Another busy week of NHL action led to another shakeup at the top of the NHL power rankings with a number of teams switching places and a new team reaching No. 1. Here is a look at the NHL power rankings for this week.
1. Washington Capitals (29-9-6)
Last Week: 3
Stanley Cup Odds: +700
Washington’s incredible run finally came to an end with a shocking 8-7 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in which they blew a 3-0 lead by allowing five straight second period goals in a span of under nine minutes. The fact that they came back from down 5-3 to salvage a point is a testament to their resilience but it definitely wasn’t the way they wanted to kick off a stretch in which they play six of seven on the road. The Capitals are getting production from all four lines offensively but the key to their success has been their defensive play, as they had not allowed an even-strength goal from January 3rd until the second period of that loss to Pittsburgh on January 16th. Washington has shown in the past it can contend for the presidents trophy but this year the Capitals will solely be judged by how far they go come playoff time.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-10-4)
Last Week: 1
Stanley Cup Odds: +800
The Blue Jackets were eventually going to cool off a bit following their incredible run and that has been the case in the month of January as they have dropped four of their last seven games in a row. That said, Columbus still owns the NHL’s best record with a game in hand on Washington. The Blue Jackets rank in the top-five in both goals scored and goals allowed and they will be tested leading in to the All-Star break with a busy schedule. Columbus will play five of its next eight on the road including stops in Nashville, New York and Pittsburgh so it will be interesting to see how they fare heading in to the break.
3. Minnesota Wild (29-10-5)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +700
The Wild had their incredible win streak snapped by the Blue Jackets on New Year’s Eve but they have bounced back with a 5-1-1 record since to improve to 28-10-5 on the season to move ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks for the best record in the Western Conference. Minnesota has a fairly favorable schedule coming up as well with four of their next five games at home before the All-Star break. It’s no surprise that the Wild rank second in the NHL with an average of 2.2 goals allowed per game this season but it is somewhat surprising that they rank fourth in the NHL in goals per game with an average of 3.3 per contest.
4. Chicago Blackhawks (29-14-5)
Last Week: 2
Stanley Cup Odds: +700
Chicago had won four in a row before dropping back-to-back games to Washington and Minnesota by a combined 9-2 score and while they bounced back with a 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche it appears as though something is missing of late. Corey Crawford has struggled between the pipes and the Blackhawks don’t have the depth to be involved in too many shootouts down the stretch. Chicago can still address its scoring depth at the NHL trade deadline so it will be interesting to see what they do to upgrade their talent up front.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (29-11-5)
Last Week: 5
Stanley Cup Odds: +800
The Penguins snapped a three-game slide in style with a dramatic 8-7 comeback win over the Capitals and then doubled down with a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens to knock them out of the top five power rankings. Pittsburgh has been extremely impressive up front with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby leading the way on offense and it’s scary to think that this offense can add one or two pieces before the deadline. The key for the Penguins will be the health of Matt Murray, who is clearly their best option in goal. Pittsburgh has the firepower to compete with any team in the NHL and if they can find a way to keep pucks out of their net they will be tough to stop again once the playoffs roll around.
Want to bet on the NHL tonight? Click here to get the latest lines from BetDSI!
