The final NHL power rankings update before the Christmas break provided a substantial shakeup with the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets entering the top-five while a new No. 1 team rose to the top of the list. Here is a look at the NHL top-five power rankings for this week.
1. Chicago Blackhawks (22-9-4)
Last Week: 3
Stanley Cup Odds: +800
The Blackhawks finally had their win streak snapped in a 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night but it didn’t stop them from ascending to the top spot on this list. Chicago had won five in a row before they finally stumbled and the fact that they own the best record in the NHL is actually incredible when you consider the injuries they have dealt with this season. Jonathan Toews, Artem Anisimov and Corey Crawford have all missed extended periods and yet the Blackhawks are 22-9-4 including a 9-3-2 mark since November 25th. Artemi Panarin ranks fifth in NHL scoring with 35 points in 35 games while Patrick Kane has 34 points. Chicago is also playing some outstanding hockey in front of goalie Scott Darling as they rank seventh in the NHL in goals allowed with an average of just 2.4 against per game this season.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins (21-7-5)
Last Week: 1
Stanley Cup Odds: +800
Pittsburgh has earned at least a point in 10 straight games dating back to the start of December including a 7-2 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night that represented an exclamation mark in their month of December. The Penguins lead the NHL with an average of 3.5 goals per game with Sidney Crosby leading the way up front with 22 goals in just 27 games. Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist have all been productive up front while Justin Schultz has filled in admirably with Kris Letang injured. Meanwhile, Matt Murray has stolen the show as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 goaltender with a 13-2-1 record and 1.85 goals against average. The Penguins are rolling at both ends of the ice and they are right there behind the Blackhawks at the top of our NHL power rankings heading in to the Christmas break.
3. Montreal Canadiens (21-7-4)
Last Week: 2
Stanley Cup Odds: +800
Montreal is another team that has dealt with multiple injury issues including two of its top three centers in Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais, as well as defenseman Andrei Markov. However, the Canadiens have managed to avoid any major letdowns with a 4-2-1 mark over their last seven games including back-to-back wins over the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks by a combined 7-2 score. Max Pacioretty is up to 13 goals and 26 points in 32 games after playing through a broken bone in his foot and the Canadiens need their captain to step up without some key players available. Meanwhile, Carey Price is 18-4-2 with a1.87 goals against average and .936 save percentage. Montreal will set off on a seven-game road trip beginning on December 23rd so it will be really interesting to see whether or not they can keep on winning without a couple of their best players in the lineup.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets (21-5-4)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +1000
The Blue Jackets make their debut in the power rankings in the fourth spot on this list after stringing together 10 straight wins to improve to 21-5-4 on the season. Columbus is playing arguably the best hockey in its franchise history and John Tortorella is getting a ton of praise for turning things around. The Blue Jackets rank second in the NHL in goals per game and second in the NHL in goals allowed per game thanks to their outstanding two-way play and the No. 1 ranked powerplay in the NHL. Sergei Bobrovsky has bounced back with a 1.94 goals against average and .932 save percentage while Cam Atkinson, Brandon Saad and Alexander Wennberg have been lights out up front. Columbus will have a tough schedule with games against Pittsburgh, Montreal and Boston over the next 10 days so it will be very interesting to see how they respond and whether or not they can stay hot heading in to the new year.
5. New York Rangers (23-11-1)
Last Week: 4
Stanley Cup Odds: +850
The Rangers took a small step back on this list after Columbus pretty much caught them in the standings despite playing five fewer games. Injuries have really hurt New York as Mika Zibanejad, Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich have all missed significant time but they have done a decent job weathering the storm in their absence. Henrik Lundqvist has bounced back with some excellent play since being benched in favor of Antti Raanta and the fact that New York has two capable goaltenders they can trust makes them that much more dangerous. The Rangers have won three of their last four overall but a 7-2 loss to the Penguins was another reminder that this team will be vulnerable until it gets healthy again.
Want to bet on the NHL tonight? Click here to get the latest lines from BetDSI!
