The Pacific Division is not as predictable as it was last month. The Calgary Flames are on the verge of shaking things up. They have won seven straight games and could pass Anaheim and/or Edmonton in the standings if they can continue their streak. They have also jumped to 12 in the NHL Power Rankings.
Chicago, Montreal, and Ottawa are also riding long winning streaks, with the Blackhawks now second in the rankings. Meanwhile, New Jersey and Carolina have basically fallen off the map.
1. Washington Capitals (95 points)
Previously 1 (91 points)
Washington’s electric offense took a dip this week, and it finally cost them their home winning streak on Monday. No worries. They still have a five-point lead on Columbus and Pittsburgh. Before allowing three goals against Dallas, Braden Holtby had allowed just four goals in his previous five starts. In the only start in which he did not see at least 30 shots in that span, he shut out New Jersey on 15 shots on Thursday, giving him a league-high eight for the season.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (89 points)
Previously 3 (85 points)
Despite having the third worst penalty kill unit in the league, the Blackhawks continue to roll. They have won 12 of their last 13 games and have only lost twice since the All-Star break. They would likely be leading the Central Division if their schedule was not so light this week. Patrick Kane failed to get another hat trick, but he scored twice in a big win in Nashville on Saturday. He has now scored 14 times since the break and is just behind Connor McDavid for the NHL points lead.
3. Minnesota Wild (90 points)
Previously 2 (88 points)
The Wild had lost Zach Parise and Jason Pominville because of the mumps, but they returned on Sunday and came up big. They combined for a sweet, early goal against the Sharks on Sunday, and Eric Staal provided the rest of the offense with two goals. Unfortunately for the Wild, its offense was dead for the rest of the week.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets (90 points)
Previously 5 (84 points)
In a season filled with offensive breakouts, the Jackets went back to what worked out in their last playoff run: Sergei Bobrovsky. He doubled his shutout total in just one week! Three shutouts in as many games. Doubters would knock him for playing New Jersey twice, but he has been electric all season and is entering playoff form at a good time.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (90 points)
Previously 4 (84 points)
Winnipeg was hopping on Wednesday Night! Two fights on consecutive puck drops, including Blake Wheeler‘s revenge on Evgeni Malkin, and Tom Sestito is likely facing a suspension for boarding Tobias Enstrom. Did I mention Pittsburgh scored seven times in that game, too? Talk about entertainment! Malkin had five goals and three assists in the three games this week, and Nick Bonino tallied a hat trick in Winnipeg.
6. New York Rangers (88 points)
Previously 6 (82 points)
Henrik Lundqvist finally had a bad night in New York’s 4-1 loss to Montreal on Saturday, so it was Antti Raanta‘s turn on Monday. He ended up in a wild goalie duel with Andrei Vasilevskiy, in which there were 72 shots on goal. The 72nd shot was the only one to reach the net, but it was also the overtime winner from Mika Zibanejad. In the end, Raanta finished with his third shutout of the season after stopping all 38 of Tampa Bay’s shots on goal. Let us just say it was a good night for the New York backup goalie.
7. Montreal Canadiens (84 points)
Previously 8 (78 points)
Uncharacteristically clutch? Not anymore. It has become the norm for the Canadiens to win in dramatic fashion under Claude Julien. Five of their six wins have come on late goals, with four of them coming in overtime. Paul Byron scored the game-winner against Nashville with just nine seconds remaining in regulation on Thursday, and he then scored in overtime on Tuesday in Vancouver. Of course, none of these dramatics would be possible without Carey Price, who has allowed one goal or fewer in his last four games.
8. San Jose Sharks (85 points)
Previously 7 (81 points)
It took a little bit longer than anticipated, but Joe Thornton got his 1,000th assist in San Jose’s win over Winnipeg on Monday. It took three games to get that coveted assist, but the empty netter ended up being the game-winner after the Jets scored with less than ten second remaining. Thornton, who has had a steep points decline after getting 82 last season, now has just five goals compared to his 36 assists in 2016-2017, and he will likely finish with his lowest point total in a non-lockout season since 1998-1999, his second season in the NHL. Not to be outdone, Joe Pavelski scored two of the Sharks’ three goals on Monday.
9. Ottawa Senators (80 points)
Previously 10 (72 points)
The Senators are charging toward a playoff spot. They have won four in a row and Craig Anderson looks unstoppable. He has not allowed more than two goals in his last five starts (all wins), and he saved 35 of Dallas’s 37 shots on Wednesday. With Arizona and Colorado up next, Anderson must be licking his chops. Alex Burrows has been exceptional with his new team, and two of his first three goals came in Ottawa’s 2-1 victory over the Avalanche on Thursday.
10. Edmonton Oilers (78 points)
Previously 9 (76 points)
Believe it or not, the Oilers would be disappointed as a wild card this season, even though it would still be enough to snap their 10-year playoff drought. With Calgary closing in and Anaheim still knotted up, Edmonton will have to dig deep in their home-heavy schedule to avoid what is likely going to be a matchup against San Jose. The Islanders had their way inside Rogers Place, but the Oilers did just enough to hold off Detroit on Saturday. Adam Larsson and Connor McDavid led the Oilers with a goal and an assist each in the win.
