Another week, another shakeup in our NHL power rankings. While the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks continue to battle for the Presidents trophy, the Pittsburgh Penguins have fallen off the pace with a rough stretch. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild continued their free fall right out of the power rankings with the Anaheim Ducks jumping in to the final spot on the list. Here is a look at the NHL top five power rankings for this week.
1. Washington Capitals (51-17-8)
Last Week: 1
Stanley Cup Odds: +550
Alex Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history to score 30 goals or more in each of his first 12 seasons. The Capitals are on pace to clinch their second Presidents trophy in as many years. However, there is a clear understanding that Ovechkin and company need to be at their best come playoff time in order for them to reach their ultimate goal. Washington ranks second in goals per game and first in goals allowed per game this season. No team has been better or more complete throughout the year. Winning a Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal and clinching home ice advantage throughout the playoffs is a strong first step in the right direction.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (49-21-7)
Last Week: 2
Stanley Cup Odds: +550
The Blackhawks looked terrible in a 7-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. They didn’t look much better blowing another lead in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Chicago got back on track in a major way with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night. Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin and Tanner Kero combined for six points. Corey Crawford shut the door until late in the third period and the Blackhawks rolled. It might be too late for Chicago to catch the Capitals but they could still clinch top spot in the Western Conference. Kane has played at an MVP level since December. If Chicago continues to get secondary scoring then they will be tough to stop.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets (49-19-7)
Last Week: 4
Stanley Cup Odds: +700
Sergei Bobrovsky is the obvious pick for the Vezina trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender. He might also be the smart pick for the Hart trophy as league MVP. Bobrovsky became the first goalie in franchise history to record 40 wins in a single season this past week. He is 8-0-1 with a 0.99 goals against average and a .970 save percentage in the month of March. For the season, Bobrovsky owns a 1.97 GAA and a .935 save percentage. No goaltender has been better from start to finish this year. The Blue Jackets rank in the top-five in both goals scored and goals allowed this season. Columbus is right behind Washington in the standings but they have a very difficult schedule the rest of the way. The Blue Jackets play five of their final seven on the road with the first of their two remaining home games against the Capitals on April 2nd. Columbus can’t afford to let off the gas if it wants to leapfrog Washington for its first-ever Presidents trophy win.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (46-19-11)
Last Week: 3
Stanley Cup Odds: +650
Pittsburgh registered at least a point in five straight games from March 17th to the 24th. However, the final two games over that span were overtime losses to the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. Add back-to-back blowout losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Blackhawks and suddenly the Penguins have dropped four in a row. Most concerning is the fact that they were outscored 11-3 in their last two and have allowed four goals or more in each of their last three. Evgeni Malkin should return any day now but Pittsburgh needs to focus on its play in its own zone first. The Penguins are in no rush to get guys back in the lineup right now so perhaps they are content with finishing third in the Metropolitan division. This team has a Stanley Cup pedigree so perhaps the focus should remain on getting healthy for a long postseason run.
5. Anaheim Ducks (42-23-11)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +1600
The Wild have dropped 11 of their last 13 while the Rangers have seven of their last 10 overall. That leaves the Ducks as the most worthy of the final spot in the NHL power rankings this week. Anaheim is trending in the right direction after recording five straight wins and taking 10 of their last 13 overall. The fact that they have done it without No. 1 goalie John Gibson is even more impressive. Jonathan Bernier has been excellent for the Ducks, including a .939 save percentage over their current win streak. Ryan Getzlaf has looked revitalized over the second half of the season while Rickard Rackell has 32 goals in a breakout season. Anaheim is a veteran team with some quality depth across the board. This team has enough talent to make a deep run, so don’t sleep on the Ducks this postseason.
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