NHL Power Rankings: B/R Experts' Week 11 Poll
Eleven weeks are in the books, and what a time it's been for fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets. We're nearly at the Christmas holiday, and there's nothing but good cheer for coach John Tortorella and his crew.
There's a long way to go still, but it looks like there will be springtime hockey in Ohio. The Blue Jackets moved to the tip top of the Bleacher Report NHL Power Rankings (which is the upper case name of a tremendous bar and grill in downtown Columbus; try the pot roast sandwich—you'll thank us).
The Blue Jackets took an eight-game winning streak to British Columbia on Sunday, then made it nine with an overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks. They haven't been just beating teams lately—they've been crushing them. They've allowed just 61 goals in their first 29 games, scoring 98.
Columbus is needing to win consistently just to keep up with the Eastern Conference's other top clubs, however, including Pennsylvania's NHL entries, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. The East, as is becoming clear, is a beast this year. Perennial Western Conference power the Chicago Blackhawks also made a big move this week, and the team is the new points leader in the NHL.
Our panel of voters includes yours truly, Jonathan Willis, Carol Schram, Allan Mitchell, Lyle Richardson and Steve Macfarlane.
If you want to chime in, yay or nay, with our picks, visit the comments section and have at it.
30-26: Colorado Avalanche-New York Islanders
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30. Colorado Avalanche (last week: 30)
Things just keep getting worse in Denver. The Colorado Avalanche's home record is 4-10-1, while on the road, they've been OK. Games at the Pepsi Center too often look like home games for the road clubs, especially the recent game against Philadelphia, during which thousands of Flyers jerseys were present. The only question surrounding the team seems: How much will the roster be blown up to start all over with a rebuild?
29. Arizona Coyotes (last week: 29)
It didn't help matters in Glendale, Arizona, when youngster Max Domi hurt his hand in a fight on Dec. 8 and will be out for a considerable amount of time. Domi doesn't drop the gloves nearly as much as his old man, Tie, did, so it will hurt an already talent-challenged Arizona Coyotes club. He was one of the team's more dependable offensive players, which isn't saying much. Arizona has scored more goals than only one team in the West, Colorado.
28. New Jersey Devils (last week: 18)
After such a surprisingly good start, the New Jersey Devils have reverted back to the losing ways that have characterized so much of their last few seasons. Their 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday was the Devils' fifth defeat in a row. They've been dreadful on the road (4-11-4) but will get more home games upcoming at the Prudential Center, where the Devils are 8-1-2.
27. Vancouver Canucks (last week: 28)
Another ho-hum week for a Vancouver Canucks club that figures to have many more to come before April. It'd be nice to see the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, consider being moved to a contender. Let's face it, the window on a Stanley Cup in Vancouver has closed. Why not go somewhere and give a contender a real boost for the playoffs? Their hearts probably belong in Vancouver too much for that to happen, but it would be fun to see.
26. New York Islanders (last week: 24)
After flirting with respectability, the New York Islanders fell back again and are the team with the fewest points in the East. The Islanders are just giving up too many goals. Their 93 entering Sunday was second-most in their conference to Philadelphia. Unlike the Flyers, though, the Islanders aren't putting the puck in the net nearly as much to offset things. Andrew Ladd (four goals and seven points his first 30 games) continues to be a major free-agent bust.
25-21: Detroit Red Wings-Dallas Stars
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25. Detroit Red Wings (last week: 21)
The Detroit Red Wings continue to be mired in mediocrity. They've scored 78 goals and allowed 89. Their streak of making the playoffs, which stands at 25 years, is starting to look more in jeopardy with every passing week. Yet they still are hanging around. Everybody thought the streak would end last season, but it didn't. This team always seems to find a way.
24. Winnipeg Jets (last week: 25)
Standout rookie Patrik Laine had a forgettable game, scoring an own goal in a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Trying to clear a rebound, the 18-year-old instead put it into the top corner of his own cage, and that proved the difference in another Winnipeg Jets loss. But the Jets got a nice win against Colorado Sunday to finish out the week, with Laine getting his 18th goal of the season.
23. Buffalo Sabres (last week: 27)
Evander Kane has finally started to put some things together offensively, which has greatly helped the Buffalo Sabres' cause of late. The rugged winger has four goals in his last five games. Even when he wasn't scoring previously, Kane was working hard defensively and on the forecheck. If he can keep it going, the Sabres will have a shot at...well, not the playoffs probably—but another season of improvement, at least.
