With 5 of the not-so-young NHL season concluding, Stayclassy.net presents its weekly Classy Power Rankings. Notable jumps in the rankings come from the strong play of teams like the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders and yes, even the Toronto Maple Leafs.
NHL Classy Power Rankings – Week 5
30. Carolina Hurricanes (2-8-3, 7 pts – last week’s ranking: 29)
Although the Carolina Hurricanes have more points than the Toronto Maple Leafs, they also own the NHL’s longest losing streak this season. Their current 9-game losing streak is three times longer than any other existing losing streak. The ‘Canes are flatlining badly while the Leafs are looking marginally better. Carolina are being outscored 4-2 in each game (on average) and are 0-5-2 on the road this season. Lastly, Carolina was blown out 6-1 and 5-1 this weekend by the Flyers and Sharks. Not good. And Eric Staal is now injured.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs (1-7-4, 6 pts – last week’s ranking: 30)
The Toronto Maple Leafs recent west-coast road trip wasn’t amazing, but did see them pick up points in each of the four games (1-0-3). The return of Jonas Gustavsson has helped the Leafs substantially and fans are hoping for a similar impact from Phil Kessel who’s likely to debut Tuesday night when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Beyond Tampa, the Leafs play the Hurricanes and Red Wings last this week.
28. Florida Panthers (4-7-1, 9 pts – last week’s ranking: 29)
Two straight wins from the Florida Panthers over the Blues and Stars get the ‘Cats moving up in this week’s Classy Rankings. The Panthers have three very important divisional games this week: two against the Capitals and the other against lowly Hurricanes.
27. Anaheim Ducks (4-6-2, 10 pts – last week’s ranking: 25)
The Anaheim Ducks had a bit of a turbulent past week. They lose badly to the Leafs 6-3, then smoke the Canucks 7-2, only to fall 3-2 to the Coyotes the next night. Inconsistent play has plagued the Ducks so far this season, however, the team has put forth better efforts and positive results more recently – something Ducks fans hope to see continue this week against the Penguins, Predators and Coyotes.
26. Minnesota Wild (5-9-0, 10 pts – last week’s ranking: 27)
I find it strange that three of the Minnesota Wild’s five wins are over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers, yet they continue to have trouble against middle-class NHL teams like the Oilers, Ducks and Predators. The Wild will need to turn their inconsistent play around in a hurry before their point deficit becomes too large. They currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference and five points out of a playoff spot. On deck are three teams the Wild can beat if they play well: the Canucks, Stars and Leafs.
25. St. Louis Blues (5-6-1, 11 pts – last week’s ranking: 18)
It’s been approximately 121 minutes since the St. Louis Blues last scored a goal. That goal came on Wednesday in a 5-2 win over the Hurricanes and since then, the Blues were shutout in games against the Coyotes and Panthers. The Blues team are far too good to boast this sub-.500 record. They’ll need to score against the Flames, Flyers and Thrashers this week if they hope to make any ground in a tight Western Conference playoff race.
24. Tampa Bay Lightning (4-3-4, 12 pts – last week’s ranking: 21)
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steve Stamkos is red hot right now! Although he’s tied for fourth in NHL goals this season, the rest of the Lightning haven’t done too much. Vincent Lecavalier continues to struggle and it took Alex Tanguay 10 games to get his first goal of the season. The Lightning have a big week coming up with games against the Flyers, Leafs, Canadiens and Senators.
23. Atlanta Thrashers (5-4-1, 11 pts – last week’s ranking: 22)
It’s going to take a lot for the Atlanta Thrashers to rise above the injury to Ilya Kovalchuk, but goaltender Ondrej Pavelec is doing his absolute best including making 51 saves in a big time win over the Senators on Saturday. The Thrashers hope Pavelec can continue his hot play (with his mask on) when they play the Canadiens, Blue Jackets, Islanders and Blues this week.
22. Boston Bruins (6-6-1, 13 pts – last week’s ranking: 17)
Do the Boston Bruins have a bit of a goalie controversy in the making with Tim Thomas slumping and Tuukka Rask posting a shutout over the Oilers on the weekend? Probably not, but some of the Bruins younger players are really starting to step up – players like Blake Wheeler and Vladamir Sobotka. They’ll need to continue their strong play in games coming up against the Red Wings, Canadiens, Sabres and Penguins.
21. New York Islanders (4-4-5, 13 pts – last week’s ranking: 28)
Don’t look now but the New York Islanders have won three straight games over the Rangers (not bad), Capitals (impressive) and a 5-0 drubbing of the Sabres (very impressive). The Islanders are getting good play from their Kyle Okposo-John Tavares-Matt Moulson line while Dwayne Roloson and Marty Biron put up respectable goaltending numbers. The Oilers, Sabres, Devils and Canadiens are on deck for the suddenly surging Isles.
