The Central Division had its fair share of fireworks this week. Let us start with the Nashville Predators. Filip Forsberg has been on fire this week. After getting a hat trick against Calgary last week, he picked up other one against Colorado two days later. He finished his incredible, first-star week with the overtime winner in Buffalo. The Predators have rode his hot streak up to 13th in the NHL Power Rankings.
Patrick Kane also has two recent hat tricks, helping the Blackhawks leap frog the Penguins. Also, there are plenty of trade deadline moves to cover.
1. Washington Capitals (91 points)
Previously 1 (87 points)
Washington almost had to make the biggest trade in the league to convince others that they were serious about winning the Stanley Cup. They did just that when they picked up St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and goalie Pheonix Copley for Zach Sanford, Brad Malone, and draft picks, including their first round pick in 2017. Now they have to get to the postseason in healthy condition. Braden Holtby allowed just one goal each in wins over Edmonton and New York, and it is still mathematically possible for him to match his 48-win total from last season. He is currently at 32 wins with 20 games remaining.
2. Minnesota Wild (88 points)
Previously 2 (84 points)
Minnesota’s outstanding defense gave way in their two games this week. Fortunately for the Wild, its equally impressive offense did not. They won both of their games this week on game-winners in high-scoring affairs. An evenly matched game against Los Angeles ended with a Mikael Granlund breakaway goal in overtime, and Jason Zucker scored a shorthanded goal with two minutes remaining to sink Winnipeg the very next day. They also traded for Martin Hanzal and Ryan White, who already has two goals with his new team. Granlund finished February with an even better input than in January. He is currently on a five-game point streak and had nine goals and seven assists in just 12 games.
3. Chicago Blackhawks (85 points)
Previously 4 (79 points)
Consider the Blackhawks Stanley Cup threats. They went 9-1-0 in February and have excelled on national television this week. They continued their roll on Wednesday, when they pulled away from Pittsburgh. Or should I say Patrick Kane rolled past the Penguins? He picked up the hat trick in the win, and that was after picking up three goals on Arizona earlier in the week. Kaner doing Kaner things.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (84 points)
Previously 3 (82 points)
Pittsburgh probably could have used a better week, but they did get bragging rights at Heinz Field on Saturday. Sidney Crosby scored his league-leading 34th goal of the season in the win over Philadelphia. The Pens were relatively quiet at the deadline, but they did pick up Mark Streit from Philadelphia via Tampa Bay. I guess that is the only way the Pennsylvania rivals can trade with each other.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets (84 points)
Previously 5 (79 points)
They could not solve Carey Price on Tuesday, but it was still an excellent week for the Jackets. They tore the Islanders apart on Saturday and did the same to the Rangers the very next day. The Jackets picked up Lauri Korpikoski and Kyle Quincey at the trade deadline. Former first-round pick Alexander Wennberg continued to add to his career year. After two assists on Saturday and two goals on Sunday, he now has as many assists as he had total points last season, and his 12 goals are the total from his first two seasons combined. He is one of the main reasons why the Jackets have been surprisingly good this year. Joonas Korpisalo also picked up his first career shutout in the 7-0 beatdown over the Islanders.
6. New York Rangers (82 points)
Previously 6 (78 points)
The Rangers took a step back in a what was a huge week for playoff implications. After needing extra time to get by Toronto and New Jersey, they were crushed by Columbus and Washington in consecutive games. Not good if they want to avoid the wild card spot. Mika Zibanejad scored the overtime winner in New Jersey on Saturday, but he missed Tuesday’s game with a hand injury. Brendan Smith was New York’s most significant pickup at the trade deadline, but they gave up two draft picks to get him.
7. San Jose Sharks (81 points)
Previously 7 (77 points)
It was only a matter of time before San Jose got involved in the trade market. They got Jannik Hansen from Vancouver on Wednesday, and his first game will be against those Canucks at the SAP Center. Tomas Hertl has been marred with a lower body injury that has limited him to 30 games this season, but his strike past Frederik Andersen on Tuesday was his second go-ahead goal with under three minutes remaining in regulation since returning from his two-month absence. The other one was on Jan. 31 against the Blackhawks.
