NHL Power Rankings: Kings and Blues Make Strong Pushes

The team that wins the Stanley Cup in a few months is going to have earned it.

That's the case any year, but it seems an especially daunting task in 2024-25, particularly looking at the minefield that is the Western Conference.

Four of the top five and five of the top seven teams in the NHL's overall standings represent the West, including the Los Angeles Kings, whose six-spot spike from No. 11 to No. 5 was the biggest positive move in this week's B/R Power Rankings.

The Kings are seventh overall in the league and second in the Pacific Division.

Also making a big move out west were the St. Louis Blues, who leapt from 17th to 12th after this week's voting amid a hot streak that has moved them into the conference's eighth and final playoff position.

Living life on the other side are the East's Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning, who dropped four and three places, respectively, after voters awarded 32 points for a first-place nod down to one point for 32nd place.

Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought in the comments.

Votes were tallied after games played on Tuesday, March 25.

32. San Jose Sharks

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Previous Ranking: 32

Overall Record: 19-42-9

It's not exactly a weeks-long win streak, but the Sharks have recorded more than 10 percent of their season victory total in a 2-2-0 stretch that included a Saturday defeat of visiting Boston.

It was their first win over the Bruins since the 2016-17 season and phenom Macklin Celebrini's two-assist game gave him six multiple-assist games for the season, tying a franchise rookie record.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

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Previous Ranking: 31

Overall Record: 21-42-9

The Blackhawks became the second team to get the dreaded "E" alongside their name in the standings, meaning they've been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth consecutive season.

Goalie Spencer Knight has plummeted back to earth after winning his first two starts following his arrival from Florida in the trade that sent Seth Jones to the Panthers.

The 23-year-old entered Wednesday having gone 1-4-0 in his last five starts while allowing 17 goals on 135 shots (.874 save percentage).

30. Nashville Predators

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Previous Ranking: 30

Overall Record: 27-36-8

It's two wins in three games for the Predators after a triumph at Carolina on Tuesday wrapped up a brief two-game road trip, and the 3-1 score marked the sixth time in March that Nashville allowed two or fewer goals.

Goalie Juuse Saros stopped all but one of 35 shots for his 18th victory of the season and fifth this month, during which he's gone 5-3-0. Previously, his season high for wins in a month was four in November.

29. Philadelphia Flyers

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Previous Ranking: 28

Overall Record: 28-36-9

It's not a mathematical certainty at this point, but playoff elimination has gotten a whole lot closer for the Flyers, whose 7-2 loss at Toronto on Tuesday was their sixth in a row (0-5-1) and left them a point up on Buffalo for last in the Eastern Conference.

It was the second straight game in which Philadelphia allowed seven goals and dropped the team's record for March to 2-10-1, the worst in the league.

28. Buffalo Sabres

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Previous Ranking: 29

Overall Record: 29-35-6

A 4-2-0 stretch at this point is too little, too late when it comes to the playoffs, but it was worthy of a milestone for veteran coach Lindy Ruff, who's wrapping up year one of his second tenure with the Sabres.

Buffalo's 3-2 win over Ottawa was the 600th of Ruff's career with the team, making him just the second coach in league history to hit that number with one franchise, joining Al Arbour of the New York Islanders.

27. Seattle Kraken

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Previous Ranking: 27

Overall Record: 30-36-6

A three-game skid has extinguished everything beyond mathematical playoff hopes for the Kraken, who are setting a course for the future while finishing off 2024-25.

"We're just trying to instill a culture," winger Tye Kartye said. "Battling, never giving up, playing for the guy beside you. For the last whatever we have, 10 games, really try to instill that into our game."

26. Pittsburgh Penguins

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Previous Ranking: 26

Overall Record: 29-33-11

The Penguins' unlikely run to an Eastern playoff spot took another hit on Tuesday when they were routed, 6-1, in a Tuesday visit to Tampa Bay that was their third loss in four games (1-2-1).