22. Florida Panthers (last week: 20)
The Florida Panthers got a win in Denver over the weekend, but then again, doesn't every visiting team these days? The Panthers are 3-3-4 (hut hut!) in the last 10 games, but they do seem to be playing a bit better of late under interim coach Tom Rowe. They open a homestand Tuesday against Buffalo, and it will be critical for Florida to get things going.
21. Dallas Stars (last week: 26)
It remains a season of disappointment for the defending Central Division champion Dallas Stars, but they did snap Philadelphia's 10-game winning streak Saturday. Dallas limited the high-scoring Flyers to just one goal in the win, so maybe there is hope for a team that remains 30th in the league in goals against (101). Both Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen are capable of getting red-hot, but time is starting to be of the essence for that to happen.
20-16: Toronto Maple Leafs-Carolina Hurricanes
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20. Toronto Maple Leafs (last week: 23)
The Toronto Maple Leafs are yet another NHL team with a record that looks decent. But the underlying numbers are not impressive. They've scored 85 goals and allowed 91. Finishing plays has been a problem of late. For instance, they recently put 52 shots on Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov in a game but scored only once in a loss to the lowly Avs on home ice.
19. Calgary Flames (last week: 10)
Somehow, the Calgary Flames slipped into our top 10 last week, which was probably far too generous of our panel. True, they did win six in a row, but they have since dropped two straight. Still, the fact the Flames are even in the discussion for a Western playoff spot is a good testament for a team that started out so poorly. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been much better of late. The former Boston Bruin has 17 points in 33 games and has been better with the puck in his own end.
18. Nashville Predators (last week: 19)
Just when it looked like the Nashville Predators had gotten things together and would go on a real roll, they stumbled again. They're only 3-5-2 in the last 10, including a home loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. Now they go on the road for an Eastern trip, starting Monday in Philadelphia. P.K. Subban's defensive play has slipped again too. He's a team-worst minus-11, with 17 points in 29 games. The Montreal Canadiens and Shea Weber continue to be winning the trade with Nashville so far.
17. Tampa Bay Lightning (last week: 17)
The Tampa Bay Lightning had a decent week, winning in Calgary and getting a point in an overtime loss in Edmonton. But the Bolts are still nowhere near where they want to be, stuck in 10th place overall in the East. Defenseman Victor Hedman is quietly having another great season at both ends. He's got 25 points so far, the second-leading scorer on the team. In a sense, that's been part of the problem for Tampa Bay, though. Other top offensive guys, such as Jonathan Drouin and Ondrej Palat, have yet to get a lot going.
16. Carolina Hurricanes (last week: 22)
It was a nice week for the Carolina Hurricanes, who have quietly slipped into ninth place in the East. The Hurricanes are 8-0-1 in their last nine at home, including Saturday's 2-1 shootout win over Buffalo. Earlier in the week, Carolina won an 8-6 game over Vancouver. However they do it, playoff-starved Canes fans will take the wins.
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15-11: Boston Bruins-Anaheim Ducks
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15. Boston Bruins (last week: 16)
The Boston Bruins got a tough 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, to close out a pretty good week. Boston is 5-3-2 in the last 10. Tuukka Rask only had to make 18 saves in the win over the Kings, just the kind of stifling defensive effort coach Claude Julien loves. Rask is the Bruins' MVP of the season, with a 1.82 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
14. Los Angeles Kings (last week: 14)
It continues to be a slog for the Los Angeles Kings, but not for the reasons most would have expected when No. 1 goalie Jonathan Quick went down with a lower-body injury early in the season. It's time to start worrying a little about the offense, especially captain Anze Kopitar. He's got only three goals on the season in 26 games. He does have 12 assists, but it's still been a bad campaign for him offensively. He must produce more if the Kings are to survive the long-term absence of Quick. Still, the Kings are in seventh place in the West. Imagine how good they might be if Kopitar gets it going?
13. Ottawa Senators (last week: 11)
Sunday saw the Ottawa Senators get a big 6-2 road win over the New York Islanders, the team's second straight victory. Mike Condon continues to play pretty well as No. 1 goalie Craig Anderson takes time off. Condon is 6-3-2 with a .922 save percentage—his save percentage in 55 games last season with Montreal was .903. Ottawa always seems to have pretty good luck with goalies who come out of nowhere. Andrew Hammond helped take the Senators to the playoffs in 2015 when Anderson went down to injury. Condon is helping do the same.
