-7-2).
Goalie Lukas Dostal is 4-6-1 in that same run after allowing four goals on 31 shots against the Stars. Still, he has a .908 save percentage in the stretch, matching his season-long number that would be a career best since he debuted in 2022.
24. Boston Bruins
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Previous Ranking: 22
Overall Record: 30-30-9
The latest downturn for the Bruins is particularly ill-timed given their status as pursuers in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Boston lost in OT to Buffalo on Monday to fall to 2-5-1 in its last eight games, but interim coach Joe Sacco insists it's not a matter of the team giving up.
"I don't think [low morale] has been an issue at all," he said. "If anything, sometimes we're maybe trying to do too much at times."
23. Detroit Red Wings
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Previous Ranking: 23
Overall Record: 32-30-6
A Tuesday night loss in Washington was the latest in a prolonged downturn for the Red Wings, who are 4-9-1 since a seven-game win streak bridged January into February.
The skid dropped Detroit three points below the Eastern playoff cutline heading into Wednesday. The team has not reached the postseason since 2016 and hasn't won a series since 2013.
22. Columbus Blue Jackets
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Previous Ranking: 15
Overall Record: 31-28-8
The wheels are coming off at precisely the wrong time for the uber-resilient Blue Jackets, who've lost four straight and six of seven since a four-game win streak that bridged February into March.
Columbus has scored just six goals in the six losses, and its 1.86 goals per game since March 4 are tied with Minnesota for 30th in the league.
21. New York Rangers
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Previous Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 33-30-6
The buzz from a successful road trip (2-1-0) has quickly worn off for the Rangers, who dropped a 2-1 decision to visiting Calgary on Tuesday after losing, 3-1, to Edmonton on Sunday.
New York has scored as many as four goals just once in its last eight games for a per-game average of 2.25, well below its 2.96 for the season and way off the 3.39 that was good for seventh in the league in 2023-24.
20. New York Islanders
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Previous Ranking: 24
Overall Record: 31-28-8
The Islanders put up four unanswered goals in the third period on Tuesday to shock host Pittsburgh and win dramatically for the second straight time after going 0-2-1 in their previous three games.
The win was New York's fifth in 28 games this season (5-21-2) when trailing after 40 minutes. The team was also down, 2-0, after two periods on Sunday against Florida before also rallying for a 4-2 victory.
19. Utah Hockey Club
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Previous Ranking: 21
Overall Record: 30-27-11
Two losses in three games are bad enough but the optics of allowing 12 goals—including seven in a Tuesday rout by Edmonton—are particularly tough to swallow for a Utah team trying to stay relevant in the Western playoff race.
"This time of year, you can't have that," defenseman Sean Durzi said, "but ... you have to be able to move on."
18. Calgary Flames
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Previous Ranking: 16
Overall Record: 31-25-11
A trip to Madison Square Garden was a tonic for the slumping Flames, who defeated the Rangers, 2-1, to end a three-game losing streak and pick up their initial win on a four-game trip that started with a Monday loss in Toronto.
It's been an extended skid for Calgary, which was 5-6-4 in its previous 15 to fall out of the Western playoff position it had held for most of the season.
The Flames entered Wednesday two points behind No. 8 seed St. Louis with two games in hand.
17. St. Louis Blues
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Previous Ranking: 17
Overall Record: 34-28-7
There's no player in the league hotter these days than St. Louis forward Jordan Kyrou, who has put up five goals and three assists across his last three games, all Blues wins.
The Blues are 10-2-2 in their last 14 and have pulled past Calgary and Vancouver and into a Western playoff position.
St. Louis is 25-16-6 in 47 games since bringing in coach Jim Montgomery to replace Drew Bannister on Nov. 24.
16. Montreal Canadiens
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Previous Ranking: 19
Overall Record: 33-27-7
The Canadiens moved past the Rangers and into an Eastern playoff position (at least for the time being) on Tuesday, when a five-goal third period yielded a 6-3 defeat of streaking Ottawa.
Sam Montembeault stopped 22 shots and has gone eight starts without a regulation loss (7-0-1) since Feb. 9. Ironically, he'd gone 2-6-0 in his previous eight starts.
15. Vancouver Canucks
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Previous Ranking: 18
Overall Record: 32-25-11
Have the Canucks finally found the right mix after a season of turmoil? It seems so lately amid a 3-1-0 stretch that included a Tuesday night rout of the high-flying Jets.
Brock Boeser scored for the first time since Feb. 8 and Vancouver entered Wednesday in the thick of the Western wild-card chase, level with St. Louis for the second spot with a game in hand but just two points up on Calgary.
14. Ottawa Senators
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Previous Ranking: 14
Overall Record: 36-26-5
A six-game win streak and an eight-game run with at least a point finally came to an end on Tuesday for the Senators, who blew a third-period lead while losing to Montreal.
Ottawa entered Wednesday four points ahead of the Canadiens for the first Eastern wild-card playoff spot. The Senators have not reached the tournament since running to the conference final in 2017.
13. New Jersey Devils
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Previous Ranking: 13
Overall Record: 37-26-6
The Devils suffered another significant injury blow when defenseman Dougie Hamilton was lost for the rest of the regular season with a lower-body issue after a scrum with Dallas forward Mason Marchment on March 4.
The Hamilton injury came two days after forward Jack Hughes was also shelved with a shoulder injury.
“These guys might be done for the year, for the season, for the regular season, whatever it is, it [stinks]," defenseman Brenden Dillon said.
