Down the Stretch: NHL Power Rankings Week 14
Biggest Jump: Vancouver Canucks, 4
Biggest Drop: Toronto Maple Leafs, 3
Central Division Rankings
1. Florida Panthers (30–12–5) (NO MOVEMENT) — Everything is right in Sunrise, as Spencer Knight made his NHL debut against Columbus, stopping 34 of 35 shots, moving the Cats into a tie with Carolina for first in the Central. Jonathan Huberdeau continues his Hart season, with 49 points, as he’s teamed up with Sam Bennett to strengthen Florida’s forward depth. Chris Driedger’s .927 save percent helps the Panthers as he is the clear 1A in Florida. Florida gets Carolina twice before heading to Smashville Monday.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (30–10–5) (UP 2) — Carolina plays up to their competition, and unfortunately, down to their competition as well. Against the other three teams in the top four of the Central, Carolina has gone five and one this month. Petr Mrázek, who has returned for the Canes, now has a .939 save percent, all the while, Alex Nedeljkovic will likely hold the starting job into the playoffs with a .932 of his own. Carolina takes on Florida for two before heading to Texas for a pair.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (30–14–2) (DOWN 1) — Tampa has hit the coast button, as they’ve gone six and five in their 11 April contests. Andrei Vasilevskiy continues his Vezina worthy season with a .930 save percentage, aligning with his .929 in April in nine games. Victor Hedman’s Norris caliber year adventures on with 42 points, recently including an OT winner against Florida. Tampa’s splits with Detroit, Florida, and Carolina are a bit concerning, however, the Bolts have the experience. Tampa hosts Columbus tomorrow as David Savard plays against his former team.
4. Dallas Stars (19–14–12) (UP 2) — Jamie Benn is leading his caped crusaders to the promise land, as Dallas sits only one point out of the playoffs. One Star who has shown out, Jason Robertson, has 35 points on the season, including eight in his five games. Robertson should be seriously considered for the Calder, although Kaprizov provides tough competition. Dallas has recorded points in eight straight games, with Jake Oettinger providing a .919 save percent. Dallas has two more games against Detroit before taking on Carolina.
5. Nashville Predators (25–21–1) (DOWN 2) — Looking down Broadway, Nashville has produced results. To be fair, Juuse Saros has produced results in April, as he has a .936 save percent this month. In the only game Saros didn’t start, Nashville was shutout three-nil against Tampa Bay. Viktor Arvidsson, although only scoring points in two games in April, has been a consistent threat. Nashville clearly cannot compete with top dogs Tampa and Carolina, as it’s only a matter of time before they slip out of the playoff picture.
6. Chicago Blackhawks (21–20–5) (DOWN 1) — Chicago continues to fall further from the playoffs, as they are on the outside looking in. April has only brought showers for the Hawks, as Chicago has only won four of nine games; three of which came against the bottom two teams in the Central: Detroit and Columbus. Chicago’s sweep of Columbus came with an OT winner from Brandon Hagel while the Hawks split their series with Detroit. Kevin Lankinen’s .873 save percent in April has dragged Chicago down. The Hawks play Nashville tonight and Friday.
7. Detroit Red Wings (16–25–7) (NO MOVEMENT) — Even Detroit has had a successful April! With snow in the city, and showers abound, the Red Wings have taken four games, including one against Tampa Bay. In that win, the Wings scored three goals in about three minutes, propping up Detroit. Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek lead the Wings with 23 points each, while Adam Erne leads the team with 11 goals. Detroit’s continued suffering will go up against Dallas, as the two teams are in the midst of a four-game set.
8. Columbus Blue Jackets (15–24–9) (NO MOVEMENT) — Wow. Oh, wow Columbus has had a terrible April and are tied with Detroit for last place in the Central Division. Patrik Laine has suffered long enough in Columbus and will likely be moved after this season. Columbus did manage two first round picks out of David Savard and Nick Foligno at the trade deadline, as GM Jarmo Kekäläinen continues to actively forge the future of Columbus. Close up shop, move a goalie, get Max out of town. Tampa tomorrow.
