Playoff spots have officially been locked up! The Washington Capitals barely hang on to the top spot in the NHL Power Rankings after limping their way to being the first team to clinch a playoff spot. Columbus, Chicago, and Pittsburgh followed suit, as they round out the top four.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won two crucial games against Boston and Columbus to move back into a playoff position, and the Sharks have scuffled their way into a heated four-team race in the Pacific Division.
1. Washington Capitals (102 points)
Previously 1 (97 points)
As expected, the Capitals became the first team to clinch a playoff spot. Unfortunately, their competition heated up this year, so the other accolades that they gathered last season are far from guaranteed. T.J. Oshie helped Washington lock up the playoff spot with a hat trick, and he added one more goal in Tuesday’s win over the Flames.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (100 points)
Previously 3 (93 points)
Chicago is the first team in the Western Conference to reach the century mark and earn its ticket into the playoffs. After another smooth (ish) season, the Blackhawks can now look forward to going for their four Stanley Cup in eight seasons. It is also their ninth straight trip to the postseason. Chicago unloaded on Colorado with five goals in the third period, and Nick Schmaltz got the second of his three assists this week on Artemi Panarin‘s go-ahead goal.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (101 points)
Previously 2 (95 points)
After clinching a playoff spot for the 11th straight season, is it too much to ask for a suspension toward Sidney Crosby? He hit Ryan O’Reilly in the undesirable section, and it would make sense to sit him down for at least a couple games. The “Golden Boy” label should have no effect. His one-handed shovel on Tuesday, however, was golden. It was his 41st goal of the season, and it finished up an incredible six-goal week that included a hat trick against the floundering Panthers.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets (100 points)
Previously 5 (94 points)
For the first time in franchise history, the Blue Jackets have coasted into the playoffs. They have already blown by their franchise record for points in a season, and now they can go for the Presidents Trophy. They sealed their playoff spot in a wacky 4-1 victory in New Jersey, which allowed a shorthanded goal and two penalty shots. Boone Jenner scored his second shorthanded goal of the season and added an empty net goal in the win.
5. Minnesota Wild (94 points)
Previously 4 (92 points)
Minnesota lost five straight and seven of eight to hurt their chances at winning the Central Division, but they got back on track with another victory over the Sharks on Tuesday. Their weaker schedule for the rest of the season should give them an easy track to clinching a playoff spot. Devan Dubnyk has had a rough March. His last two complete-game wins have come against the Sharks, and he ended his extensive slump with 21 saves out of 23 shots on Tuesday.
6. New York Rangers (94 points)
Previously 7 (90 points)
The Rangers can still get themselves out of the first wild card spot, but they kicked the pooch against current non-playoff teams. They suffered two extra time losses to Florida and New Jersey before the Islanders rallied in the third period on NBC. Catching Pittsburgh and Columbus will be difficult considering their tough schedule, which includes the dreaded California road trip this week. Oscar Lindberg has stepped up on the fourth line recently, scoring in consecutive games and carrying a three-game point streak into California. It will take a herculean run to match his production from his breakout rookie season last year.
7. San Jose Sharks (91 points)
Previously 6 (91 points)
We officially have a four-team race for the two seed! San Jose has lost four straight regulation games, and Calgary, Anaheim, and Edmonton are getting very close to catching the Sharks. Prepare to be amazed! Aaron Dell took two tough luck losses this week, including a 1-0 loss to Dallas in which he made 19 saves on 20 shots. He still has a solid 10-5-1 record and an excellent GAA of 1.85.
8. Montreal Canadiens (91 points)
Previously 9 (86 points)
Just when it looked like the Canadiens enforced their power in the Atlantic Division, they lose to Detroit in overtime at home. They only have a three-point lead over Ottawa with one more matchup coming this weekend, and a loss would give the tiebreaker to the Senators. Carey Price stuffed Ottawa with 30 saves on 31 shots on Sunday to finish the home-and-home sweep.
9. Anaheim Ducks (89 points)
Previously 13 (84 points)
Anaheim has made a habit for finishing seasons abnormally strong, and they are now just two points behind San Jose after a crucial win against the Oilers. They play Edmonton one more time and Calgary twice more, and that could define where the Ducks are located in the playoff bracket. Hampus Lindholm recorded his first career three-point game in Wednesday’s win over Edmonton.
10. Edmonton Oilers (87 points)
Previously 10 (81 points)
The Oilers are likely going to end their 10-year playoff drought within the next week or two, but it is still mystery about where they will start. In San Jose? Anaheim? Calgary? The Oilers had a chance to take over second place with a win over Anaheim, but the Ducks got away with the win after a huge second period. Cam Talbot shined with two straight shutouts in home wins over Vancouver and LA. He stopped a combined 68 shots in his sixth and seven shutouts of the season.
