Monday, March 23, 2015

Current NHL Power Rankings: Jets, Sens fighting

By Pierre LeBrun (posted March 23,2015)

Well, the Rangers sure know how to make a statement on national television, right? Tampa remains on the move, and it's time to push Winnipeg and Ottawa up our rankings!
2014-2015 Power Rankings: Week 24
RANKTEAM / RECORD TRENDINGCOMMENTS
1
New York
46-18-7
--

Last Week: 1		The Blueshirts crushed the contending Ducks 7-2 on home ice Sunday. They can beat you in a number of different ways. This team is better than the one that reached the Cup finals a year ago.
2
St. Louis
45-21-7
--

Last Week: 2		Three losses in a row for a Blues team that wraps up its six-game road trip Tuesday at Pittsburgh. I predict a big win against the Penguins.
3
Chicago
43-22-6
1
Last Week: 4		The Blackhawks have done extremely well without Patrick Kane, Saturday's stinker in Dallas notwithstanding.
4
Tampa Bay
45-21-7
2
Last Week: 6		Wins over Montreal, Detroit and Boston over the past week underline a Bolts team that's firing on all cylinders with the playoffs just around the corner.
5
Minnesota
40-25-7
--

Last Week: 5		Two wins over the Blues in a span of seven days. The Wild are very much part of the Western elite, legitimate Cup contenders.
6
Anaheim
46-21-7
3
Last Week: 3		Going to be a real interesting decision by head coach Bruce Boudreau as to whom his starting goalie will be come the postseason.
7
Montreal
46-20-7
--

Last Week: 7		Back-to-back shutouts for Carey Price, who sports a .938 save percentage and 1.86 goals-against average. Just hand him the Vezina and Hart trophies now and forgo the voting!
8
Winnipeg
37-23-12
10
Last Week: 18		Four straight wins for a Jets club absolutely rising to the occasion with a playoff spot on the line. Heavy, heavy club that's going to give some team a handful come the first round.
9
Ottawa
36-24-11
6
Last Week: 15		Well, when you go 14-1-1 in your past 16 games, you get treated royally in the Rankings! Bring on the hamburgers!
10
Detroit
39-21-11
2
Last Week: 8		Nice win over the Blues on Sunday after a stretch of four losses in five games. The Red Wings are pretty much locked into the No. 3 spot in the Atlantic, as they are probably too far back to catch Montreal and Tampa -- although they do have two games in hand on each team.
11
Washington
39-24-10
1
Last Week: 12		Impressive wins over Boston and Minnesota last week before laying down in Winnipeg on Saturday. Hey, nobody is beating the Jets in Winnipeg these days.
12
Nashville
44-21-8
1
Last Week: 11		The Preds came back looking refreshed after a small break in the schedule, albeit it was a win over lowly Buffalo on Saturday.
13
New York
44-25-4
4
Last Week: 9		Saturday's win over lowly New Jersey stops the bleeding after four straight losses. Good test this week with Minnesota, L.A. and Anaheim visiting Long Island.
14
Pittsburgh
40-22-10
4
Last Week: 10		There's a pattern here. Saturday's win over lowly Arizona comes after four straight losses. The mighty Blues visit Tuesday, which will tell us more about where the Pens are at.
15
Vancouver
42-26-4
1
Last Week: 16		Holy weekend, Batman! Wins over L.A. and Arizona give the Canucks a little breathing room -- for now -- with a six-point cushion over the danger zone.
16
Los Angeles
34-23-14
2
Last Week: 14		That was a tough loss at home to Vancouver on Saturday. Mike Richards then gets called up and the Kings are fighting for their playoff lives on this five-game road trip beginning Monday at New Jersey.
17
Calgary
39-27-6
--

Last Week: 17		The Flames just can't afford to lose in overtime at home to Columbus; that's a point given away. Up next: red-hot Colorado at Calgary on Monday night.
18
Florida
33-25-14
1
Last Week: 19		Huge shootout win over Boston on Saturday night, although now the Panthers are chasing the Senators just as much as the Bruins for the last playoff spot.
19
Boston
36-25-12
6
Last Week: 13		The Bruins are winless in five games (0-3-2) and they look lost. They've got a break in the schedule before the Ducks visit Boston on Thursday. By then, the Senators may have passed them for the final wild-card spot in the East.
20
Colorado
33-26-12
1
Last Week: 21		The Avs have gone 6-1-1 this month as they try to keep their long-shot playoff hopes alive.
21
San Jose
35-29-8
1
Last Week: 20		Six points back of Calgary in the Pacific and staring down a game Monday at sizzling Ottawa is as daunting as it gets for the reeling Sharks.
22
Dallas
34-28-10
--

Last Week: 22		The Stars have won seven of their past 10 games to tease their fans. But eight points out with 10 games left, it's not going to happen.
23
New Jersey
31-30-11
2
Last Week: 25		Only Arizona and Buffalo have scored fewer goals per game this season than the Devils' 2.21 average.
24
Philadelphia
29-29-16
1
Last Week: 23		Two-time 20-goal scorer Matt Read has just seven goals this season in 72 games.
25
Columbus
33-35-4
1
Last Week: 24		Kind of under the radar because the team has struggled all year, but Scott Hartnell puts up yet another 20-goal plus season, standing at 22 with 10 games to play.
26
Carolina
26-35-10
--

Last Week: 26		Sounds strange to say given the season the Hurricanes had, but Bill Peters was a great hire as head coach. He's not the issue. This team doesn't have enough pieces.
27
Edmonton
20-39-13
1
Last Week: 28		Speaking of coaches, Todd Nelson has really improved Edmonton's structure since taking over. That's an observation from rival teams, by the way.
28
Toronto
27-40-6
1
Last Week: 27		Let the nightmare end.
29
Arizona
21-44-8
--

Last Week: 29		Ooooohhhhh baby, Thursday at Buffalo and then next Monday at home against the Sabres, get your tickets to the Tanking Bowl!!!!!
30
Buffalo
20-45-7
--

Last Week: 30		As my colleagues at the Buffalo News have pointed out recently, Sabres goalie coach Arturs Irbe has done wonders with whomever has been in goal this season for the worst team in the league.
  • Biggest Jump:

  • 10
  • Biggest Drop:

  • 6




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