12. Minnesota Wild
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Previous Ranking: 12
Overall Record: 38-25-5
The stretch drive will be full of challenges for an injury-ravaged team, but the Wild entered Wednesday positively thanks to their grip on the first Western wild-card position, six points clear of charging foes in St. Louis and Vancouver.
"I'm very confident in our team," GM Bill Guerin said. "I'm very happy with the way that they're playing. The guys are doing the right things."
11. Los Angeles Kings
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Previous Ranking: 10
Overall Record: 36-21-9
A Monday loss at Minnesota was frustrating, but the Kings had been playing well enough to rattle off five straight wins before the streak was ended.
Los Angeles had given up just one goal in its previous three games, even getting a pair of shutouts from veteran Darcy Kuemper.
The 34-year-old has allowed two or fewer goals in six straight starts (4-1-1) since surrendering 10 across starts on Feb. 28 and March 3. He entered Wednesday in the top four in the league in goals-against average (2.16, second), save percentage (.918, third) and shutouts (4, tied for fourth).
10. Toronto Maple Leafs
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Previous Ranking: 8
Overall Record: 40-24-3
A perpetually tortured fanbase was calling for blue-line help and that's what the Maple Leafs got at the deadline in the form of 6'5", 220-pounder Brandon Carlo, who came from Boston for a prospect and two picks.
He averaged 19:20 in ice time and was a plus-1 through his first five games with Toronto, which is only the second organization he's known after he was drafted by the Bruins in 2015 and debuted in 2016.
"I'm settling in now, I enjoy being here, I enjoy being part of this team," Carlo said. "So, each day has gotten better in terms of not feeling out of place at times."
9. Edmonton Oilers
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Previous Ranking: 11
Overall Record: 40-24-4
Maybe it's just the Oilers being the Oilers. Edmonton was a ghastly 3-7-0 in its first 10 games after the 4 Nations event, but the team responded with three straight wins in which opponents have been outscored 12-3.
Remember, coach Kris Knoblauch's group began the season 5-5-1, then was the best team in the Western Conference over the next 41 games from Nov. 1 to Feb. 1 (.695 points percentage).
Goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have combined for a 1.80 goals-against average since March 10.
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
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Previous Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 39-23-5
The Lightning have gotten back on brand since ending an 0-2-1 blip in which they allowed 12 goals, winning two subsequent games at Boston and home against Philadelphia while scoring eight times and surrendering just two.
A 2-0 shutout of the Flyers was goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy's fifth of the season and 39th of his career. It was also the first time Tampa Bay has won this season (1-15-3) while scoring fewer than three goals.
7. Florida Panthers
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Previous Ranking: 4
Overall Record: 41-24-3
The champs were red-hot during a six-game win streak that ran from Feb. 25 to March 8 and included three shutouts.
However, they've been a trifle less successful since thanks to a six-game road trip that has included losses in Boston, Montreal and in New York against the Islanders in the first four games.
“I think there is a certain amount of humbling that you want to have happen before you go into the playoffs," coach Paul Maurice said. "We still got some work to do to get there."
6. Vegas Golden Knights
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Previous Ranking: 5
Overall Record: 39-20-8
The Golden Knights got some breathing room atop the Pacific with a four-game win streak from Feb. 27 to March 7, but they've given most of it back with four losses in the subsequent five (1-2-2).
Vegas entered Wednesday with a two-point lead (and a game in hand) over Edmonton and a five-point edge over Los Angeles, which has played one fewer game.
5. Colorado Avalanche
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Previous Ranking: 7
Overall Record: 41-24-3
In-season retooling has been the dominant story for the Avalanche, who were 13-5-1 (entering Wednesday) since the deal that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina.
Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, meanwhile, is 18-7-3 in 28 appearances since arriving from San Jose and has solidified the goal crease, helping Colorado to the 12th-best goals-against average (2.87) in the league after they were 17th with a 3.07 last season.
4. Dallas Stars
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Previous Ranking: 3
Overall Record: 43-21-3
Defenseman Miro Heiskanen may not be ready for the first round of the playoffs for the Stars as he continues to recover from knee surgery in early February, which followed an injury suffered in a Jan. 28 game against Vegas.
The 25-year-old was leading the team in ice time with an average of 25:10 per game and had 25 points in 50 games. Nevertheless, Dallas was 10-4-2 in its first 16 games without the 2017 third overall pick.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
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Previous Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 41-22-4
Who's got it better these days than the Hurricanes? Nobody.
Carolina has won seven straight, including the opener of a four-game road trip that'll take it to San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim before returning home on March 25.
Coach Rod Brind'Amour's group has allowed nine goals in the seven games and hasn't given up more than three in any game since Feb. 25.
2. Winnipeg Jets
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Previous Ranking: 2
Overall Record: 47-18-4
The bad news is goalie Connor Hellebuyck laid a statistical egg by giving up five goals on 21 shots in a Tuesday night loss at Vancouver.
The good news is that the slip-up came after a three-game win streak, and he still led the league in goals-against average (2.05), save percentage (.924) and shutouts (6) entering Wednesday.
"Very unlike our group," defenseman Dylan DeMelo said. "(But) it's going to happen over an 82-game season and we'll move on to the next one."
1. Washington Capitals
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Previous Ranking: 1
Overall Record: 45-15-8
Given his reputation as one of the league's most rugged players, it's easy to forget 6'4", 225-pound winger Tom Wilson is pretty gifted when it comes to providing offense.
The 2012 first-round pick scored in Tuesday's defeat of Detroit to reach 30 goals for the first time in his career. He's on pace to finish with 36, which would be a 50 percent jump from his previous high of 24 in 2021-22.
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