11. Ottawa Senators (88 points)
Previously 8 (85 points)
Ottawa’s key win in Boston likely would have put Ottawa on the fast track to the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs are getting hot at the right time. Still, it would be unexpected to see the Senators finish anywhere in the Atlantic Division other than second, but Montreal cannot seem to pull away. After two crushing losses to the Habs, Kyle Turris scored twice, including the go-ahead goal, to knock out the Bruins on Tuesday.
12. Calgary Flames (86 points)
Previously 12 (82 points)
Brian Elliott will have to settle for a tie with Mike Vernon for the longest winning streak for a goalie in Flames history. This loss is not the end of the world because it was in the District of Columbia, where long streaks seem to die anyways (Right, Columbus?). Then again, the loss bumped the Flames back into the first wild card spot. A playoff spot, however, is almost set in stone. Sean Monahan blew by the Kings with a goal and two assists before scoring again in Washington with the help of Johnny Gaudreau, but Matthew Tkachuk is serving a two-game suspension for his elbow to Drew Doughty, who had some harsh words for the emerging rookie.
13. Toronto Maple Leafs (83 points)
Previously 17 (76 points)
The erratic swing that tends to happen to young teams has returned to Toronto. Not only did they jump over the wild card threshold, but their sweep of the Bruins helped them launch into third place in the Atlantic Division. Their next six games feature five non-playoff teams, and that could seal one of the biggest turnarounds in recent memory with a playoff trip. Morgan Rielly scored twice in a balanced run for the Leafs, and Frederik Andersen shut out Tampa Bay on 33 shots in Thursday’s 5-0 win.
14. Boston Bruins (82 points)
Previously 11 (82 points)
Are we seeing a third straight meltdown? The Bruins lost to both Toronto and Ottawa this week and have now fallen into the second wild card spot. The Islanders are now in line to pass them this week after winning the NYC battle on Wednesday. Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist in Thursday’s loss to Edmonton, but Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid went on to pass him for the league lead in goals and points, respectively.
15. Nashville Predators (83 points)
Previously 14 (79 points)
St. Louis is making Nashville work for that guaranteed playoff spot in the Central Division, but LA’s recent struggles have made things easier for the Predators. All of their next seven games have playoff implications, including a huge clash with the Blues on April 2. Ryan Ellis came up big on the offensive end this week, getting two assists in Carolina and scoring twice in a smooth victory over the Coyotes.
16. St. Louis Blues (83 points)
Previously 15 (77 points)
It has been an outstanding March for the Blues, which had been on the borderline of playoff contention in February. Now, the only concern is whether they will take on Minnesota as the third place team in the Central Division or settle for a wild card spot. They have won eight of their last nine games, and a home game against Nashville is lurking in April. Jake Allen continues to roll in March, and he stopped all of Arizona’s 31 shots on Saturday for his fourth shutout of the season.
17. New York Islanders (80 points)
Previously 16 (77 points)
How do you judge a season in which the Isles were expected to be playoff contenders, fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and are now just two points behind Boston for the second wild card spot? Confusing. Regardless, the Islanders needed to win in Manhattan on Wednesday and got heroics from Anders Lee, who is now tied for the team lead with 27 goals, and Andrew Ladd to pull off the victory. Lee set a career high in goals with his two netters this week.
18. Tampa Bay Lightning (77 points)
Previously 18 (77 points)
All the air that carried the Lightning back into the postseason race hissed out this week. They are still within striking distance, but is losing to Arizona at home the dagger? After scoring three more times this week, Nikita Kucherov is now at 73 points, which is the most for a Tampa Bay player since Steven Stamkos had 97 points in 2011-2012. Martin St. Louis had 74 points in the same season.
19. Los Angeles Kings (75 points)
Previously 19 (72 points)
It is far from over, but the Kings have a long climb to get into the playoffs. They have blown their chances at a top three spot in the Pacific Division after getting blasted in Alberta, and another bad week in Western Canada will end their season. Before struggling in Alberta, Jonathan Quick picked up his first shutout of the season with 26 saves against the Sabres on Thursday, and Jarome Iginla continues to dazzle for his new team.
20. Carolina Hurricanes (75 points)
Previously 24 (68 points)
All of the sudden, Carolina’s playoff chances have greatly increased. They still trail Boston by seven points, but a slight game advantage and a weaker schedule could narrow the gap even further. With Edmonton likely ending their playoff drought this year, the Hurricanes would own the longest active playoff drought if they cannot complete the comeback. Jeff Skinner had a terrific week with five goals, with the fifth one being the game-winning goal at Florida on Tuesday.
