NHL Power Rankings: Boston and Washington Trending Up

Clearly, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the best team in the National Hockey League. However, teams like Boston and Washington are trending in an upward direction. Moving over to the playoff races, the Metro and Central Divisions are looking to get five teams into the playoffs again. With eyes on the wild card races, the race for the division winners are still up in the air. But don’t count out the teams from the Pacific and Atlantic Divisions, especially the Montreal Canadiens. Time to go inside this week’s NHL Power Rankings.

NHL Power Rankings: Boston and Washington Trending Up

1. Tampa Bay Lightning – The Lightning are so deep and playing so well, that it appears no one can beat them in a seven game series.
2. Boston Bruins – The Bruins are getting hot at the right moment. It is scary they are playing this well without their top scorer.
3. Calgary Flames – Calgary is such an offensively dangerous team, the only thing holding them back might be a top tier goaltender
4. Toronto Maple Leafs – Toronto is starting find their form again and what perfect timing with the playoffs right around the corner.
5. Washington Capitals – Let’s not forget about the defending champs who are finding their swagger just at the right time.
6. San Jose Sharks – No alarm here for the Sharks, they are still one of the favorites to come out of the West.
7. New York Islanders – There was a slight dip in the play of the Islanders this past week. Don’t be worried though, they will have home ice in the first round.
8. Nashville Predators – It will be a battle with Winnipeg, and their deadline deals were some of the best. Give it a little more time.
9. Winnipeg Jets – March is always the month for the Jets, but they need to find consistency to make a deep run in the playoffs.
10. Carolina Hurricanes – The Cardiac Canes are playing well. And this could be year for them. Their goaltending may not be the greatness but they are getting timely saves and goals.
11. Vegas Golden Knights – Look out for the Golden Knights. With Mark Stone now in the lineup, this team is deadly on offense. Oh yeah Marc-Andre Fleury is playing well too.
12. Pittsburgh Penguins – Still trying to find consistency, the Penguins are in a battle for a wild-card spot. Once they get it together, look out.
13. Columbus Blue Jackets – The Blue Jackets are on notice. They must win now especially with all the deadline moves that were made.
14. Montreal Canadiens – Don’t count the Canadiens. With Carey Price between the pipes, this team has a shot to make the playoffs and win a round.
15. St. Louis Blues – It was fun while it lasted. All of a sudden Jordan Binnington looks human. Good thing is they have a nice cushion in the standings.
16. Dallas Stars – Going forward, it all relies on the Stars beating the inferior teams especially since a lot of games are on home ice.
17. Philadelphia Flyers – Another team in the race are the Flyers. Brian Elliott is filling in nicely, for an injured Carter Hart. The Flyers are starting to click on all levels.
18. Colorado Avalanche – In order to make the playoffs, they need to just win baby. It will come down to the final weekend again for the Avs.
19. Arizona Coyotes – Their six game winning streak is over, let’s see if they can conquer the injury bug going through their roster.
20. Minnesota Wild – Do Bruce Boudreau’s words guaranteeing a playoff spot come back to haunt him in the end?
21. Edmonton Oilers – Again when the games become meaningless the Oilers start to win. With the West so weak, they are back in the playoff race.
22. Florida Panthers – Remember how the Panthers were the darlings of the NHL and this was the year they would make the playoffs?
23. Buffalo Sabres – Ever sine their winning streak, the Sabres have been trending in the wrong direction. This team is still a year away.
24. New York Rangers – Regardless of the terminology being used, the Rangers will be tough to play against in every game.
25. Vancouver Canucks – This is still a young team and just like the Sabres still a year or two away from breaking out.
26. Chicago Blackhawks – Time is starting to run out for the Blackhawks. The best thing is for them to miss the playoffs.
27. New Jersey Devils – The Devils need figure out what they are doing in this rebuild and what type of style they want to play going forward.
28. Detroit Red Wings – Detroit did not have the trade deadline everyone thought they would. They will need to do more work this offseason.
29. Los Angeles Kings – The Kings need to figure out what type of team they want to be going forward. It’s time to transition from a physical team to a speed team.
30. Anaheim Ducks – For Anaheim it is all about developing their young players and seeing if they can play in the NHL.
31. Ottawa Senators – Plain and simple, the Ottawa Senators are bad. No sugar coating it. And it isn’t getting better any time soon.

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NHL Power Rankings: Trade Deadline Aftermath

Photo Credit: By Sarah Connors (Blues vs. Bruins-9197.jpgUploaded by Hephaion) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons