It was a huge week for the Philadelphia Flyers. They started the week off by retiring the number of Eric Lindros. After the ceremony, the Flyers went on to win four tight games, three of which were in overtime, and Travis Konecny had a huge coming out party on the road. By winning eight of their last nine games, Philly has moved up to 15th in the NHL Power Rankings.
The Colorado Avalanche went on a 10-game winning streak and had the largest jump, while the Blackhawks are starting to get desperate.
1. Vegas Golden Knights: 68 points
Previously 2 (61 points)
This team takes two steps forward even when it takes a step back. Losing to Florida was not a good look, but they have a four-game point streak and had no problems dismantling Carolina and Columbus in consecutive games. They jump past Tampa Bay (who knew?) after sweeping what was easily the top team in the league. William Karlsson is on his third four-game point streak of the season after scoring twice on Sergei Bobrovsky, and he can reach double digits in goals for the second month (after November) if he scores three times against the Flames (not easy) and Islanders (more likely).
2. Tampa Bay Lightning: 69 points
Previously 1 (65 points)
For now, Tampa Bay remains on top of the NHL standings, but they are clearly vulnerable now. They have more losing streaks in January than they had for the first three months, and their season-high three-game losing streak carried into their eight-game road trip. They righted the ship with wins over Chicago and Nashville. Andrei Vasilevskiy, who struggled during the short skid, shut out the Hawks with 40 saves on Monday for his league-leading seventh shutout. That also ties the franchise record in a season. Meanwhile, Brayden Point will replace Victor Hedman in the All-Star Game.
3. Winnipeg Jets: 65 points
Previously 3 (59 points)
Winnipeg took their bye week frustrations out on the Pacific Division this week, although none of those wins were by more than one goal. It took an offensive slugfest in the Shark Tank for the offense to get things going again, and the Jets finally disposed San Jose in OT despite losing a three-goal lead from the first period. Bryan Little scored twice in that game, including what was the first OT winner for the Jets this season.
4. Nashville Predators: 63 points
Previously 5 (58 points)
Nashville did not look like a top competitor in the Western Conference, but they are still within striking distance of both Winnipeg and Vegas with their current seven-game point streak. They needed two one-goal games to defeat Arizona and Florida at home, but they salvaged a point against the Lightning. A heavy load of marquee match-ups, including two NBC games, are coming up after the All-Star break. Kevin Fiala picked up his first multi-goal game since October 2016 after scoring twice with Nick Bonino and Calle Jarnkrok dealing on his line.
5. Boston Bruins: 64 points
Previously 7 (58 points)
Boston continues its sharp rise in the NHL. They have won four straight games and have a point streak lasting 17 games. They were not challenged until the Devils kept things close on Tuesday, when all five goals were scored in the second period. Extending the streak may be a real challenge, however, because Brad Marchand was suspended five games for a vicious elbow to Marcus Johansson‘s face. He had nine points during the win streak, including three in another easy victory in Brooklyn.
6. Washington Capitals: 61 points
Previously 4 (59 points)
They still own first place in the Metropolitan Division all to themselves, but the Capitals are limping to the All-Star break. They have lost four of five, including three in a row this week, and took two overtime losses to division rivals. They finish the pre-All-Star schedule in Sunrise before two crucial battles with the Pennsylvania teams after the break. Brett Connolly carried the Washington offense on Thursday, scoring twice and forcing overtime late in the third period in their loss to New Jersey.
7. St. Louis Blues: 61 points
Previously 6 (57 points)
St. Louis takes a back seat to Nashville and Winnipeg because of a rough night from Carter Hutton. No worries, as the backup has gotten the nod between the pipes more often because of his recent play, and he allowed just one goal in two starts against the Senators this week. His shutout on Tuesday was his first since racking up a whopping 48 saves against Winnipeg on Dec. 16, and his GAA is still under 1.80.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs: 59 points
Previously 8 (54 points)
Boston is on fire and Tampa Bay is still finding ways to win at a consistent rate. Toronto is in for a mild finish to the season at this rate. It will be hard to go any higher than third in the division, but the playoffs are still a likely conquest. The offense no longer puts up gargantuan numbers, but they did enough to skate by Ottawa and Chicago. It took just six seconds for William Nylander to cut past the defense, draw a penalty shot, and finish off the Hawks for the OT winner on Wednesday night.
