Murph’s Power 5: Plenty Of Changes At Quarter Mark

Did the Boston Bruins really fall from No. 1 to No. 5 in the latest Power 5?

There are plenty of changes in the latest Power 5 as two of the top three teams from the last ranking are gone, and two new teams have entered the fray.

The second and third-ranked teams from our last ranking on Nov. 24, the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Los Angeles Kings, have been bounced. The top-ranked team, the Boston Bruins, dropped to fifth, and the New York Rangers have risen to the top. The Colorado Avalanche are back, and making their debuts in the Power 5 are the Carolina Hurricanes and the Detroit Red Wings. Honorable mention goes to the Arizona Coyotes, who are on a four-game heater and held the top wild card slot in the Western Conference as of Monday morning.

Note: The criteria for this ranking each week is teams near the top of the standings and/or the hottest teams in playoff contention over the last week. We have now switched the Power 5 to be posted on Mondays, so this ranking is based on games played since Nov. 24.

Here’s my latest Power 5:

1.) New York Rangers (18-4-1, 37 pts)

The New York Rangers are 4-1-0 since our last ranking and continue to show that they can win games with offense, defense, and of course, with the usually brilliant goaltending of 2022 Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin. Artemi Panarin continues to have a Hart Trophy-worthy season, but if you’re looking for a sleeper NHL Betting prop player, it may be time to jump on the Vincent Trochek train.

Next up for the Rangers: @Ottawa Senators 12/5, @Washington Capitals 12/9, vs Los Angeles Kings 12/10

2.) Colorado Avalanche (15-7-2, 32 pts)

The Colorado Avalanche lost to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night, but make no mistake, the Avs, 3-1-2 since our last ranking, are back and a force to be reckoned with.

One of the main reasons is defenseman Cale Makar, who is coming off a torrid November that earned him second Star of the Month honors. Makar led the NHL with 21 assists and ranked second with both 25 points and a +13 rating across 14 games (4-21—25) to power the Avalanche to a 9-4-1 November. Unfortunately, Makar was injured in the loss to the Kings on Sunday and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, but the Avalanche will be hovering around the top of the division and conference going forward.

Next up for the Avalanche: vs Anaheim Ducks 12/5, vs Winnipeg Jets 12/7, vs Philadelphia Flyers 12/9

3.) Carolina Hurricanes (14-8-1, 29 pts)

The Carolina Hurricanes took a while to get going, but the preseason Stanley Cup favorites for plenty in and around the NHL are finally rounding into form. Since our last ranking, the Hurricanes are 3-1-1. The only thing plaguing them right now would be that they need to tighten up in the neutral zone and improve their team defense. Their 8-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Islanders were perfect examples of that, but they can score with the best of them.

Next up for the Hurricanes: @ Winnipeg Jets 12/4, @ Edmonton Oilers 12/6, @ Calgary Flames 12/7, @ Vancouver Canucks 12/9

4.) Detroit Red Wings (13-7-3, 29 pts)

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is getting close to being able to say that famous line from Hannibal in ‘The A-Team’: “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Starting with a Black Friday drubbing of the Boston Bruins, the Detroit Red Wings have had quite a last ten days. They’ve gone 4-1-0 in their last five games, and over that same stretch, Yzerman was able to sign highly coveted UFA winger Patrick Kane. That move reunites what was a very successful and dynamic duo for the Chicago Blackhawks years back, in Kane and current Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat. The Wings are rising in the very competitive Atlantic Division and could finish in the top three in the division at this rate.

Up next for the Red Wings: @ Buffalo Sabres 12/5, vs San Jose Sharks 12/7, vs Ottawa Senators 12/9

5.) Boston Bruins (17-4-3, 37 pts)

The Boston Bruins almost fell completely out of the Power 5 since our last ranking, thanks to an onslaught of goals against and a three-game losing streak. As they always seem to do, though, the Bruins were able to snap that skid before it became a legit slump and have won three-straight games, including a thrilling rivalry win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Saturday night.

Up next for the Boston Bruins: vs Buffalo Sabres 12/7, vs Arizona Coyotes 12/9