21. Winnipeg Jets (73 points)
Previously 23 (67 points)
That postponed game in New Jersey has done wonders for the Jets. They have not lost in their three games after the snowstorm swept the northeast. Blake Wheeler is a big reason why Winnipeg is streaking. He has points in four straight games and torched Philadelphia with a goal and two assists to provide all of the Jets’ offense.
22. Florida Panthers (73 points)
Previously 20 (71 points)
Florida wilted in a heavy dose of action against the Metropolitan Division, and their playoff chances have likely gone down the drain with just two and a half weeks remaining. A few breaks against Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, and Boston could still keep their playoff chances alive. Jaromir Jagr had four more assists this week to bring his point total up to 41, which is impressive for a 45-year-old despite a severe regression from last season.
23. Philadelphia Flyers (74 points)
Previously 21 (72 points)
The Flyers took a gut check this week after winning just once in their weak schedule. It will be very hard for them to recover following their 6-2 loss to the fading Devils on Thursday. Ivan Provorov carried Philly in their lone win against Carolina with a goal and two assists, including an overtime assist on Brayden Schenn‘s rebound.
24. Buffalo Sabres (72 points)
Previously 22 (68 points)
With Buffalo likely falling short of the playoffs, they have turned to playing spoiler with outstanding defense. They defeated Anaheim in a 2-1, 10-round shootout, and Pittsburgh was the only team to score three times on the Sabres this week. Anders Nilsson and Robin Lehner each allowed just one goal on at least 35 shots each in consecutive wins, but they likely will not have Rasmus Ristolainen this week after his blindside hit on Jake Guentzel during Tuesday’s loss resulted in a scheduled hearing.
25. Detroit Red Wings (69 points)
Previously 27 (63 points)
After taking advantage of a weaker schedule with two wins in three games, the Red Wings got a huge overtime victory in Montreal in the hopes of hurting the Canadiens’ playoff seeding. Tomas Tatar scored two of his four goals this week in a 5-1 thrashing of the Avalanche on Saturday, and he leads the team with 21 goals. That makes it three straight seasons of at least 20 goals for Tatar. Anthony Mantha had the overtime winner in Montreal, and he now has two overtime goals this season.
26. Dallas Stars (68 points)
Previously 26 (64 points)
If Tuesday was any consolation for a lost season, then Kari Lehtonen can still play like a #2 pick. Unfortunately, he cannot do that very often, and that is why Colorado is the only team with a worse defense in the NHL. Lehtonen shut out San Jose on 30 shots on Tuesday, and it was the first time Dallas has won at home in March.
27. Vancouver Canucks (67 points)
Previously 25 (65 points)
A six-game losing streak has essentially thrown the Canucks into the NHL basement, so they will take any points they can get. As it turns out, they got away with an overtime victory in Chicago after the Blackhawks pulled off a furious rally in the third period. Brandon Sutter ended a 13-game goal drought with two goals in Chicago, and Daniel Sedin ended a 10-game goal drought with the overtime winner.
28. New Jersey Devils (66 points)
Previously 28 (62 points)
I guess this is a step in the right direction for New Jersey. They got two great wins this week, including a 6-2 beatdown against the Flyers and an overtime victory in what was a heated rivalry with the Rangers. Kyle Palmieri scored three more times this week, including twice in a 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh, to give him five in a three-game span.
29. Arizona Coyotes (63 points)
Previously 29 (60 points)
Despite being 27th in several major categories, the Coyotes are still nestled into the second-worst record in the NHL. Barring a huge hot streak following their 5-3 win in Tampa Bay, the Coyotes could be in line for their first top two pick in Arizona history. It would be the first time the Winnipeg/Arizona franchise gets a top two pick since 1981, when the Jets drafted Dale Hawerchuk with the #1 pick. Oliver Ekman-Larsson has had a down year defensively, with a +/- of -24. Offensively, he scored his first goals in 22 games, including the game-tying goal against the Lightning on Tuesday. It is the first time he has scored in consecutive games since October.
30. Colorado Avalanche (43 points)
Previously 30 (41 points)
At least the Avalanche are not the only team to be mathematically eliminated anymore. There is still no excuse for letting Chicago score five times in the third period on Sunday. Mikhail Grigorenko scored twice in the loss, and he is now just one goal away from his first career double-digit scoring season.
Bold Predictions:
Last week:
The Blue Jackets and Islanders combine for at least 13 goals on Saturday. They only got to five.
Auston Matthews torches the Bruins with at least three points on Monday. He only provided an assist in an impactful victory.
Calvin Pickard/Jeremy Smith allow just one goal against St. Louis and win on Tuesday. The Blues’ offense has been so consistently good in March. They did not stop this trend in Denver.
This week:
New Jersey defeats Toronto within the first three minutes of overtime on Thursday.
Nikita Kucherov gets to 80 points this week.
Anders Lee notches a hat trick against Nashville on Monday.