9. Dallas Stars: 60 points
Previously 10 (55 points)
Beating the Sabres is not as easy as most teams believed before this week, but the Stars still had their way. Their 7-1 beatdown in western New York was the highlight of a 14-2 score line during their three games this week, and that stat might be tame compared to the melees that resulted in 138 penalty minutes between Florida and Dallas on Tuesday. John Klingberg had already paved his spot on the All-Star team with his ridiculous abundance of assists, and he topped himself again by assisting on five goals in the last two games.
10. San Jose Sharks: 59 points
Previously 14 (54 points)
The defense has “dropped” to fifth in the league, as Martin Jones continues to battle injuries. As Aaron Dell continues to give the Sharks some needed points, it could still be possible for them to make a run for the division pinnacle, but Vegas is not making things easy. Dell made 33 saves in Anaheim on Sunday, but he was not needed in the offensive outburst. Mikkel Boedker went off with two goals and an assist as San Jose ripped off six goals and forced John Gibson to be pulled.
11. Colorado Avalanche: 57 points
Previously 18 (51 points)
Last year, the Avalanche could not stop losing, but now they forgot the feeling of losing. Their NHL season-high 10-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday, as the offensive firepower ran out on chilly Montreal. Still, it was Colorado’s first loss in 2018, and the second longest win streak in franchise history has cleared them from the Central Division depths. Nathan MacKinnon lost his point streak in the 10th straight win, but he opened the week with two goals and an assist against San Jose to break the game open early.
12. New Jersey Devils: 56 points
Previously 9 (54 points)
It all looked so promising after a critical OT win against the Caps, but the wheels fell off fast. Losing to Philadelphia again hurt, but so what looking slow against Detroit and letting an opportunity in Boston slip away. Taylor Hall continued his tear by scoring one of the nicer OT winners on Thursday, but his seven-game point streak is on hold after sustaining a hand injury in the city of Brotherly Love.
13. Los Angeles Kings: 57 points
Previously 12 (53 points)
The Kings are the only team not playing on Thursday, and it looks like they will be without Jonathan Quick when the team visits Dallas on Tuesday. Quick decided not to participate in the All-Star Game despite being selected, which makes him “suspended” for one game. Darcy Kuemper is certainly up to the task, however, and he showed it with 30 saves in Calgary on Wednesday. His GAA is just over 2.0 after 13 appearances.
14. Calgary Flames: 57 points
Previously 11 (54 points)
With Jonathan Quick opting out of the All-Star Game, Mike Smith was called upon to replace him. That is nice, but Smith could have used some help this week. The Flames played three home games this week, and all of them ended in a 2-1 loss in extra time. Not ideal, and things could get much worse if they cannot find a way to win in Edmonton. Smith stopped 34 shots against Winnipeg on Saturday before falling in a shootout.
15. Philadelphia Flyers: 56 points
Previously 23 (48 points)
In a week when Philly great Eric Lindros‘s number was retired at Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers have flirted with both history and losses. They are the only team with a 10-game winning streak and losing streak over the past two seasons, and they could be going for a 10-game winning streak on Thursday if it were not for Philly’s brutal loss in Manhattan last week. How rare is losing and winning 10 straight games in the same season? The Los Angeles Dodgers accomplished that feat this year, and it was the first time that had happened in the MLB (which has double the number of games played) in 26 years. Philly won three of their four games this week in overtime, and Travis Konecny had a part in all of those winners. Two of his three overtime points come on goals in consecutive road games. How do you spell “money?”
