Well, it was late
January when I last had a chance to do the Power Rankings, leaving a
gaping hole in my life. My pal Scott Burnside can relax until April --
the top 30 are now my baby for March. And yes, folks, I'm in the mood to
get a little crazy with them, too. Hold onto your tablets!
| 2014-2015 Power Rankings: Week 22 | ||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | COMMENTS | |
| 1 | 2 Last Week: 3 | Said a Western Conference team executive to me last week: "The only team that truly pulled off a game-changer of a trade before the deadline was the Rangers." Keith Yandle's addition came at a high cost, but the Blueshirts look like the team to beat in the East. Another impressive win Sunday night in Chicago, 1-0 in overtime. | ||
| 2 | 3 Last Week: 5 | It was men against boys Saturday night in Toronto as the Blues toyed with the Maple Leafs. First place in the Central Division is within their grasp. | ||
| 3 | 6 Last Week: 9 | The Wild finally looked human Sunday, losing at home to the Avs. Over the past two months, no team has been hotter than the Wild, who are 18-4-2 in their last 24 games. Besides, I feel like Jordyn Leopold would approve of her daddy's new team moving all the way up to third in the Rankings. | ||
| 4 |
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Last Week: 4 | A lot of moves made by management for a team that has led the Pacific from the outset. But it tells you something wasn't quite sitting right with GM Bob Murray. I like the moves he made, and I like what I'm seeing from John Gibson since he's been recalled. | ||
| 5 | 4 Last Week: 1 | The trek through California was sobering for the Canadiens. But then again, they're hardly alone in having lived that. Big one Tuesday night at home against the Lightning. | ||
| 6 |
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Last Week: 6 | John Tavares deserves to be one of the three Hart Trophy finalists this season. Case closed. | ||
| 7 | 1 Last Week: 8 | The Penguins have won six of their past seven games, including wins in Anaheim and L.A. Can they complete the rare California sweep Monday night at San Jose? | ||
| 8 | 2 Last Week: 10 | The Bolts play the Habs three times this month as the two teams battle for supremacy in the Atlantic, starting Tuesday night in Montreal. Tampa is 2-0-0 against the Canadiens this season. | ||
| 9 | 3 Last Week: 12 | Our Scott Powers pointed out that the Blackhawks have scored just 2.38 goals per game over their last 29 games. Those are offensive struggles that began way before Patrick Kane got hurt, but they have worsened during his absence. The power play is just 21st. Normally, March is meaningless for the Hawks, but they can use the final regular-season weeks to sharpen their game. | ||
| 10 | 8 Last Week: 2 | Six straight losses for the Predators, who just a few weeks ago had a nine-point lead over the Blues for the Central lead that is now down to two. Better have this now than in April, though. | ||
| 11 | 4 Last Week: 7 | Tough weekend for the Red Wings, who lost to the Flames and Bruins. You know that giving up a pair of short-handed goals Sunday in Boston drove Mike Babcock crazy. | ||
| 12 | 1 Last Week: 13 | You just can't imagine the defending champs won't make the playoffs, and yet getting into a safe spot in the standings remains barely beyond their reach. Still, who is going to bet against them? Nobody. | ||
| 13 | 1 Last Week: 14 | The Jets kicked off an important road trip with a massive 3-1 win at Nashville. Dustin Byfuglien's injury hurts, but these guys have shown all season that they've got big-time moxie. | ||
| 14 | 3 Last Week: 11 | It used to be the Canucks could never win a game in San Jose. How about three wins in three games there this season, capped by Saturday night's huge 3-2 comeback win over a team chasing them in the standings? | ||
| 15 |
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Last Week: 15 | Prime-time test Wednesday night against the Rangers for a Caps team still trying to convince a lot of people they're for real. | ||
| 16 |
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Last Week: 16 | Huge, huge, huge statement this weekend with home wins over the Flyers and Red Wings. Have the Bruins turned the corner? | ||
| 17 | 2 Last Week: 19 | This is how you get back in a playoff race: pick up 17 out of a possible 18 points over your last nine games, including Sunday's win over the visiting Flames. And guess who's coming to town on Tuesday? The Bruins. It's a playoff game before the playoffs. | ||
| 18 |
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Last Week: 18 | Despite the shootout loss in Ottawa on Sunday, it was a pretty gutsy response over the past week in the wake of Mark Giordano's injury. Hard not to love these blue-collar Flames. | ||
| 19 | 1 Last Week: 20 | If the Sharks miss the playoffs by two points, they'll look back at Saturday's 3-2 loss to the visiting Canucks and remember bitterly that they blew a 2-0 lead and lost a game despite launching 40 shots at Eddie Lack. | ||
| 20 | 3 Last Week: 17 | It was a big win over the Islanders on Saturday, but you can't lose to the Leafs and the Stars (like the Panthers did last week) if you're serious about catching the Bruins for a playoff spot. | ||
| 21 | 3 Last Week: 24 | Well, if the Avs are going to go on a miracle run to make the postseason, winning at Minnesota on Sunday night was a must. | ||
| 22 | 1 Last Week: 21 | Not sure whether enough people have mentioned it, but Flyers GM Ron Hextall made excellent moves before the trade deadline. It was big-picture thinking. | ||
| 23 | 2 Last Week: 25 | Two offseason goals for the Stars: find a new starting goalie and trade for a top-four blueliner. Easier said than done, I know. | ||
| 24 | 2 Last Week: 22 | Cory Schneider has had a very good season, albeit in a lost cause. | ||
| 25 | 2 Last Week: 27 | David Clarkson's season-ending injury just sums up perfectly the year from hell on the injury front for the NHL's hardest-hit club. Just end the misery, please. | ||
| 26 | 3 Last Week: 23 | What do the Hurricanes do with Alex Semin this offseason? If I were them, I'd either eat half of the deal in a trade (if I could find a taker) or buy him out and live with the pain. It's just not going to work in Carolina for Semin. | ||
| 27 | 1 Last Week: 28 | In a season full of terrible games, not sure the Maple Leafs played a worse one than Saturday night's at home against the Blues. | ||
| 28 | 2 Last Week: 26 | See Dallas above for offseason needs. | ||
| 29 | 1 Last Week: 30 | So, when the Coyotes and Sabres play twice before the end of the month, who will the home crowd in the rink be cheering for, if you know what I mean? | ||
| 30 | 1 Last Week: 29 | Just a month to go, Sabres fans, just one more month, and then it's pray for the lottery! | ||
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