NHL Power Rankings: Anticipation Mounting for Flyers-Rangers Winter Classic

This year’s Winter Classic should be just that, classic.

For starters, the Rangers and Flyers have one of the league’s best rivalries.

Secondly, both teams have played recently, and the Rangers, an up-and-coming team in the East, knocked off the Flyers 4-2 in the Garden.

Then add in the fact that both teams are tied for the Atlantic lead with 46 points and are just one point shy of Boston (47) in the Eastern Conference and you’ve got a recipe for a great hockey game.

This is going to be an epic battle between offense and defense.

The Rangers can score (three goals per game, ninth in the league) but will expect Michael Del Zotto and their third-ranked defense to ward off Claude Giroux and their second-ranked offense.

My prediction:

Rangers win in overtime 4-3.

Tom Schreier covers hockey and baseball for Bleacher Report.

Follow him on Twitter @tschreier3

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

Last week: 30

Dead last in the West and 18 points out of a playoff spot.

Things are awful dreary in Columbus.

29. Anaheim Ducks

Last week: 29

Struggles continue for the Ducks.

They are currently winless in four games on the road.

They finish up in California on Monday, against the Sharks, before playing six in a row at the Pond.

28. New York Islanders

Last week: 23

The Islanders continue to lose in those god-awful jerseys.

At least those sweaters distract the NHL community from this team’s putrid play.

27. Carolina Hurricanes

Last week: 28

Recent wins over Vancouver and Ottawa should lift their spirits, but it’s been a tough December for the Hurricanes.

26. Montreal Canadiens

Last week: 25

Montreal has lost five in a row.

To make matters worse, they play their next three games on the road.

Things have gotten so bad that the Habs have hired a coach who doesn’t speak French.

25. Edmonton Oilers

Last week: 26

Will a 4-1 win over an injured Minnesota club resuscitate the Oil?

We’ll have to see.

Edmonton needs to show more signs of life or they will be buried in their next seven games—all which will be played away from home.

24. Los Angeles Kings

Last week: 27

After a devastating 8-2 loss to Detroit, the Kings got something going with shootout wins against Toronto and Anaheim.

They also picked up a point against San Jose.

Los Angeles lost that game in, you guessed it, a shootout.

The Kings have yet to score three goals in regulation since their November 22 victory over St. Louis.

23. Buffalo Sabres

Last week: 16

With one win in their last six games, the Sabres are slowly fading away in the Northeast Division.

The rest of December isn’t too tough, though.

Buffalo gets Washington twice, New Jersey and Ottawa to finish up the month.

22. Tampa Bay Lightning

Last week: 20

A once-promising season for the Lightning has gone awry.

The Bolts were rolled in San Jose, 7-2, and couldn’t find the back of the net in a 2-1 overtime loss in Colorado.

A return home will be welcome for Tampa Bay.

They get Philly, Montreal and Carolina in Florida next week.

21. Florida Panthers

Last week: 12

Losses to Phoenix and Ottawa and a blowout in Boston may have taken the wind out of Florida’s sails.

They’ve got three home games against Toronto, New York and Montreal that should be packed.

This is a great opportunity for the Cats to prove they can overcome their 8-0 loss to Boston.

20. Washington Capitals

Last week: 19

Inconsistency continues to plague the Capitals.

They pick up a win against Toronto—then lose to Philly.

They pick up a win in Winnipeg—then lose in Colorado.

They pick up a win against Nashville—then lose in New Jersey.

In their last four December games they must prove they can win consistently if they want to catch the reeling Panthers in the Southwest Division.

19. Ottawa Senators

Last week: 18

The Sens had a three-game winning streak going.

Then they lost to Carolina in overtime.

Nobody’s convinced this team’s for real, however.

Two of those wins came against the injured Sabres and the reeling Panthers.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs

Last week: 21

Toronto knocked off an injured Sabres squad and the hapless Islanders in their last two games.

We’ll see if it’s a morale boost for the Leafs.