12. Edmonton Oilers (last week: 11)
The Edmonton Oilers continue to hang in the top eight of the Western Conference. No, they are not winning with the frequency with which they were earlier in the season, but they aren't falling into any of the long losing streaks that so characterized the past few. It would help if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could score more. The first overall pick in 2011, RNH has only 15 points through 33 games, and he's a minus-10. It's a mystery why his scoring has fallen off so much in the last couple years because he's got such good skill and patience with the puck.
11. Anaheim Ducks (last week: 12)
Randy Carlyle-coached teams usually hold on to multi-goal leads pretty well, but Saturday saw his Anaheim Ducks blow two two-goal leads in an eventual 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. It was a bad end to what otherwise was a pretty good week. Anaheim will not miss Joe Louis Arena. The Ducks' latest loss dropped them to 7-26-8 all time at the Joe, which the Wings will vacate after this season. The Ducks would love to play at least one more game there, however. If it were to happen, it would be in the Stanley Cup Final.
10. St. Louis Blues
5 of 14
Record: 17-11-4, 38 points
Last week: 8
Big Picture
The St. Louis Blues would make the playoffs again if they started today. As such, it can't be termed a disappointment of a season so far. Yet there is a nagging feeling among many Blues fans that this is exactly what it's been.
The Blues are the only top-four team in either conference to have allowed more goals (93) than they've scored (91). Saturday saw St. Louis lose 6-4 to Chicago, the kind of game they've had too many of so far. Ken Hitchcock-coached teams normally haven't given up more goals than they've scored after this many games, but there's only so much he can do with his team's rather fragile goaltending situation.
By the Numbers
There is a whopping dropoff from leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko (37 points) and No. 2 scorer Kevin Shattenkirk (22). Yet the Blues do have nine other players in double figures in points, so there is still pretty good balance.
9. Washington Capitals
6 of 14
Record: 19-8-3, 41 points
Last week: 7
Big Picture
A big reason why the Washington Capitals have been playing a bit better of late (6-3-1 in the last 10) has been the resurgence of young forward Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Though he still has only three goals in 30 games, his point total is up to 17, and he has drawn praise from coach Barry Trotz for his more assertive play. Kuznetsov had 20 goals and 77 points last season, so he's still got a lot more scoring to do in a hurry if he is to come close to that kind of production. But it looks like he's got his confidence back, which must be a big relief to his boss.
By the Numbers
The Capitals' power play hasn't been bad (19.4 percent, 12th overall). But it has slipped from last year, when it was fifth overall at 21.9 percent.
8. San Jose Sharks
7 of 14
Record: 19-12-1, 39 points
Last week: 9
Big Picture
The San Jose Sharks' four-game winning streak came to an end Sunday night in Chicago in the form of a 4-1 loss. Overall, though, things have gotten steadily better for the defending Western Conference champions after a mediocre start.
Like in St. Louis, though, there is a gnawing feeling that this team has underachieved a bit. The Sharks have yet to get it in gear offensively, with most everyone not named Brent Burns down some in production from last year. Yeah, the Sharks would be a playoff team if the postseason started today, but they know they need to be better.
By the Numbers
Joe Thornton always has plenty more assists than goals. But he's never been this low in terms of scoring through so many games as this season. Jumbo Joe had only two goals in his first 32 games. He has never scored under 10 goals in a full season in his long career, but this might be the first time if things don't pick up.
7. Minnesota Wild
8 of 14
Record: 18-8-4, 40 points
Last week: 13
Big Picture
While other teams have gotten more press for their long winning streaks of late, the Minnesota Wild has quietly built a seven-game skein of its own. A mediocre record is now one of the best in the league.
Goalie Devan Dubnyk has been sensational pretty much all year. Dubnyk's save percentage, .947, leads the league. He has to be the favorite for the Vezina Trophy—and quite possibly the Hart. It's hard to believe this guy played for four teams (Edmonton, Nashville, Arizona and Minnesota) between 2014 and 2015.
By the Numbers
The Wild are allowing more shots per game (30.9) than they are getting (29.3). That's something coach Bruce Boudreau knows will have to improve if Minnesota is to seriously contend for a Stanley Cup. Then again, if Dubnyk keeps playing like this...
6. Philadelphia Flyers
9 of 14
Record: 19-11-3, 41 points
Last week: 5
Big Picture
Saturday saw the end of the Philadelphia Flyers' win streak, a 3-1 loss in Dallas finishing it at 10 games. It was a heck of a ride to that point, and there's no reason to think Philly can't start a new one right away.
This is a better-balanced Flyers team up front than in the past few seasons. It helps, too, that top forwards such as Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds have played together for a few years. There are still concerns about the defense and goaltending, but for now, let the good times roll.