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20. Detroit Red Wings (5-4-3, 13 pts – last week’s ranking: 23)
This Detroit Red Wings team is baffling. There are moments when this team shows signs of dominant play and there are times when the Red Wings look like an AHL team. Look no further than the Oilers game on Thursday that saw the Wings get down 5-1, only to tie the game in a period. Goaltending is an issue, just like last week and the week before. The Wings cannot continue the season with status quo.
19. Philadelphia Flyers (6-4-1, 13 pts – last week’s ranking: 18)
The Philadelphia Flyers are 5-1 when they score four goals or more. When they score three goals or less, they are 1-4. That’s an issue because Danny Briere and Simon Gagne cannot seem to stay healthy while Jeff Carter is struggling to score this year. I still think the Flyers are capable of a far better record than what they currently have. They need to have a big week against the Lightning, Sabres and Blues.
18. Nashville Predators (6-6-1, 13 pts – last week’s ranking: 24)
Three wins in a row for the Nashville Predators against the Wild, Blackhawks and Stars last week put them right back up at .500 hockey. The Preds have won four of their last five games and hope to continue their solid play against the Ducks, Kings and Sharks this week.
17. Ottawa Senators (6-4-2, 14 pts – last week’s ranking: 16)
After starting the season with a solid 5-2 record, the Ottawa Senators seem to have taken a step back with recent injuries to Anton Volchenkov and Jason Spezza, going 1-3-2 in their last 6 games. The Senators also sent Erik Karlsson to the AHL for further development with Filip Kuba’s return. Flu has hit the team hard, but goaltender Pascal Leclaire has (finally) recovered in time to have a big impact in games against the Lightning and Devils this week.
16. Montreal Canadiens (7-7-0, 14 pts – last week’s ranking: 19)
The Montreal Canadiens ran into two strong teams on the road this week in the Blackhawks and Penguins, but are 5-0 in their last five home games. I still want to see more from Andrei Kostitsyn and Guillam Latendresse, but Tomas Plekanec has stepped up nicely. Strong play from Jaroslav Halak has given the Canadiens some stable goaltending Carey Price wasn’t giving them. Wonder who gets the start for each of their upcoming games against the Thrashers, Bruins and Lightning.
15. Vancouver Canucks (8-7-0, 16 pts – last week’s ranking: 15)
Injuries continue to be the story for the Vancouver Canucks. This week, Roberto Luongo went down for an undetermined amount of time. Daniel Sedin is still hurt, too. The Canucks are hoping Andrew Raycroft can continue playing well (feels weird writing that) – who posted an impressive shutout against the Avalanche on Sunday – against the Rangers, Wild and Stars. It should be noted Ryan Kessler is easily the Canucks early season MVP, too. The Canucks aren’t doing themselves any favors by not signing him long term immediately.
14. Calgary Flames (7-4-1, 15 pts – last week’s ranking: 5)
The Calgary Flames lost their only two games this past week to the Avalanche and Red Wings and managed to score a total of three goals in the process. They’ll need better efforts and results against the Stars, Blues and Rangers this week. This Flames team has been underwhelming so far this season and will require more from Olli Jokinen and Jarome Iginla (who is tied for 2nd in penalty minutes with 20).
13. Edmonton Oilers (7-6-1, 15 pts – last week’s ranking: 11)
I really didn’t like the week the Edmonton Oilers had. They lost games to the Bruins and Avalanche – both shutouts and the game they won against the Red Wings, they nearly blew a 5-1 lead. Three of the Oilers last four games have been shutout losses. Almost every goal against the Oilers was shot high glove side which makes me wonder about Nikolai Khabibulan’s health. They Oilers line up against the Islanders and Rangers this week.
12. Columbus Blue Jackets (7-5-1, 15 pts – last week’s ranking: 13)
The Columbus Blue Jackets had a big win against the Capitals last night to snap a 3-game losing streak. I’m concerned with the number of games that feature the Jackets allowing four or more goals against. This isn’t typical for a Ken Hitchcock team and especially for last year’s rookie of the year, Steve Mason. This is another team I expect to really get going soon. That said, Rick Nash is having an excellent start to the year – he’s fourth in league scoring with 2o points in 13 games. The Jackets play the Sharks, Thrashers and Hurricanes over the next seven days.
11. Dallas Stars (6-3-5, 17 pts – last week’s ranking: 8 )
I still think the Dallas Stars have an underrated top 6 forward line up. That said, the Stars had an OK week collecting three of six points in their three games with wins over the Leafs losses to the Panthers and Predators. Unfortunately, the Stars are 2-2-2 at home this season and two of their next three games against the Flames and Canucks are in Dallas.
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10. New Jersey Devils (8-4-0, 16 pts – last week’s ranking: 12)
The New Jersey Devils are a perfect 7-0 on the road this year while only mustering up one win in five games at home. Could be an issue with home games this week against the Capitals and Islanders. Of the 12 games this Devils play this month, six are at home and six are away. This could be a pretty critical time for the Devils to solidify their playoff contention (15 of the 16 teams that were in playoff positions in November last season ended up making the playoffs).
