The Washington Capitals are starting to look like the Golden State Warriors of the NHL as their talent makes them the clear favorite to win the President’s trophy this season. Washington extended its lead atop the NHL standings this past week and is now seven points clear of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the loaded Metropolitan division. Here is a look at the NHL top five power rankings for this week.
1. Washington Capitals (38-11-6)
Last Week: 1
Stanley Cup Odds: +600
The Capitals remain locked in to the No. 1 spot on this list after extending their win streak to four in a row with a pair of wins over the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes in which they outscored those two opponents by a combined 10-0 score. Washington now ranks 1st in the NHL with an average of just 2.0 goals allowed per game and 4th in the NHL with an average of 3.3 goals per game. The combination of elite play at both ends of the ice has pushed the Capitals over the top once again and the fact that they are getting significant production from all four lines is reason to believe this could finally be the year they break through in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
2. Minnesota Wild (35-12-6)
Last Week: 2
Stanley Cup Odds: +600
Minnesota followed up a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets by earning a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks the following night despite rolling with backup netminder Darcy Kuemper in that second game. The Wild is another team that is getting significant production from each of its four lines and they should benefit from a lengthy home stand with each of their next six games on home ice. Minnesota ranks third in the NHL in goals per game and goals allowed per game and as long as Devan Dubnyk is healthy they should contend for the Stanley Cup in the Western Conference this season.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (34-13-6)
Last Week: 4
Stanley Cup Odds: +800
Pittsburgh climbed one spot to No. 3 on this list following their 4-3 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues the following night. The Penguins have secured seven of a possible eight points over their last four games and own a 7-2-1 mark since January 16th. Sidney Crosby is still performing at an elite level and his production is that much more important with Evgeni Malkin sidelined with a lower body injury. Pittsburgh will also need to continue to rely on Matt Murray to stand out as its No. 1 goaltender with a real chance Marc-Andre Fleury is traded at some point before the NHL trade deadline.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets (34-14-5)
Last Week: 3
Stanley Cup Odds: +850
Columbus has dropped four of its last six overall and there are signs that their struggles could be more than a short-term issue. The Blue Jackets have allowed four goals or more in five of their last six and they simply need more out of Sergei Bobrovsky after he registered Vezina-caliber numbers over the first half of the season. John Tortorella’s teams are typically tighter at the back end, so this is a little bit of a surprise. Columbus still has some impressive scoring depth but the Metropolitan division is absolutely loaded and their tough schedule could lead to some regression over the second half of the year.
5. Chicago Blackhawks (33-17-5)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +850
The Blackhawks followed up a string of three straight losses with three straight road wins including a big win over Minnesota on Wednesday night to climb back in to the top-five in our NHL power rankings. Chicago has managed to remain among the league’s elite despite only a plus-0.2 scoring margin this season but they could be in for some upgrades at the NHL trade deadline. The Blackhawks will be looking to boost their scoring depth with the addition of a pair of top-nine wingers to help compliment their depth down the middle. Chicago has managed to grind its way to 71 points but will need some more help if they are going to compete with the top teams in the Western Conference come playoff time.
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