North Division Rankings
1. Edmonton Oilers (27–15–2) (UP 1) — Connor McDavid’s MVP season continues, as the generational forward has 24 goals and 50 assists, including 11 points this month in seven games. Darnell Nurse’s Norris season continues with 13 goals and 15 assists, while Tyson Barrie has 18 power play points for Edmonton. Mike Smith’s .923 save percent is often overlooked as previous years goaltending had been horrendous for Edmonton. With victories against Ottawa, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Montreal this month, Edmonton looks to skyrocket in the North. Montreal tonight, Winnipeg Monday.
2. Winnipeg Jets (27–15–3) (UP 1) — Winnipeg’s mavericks continue to keep pace with the Leafs as the Jets two games against Toronto show promise. Nikolaj Ehlers contributed two genos in the Jets win against the Leafs, as the forward has 20 goals on the campaign. Connor Hellebuyck’s .925 save percent in April was showcased against the Habs in two games, including one shutout in the two-game sweep. After being shutout by the Oilers this past Saturday, the Jets will host two games against Toronto starting tomorrow.
3. Vancouver Canucks (18–18–3) (UP 4) — If you live under a rock, you might not know the Canucks had Covid-19 for about a month and returned to play (questionably, under protest) Sunday against Toronto. Braden Holtby stood on his head with dynamic saves and led the team to an OT win. Holtby came up large last night, leading the Canucks to another upset of Toronto; Holts had a .938 save percentage in the two games. Vancouver plays four straight against Ottawa starting tomorrow. Good on you Vancouver.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (28–13–5) (DOWN 3) — EVERYONE FREAK OUT THE LEAFS AREN’T DOING WELL THEY’VE LOST FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES AND TWO OF THEM ARE AGAINST A CANUCKS TEAM WHICH HAD COVID-19 AND PROBABLY SHOULDN’T BE PLAYING DAVID RITTICH ALLOWED ONE TOO MANY SOFT GOALS LAST NIGHT WE NEED TO MAKE DRASTIC MOVES THIS OFFSEASON I CAN’T BELIEVE THE LEAFS. AT LEAST AUSTON IS STILL PLAYING WELL. Everyone calm down, look at the standings, the Leafs are essentially a playoff lock. Toronto gets a test with Winnipeg tomorrow.
5. Montreal Canadiens (19–15–9) (DOWN 1) — Montreal has had a busy April, already playing 11 games, with six more to go. And now, with Carey Price out for a week, (keep in mind his .901 save percent won’t be missed) Jake Allen will fully step into the starting role. Tyler Toffoli continues his phenomenal season (although eight of 21 goals came against Vancouver) with three goals this month. Eric Staal, the deadline acquisition of Marc Bergevin, has two goals including an OT winner in nine games.
6. Calgary Flames (19–23–3) (NO MOVEMENT) — Get it out of your head if you think Calgary is making the playoffs. Simply put, trade the farm, start over with Matthew Tkachuk, Dillon Dube, and Andrew Mangiapane. With only three wins in April, including one over the Leafs in OT with Johnny Hockey netting the winner, Calgary is out. If Jacob Markström plays like his .902 save percent for the last five years of his contract, Calgary will look back with disgust. Calgary plays Montreal three times in four days starting Friday.
7. Ottawa Senators (16–26–4) (DOWN 2) — While expected to be a rollover, Ottawa has been batting .500 in April. Timmy Stützle has five points in ten games in April, with two assists in his last two. Another key factor for the Sens has been former Leaf Connor Brown, who had an eight-game goal scoring streak from March 25th til April 12th; Brown scored twice against Calgary Monday. Matt Murray’s return has been a welcome one; he has a .942 save percent in three games since coming back. Ottawa plays Vancouver for the rest of April.