By the Numbers
Goalie Steve Mason's start didn't give Flyers fans much reason for optimism. He was 5-8-3 with a 3.04 GAA and .892 save percentage in his first 16 decisions. Before Saturday's loss, he'd gone 8-0-0 in the games thereafter and gotten his save percentage up to .905.
5. Montreal Canadiens
10 of 14
Record: 20-7-4, 44 points
Last week: 1
Big Picture
The Montreal Canadiens achieved three of a possible six points last week, which is respectable enough. But with so many other red-hot teams in the league, that was enough to drop the Habs four spots in our rankings.
Montreal lost an overtime home game to Boston, then lost in regulation at home to San Jose before going to Washington Saturday and pulling out a 2-1 win. After a slow start, captain Max Pacioretty has started to heat up. He's got 12 goals and 25 points in 31 games, which has helped make up for the continued absence of injured centers Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais.
By the Numbers
Carey Price continues to be, well, brilliant. He's 17-4-2 with a .936 save percentage. Dubnyk and Sergei Bobrovsky might be hotter, but Price has been so outstanding for such a sustained period that he's starting to be taken for granted.
4. New York Rangers
11 of 14
Record: 23-10-1, 47 points
Last week: 4
Big Picture
The goaltending controversy is over, if it ever existed in the first place.
Henrik Lundqvist, whose middle name should be "Workhorse" based on his career with the Rangers, sat out a few games in favor of Antti Raanta. From Dec. 7 to Dec. 14, Lundqvist watched Raanta start over him. So how did Lundqvist respond to that? He went 3-0-0, with a 0.98 goals-against average and .967 save percentage.
That has helped the Rangers maintain first place in the East, though the teams immediately behind them have games in hand. New York will play one of those teams, Pittsburgh, Tuesday night.
By the Numbers
Raanta earned the extra time in net, even though it was a risky move by coach Alain Vigneault in possibly alienating Lundqvist. Raanta possesses an 8-2-0 record and .941 save percentage. And maybe it was good for Lundqvist to sit a little. His play since returning has shown he had his buttons pushed in the right way.
3. Chicago Blackhawks
12 of 14
Record: 22-8-4, 48 points
Last week: 6
Big Picture
Suddenly, the Chicago Blackhawks are your overall points leaders of the NHL. That has restored some pride to the Western Conference, after so many Eastern teams have supplanted the usual Western suspects from the top perches.
The Blackhawks won their fifth game in a row Sunday, over San Jose at the United Center, where they are 13-2-3. The return to health of captain Jonathan Toews certainly helped the cause. Toews, who had been out with a back injury, had two points in his first four games back, both assists.
By the Numbers
Chicago has the most points in the league, but the Blackhawks have also played more games than every other NHL team except one, Winnipeg. Both clubs have clocked up 34 games entering Monday.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
13 of 14
Record: 20-7-5, 45 points
Last week: 2
Big Picture
Everything is going great for the defending Stanley Cup champions, though there was quite the scare Saturday in a game against Toronto. It's not that the Penguins lost the game, 2-1 in overtime—it was the skate to the neck of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury that could have been much worse than it turned out to be.
Fleury required five stitches after the skate of Toronto's James van Riemsdyk caught him on the throat. There have been a couple of bloody incidents to players in the past, the worst being the skate to the neck of Buffalo's Clint Malarchuk from St. Louis' Steve Tuttle in 1989.
Thankfully, Fleury emerged OK.
By the Numbers
Unfortunately, the injury news wasn't as good for the Penguins regarding top defenseman Kris Letang. He is expected to miss at least a few games with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve. Letang's two-way ability can't be replaced, but the Penguins should be able to withstand his absence in the short term.
1. Columbus Blue Jackets
14 of 14
Record: 20-5-4, 44 points
Last week: 3
Big Picture
Well, look who's here.
A franchise that has often been the subject of ridicule since joining the NHL in 2000 is the talk of the league—in a very good way. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the new No. 1 team in our rankings because they've earned it. They've won nine games in a row, including a sweep of Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver on a three-game western Canadian road swing.
Columbus doesn't have the most points in the NHL, but the team has played five fewer games than Chicago. Their 29 games played, in fact, is the fewest of any team in the league. It'll all even out in the end. When those games in hand are played out, the Blue Jackets could well be ahead of everyone in the hunt for the Presidents' Trophy.
By the Numbers
Sunday was a good day for Tortorella. Not only did his team win its ninth straight contest, but it happened against Vancouver, a team that fired him after only one year behind the bench. It was also the 500th win of his career.
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