8. Montreal Canadiens (78 points)
Previously 11 (72 points)
Not one. Not two. But THREE overtime victories in a row! Is that Claude Julien‘s recipe for success? Whatever works, I guess. Andrew Shaw sunk the Maple Leafs on Saturday for Montreal’s 14th straight win over Toronto, and Alex Galchenyuk scored both overtime goals on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Columbus was the most thrilling of the three, with Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky each dodging some very close calls all game before Galchenyuk finally broke through. Montreal picked up Jordie Benn, Brandon Davidson, Dwight King, Andreas Martinsen, and Steve Ott at the trade deadline while shipping off Sven Andrighetto and David Desharnais.
9. Edmonton Oilers (76 points)
Previously 8 (74 points)
Edmonton could have afforded to give up some prospects for the postseason push, but they only got David Desharnais at the trade deadline. Either Connor McDavid makes the Oilers a Stanley Cup contender or the Stanley Cup is not a realistic goal for a team that has not made the playoffs since 2006. Mark Letestu scored twice this week, including the second Edmonton goal on Tuesday that held up to defeat St. Louis.
10. Ottawa Senators (72 points)
Previously 9 (70 points)
Ottawa’s trip to the southeast really could have been better. They scored just three times in three games at Carolina, Florida, and Tampa Bay, and they missed out on an opportunity to gain more ground on Montreal. Craig Anderson has returned and overtaken the starting goalie spot in Ottawa, and he shut down the Panthers late on Sunday. He stopped 37 over their 38 shots, and that included all 15 shots that Florida blasted in a scoreless third period. Ottawa picked up Alex Burrows, Jyrki Jokipakka, and Viktor Stalberg at the deadline to add depth to a contender with few heavy scorers.
11. Anaheim Ducks (74 points)
Previously 10 (74 points)
Not the way the Ducks had envisioned heading into their bye week. On Saturday, they went to Los Angeles hoping for a spark in the SoCal rivalry. Unfortunately, they allowed the Kings to score four times in the third period and are suddenly very close to falling into a wild card spot. They did get some help in the trade deadline, however. They sent a conditional second-round pick to Dallas for 21-goal scorer Patrick Eaves. He has 11 goals on the power play, and he will be sorely needed for a Ducks team that is 0-16 on the power play since February 11 (seven games) and had just one goal on the man advantage in all of February.
12. Boston Bruins (72 points)
Previously 14 (66 points)
The Bruins needed a big February to stay in the playoff race and got it. They beat up on three Western Conference teams currently out of the playoff picture this week and have now won seven of their last eight games. They also have a game advantage over the Canadiens, so a continued run could make a division championship suddenly realistic. Patrice Bergeron led the offensive charge in Dallas with two goals and an assist, and he added two more assists in a breakout second period for Boston against Arizona. He now has 28 points since the beginning of 2017. Boston picked up Drew Stafford from the Winnipeg Jets.
13. Nashville Predators (73 points)
Previously 17 (65 points)
The Predators continue twisting the knife into the Capitals, which made an infamous trade that sent Filip Forsberg to Nashville in 2013. He now has 10 goals in his last five games, including two hat tricks and a goal and two assists against the team that drafted him. Nashville did not beat Calgary following Forsberg’s first hat trick, but they have not lost since, and they now have full control of third place in the Central Division. Nashville traded a sixth-round pick to New Jersey for P.A. Parenteau.
14. Calgary Flames (72 points)
Previously 18 (64 points)
Calgary just went from barely a second wild card to creating a sizable lead for the first wild card spot. They have won five straight games, including their last four road games, and got a huge defensive boost from new acquisitions Michael Stone and Matt Bartkowski. They will be key players to watch for the rest of the season and during the offseason. Micheal Ferland has been excellent with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, scoring three times on the road trip and again in Tuesday’s win over Los Angeles. Calgary also picked up Curtis Lazar from Ottawa at the trade deadline.
15. Toronto Maple Leafs (69 points)
Previously 14 (67 points)
Toronto currently holds the second wild card spot, but they went 0-2-1 this week and are out in California. They need to turn things around quickly because the Islanders and Panthers, and possibly other teams, are not going away quietly. The Leafs picked up enforcer and streaky scorer Brian Boyle at the deadline, and his veteran presence will be highly valuable for a team flooded with rookies. Auston Matthews scored three of Toronto’s four goals this week, including both of their goals against Montreal on Saturday. He is once again tied with Patrik Laine for the rookie lead in goals, and his 31 goals are second in the league behind Sidney Crosby.