11. Anaheim Ducks (78 points)
Previously 11 (74 points)
John Gibson is on the injured reserve, so it was up to Jonathan Bernier to keep the Ducks on pace for a playoff spot. He certainly did his part, getting two wins in three games. This included extinguishing Toronto, his former team, with 37 saves on 39 shots. Rickard Rakell also had a big week, getting three goals to give him five in any games. Patrick Eaves got his first goal as a Duck in the win over the Leafs, and he scored the game-winning goal in the shootout to put away Nashville on Tuesday.
12. Calgary Flames (76 points)
Previously 14 (72 points)
As the Flames writer on iSportsWeb, I avoid bias at all cost. Heck, I put them in the bottom five back in November, but this team has really turned up the heat (no pun intended) after the All-Star break. They have won seven straight games, much due to the emergence of Brian Elliott, and are the on the verge of passing Anaheim and Edmonton if they can continue their run. Will they be stopped when Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Boston come to town? That is a solid run of Eastern Conference opponents. Mikael Backlund tied his career high for points in a season with a goal, which knocked out the Red Wings in overtime, and an assist in Calgary’s last two games. He is a strong candidate for the Selke Trophy, given to the best defensive forward.
13. Nashville Predators (74 points)
Previously 13 (73 points)
Just when it looked like Nashville was coasting to a playoff spot, one bad week has put them in danger. The Blues had a big week and the Kings are not far behind. Viktor Arvidsson scored twice in a close loss to Chicago on Saturday, and P.K. Subban got very emotional during the tribute video in his return to Montreal.
14. Boston Bruins (74 points)
Previously 12 (72 points)
Their two games against likely playoff teams did not go well, and there are only so many easy games, like the ones against New Jersey and Detroit this week, remaining on the schedule. They might need to have a playoff spot clinched by the time April rolls around because their last four games of the season include a trip to Chicago and home visits from Ottawa and Washington. After scoring four times this week, including twice on the Red Wings, Brad Marchand is now second in the league in both points and goals. He can catch Sidney Crosby in the goal category with the weak defense of Philadelphia and Vancouver coming up next.
15. New York Islanders (73 points)
Previously 18 (68 points)
Considering how grueling their schedule looked this week, the Islanders came out in great shape. Their only serious gaffe was getting dominated in Calgary on Sunday. Yet they forced the Hawks into a shootout and dismantled Edmonton in their debut in Rogers Place. They still hold the second wild card spot by one point. Joshua Ho-Sang, who has recently been scrutinized for wearing #66 (like Mario Lemieux), scored his first NHL goal on Tuesday, and John Tavares added two assists in the 4-1 victory.
16. St. Louis Blues (71 points)
Previously 16 (67 points)
The Blues have bobbed up and down since the All-Star break, and that is great news considering they just came off a five-game losing streak. After a confidence booster in Colorado, the Blues stole a huge win in St. Paul. Not only have they created some space from LA in the wild card standings, but they are also just three points behind Nashville in the Central Division. Jake Allen took his revival to a whole new level this week, stopping all 27 shots in Denver and holding the Wild to one goal on 33 shots in Tuesday.
17. Toronto Maple Leafs (72 points)
Previously 15 (69 points)
The Maple Leafs began showing their age, or lack thereof, with their inability to close out games, and that resulted in a horrible five-game losing streak. They snapped that skid against Detroit, although they nearly blew a 3-0 lead in the process, to keep pace with the Islanders in the wild card standings. Mitch Marner assisted on four of Toronto’s seven goals this week, and his two assists on Tuesday were enough to give him first star of the game.
18. Philadelphia Flyers (70 points)
Previously 21 (65 points)
Not all hope is lost in Philadelphia. The Flyers have won three of four and are now just three points behind the Islanders in the wild card race. They pulled off the comeback last season, so there are “high hopes” for the City of Brotherly Love. Radko Gudas was outstanding in Buffalo on Sunday. He had a goal and two assists, and he had a +/- of +5 in a 6-3 win in which all of Philly’s goals were at even strength. He certainly had a reason to celebrate.
19. Tampa Bay Lightning (69 points)
Previously 20 (66 points)
You know you caught a break when you get three points despite only scoring three times in as many games. They now trail the Islanders by four points in the wild card standings. Andrei Vasilevskiy has vastly improved since the Ben Bishop trade. He has allowed just one goal in three of his four starts, including 31 of 32 saves in Tampa Bay’s shootout win over Buffalo.
20. Florida Panthers (69 points)
Previously 17 (68 points)
The Panthers have taken a nosedive once again. They have lost three in a row and six of their last seven games, and it gets no easier with Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Toronto up next on the schedule. James Reimer stopped 67 out of 70 shots in games against Philadelphia and Dallas, but the offense let him down in both games.