16. Minnesota Wild: 57 points
Previously 16 (53 points)
It was another successful week for Minnesota, and they needed it considering that they are still tied for second-to-last in the Central Division. Two home wins against Tampa Bay and Ottawa leaves them at a tie with the Avalanche with a trip to Pittsburgh being the only game left before the break. Eric Staal has four assists in his last three games after having two against the Lightning.
17. Pittsburgh Penguins: 55 points
Previously 17 (51 points)
Make that three goalies getting consistent playing time. Vegas did this on four occasions early, and Pittsburgh is now on to using Casey DeSmith fairly often. His first three NHL starts have gone well, for he has gone 2-1-0 while allowing just four goals. He has 34 saves in each of his last two starts, including in Tuesday’s win in which all but one of the goals were scored in the first period.
18. Anaheim Ducks: 55 points
Previously 19 (51 points)
Anaheim is still behind San Jose after that blowout loss, but the rest of the week went smoothly. The Ducks found themselves in another goaltender battle with their freeway rivals, with Ryan Kesler tipping in the game-winner late in the third period on Friday. No such dramatics were needed on Tuesday, as the Ducks did more than enough to stash the Rangers. Six different skaters scored on Tuesday, and J.T. Brown picked up his first goal since being claimed from Tampa Bay two weeks ago.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets: 55 points
Previously 13 (53 points)
The combination of cold teams and one hot team has caused a shuffle in the Metropolitan Division, and Columbus is on the wrong end. With a shootout win against Dallas being the only win in three games over nearly a two-week span, the Jackets will need to find wins against Western Conference opponents before a heavy load of division games in February. Think of it as the “calm” before the storm. Joonas Korpisalo made 35 saves against the Stars on Thursday for his fifth win of the season.
20. New York Rangers: 53 points
Previously 15 (51 points)
New York can find solace in the fact that winning in California is not a easy task, but going winless in the four-game swing is not what the Rangers had in mind. They will have to defeat the Sharks on Thursday to avoid that mark before the break. New York’s final home game before the break was another tight win over the Sabres, and it was the continuation of a scorching run from Rick Nash. He scored twice for the second straight game in Thursday’s win, and he would do it again in a 6-3 loss to Anaheim on Tuesday.
21. Carolina Hurricanes: 50 points
Previously 19 (48 points)
Carolina has become too sporadic in January to make fans feel comfortable about ending that playoff drought. They have just three wins, none of them consecutively, and four two-game skids since Dec. 30, but the good news is that the Hurricanes travel to Montreal before the All-Star break. Elias Lindholm scored twice from Justin Faulk in Saturday’s low-scoring victory over the Red Wings, and it was his first multi-goal game since picking up the hat trick against Edmonton on March 8, 2015.
22. New York Islanders: 53 points
Previously 22 (50 points)
They might not be dead last, but the Isles are not as dangerous in the Metropolitan Division as originally perceived. The defense continues to let them down, but it has looked somewhat better lately. Will any goaltenders be available for the trade deadline, or will the Islanders not even be in position to be strong sellers? New York erupted with seven goals in their lone visit to Chicago, and Ryan Pulock raised some eyebrows with a goal and four assists in the rout. The former Isles first-round pick had just nine points before the career night.
23. Chicago Blackhawks: 51 points
Previously 21 (50 points)
Things are getting dire for a team that might be on the verge of falling out of the playoff race early. Before their overtime loss to Toronto on Wednesday, the Blackhawks had been shut out twice and completely exposed defensively on another occasion during what is now four straight losses and five of their last six at home. They now sit six points behind Colorado and Minnesota, which are tied for fifth in the Central Division. Despite allowing seven goals to the Islanders, the Hawks had another big night from Patrick Kane. He scored twice and got a point in all of Chicago’s goals, and that was enough to hit the 800-point milestone.
24. Florida Panthers: 44 points
Previously 25 (42 points)
One thing went very right this week. The Panthers pulled off an overtime stunner to knock off Vegas at home in the first game after their bye week. Things were not nearly as good on the road. James Reimer got hurt early in Florida’s loss to Dallas on Tuesday. Quick note: Dallas had 39 shots in that game, which is equal to the number of penalty minutes Micheal Haley had. The game was scrappy, but maybe that was overkill. Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists on Friday, including the first assist on Aaron Ekblad‘s OT goal.