West Division Rankings
1. Vegas Golden Knights (32–11–2) (UP 1) — After losing three of four to open this month and looking like a royal flush, the Knights have won seven straight. Keegan Kolesar, Nicholas Roy, and Alex Tuch all contribute to the depth of Vegas under the tutelage of Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. Patches leads the way in goals for the Knights with 22 while Stone’s crafty stick lifts leads Vegas with 52 points. During the win streak, the Golden Knights have outscored opponents 29 to 12; the house always wins.
2. Colorado Avalanche (30–9–4) (DOWN 1) — April has only brought showers of goals for the Avs, as they’ve potted 27 goals in eight games, however, Colorado has recently been put on pause by a Covid-19 outbreak. Nathan MacKinnon now leads the Avalanche with 53 points, as he has 13 points in April. Unlike last season, MacKinnon has a running mate in Mikko Rantanen who only sits one point behind MacK. Philipp Grubauer’s .920 save percent proves he’s a true number one tender. Colorado hopes to play the Blues tomorrow.
3. Minnesota Wild (28–13–3) (NO MOVEMENT) — Minnesota’s mixed bag April has shown that the Wild are a threat when consistent. After dominating the Avs eight-three on the 7th, the Wild followed that game up with a dud of a nine-one loss to the Blues two days later. If Minnesota could get a bump from Kevin Fiala, who recorded a hat trick in the blowout of Colorado, the offense might make a huge jump even with what Kirill Kaprizov has already provided. Cam Talbot leads the Wild against Arizona tonight.
4. Arizona Coyotes (20–21–5) (NO MOVEMENT) — Somehow sitting fourth in the West Division, Arizona still has much to prove. After winning their first three games of April, including two against Anaheim (including a Jakob Chychrun hat trick OT winner), the Yotes have only won one game in their last six matches. Darcy Kuemper has returned from injury, with a .867 save percent in two games. As Arizona slowed, so has Clayton Keller, who only has four points in April. Arizona hosts Minnesota and heads to Los Angeles Saturday.
5. St. Louis Blues (19–18–6) (UP 1) — Playing like jazz, the Blues quite can’t find the right notes as they sit one point outside of the playoffs. St. Louis’s eight games in April have shown the Blues to be an average team at best, with two wins coming against Minnesota, one of which in OT, while the Blues clocked another win against Vegas. In their huge nine-one win against Minnesota, Ryan O’Reilly notched a hat trick while Sammy Blais had three points of his own. St. Louis gets Colorado Thursday.
6. Anaheim Ducks (14–26–7) (DOWN 1) — With Trevor Zegras back in the AHL, the Ducks are a little less fun to watch but still young. John Gibson’s eternal suffering in Anaheim has shown how great of a goalie he is even with a .903 save percentage. Anaheim’s April wins are all against San Jose, with the Ducks outscoring the Sharks 13–2 in the three games. Shockingly, the Ducks sat on their assets at the trade deadline. After Vegas Saturday, Anaheim only plays L.A. the rest of April.
7. San Jose Sharks (18–22–5) (NO MOVEMENT) — The Sharks seem to be slowing and looking towards a rebuild. Evander Kane surprisingly leads the Sharks with 36 points, with five in April. San Jose has only beaten Los Angeles in April, with all three San Jose wins coming against the Kings. Anaheim, Vegas, and Minnesota have all swept the Sharks so far in April. Oops! Looks like Martin Jones has only one start in his last five with a save percent above .900. At least Patrick Marleau holds the all-time games played record now.
8. Los Angeles Kings (17–20–6) (NO MOVEMENT) — Sinking like the Titanic, Los Angeles has completely fallen out of the West playoff race. Alex Iafallo’s extension with the Kings is a welcome one, as the crafty forward is the model going forward for L.A. Cal Petersen, playing behind the porous Los Angeles defense has a .918 save percent, a bit below his standards. Drew Doughty is not Norris caliber, although he has 32 points on the year. Los Angeles entertains Minnesota Friday before taking on Arizona Saturday.
