The first round of the NHL playoffs provided enough surprises to shake up the NHL power rankings. The biggest shock was watching the Chicago Blackhawks go down in four games to the Nashville Predators. The eighth-seeded Predators swept the top-seeded Blackhawks in impressive fashion and put themselves on the radar as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the process. Meanwhile, the two remaining Stanley Cup favorites reside in the Eastern Conference and are now set to meet in the second round. Here is a look at the NHL top five power rankings for this week.
1. Washington Capitals
Last Week: 1
Stanley Cup Odds: +320
Washington’s history of playoff failure had many experts wondering whether they would survive a first round playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Capitals fed those fires with a pair of overtime losses early in the series. However, Washington turned it on with three straight wins to close out the series and quieted a lot of their critics in the process. Anybody that watched the series witnessed some of the lucky bounces some of the Capitals mentioned they thought Toronto benefited from. They also watched Frederik Andersen outplay Braden Holtby. The latter of the two issues is the main concern for Washington moving forward. Holtby played at an elite level all season but he struggled against Toronto and will definitely need to be better against Pittsburgh in the second round. Alex Ovechkin, TJ. Oshie, Justin Williams and Tom Wilson each scored three goals in the opening round so the Capitals should be able to rely on their depth. Now Washington needs to prove it can take care of business against the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in what should be another heated series.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
Last Week: 3
Stanley Cup Odds: +400
Any concerns about Pittsburgh’s chances without injured goaltender Matt Murray in the opening round were quickly put to rest. Marc-Andre Fleury produced a .933 save percentage and the Penguins took care of the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games. Evgeni Malkin looked refreshed and led all scorers with 11 points. Malkin missed the final couple of weeks of the regular season due to nagging injuries but it’s hard to overlook the idea that Pittsburgh might have been resting one of its top stars for the postseason. Meanwhile, Phil Kessel, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust have provided some quality secondary scoring for the Penguins. The second round series against Washington will be a matchup of the top two remaining Stanley Cup favorites. The matchup between Fleury and Holtby will go a long way towards determining its outcome.
3. Anaheim Ducks
Last Week: 5
Stanley Cup Odds: +550
Despite flying under the radar for most of the year it’s clear the Ducks are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Anaheim took care of the Calgary Flames with a four-game sweep in the opening round, carrying over a strong finish to the regular season. The Ducks haven’t lost in regulation since March 10th and they are as dangerous as any team remaining in the playoffs. Anaheim will face a much tougher test against the Edmonton Oilers in the second round and it will be interesting to see how they respond. The Ducks should have no problem scoring. However, the key matchup to watch will be Ryan Kesler matched up against Connor McDavid at the defensive end of the ice as Anaheim looks to shut down one of the top young superstars in the NHL.
4. Edmonton Oilers
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +550
McDavid was as good as advertised in Edmonton’s first round series win over the defending Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks. McDavid led the Oilers with two goals and four points while proving he can be just as good defensively as he is at the offensive end of the ice. Edmonton’s discipline and attention to detail in its own end was a key to their success against the Sharks and will be even more important against the Ducks in the next round. Cam Talbot delivered a 2.03 GAA in the first round and will need to be at his best again versus Anaheim.
5. Nashville Predators
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +650
The analytics community deserves a ton of credit for giving props to the Predators before their first round series against Chicago. Nobody expected Nashville to sweep the Blackhawks. However, the numbers did indicate an upset was possible and the Predators delivered in style. Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg combined for 11 points to lead the way while Nashville’s deep defense core was excellent in its own end. After struggling in the regular season, Pekka Rinne was on point with a 0.70 GAA and a .976 save percentage with two shutouts. The Predators are fortunate to avoid both the Ducks and Oilers as they draw the St. Louis Blues in the second round. The Blues will provide another tough test. However, after they took down Chicago it’s clear that nobody is doubting Nashville as a Stanley Cup contender anymore.
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