And so we come to the
final Power Rankings of January. The All-Star break looms and soon teams
will have to reconcile themselves as to whether they're buyers or
sellers at the trade deadline. Still, as the Power Rankings reveal,
there is so little to separate so many teams. Read on, friends. Foes?
Watch some golf.
| 2015-2016 Power Rankings: Week 16 | ||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | COMMENTS | |
| 1 | 1 Last Week: 2 | The Capitals got a snow weekend off but they're still the standard-bearers in the NHL. Wouldn't it be nice to see Evgeny Kuznetsov at the All-Star Game? Just saying. | ||
| 2 | 1 Last Week: 1 | There was a little wobble in Florida but the Blackhawks bounced back Sunday to shut out the Blues and re-establish themselves as the team to beat in the West. Corey Crawford is in the Vezina Trophy discussion with his league-leading seventh shutout. | ||
| 3 | 1 Last Week: 4 | The Panthers responded to a brief four-game winless run after their franchise-record 12-game winning streak with emphatic victories over the Blackhawks and Lightning -- the 2015 Cup finalists -- on Friday and Saturday. The wins re-established their five-point lead atop the Atlantic. | ||
| 4 | 1 Last Week: 3 | The Kings had dropped two in a row -- they also lost Milan Lucic to a one-game suspension for a sucker punch against the Coyotes -- but bounced back nicely Sunday in an OT win over the Sharks. Their challenge will be keeping their focus, given the giant lead they have in the Pacific. | ||
| 5 | 1 Last Week: 6 | They nipped the Blackhawks at home, then came up flat the next night against the Panthers. Still, Tyler Johnson is rounding into form and the Lightning figure to be a force down the stretch. | ||
| 6 | 19 Last Week: 25 | Just when it looked like the Devils had hit a wall, they reeled off four in a row. How about rookie Joseph Blandisi having a nice impact for a team now in possession of a wild-card spot? | ||
| 7 | 11 Last Week: 18 | Kudos to coach Patrick Roy, who kept his troops believing through a tough first half, and now they've believed themselves right into a playoff berth, jumping over the slumping Wild into the top wild-card spot in the West after a four-game winning streak. The Avs are 8-3-0 in their past 11. | ||
| 8 | 1 Last Week: 7 | The Blues are shuffling their way into the All-Star break, although Sunday's loss to the Blackhawks was just their second in regulation in their past 11 games. Still, they are in a pitched battle with the Stars for second in the Central and have opened up a sizable gap on the rest of the division. | ||
| 9 | 2 Last Week: 11 | The Sharks continue to impress, going 7-0-2 in their past nine, and have shaken off some of their early-season home woes. | ||
| 10 | 1 Last Week: 9 | The Islanders had won three of four before Saturday's postponed game with the Flyers. They'll finish with two at home as they try to stay ahead of the Rangers before the All-Star break. | ||
| 11 | 3 Last Week: 14 | The Rangers were shut out Sunday by the Senators and now have failed to win more than two in a row since mid-November. Rick Nash's absence due to a possible leg injury is troubling. | ||
| 12 | 4 Last Week: 8 | The Wings have gone sideways, going 2-3-1 in their past six games, although they remain very much a factor in the Atlantic playoff race. | ||
| 13 | 1 Last Week: 12 | The Bruins have won four of five. Getting David Krejci back is huge. They close out the schedule before the break with a weird away-home back-to-back set with the Flyers and Ducks. The Bruins are curiously tepid at home (11-12-2). | ||
| 14 | 2 Last Week: 16 | The Penguins are 4-2-1 in their past seven thanks to Evgeni Malkin's hat trick on Saturday in the win over the Canucks. And we're seeing signs of life from Phil Kessel. | ||
| 15 | 10 Last Week: 5 | The Stars, who have managed just two wins in 10 games, finish their pre-break schedule at home against the Flames on Monday. It's not a must-win, but another loss would make for a pretty desultory vacation for a team that looked like it was going to run away with the West. | ||
| 16 | 6 Last Week: 10 | The Coyotes came up with a monster win over the Kings on Saturday and for the moment continue to hang on to a playoff spot. This is the part of the schedule where coach Dave Tippett will earn every dime he makes with his young, overachieving team. | ||