They finish December with contests in Sunrise, Raleigh and Winnipeg.

17. Minnesota Wild

Last week: 4

Injuries have hampered the Wild.

Without Guillaume Latendresse, Mikko Koivu and Devin Setoguchi, Minnesota has entered a free fall.

They’ve lost six straight.

16. Nashville Predators

Last week: 6

Recent blowouts in Washington and Dallas have tarnished an otherwise good month in Nashville.

The Preds have to win on the road if they want to get back into the Central Division race.

15. Winnipeg Jets

Last week: 10

A loss to the Islanders and a blowout against Pittsburgh indicate that the Jets are not ready to take the next step yet.

They’ve got three winnable games to close out December: Colorado, LA and Toronto.

14. Vancouver Canucks

Last week: 13

With an impressive stat line and an injured team on top of their division, the Canucks are in perfect position to take control of the Northwest.

Their stat line reads: third in offense, seventh in defense, first on the power play, sixth on the penalty kill.

Those numbers are meaningless, however, if they have stinkers like their 3-1 loss against Calgary.

This team has also lost to Columbus and Carolina this month.

The Canucks cannot overlook contests if they want a top seed in the playoffs this year.

13. Phoenix Coyotes

Last week: 17

Wins in Sunrise and Raleigh kept the Coyotes in the Pacific Division.

A loss in St. Louis kept it from being a three-way tie, however.

12. Calgary Flames

Last week: 22

The Flames have won three games against tough Western Conference opponents—Minnesota, Detroit and Vancouver—after going winless on a four-game road trip.

Calgary has to bear through a tough schedule, though.

Their next six games will be played away from home.

11. Colorado Avalanche

Last week: 24

The Avalanche have won five of their last six games.

The lone game they lost was in San Jose.

All the other wins came at home.

Wins in Denver have helped this team ascend in the Northwest Division and should begin to put butts in the Pepsi Center seats.

10. Dallas Stars

Last week: 11

The Stars remain in competition with the Sharks for the Pacific Division lead.

Dallas won’t be able to coast through the rest of the month, however.

They have to face St. Louis and Boston before their January 3 matchup with Detroit.

9. San Jose Sharks

Last week: 15

San Jose continues to battle Dallas for supremacy in the Pacific Division.

The Sharks are currently on a four-game winning streak and finish December with two home games.

By playing like this, San Jose is primed to create some separation in their division.

8. New Jersey Devils

Last week: 8

Winners of five of their last contests, the Devils have put themselves in a position to get back into the Atlantic Division race.

7. Detroit Red Wings

Last week: 1

Five is the theme in Detroit.

They are fifth in the league on offense, defense and power play…and 21^st in penalty kill.

The road has been tough on the Wings, though.

They’ve lost their most recent games in Vancouver and Calgary.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins

Last week: 7

No Crosby. No problem.

The Penguins don’t have a double-digit number in their stat line: sixth in offense, ninth in defense, seventh on the power play and fourth on the penalty kill.

As a result, Pittsburgh has won three straight.

5. St. Louis Blues

Last week: 5

The defensive-minded Blues continue to chug along in the Central Division.

St. Louis has picked up points in all but two games in December.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

Last week: 9

Tied with the rival Rangers for the division lead, the Flyers are slipping a bit.

Fortunately, Claude Giroux is back and the team should be able to shake off a 4-2 loss in New York before facing the Blueshirts again in the Winter Classic.

3. New York Rangers

Last week: 14

With a win over the archrival Flyers, the Blueshirts have won four in a row and are tied with Philly for the division.

Needless to say, this year’s Winter Classic should be spectacular.

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Last week: 3

Owners of the league’s third-best offense, Chicago has posted four goals in four of their last five games.

The game they didn’t reach the four-goal mark?

They lost in Pittsburgh 3-2.

1. Boston Bruins

Last week: 2

The Bruins continue to dominate the NHL.

Boston is first in offense and defense, 10th on the power play and second on the penalty kill.

The result: They’ve won six in a row.