25. Detroit Red Wings: 46 points
Previously 24 (43 points)
It might not over for Detroit. Perhaps Petr Mrazek can bring some of his pre-2016 magic back in the net and bring the Wings into the playoff picture. The way he has played lately, there is no reason to believe Mrazek will return to undisputed backup. He had shutouts in consecutive starts, including 37 saves in New Jersey on Monday, before losing in overtime to Philly the next day. He still had 28 saves to give the Red Wings one point.
26. Montreal Canadiens: 46 points
Previously 26 (42 points)
Montreal went winless in their three games against Boston over a five-game span, but they regained some lost confidence with wins over Washington and Colorado. Tuesday’s victory ended the Avs’ 10-game winning streak in what was a big offensive night Jonathan Drouin. The Quebec native has been a huge disappointment in his first season in Montreal, but he has picked up the scoring over the past two weeks. He capped it off with a goal and two assists to account for all three non-empty net goals in the win over Colorado.
27. Edmonton Oilers: 45 points
Previously 29 (43 points)
That 5-0 loss to Buffalo did not do the Oilers any favors, but they stayed ahead of Vancouver following a 5-2 win at home. Still, Edmonton was not supposed to scrape by the Canucks in the standings, and having Calgary’s number will not save the season at this point. Before Tuesday’s game, Patrick Maroon scored twice on Saturday to finish off a three-game span with four goals. With 13 goals and 13 assists, he should continue to get asked about at the trade deadline as a pending unrestricted free agent.
28. Vancouver Canucks: 44 points
Previously 28 (42 points)
Vancouver has just one winning streak since Dec. 7, and the offense had no answers following their bye week. That changed in what was one of their most complete games of the season on Tuesday. They knocked Jonathan Quick and a fading Kings team around and had the game on lock very early for just their third win in 2018. Loui Eriksson had his best game of the season on Tuesday, scoring two goals and adding an assist within the first six minutes of the game. Bo Horvat had two assists in just his second game since returning from a foot injury.
29. Ottawa Senators: 39 points
Previously 27 (39 points)
That bye week really did not help. Ottawa lost four straight regulation games by an arm’s length, and the surprisingly awful season for the Senators may be too much for a comeback. The Matt Duchene clearly did not help the team improve. Mark Stone had two assists in Saturday’s loss to Toronto, and he would miss both road games with a knee injury.
30. Buffalo Sabres: 35 points
Previously 30 (31 points)
The secret is Alberta. Buffalo has been so bad all year, but they won in both Calgary and Edmonton, including a rare domination on Tuesday. That was enough to keep the Coyotes at the lowest point total in the NHL. Jack Eichel has quietly strung together a seven-game point streak, which included the overtime winner in Calgary and four points in the 5-0 beatdown farther north.
31. Arizona Coyotes: 33 points
Previously 31 (28 points)
They are still the worst team in hockey, but things are looking up. They have points in seven of their eight January games, including a five-game point streak. This lottery battle could become very interesting over the next three months. Nick Cousins, who has been counted on to take a leadership role for the reeling squad, came up big on Monday, picking up points in all three goals and potting the OT winner over the Islanders.
BOLD PREDICTIONS:
Last week:
Los Angeles whips Anaheim by four on Friday to get redemption. Not much scoring and not much redemption for the Kings. They are fading fast.
St. Louis doubles up on Arizona in shots (at least) on Saturday AND Alexander Steen takes at least six of those shots. Arizona came close to doubling up the Blues in the shots category.
Mike Smith/David Rittich shuts out the Kings on Wednesday. Jake Muzzin ruined this prediction with a power play goal in the third period.
This week:
The Atlantic Division wins the All-Star Game.
Nathan MacKinnon picks up a hat trick this week (All-Star Game included).
John Klingberg had three assists against the Kings on Tuesday.
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