| 17 | 2 Last Week: 19 | The Ducks are 6-3-1 in January and slowly crawling back into the playoff picture. It's a small sample size to be sure, but John Gibson boasts a league-best 1.91 GAA. | ||
| 18 | 2 Last Week: 20 | The Wild have three wins in 12 games in 2016 and close out the pre-break schedule with a big game against the Coyotes on Monday night. The good news? As of Monday morning, they still owned a wild card spot. Bad news? That's not going to last unless they find a way to stop the bleeding. | ||
| 19 | 4 Last Week: 23 | Here's the thing: After whipping the Flames 5-2 on Sunday, the Hurricanes have not lost two in a row in regulation since the first week of December. That's why they're still part of a sizeable group of teams in the East still thinking playoffs. | ||
| 20 | 5 Last Week: 15 | The Flyers are 0-2-1 in their past three games, and their little skid illustrates the great line between closing the gap and actually being a playoff team. | ||
| 21 | 8 Last Week: 13 | The Canucks have points in eight of 11 games and continue to lurk around the playoff picture in the West. There's a big tilt Tuesday at home -- where they are 9-8-4, which is not good enough to get them into the playoffs -- versus the Predators. | ||
| 22 | 1 Last Week: 21 | Interesting tack for GM Marc Bergevin last week, taking full responsibility for the Habs' free fall out of the playoff picture in the Atlantic. They got a nice win over the Leafs and have a chance to hit the break on a three-game winning streak with a home-and-home against the lowly Blue Jackets. | ||
| 23 | 1 Last Week: 24 | Stirrings from the Predators, who have won three of four but have not won three in a row since the second week of the season. They head home for the All-Star show after visits to the Canucks and Flames. Points are crucial for a Preds team that is outside the playoff bubble. | ||
| 24 | 7 Last Week: 17 | The Senators on Sunday earned a rare shutout over the Rangers, but have allowed at least three goals in eight of 11 games. That's no way to make the playoffs. | ||
| 25 | 1 Last Week: 26 | The Flames have a crucial couple of games, visiting the Stars and then hosting the Predators while facing the prospect of being fully and properly buried in the West playoff race. | ||
| 26 | 4 Last Week: 30 | The Leafs continue to play hard. Not hard enough to win, of course, but harder than last season -- which really isn't saying much. | ||
| 27 |
--
Last Week: 27 | The Sabres have dropped two in a row and again are very much in the hunt for a top draft pick. | ||
| 28 | 6 Last Week: 22 | The Jets are in free fall, with just two wins in their past eight games while seemingly everyone else in the West is collecting points. Sell, sell, sell. | ||
| 29 | 1 Last Week: 28 | The Oilers are better but still cannot find ways to win, and that's why they are dead last in the West. | ||
| 30 | 1 Last Week: 29 | Really, wouldn't Auston Matthews make a nice replacement for Ryan Johansen? | ||
Phil Adams ·
As
a long-time Capitals fan, I gotta feel good about where they are right
now. They're playing great hockey, and the addition of Mike Richards
should only help. Still, I always have to temper my excitement, since
this is still only the regular season. They're not a great team until
they win the Cup. This year, baby! GO CAPS!!
Jeff Haley ·
Where
are all those Hawk Fans who laughed at me last week when I stated they
would lose to both TB and FL! Your hawks are pretenders!!!!!!
Robert Bleck ·
I
didn't take your bait last week, but honestly thought the Florida game
was the likely streak ender being the second half of a back to back. The
Tampa game was just a continuation of last year's outstanding evenly
matched finals.
Connor Thunberg ·
lol ^^^^^ first 2 losses of 2016 against playoff teams on the road on a back to back.... bit of a reach Jeff???
Jeff Haley ·
Connor
Thunberg Caps have no problem playing on the road (17-5-2), so your
argument doesn't hold water. Good team wins those games. But nice
try!!!!
Robert Bleck ·
Jeff Haley they do however have a history of not playing well in the playoffs. We shall see this year.Great teams win those.