Goalie Tristan Jarry allowed four goals on seven shots in the first period before being pulled after 16 minutes. Pittsburgh has allowed 16 goals (plus a shootout tally) in the four-game slide.

25. Anaheim Ducks

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Previous Ranking: 25

Overall Record: 31-32-8

Is Trevor Zegras finally becoming the guy? Maybe.

The former ninth overall pick missed 25 of the Ducks' first 70 games, but he had points in seven of his first 11 games in March, and his 18.2 shooting percentage was seven points over his career number.

24. Boston Bruins

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Previous Ranking: 24

Overall Record: 30-34-9

Home will be a welcome sight next week for the stumbling Bruins, who opened a five-game road trip with losses at Vegas, San Jose and Los Angeles in which they were outscored 15-4 and won't play in Boston until April 1.

"You get in a slump like this and maybe you’re gripping your stick a little more than normal," center Casey Mittelstadt said. "It comes down to just coming out and playing your game, playing with some poise and some calm.”

23. Detroit Red Wings

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Previous Ranking: 23

Overall Record: 33-32-6

The Red Wings are foundering and a back-to-back set this week didn't help, with a 5-1 win at Utah followed by a 5-2 defeat at Colorado.

The loss to the Avalanche was the team's third in four games and left them three points below the Eastern playoff cutline entering Wednesday.

"With our schedule, we knew what we were up against," coach Todd McLellan said. "I thought we put a pretty good effort in against a real good hockey club, and obviously [it was] not enough."

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

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Previous Ranking: 22

Overall Record: 32-29-9

Getting Sean Monahan back in the fold was the right tonic for the Blue Jackets, who ended an 0-5-1 skid when their 30-year-old center returned to the ice for the first time since Jan. 7.

Monahan had two assists in a win over the Islanders and saw 18:51 of ice time across 25 shifts. He'd missed 28 games with a wrist injury but has produced 10 points in the last five games he's played.

21. New York Rangers

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Previous Ranking: 21

Overall Record: 34-32-6

Just when it looked like the Rangers were starting a late run toward regaining last season's Presidents' Trophy form, they've stumbled.

A 3-1 loss at Los Angeles on Tuesday was their fourth in fifth games and left them a point below the Eastern playoff cut line entering Wednesday.

"It gets tiring because I feel like over the last few weeks, we’ve been playing some good hockey and still losing," center Mika Zibanejad said. "We find a way to lose."

20. New York Islanders

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Previous Ranking: 20

Overall Record: 32-29-10

There aren't a lot of games left to get into a playoff spot, but you can't suggest the Islanders haven't made a pretty good bid down the stretch.

New York was 6-3-3 in March entering Wednesday's games, and its 30.3 shots per game in that stretch were fifth best in the league.

Center Bo Horvat will have to ramp things up to reach 30 goals for a fourth straight season, but he had points in four straight and five of his last six entering Wednesday to pull into the team lead over Anders Lee.

19. Utah Hockey Club

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Previous Ranking: 19

Overall Record: 32-28-11

A run of two straight wins and three in four games came to an inglorious end for the artists formerly known as the Coyotes, who allowed just 14 shots in a Monday game against Detroit but still lost 5-1.

Karel Vejmelka had a .692 save percentage for the game, his lowest number since he surrendered four goals on 12 shots (.667) against Calgary in January 2024.

18. Montreal Canadiens

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Previous Ranking: 16

Overall Record: 33-28-9

A blowout in St. Louis on Tuesday was just the second regulation loss in 14 games (8-2-4) for the Canadiens, who led the race for the final Eastern playoff berth heading into Wednesday's games.

But was it an aberration or a warning sign?

"Probably our worst game in a while," forward Nick Suzuki said. "I don't know, we just have to be a lot better than that with how important these games are."

17. Vancouver Canucks

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Previous Ranking: 15

Overall Record: 34-26-12

A six-game road trip got off to an uneven start for the Canucks, who'll continue to Columbus on Friday and Winnipeg on Saturday before returning home Wednesday.