9. Buffalo Sabres (8-2-1, 17 pts – last week’s ranking: 9)
The Buffalo Sabres are easily having the quietest good start in the NHL. Ryan Miller has been nothing short of amazing, while the team is getting scoring from many different players. And then they got blown out by the Islanders. But prior to that, the Sabres were riding a 4-game win streak; all of which against Eastern Conference teams. The Sabres will look to continue that this week in Eastern Conference battles with the Islanders (let’s hope for a better showing in the rematch from Saturday), Flyers and Bruins.
8. Chicago Blackhawks (8-4-1, 17 pts – last week’s ranking: 10)
The Chicago Blackhawks still don’t have captain Jonathan Toews back from injury yet, but might have him for either of their games later this week against the Coyotes and Avalanche. Last week, the Hawks went 2-1 beating the Canadiens and Wild (Martin Havlat’s return to Chicago) but lost to the Predators 2-0.
7. Los Angeles Kings (8-4-2, 18 pts – last week’s ranking: 3)
The Los Angeles Kings dropped their two Western Conference games last week to the Sharks and Canucks, both in shootouts, both by 2-1 scores. The Kings need to get scoring back up when they play the Coyotes, Penguins and Predators this week.
6. Phoenix Coyotes (9-4-0, 18 pts – last week’s ranking: 14)
The Phoenix Coyotes are on a nice 3-game win streak, beating the likes of the Blue Jackets, Blues and Ducks last week. This week, the ‘Yotes faceoff against the Kings, Avalanche, Blackhawks and Ducks. Ilya Brzgalov continues to shine for the Coyotes with an awesome. 930 save percentage and a league best three shutouts already. Coach Dave Tippett finally has this team playing like they’ve probably been capable of playing in years past. The only question is, can they continue this kind of play all season?
5. New York Rangers (9-5-1, 19 pts – last week’s ranking: 6)
New York Rangers franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist recorded his 150th career NHL victory over the Boston Bruins yesterday in a 1-0 shutout win, snapping a 2-game losing streak. The Rangers are on a tour of Western Canada this week seeing action against the Canucks, Oilers and Flames. They are 3-3-1 on the road this year and three points back of the Conference best Pittsburgh Penguins. Marian Gaborik’s injury appears to be a non-point, too. Rangers fans can rest easily again.
4. Washington Capitals (8-2-4, 20 pts – last week’s ranking: 7)
All anyone will be talking about with regards to the Washington Capitals is the state of Alex Ovechkin and the injury he appeared to suffer in Sunday’s loss to the Blue Jackets. Coach Bruce Boudreau suggests Ovechkin is day-to-day and will be further evaluated on Tuesday. Last week the Capitals 6-game win streak was broken by the Rangers Islanders in a shootout, only followed up by another shootout loss to Columbus days later. The Capitals have earned 15 out of a possible 18 points in their last nine games. Seven of those games were one goal games, too.
3. San Jose Sharks (10-4-1, 21 pts – last week’s ranking: 4)
The San Jose Sharks continue to flex their muscles as one of the Western Conferences stronger teams. Patrick Marleau has been playing terrific hockey as of late and currently sits two points back of the NHL scoring lead (held by Alex Ovechkin). The Sharks also have Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley sitting in the top 10 for NHL scoring, too. The Sharks look to extend their 5-game win streak this week against the Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Penguins.
2. Colorado Avalanche (10-3-2, 22 pts – last week’s ranking: 2)
I don’t even know what to say about the Colorado Avalanche anymore. They are off to a great start, despite losing their last two games and will look to rebound this week in home games against the Coyotes, Blackhawks and Oilers. The Avalanche are a perfect 4-0 at the Pepsi Center this year.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (11-3-0, 22 pts – last week’s ranking: 1)
As the Pittsburgh Penguins role on, so do the wins. Injuries to Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin can’t stop the team from strong play. With victories over the Blue Jackets and Canadiens, the Penguins did fall on Saturday to the Minnesota Wild, despite Sidney Crosby’s fight with Marek Zidlicky. (You can see it here). The Penguins play out West this week against the Ducks, Kings and Sharks.
Stay classy, NHL rankings.
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The Caps six-game win streak was stopped by the Islanders in the shootout, not the Rangers. And I’m a fan, but until they learn to play a full 60 and close teams out, I think #4 might be a little high for ‘em.
Er, I meant to say the Islanders beat the Caps in OT, not a shootout. The Blue Jackets loss was in OT as well.
Sorry about that, good call Jeremy. I’ve fixed it. Urgh, I hate making silly mistakes like that.
I know what you mean – its rare to see a full 60 minute effort. It has and will hurt them in the playoffs, but they can get away with it now. Part of the reason they are 4th is because of the potential damage they could do if Semin, Green and others really get going. Theodore has been playing pretty well as of late, too.