Mark Chmiel ·
Jeff
Haley- Really, Jeff? The Caps last three losses were against those
devastating powerhouse teams from Buffalo, Columbus and Carolina. And
Florida before that. All on the road. Aren't good teams supposed to win
those games?
Jeff Haley ·
Robert
Bleck True, but this Cap team has a 60% turnover from 2 yrs ago, and a
new couch last year with a solid defensive system. Only time will tell
but this is a weekly power ranking. keep living in the past! We have
proven to have a great defensive scheme to the point were we still keep
winning without our number 1 D pairing the last 9 and 22 games
respectively. Orpik out 22 games, Carlson out 9 games. Still we get 2
points a night! And a sparkiling +55!
Lana Paulish ·
Quote
from STL coach Hitchcock in paper today referring to Hawks "I don't
think anyone catches a championship team until you beat them in a
playoff series.You can talk all you want about regulatr season,but you
have to beat them in a playoff series because there's an emotional grear
that championship teams go to that not many teams cansustain. Just when
you think you got them,they come with another gear.You've got to beat
them in playoffs before you can sahy anything"
Jeff Haley ·
Lana
Paulish Your quite funny! This is a weekliy ranking, and right now
Chicago is not the strongest team in the league. sorry you lost so many
to salary cap!
Lana Paulish ·
Jeff
Haley I know what it is and any team that wins consistantly will lose
players to salary cap, maybe some day caps will know what that means
Jeff Haley ·
Lana
Paulish Our New Core is under contract for a few years. We cleaned dead
weight out the last few years. Oshie, Williams, Orpik, Carlson, Kutzie,
Ovie,Backstrom, Niskie, and several others will be here for a few
years. It is going to be interesting and no doubt, Chi was the cream of
the crop for the last 6 years. You guys have the Cup for a reason but
this off season was crushing to you with cap losses. I do like your crop
of youngsters!!!!
Jason Matusiak ·
Works at Trader Joe's
Jeff Haley I suggest you read this article before you spout off anymore about your beloved (and darn good) Caps. http://grantland.com/.../the-storied-tradition-of.../
Cuz weren't they supposed to win in 2010? And who did? Oh, yeah, the Blackhawks. 
Kevin Blodorn ·
Jeff,
you're a clown, dude. Wake up. If you seriously think the 'hawks are
"pretenders," you're a moron; I don't care if it is your opinion. Any
team that has the recent championship pedigree it has, the best player
in the league and the second best record is NOT a pretender. I
understand your Capitals, who love to choke every year in the playoffs,
are enjoying a tremendous first half, but that doesn't give you
permission to be an idiot. Do something other than have ONE great HALF
of a season and then you have permission to be arrogant.
Lana Paulish ·
we're
here, we don't panic or get over excited, we are in it for the long
haul. We have lost 2 in a row before, so what? It proves nothing.Enjoy
your day Jeffy boy
Jeff Haley ·
Yes,
you have several times this year lost 2 in a row! How bout those Caps,
have they lost two in a row in regulation? No, but they did lose once in
a shootout for their second loss in a row.
Nick Spina ·
Jeff
Haley Jeff, we'll talk here mid June ok? My guess is you won't show up,
like the Caps won't show up in the Spring. Regular season standings,
points, streaks, etc mean nothing. The Hawks will become the first team
since the Wings in 97-98 to win back to back, CEMENTING the word
DYNASTY with their 4th cup in 7 years.
Robert Bleck ·
Top five are solid. ........but really,a19 slot jump...for anybody.
Colin Brazeau ·
While
I agree with you that 6 is high for the Devils, 25 was also criminally
low considering their play. They should be in the 10-15 range.
Robert Bleck ·
Colin
Brazeau I would agree with that. It's just that at this point of the
season a six to eight place move is about as much as anyone could
expect. I guess that's what can happen with a committee of one.
Crosby sucks!
Lana Paulish ·
Very original comment, did you come up with that all by yourself?
David Romer
Lana Paulish shhh... this doesn't concern you. It's an inside joke with old friends.
Now go make me a sammich.
David Romer Ahhh so maturely said
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