21. Los Angeles Kings (68 points)
Previously 19 (66 points)
The Kings need a big home stand to keep pace with St. Louis in the wild card race, but giving up four goals to Vancouver is not going to work. This upcoming week is especially critical. They take on Nashville and Washington, two tough teams, before the much-anticipated face-off against the Blues on Monday. Jonathan Quick came up clutch late in his only start of the week, stopping all 19 shots in the third period and overtime. He then saved all three shootout attempts from Toronto’s rookie tandem (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, who was robbed on a backhand save), to preserve their lone victory.
22. Winnipeg Jets (66 points)
Previously 22 (62 points)
Winnipeg got off to a great start to the week, shutting out St. Louis and crushing Colorado on home ice. Their six-game home stand, however, has gone south after losses to San Jose and Pittsburgh. They conclude the home stand against Calgary, which should also be difficult to defeat, but the Jets need to win to keep their playoff hopes realistic. Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler bruised the Avalanche with a goal and two flashy assists each, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 51 of 52 shots in back-to-back wins, including his fourth shutout of the season.
23. Buffalo Sabres (66 points)
Previously 23 (63 points)
Buffalo now owns the top power play unit in the league. It has excelled so far in March, going 6-16 in their last four games. Unfortunately, that has not resulted in many wins, and the Sabres are quickly falling behind in the wild card race. Jack Eichel has been outstanding lately. He currently has an 11-game point streak and has 24 points since Feb. 4, a span of 17 games. He torched Philadelphia with two goals and an assist on Tuesday, with two of those points coming on the power play.
24. Dallas Stars (64 points)
Previously 28 (60 points)
They have a very thin home schedule for the rest of the season, but that might be a good thing if this week was any indication. They lost both home games to the Islanders and Senators, but they won their road games in Florida and Washington. Go figure! Before getting pulled on Wednesday, Kari Lehtonen was outstanding under heavy pressure on the road, stopping 83 of 86 shots in those two wins.
25. Vancouver Canucks (64 points)
Previously 27 (59 points)
They have actually done well in recent games. They took two of their three games in California before losing in overtime at home against Montreal. Richard Bachman made his first appearance of the season in Anaheim and stopped 43 of the Ducks’ 44 shots on goal for an impressive win. Not a bad way to start the year for a goalie who has only seen significant time with Dallas.
26. Detroit Red Wings (61 points)
Previously 26 (60 points)
Wednesday’s 6-1 loss in Boston was basically a house fire. Despite losing four in a row, Detroit’s other three losses were not nearly as bad as the one on NBC. Of course, the Red Wings cannot sugarcoat being 16th in the Eastern Conference, either. Gustav Nyquist nearly helped Detroit rally from a 3-0 deficit in Toronto on Tuesday, scoring both goals in the second half of the game.
27. New Jersey Devils (62 points)
Previously 24 (62 points)
New Jersey has now lost eight straight games, but that is the least of their problems. The 29th ranked offense in the NHL literally cannot find the net. They were shut out three times this week, including twice in a row against Sergei Bobrovsky and Columbus. Yikes.
28. Carolina Hurricanes (62 points)
Previously 25 (60 points)
Arizona, Arizona, and Colorado. Easy enough, right? Well, the Canes could only get two points out of those games. They got swept in the season series against the Avalanche (how???), and Bill Peters gave Eddie Lack an earful for his poor goalie play. Safe to say the season is over for Carolina. Lack actually responded well from the criticism, stopping 24 of Arizona’s 25 shots on Sunday to pick up his third win of the season.
29. Arizona Coyotes (53 points)
Previously 29 (51 points)
This week probably could have been better for Arizona, but they essentially ruined Carolina’s chances at the playoffs in their only win of the week. The Hurricanes took the second game of the unusual home-and-home series on Sunday. Shane Doan went off in the win in Raleigh, with a goal and two assists for his first three-point night of the season. His second assist was a beautiful feed to Jordan Martinook from behind the net for the go-ahead goal.
30. Colorado Avalanche (39 points)
Previously 30 (37 points)
As if the Hurricanes needed any more horror stories, they also lost in Denver on Tuesday. Amazingly, Colorado has never suffered a regulation loss to Carolina at home since moving to Denver from Quebec City. That streak somehow continued after the Avalanche scored twice in a span of 46 seconds in the second period. Tyson Barrie contributed to all three Avalanche goals, including his third goal since the beginning of February, and Nathan MacKinnon ended a 15-game goalless drought with the empty-netter.
Bold Predictions:
Last week:
Buffalo, who lost to Arizona on a game-winner on Sunday, returns the favor on Thursday. So the Sabres scored the go-ahead goal with 5:36 remaining in the third period. This should count even though they got two empty-net goals afterward.
Radim Vrbata‘s point streak remains alive until at least Sunday. Buffalo ruined that streak immediately.
Patrik Laine scores twice against Pittsburgh on Wednesday. He has the worst player in the game. How about no points and a +/- of -4? Yuck.
This week:
New Jersey scores five times on Colorado on Thursday.
Michael Matheson ends his pointless streak with at least two points in a game.
Jeff Carter gets the hat trick against Arizona on Tuesday.