The Tampa Bay Lightning are still the Stanley Cup favorite as they continue to roll. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, which is the second-best mark over that span outside of the New York Rangers, who have won eight of their last 10. In the West, the hottest teams right now are the Nashville Predators and Las Vegas Knights. Both teams have won four straight but the Preds have won nine of their last 10 games overall. Let’s take a closer look at this week’s NHL power rankings. As a reminder, the teams are sorted based on how the odds makers view the teams in terms of futures.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
Last Week: 1
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +600
The Lightning (16-4-2) lost at home to the New York Islanders last week, then rebounded to beat Chicago at home in overtime. This week, the Lightning will embark on a road trip that sees them going to Washington, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Boston. The Lightning are tearing up the lead, ranking first in goals and on the power play, fourth in goals against and 11th in penalty killing. Steven Stamkos (36 points) and Nikita Kucherov (33 points) are first and second in the league in points, respectively.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
Last Week: 3
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +800
The Maple Leafs (15-8-1) romped over Montreal on the road, then lost at home to Arizona and in Florida in a shootout. They’ll return home to host Washington, and then it is back on the road to visit Calgary and Edmonton. The Maple Leafs are fourth in goals and 10th on the power play, but they’re steadily improving at the other end of the ice, ranking 18th in goals against and 14th on the penalty kill.
3. St. Louis Blues
Last Week: 2
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +900
The Blues (16-5-1) won in overtime in Vancouver and at home over Edmonton, and they’ll stay at home this week to host Nashville, Minnesota, Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Blues have scored eight goals on their recent three-game winning streak, and they’re fifth in the league in both goals scored and goals against. However, the special teams continues to struggle, ranking 24th on the power play and 20th in penalty killing.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
Last Week: 5
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1100
The Blue Jackets (14-7-1) won at home over the New York Rangers and over Calgary in overtime, also at home, and in Buffalo. The Blue Jackets have won five in a row, with four of those games being decided by a goal, two went to overtime and one to a shootout, allowing four goals during that game. Sergei Bobrovsky has a save percentage of .974 in those five games.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins
Last Week: 4
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1300
The Penguins (11-9-3) lost at home to Chicago and Vancouver, and then they’ll go to Boston before going back home to host Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. The Penguins scored three goals in those two losses, and they’re now 26th in goals scored, although they’re fourth on the power play. The Penguins are also 28th in goals against and 26th on the penalty kill, and that’s not good news for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
6. Winnipeg Jets
Last Week: 6
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1500
The Jets (13-5-3) won at home over New Jersey and in Los Angeles, and they lost to Nashville. This week, the Jets head to Anaheim, San Jose and Colorado, and there is also a home game against Minnesota. The Jets have won five of their last six games, allowing two goals or less in all five wins, but they allowed five against Nashville. The Jets are eighth in goals scored, seventh in goals allowed and on the power play, but they struggle on the penalty kill, ranking 22nd in the NHL.
7. Nashville Predators
Last Week: 9
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1500
The Predators (13-6-2) won at home over Colorado, Winnipeg and Montreal in a shootout, and this week, they’ll head to St. Louis and Carolina, then it is back home to host Chicago and Vancouver. The Predators scored 12 goals in those three wins, and their special teams has been great this season, ranking third on the power play and ninth in penalty killing. However, they’re 15th in goals allowed, which is something you wouldn’t expect from the Predators.
8. New Jersey Devils
Last Week: 7
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1700
The Devils (12-5-4) lost in Winnipeg and won in Minnesota in overtime, and they also lost at home to Boston in a shootout. This week, the Devils host Vancouver and Florida, and they will also visit Detroit. Offensively, the Devils have been sharp, ranking ninth in goals scored and eighth on the power play. However they’re 20th in goals allowed and 15th on the penalty kill, so they’ll have to shore things up in the defensive zone.
9. Los Angeles Kings
Last Week: 8
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1800
The Kings (12-8-2) shut out Florida at home, then lost in Las Vegas and lost at home to Winnipeg. The Kings will visit Arizona next, then host Anaheim and then head on the road to face Detroit and Washington. The Kings are slumping, losing six of their last seven games and they have scored 14 goals in those seven games, scoring two or less in all six losses. They’re still second in the NHL in goals against and on the penalty kill, but they’re going to have to get back to scoring goals, ranking 14th in goals scored and 20th on the power play.
10. New York Islanders
Last Week: 10
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
The Islanders (12-7-2) won in Tampa Bay and at home over Philadelphia in overtime, although they also lost in Carolina. They will head on the road this week to Philadelphia and Ottawa, and then they will return home to host Vancouver. The Islanders are second in the league and 10th on the power play, and John Tavares is second in the league to Kucherov in goals with 15. However, the Islanders are 24th in goals against and 17th on the penalty kill, and like many other teams in the league, they have to be a little more diligent in the defensive zone because as the old saying goes, defense wins championships.
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