East Division Rankings
1. New York Islanders (29–13–4) (UP 2) — Mat Barzal, the heart and soul of the Isles continues to emerge as a superstar in the league, has 10 points in April, with five coming against Washington in one game. Deadline additions Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri each have a goal and assist. Ilya Sorokin has emerged into what people wanted at the start of the year, as Sorokin has a .922 save percent. The Isles must figure out how to defeat Boston. New York plays three straight matches against Washington starting tomorrow.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins (29–14–3) (DOWN 1) — Pittsburgh has been mediocre at best all April, with five wins and five losses. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel continue to lead the Penguins with 52 and 48 points respectively, as the Pens most recently won a barnburner against New Jersey; Pittsburgh gave up five goals in the third and still won; the only team to ever do such a thing. Bryan Rust’s 36 points leads the depth scoring for the Pens. Casey DeSmith leads the Pens with a .911 save percent, as DeSmith may challenge Jarry for number one.
3. Washington Capitals (29–13–4) (DOWN 1) — Perplexing fans with an interesting move to acquire Anthony Mantha at the trade deadline, Washington has played adequately in April. However, against the more formidable teams of the East, Washington sputters, as they’ve lost both games against the Isles while they’ve taken losses in two of three against Boston. The Capitals even caved against Buffalo within the past week as Washington has lost two of its last three. Alex Ovechkin, who has six goals in April, leads the Caps against the Isles tomorrow.
4. Boston Bruins (26–12–6) (NO MOVEMENT) — Taylor Hall is a Boston Bruin and the rest of the East is terrified; with Hall on the team Boston is undefeated in five games; Hall has three points. Brad Marchand continues to be a rat for the Bruins as he has 55 points for Boston, with 24 goals to boot. Boston has two games in hand on New York (R) and are now separated by six points with Boston having four games against Buffalo left. Boston will make the playoffs.
5. New York Rangers (23–17–6) (NO MOVEMENT) — After sweeping the Devils in a four-game stretch, the Rangers laid an egg against the Isles, in likely their most important game of the year. David Quinn clearly doesn’t know how to manage the Rangers roster, as his inconsistent lines and distrust of young players like Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and Alexis Lafrenière lead to slow development. Adam Fox is clearly a Norris candidate, with 41 points on the year. Uncle Buch leads the Rangers against a welcome foe in Philly tomorrow.
6. Buffalo Sabres (12–27–7) (UP 2) — After losing dead weight at the trade deadline, the Sabres have shocked fans with a more up-tempo game. Buffalo, overall, in April, has matched their win total from the start of season, doubling their wins. Linus Ullmark, owner of nine of the twelve Sabres wins, has a .917 save percent but has been reinjured. During a recent split with Pittsburgh, Sam Reinhart scored twice and added a dime. Buffalo’s loose finish will continue with four games against Boston with a pair against the Rangers in between.
7. Philadelphia Flyers (20–18–7) (NO MOVEMENT) — Imagine if Luke, Leia, and Han had been killed in the trash compacter in A New Hope. That’s the Flyers season right now. There is no escaping the fact that Carter Hart was rushed to the franchise in the 2018–2019 season. Philly’s April has shown three wins, two of which required extra time. Travis Sanheim scored an OTGWG against Boston on the 5th, while it took another five days before their next win. Congrats on locking up Scott Laughton.
8. New Jersey Devils (14–25–6) (DOWN 2) — Well, selling at the deadline was the right move, as the Devils only have one win this month. In their lone win against Buffalo, Jack Hughes gave a three-point performance. Yegor Sharangovich has come on strong in April, with 12 points in 12 games. Ty Smith’s rookie campaign will be viewed as an outstanding success with the defenseman posting 21 points so far. New Jersey will continue to be the punching bag of the East Division with two more games against Pittsburgh before heading to Philly.