Neither Elias Pettersson nor Nils Hoglander will be available for the rest of the trip thanks to undisclosed injuries, but Vancouver did get a jolt with the return of goalie Thatcher Demko, who'd not played since early February before making 22 saves in a win at New Jersey on Tuesday.

16. Ottawa Senators

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Previous Ranking: 14

Overall Record: 37-28-5

A playoff spot is by no means a guarantee for a team that hasn't seen the tournament since 2017, but the most optimistic Ottawa fan has to be at least tempted to look ahead to possible first-round matchups given the team's five-point cushion.

The Senators entered Wednesday as the seventh seed in the East, which would yield an opening series with provincial rival Toronto, a team they've beaten three times this season while outscoring it, 9-3.

Meanwhile, they're a combined 3-3-2 against Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington.

15. Calgary Flames

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Previous Ranking: 18

Overall Record: 34-25-11

Resilience has been a theme of the Flames all season, as evidenced lately by four straight comeback victories, including two straight courtesy of OT winners from Nazem Kadri.

"The belief has been there all year," goalie Dustin Wolf said. "There's been stretches where hockey games haven't gone our way and we've had a tough time stringing them along, but if there's ever a time to get the engines running it's right now."

14. New Jersey Devils

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Previous Ranking: 13

Overall Record: 38-28-7

Any chance at a deep playoff run for the Devils will revolve around goalie Jacob Markstrom, who's struggled badly since returning from an injury in early March and broke a stick after a shootout loss on Monday.

The 35-year-old was 21-9-5 with a 2.20 goals-against average before sustaining the injury in a Jan. 22 game with Boston, but entered Wednesday with just one win in seven starts (1-5-1) and a 4.00 goals-against average since March 2.

13. Minnesota Wild

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Previous Ranking: 12

Overall Record: 40-27-5

A back-to-back set of games with some travel in between was not ideal for the Wild, who were beaten, 3-1, in Dallas on Monday before returning home Tuesday for a 5-1 loss to visiting Vegas. Minnesota entered Wednesday with a two-point edge on St. Louis for the first Western wild-card position.

"We didn't get the results that we wanted in both nights," coach John Hynes said, "but I think this time of the year you need to have consistency to your game, and I think we've had consistent consistency to our game for a while."

12. St. Louis Blues

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Previous Ranking: 17

Overall Record: 38-28-7

Go ahead and raise your hand if you had St. Louis as the team most likely to be the hottest in the league as the schedule reached its final 10 games.

The Blues defeated Montreal Tuesday night for their seventh straight win and 14th in 18 games (14-2-2), getting within a point of Minnesota for the first Western wild-card slot and four points ahead of Calgary and the tournament cutline.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning

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Previous Ranking: 8

Overall Record: 41-25-5

Nikita Kucherov pulled into fourth place among active NHL players when he scored a goal and added two assists on Tuesday night to eclipse 100 points for the fifth time in his career.

The 31-year-old Russian got to triple digits in both 2017-18 (100) and 2018-19 (128), then returned with 113 points in 2022-23 and a career-best 144 last season. He's on pace to finish with 117 this season.

10. Edmonton Oilers

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Previous Ranking: 9

Overall Record: 41-25-5

It's a delicate time for the Oilers, who entered Wednesday two points behind Los Angeles for second in the Pacific and eight points up on fourth-place Calgary, which won its fourth straight on Tuesday night.

It's a long shot to suggest Edmonton is in danger of missing the tournament entirely. But the prospect of a visit to Seattle followed by a game against the Flames without both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl creates at least some uneasiness.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs

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Previous Ranking: 10

Overall Record: 43-25-3

The latest run of success for the Maple Leafs, with wins in four of their last five games through Tuesday night, resulted in a climb into a first-place tie with defending champion Florida atop the Atlantic Division.