16. St. Louis Blues (67 points)
Previously 12 (67 points)
Mike Yeo has been unable to continue the string of wins that fellow interim coaches Doug Weight, Bruce Cassidy, and now Claude Julien have unloaded. Even with the Kings struggling, the Blues are barely hanging on to the second wild card spot. To make things worse, LA picked up some key pieces at the trade deadline while the Blues game away Kevin Shattenkirk, although that was probably a good move considering Shattenkirk is a UFA at season’s end and was not likely going to re-sign with St. Louis. Magnus Paajarvi returned to the NHL on February 7, and he now has three goals since then after scoring in Sunday’s loss to Chicago.
17. Florida Panthers (68 points)
Previously 15 (66 points)
The shield made one move at the deadline. They picked up Thomas Vanek from Detroit and only had to give up Dylan McIlrath and a conditional third round pick. Even if the Panthers miss the playoffs, this trade should not destroy the team. That is unless the Red Wings can get another version of Henrik Zetterberg, who was a seventh-round pick in 1999. Vincent Trocheck had not scored at home since January 14, but he broke that drought with a first period goal against Carolina.
18. New York Islanders (68 points)
Previously 16 (66 points)
The combination of a light schedule and a grueling 7-0 beatdown loss to Columbus is why the Islanders are back on the outside looking in. Their lengthy road trip gets no easier. They have four games this week, including visits to the white hot Blackhawks and Flames, before ending up in Edmonton. Thomas Greiss silenced Montreal on 24 shots for his third shutout of the season on Thursday, but the Blue Jackets had their way on him and Jean-Francois Berube.
19. Los Angeles Kings (66 points)
Previously 19 (62 points)
Hey, Dean Lombardi. I have no idea what you told Jarome Iginla, but it must have been extraordinary. Iginla expressed his desire to play for a championship contender, which is something the Kings are not. They are currently ninth in the Western Conference after consecutive overtime losses, and will likely need another miracle run as the eight seed to win the Stanley Cup. Not the greatest move for Iginla. On the other hand, the Kings did trade for Ben Bishop, who is now by far and away the best backup goalie in the NHL after Jonathan Quick returned to the team this week. Quick, by the way, allowed just one goal to Anaheim on 33 shots in his first start since Opening Night.
20. Tampa Bay Lightning (66 points)
Previously 22 (62 points)
After falling short at home against Calgary (It is OK. Nobody could stop them), the Lightning turned things up at the Amalie Arena. They crushed the Senators on Monday and defeated Carolina on an overtime winner from Victor Hedman, who scored twice that night. Nikita Kucherov, however, was the star for the Lightning this week. He scored three power play goals in the second period on Monday for his first hat trick since Oct. 28, 2014. He added three more points on Wednesday to give him 12 in his last four games. Tampa Bay shipped Ben Bishop and Brian Boyle to LA and Toronto, respectively, and got Peter Budaj in return. They also gave the Flyers Valtteri Filppula for Mark Streit and the sent Streit to Pittsburgh for a fourth-round pick in 2018.
21. Philadelphia Flyers (65 points)
Previously 20 (63 points)
The Flyers have had very little to celebrate about. So on Tuesday, they embraced the awkward moment in the first period. Everyone in the building threw hats onto the ice after thinking Wayne Simmonds had picked up the hat trick, but the third goal was awarded to Jakub Voracek. No worries. Although Simmonds could not complete the hatty, Steve Mason shut out the Avalanche on 33 shots for an easy victory. It was his second shutout in his last four starts. Unfortunately, they lost yet another outdoor game, this time to Pittsburgh.
22. Winnipeg Jets (62 points)
Previously 21 (62 points)
No points despite plenty of offense is a familiar tale in Winnipeg. After trading Andrew Ladd last season for a now-injured Marko Dano, the best the Jets could do this year was trade Drew Stafford to Boston for a sixth-round pick. FAIL. Mathieu Perreault has quietly put together a five-game point streak, including a goal and two assists in Winnipeg’s 6-5 loss to Minnesota.