Toronto won the Canada-centric North Division in a COVID-addled 2020-21 season and hadn't won a division title prior to that since capturing the Northeast in 1999-2000.

8. Florida Panthers

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Previous Ranking: 7

Overall Record: 43-25-3

Sam Reinhart has provided everything the Panthers could have expected since they plucked him from Buffalo in a 2021 trade, including a Cup-clinching goal in last season's championship series with Edmonton.

The 2014 second overall pick has been particularly adept on the power play with Florida and netted his 11th this season on Sunday. His 70 power-play goals since the start of the 2021-22 are second-most in the league behind Leon Draisaitl.

7. Carolina Hurricanes

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Previous Ranking: 3

Overall Record: 43-24-4

There are few places to go from an eight-game win streak other than down, and that's where the Hurricanes have gone recently with two losses in three games since the run of success from March 2-20.

A Tuesday loss to visiting Nashville was the first home game for Carolina after a four-game Western trip on which it went 3-1-0. The team entered Wednesday tied for the league lead with 27 home wins.

6. Colorado Avalanche

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Previous Ranking: 5

Overall Record: 44-25-3

Only two teams in the league have been any better over the last month than the Avalanche, who beat Detroit on Tuesday to improve to 11-1-1 in their last 13 games.

Colorado's 4.23 goals per game are the league's best since Feb. 24 and its 2.00 goals-against average shares the top spot with Florida. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is 6-1-1 in that stretch and is 20-8-3 with the Avalanche since a December trade with San Jose.

5. Los Angeles Kings

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Previous Ranking: 11

Overall Record: 40-21-9

It's an important time to be hot in the Pacific Division, and the Kings are taking advantage with four straight overall wins alongside a franchise-record 15-game point streak on home ice at Crypto.com Arena.

Los Angeles is 12-0-3 in its recent run at home and 26-3-4 for the season, translating to an .848 points percentage that's the league's best. It's the fifth time in franchise history the team has gotten to 26 home wins.

4. Vegas Golden Knights

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Previous Ranking: 6

Overall Record: 43-20-8

The Golden Knights have been doing all the right things lately, as evidenced by a four-game win streak that's let them open a five-point lead over second-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division, entering Wednesday's games.

Jack Eichel was a playoff star during the team's run to a Stanley Cup in 2023 and he's been red-hot in the four-game streak, netting five goals and producing 10 points. A Tuesday hat trick in Minnesota was his first in two years.

3. Dallas Stars

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Previous Ranking: 4

Overall Record: 46-21-4

The Stars were already deep and talented before adding Mikko Rantanen and it doesn't hurt that they've got a guy on a bounce-back heater in the net, too.

Jake Oettinger reached Wednesday's visit to Edmonton having won three straight starts and allowed five goals on 81 shots (.938 save percentage). That came on the heels of an 0-2-1 stretch in which he'd given up 13 goals on 84 shots (.845).

2. Winnipeg Jets

Previous Ranking: 2

Overall Record: 49-19-4

Score one for the Jets in the most recent "potential Stanley Cup preview" game after they beat Eastern Conference leader Washington, 3-2, in OT on Tuesday night.

The Jets became the first Western team to secure a playoff spot and entered Wednesday one point behind the Capitals in the chase for the league's top overall place.

"There was a lot of trash talking going on, there were some big hits, there was a lot happening," Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. "Both teams recognized that they wanna be No. 1."

1. Washington Capitals

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Previous Ranking: 1

Overall Record: 47-15-9

The biggest story in North American team sports got a little more compelling Tuesday night when Alex Ovechkin scored his 36th goal of the season and the 889th of his career, pulling within five of a tie with Wayne Gretzky atop the league's all-time goals list.

The 39-year-old got the tally against the Winnipeg Jets, marking the 57th time in 75 games he's scored against the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers, the most by an active player against any franchise.

Ovechkin also scored his 600th career goal against them in 2008 and his 801st and 802nd, which moved him past Gordie Howe, in 2022.