23. Buffalo Sabres (63 points)
Previously 23 (62 points)
Kind of curious to see how little the Sabres did at the deadline despite losing four in a row this week, especially since two of those losses were against Colorado and Arizona. This could end up being another setback in Buffalo’s rebuilding process. Evan Rodrigues scored his first two NHL goals during Buffalo’s unsuccessful road trip to the Southwest.
24. New Jersey Devils (62 points)
Previously 25 (60 points)
They failed to salvage the extra point in their overtime losses to the Rangers and Canadiens, and they have now won just once in their last six games. Sergey Kalinin, Kyle Quincey, and P.A. Parenteau were moved before the trade deadline. Kyle Palmieri scored three of New Jersey’s six goals this week, including two in the third period against New York on Saturday, and leads the team with 19 goals.
25. Carolina Hurricanes (60 points)
Previously 26 (56 points)
The Canes lost in extra time twice in their visit to the Sunshine State, but there was some optimism earlier in the week. Eddie Lack shut out the Senators on 34 shots for his ninth career goose egg. The endlessly rebuilding Canes shipped Viktor Stalberg to the same Ottawa team for a second- and third-round draft pick.
26. Detroit Red Wings (60 points)
Previously 27 (58 points)
As the Wings transition into what could be a rare rebuilding mode. They shipped Brendan Smith, Steve Ott, and Thomas Vanek at the deadline and got four draft picks over the next two years. Frans Nielsen scored both regulation goals in Vancouver on Tuesday, but it was Justin Abdelkader who scored the overtime winner and ended his 22-game goal drought dating back to Nov. 26.
27. Vancouver Canucks (59 points)
Previously 24 (58 points)
The Canucks are supposed to be in rebuilding mode, but they have yet to make any severe moves to get them there: aka trade the Sedin twins. They did, however, ship Jannik Hansen to San Jose. Reid Boucher, playing on his third team this season, scored his first goal with Vancouver to force overtime on the Red Wings on Tuesday.
28. Dallas Stars (60 points)
Previously 28 (56 points)
Arizona and Colorado were the only teams which were guaranteed sellers at the deadline, but the Stars had the most action out of everyone. They started the week off by shipping Patrick Eaves to Anaheim, and Jordie Benn, Lauri Korpikoski, and Johnny Oduya would also move out. They went 2-1-0 this week, including a stunning victory against Pittsburgh in which they scored three times in the third period. Jamie Benn led the charge in another three-goal third period on Thursday. He scored the go-ahead goal on a wraparound and assisted on Cody Eakin‘s goal later in the period.
29. Arizona Coyotes (51 points)
Previously 29 (49 points)
The Coyotes caught the Sabres on a slump, but their miserable defense in the other three games likely dashed any chance at a comeback. They shipped off Martin Hanzal and Ryan White to Minnesota and got a hefty load of picks in return, including the Wild’s first round pick for 2017. Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata, however, were not moved. Arizona could have gotten a heavy load for Vrbata. He is now on a 10-game point streak, and he sunk the Sabres on a long goal with 18 seconds remaining in regulation. The two teams meet again on Thursday in Buffalo.
30. Colorado Avalanche (37 points)
Previously 30 (35 points)
Obviously Jarome Iginla was going to leave, but the Avalanche surprisingly kept Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog. To be fair, Colorado was at least close to making the playoffs last year, so keeping these two players while in their prime might be beneficial for next season, especially since the Avalanche will likely have a heavily touted prospect on their roster next year. Will it be from the first overall pick, though? Landeskog scored twice against Buffalo on Saturday for his first multi-goal game since Dec. 27 (a loss to Calgary) and first in a victory since scoring the overtime winner in a wild win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 17.
Bold Predictions:
Last week:
Edmonton defeat Washington by three goals on Friday. Haha. Nope.
Erik Karlsson has four points against the Panthers on Sunday. Ottawa just got one goal.
Cory Schneider/Keith Kinkaid allow just one goal and leave Max Pacioretty point-less. None of that happened, and Alex Galchenyuk got another overtime winner.
This week:
Buffalo, who lost to Arizona on a game-winner on Sunday, returns the favor on Thursday.
Radim Vrbata‘s point streak remains alive until at least Sunday.
Patrik Laine scores twice against Pittsburgh on Wednesday.