Dec 12, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) makes a save against Boston Bruins as defenseman Shea Weber (6) defends and right wing David Backes (42) during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
In this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings, the standings are starting to get interesting.
Most all of the NHL teams are right around the 30-game mark. This is about the time that people start to take a little more of an interest in the standings and the rankings. After all, we’re closing in on half the season. 2016 is coming to a close, and a new year is about to begin. Every day and every game gets us that much closer to April and the playoffs.
With that being said, let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings.
Dec 12, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Arizona Coyotes goalie Louis Domingue (35) reaches for the puck in front of Pittsburgh Penguins center Nick Bonino (13) and Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) during the second period at the PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
No. 30: Arizona Coyotes
Previous: 28th
Season Record: 9-14-5
Captain Shane Doan reached 554 assists last Thursday against the Calgary Flames. This puts him in first place for the Coyotes/Jets franchise record for assists. He and his team also beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Saturday. But this is pretty much all they can write home about right now.
On Monday, they were back to their losing ways, falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shutout, 7-0. Yep, 7-0. They’ve only won one game in December.
Dec 11, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates with team mates after scoring against Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
No. 29: Colorado Avalanche
Previous: 30th
Season Record: 11-15-1
Oh my! The Avs lost 10-1 to the Canadiens on Saturday. A loss was expected against the team that is first place in the league. But to give up 10 goals? It didn’t really matter who the goalie was here; Varlamov gave up six goals, and Pickard gave up four. It was also Jarome Iginla’s 1500th NHL career game. How sad.
The good news is that they won two games on either side of this horrific loss, so I guess that allows them to save face a bit. Captain Gabriel Landeskog has been back in the lineup for the last few games after being out for six consecutive games. Can he help this faltering team?
Dec 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Justin Williams (14) scores a goal past Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) during the third period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
No. 28: Vancouver Canucks
Previous: 27th
Season Record: 12-15-2
Hey, the Canucks came out of their shell for a day and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 5-1 on Thursday! But then they lost to the Florida Panthers on Saturday, and were shut out by the Washington Capitals on Sunday. They only have one more away game of a five-game road trip before they head home. But they don’t fare much better on home ice either.
The Canucks are in the middle of re-building, and the Sedin twins just can’t produce like they used to. This formula leads to a team at the bottom of the league.
No. 27: Buffalo Sabres
Previous: 26th
Season Record: 10-11-6
After beating the Oilers on Tuesday, the Sabres suffered a disappointing loss to the Washington Capitals Friday night. They are taking advantage of some time off before they play again tonight against the LA Kings.
Head Coach Dan Bylsma is pushing them at practice, and stressing getting back to the basics. Unfortunately, the Sabres are currently ranked last in the league in goals scored, with 55. Jack Eichel is back in the lineup after being out 21 games with a high ankle sprain. He was credited with the secondary assist on the game-winning goal Tuesday night. Perhaps he can help the team spark some more wins.
Dec 11, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates the puck between Toronto Maple Leafs defencemen Morgan Rielly (44) and Nikita Zaitsev (22) in the third period at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
No. 26: Toronto Maple Leafs
Previous: 23rd
Season Record: 11-11-5
The Leafs fell to both Minnesota and Colorado this week, but they defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Saturday night. Rookie Auston Matthews is starting to make his presence known. He scored his 12th goal of the season in this game, making it his sixth in the past seven games.
Matthews now has 20 points (12 goals, 8 assists), which is second on the team only to James van Riemsdyk (12 goals, 9 assists).
Dec 10, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) carries the puck as Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderson (34) trails the play during the third period at Nationwide Arena. Columbus beat New York 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
No. 25: New York Islanders
Previous: 29th
Season Record: 11-11-5
The Islanders have won five of their last seven games, and came away with a point in another one. Their six-game point streak was snapped when they lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Saturday night.
They’ve also gone nine straight games without allowing a power play goal, so they have a few things to be positive about. They play the Washington Capitals tonight.
Dec 11, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Dallas Stars center Devin Shore (17) is congratulated for scoring a goal during the second period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
No. 24: Dallas Stars
Previous: 21st
Season Record: 11-13-6
The Stars have been dealing with subpar defense and goaltending, as well as a rash of injuries all season. They are not the same team that made a deep run into the playoffs last year. Star forward Patrick Sharp has been out for an extended amount of time with concussion issues, and defenseman Johnny Oduya just recently returned to the lineup.
The depleted team has now lost two games in a row, and they’ve only won twice in the last eight games.
December 8, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Brock McGinn (23) shoots to score a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
No. 23: Carolina Hurricanes
Previous: 24th
Season Record: 11-11-6
The Canes have lost five of their last seven games. They were most recently defeated by the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Saturday. Although they did manage to beat the Kings on Thursday, after a heart-breaking 6-5 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks the night before.
Here’s an interesting fact. The Canes are the highest ranked team on the penalty kill (92%). So there’s that. They take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight.
Dec 8, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Yannick Weber (7) and goalie Marek Mazanec (39) defend against Dallas Stars left wing Antoine Roussel (21) during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Predators 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
No. 22: Nashville Predators
Previous: 20th
Season Record: 12-11-4
The Preds were supposed to take the Central Division by storm when they acquired P.K. Subban at the beginning of the season. Well, that hasn’t exactly happened. They’ve had a pretty mediocre season at best. As a matter of fact, they lost to the bottom of the basement in the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, 4-1. They’re currently in fifth place in the Central Division, ahead of only the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche.
Dec 11, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Winnipeg Jets defensemen Dustin Byfuglien (33) and Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian (44) battle in front of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
No. 21: Winnipeg Jets
Previous: 18th
Season Record: 13-16-3
It’s hard to move up in the standings when you lose four games in a row. The Jets find themselves just outside of a wild card slot, with 29 points.
Their fourth loss, to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night, came with a bit of drama. Rookie Patrik Laine was trying to clear a rebound, and he hit the puck into his own net, giving a goal to the Oilers. This ended up being the game winning goal in a 3-2 win.
Poor kid. Before we give him a hard time, let’s remember that he’s currently third in the league in goals (17).
Dec 6, 2016; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Detroit Red Wings left wing Thomas Vanek (62) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
No. 20: Detroit Red Wings
Previous: 25th
Season Record: 13-12-4
The Wings are making it their business to take things to an extra frame recently. In their last six games, they’ve gone to overtime four times. They’ve come out even, winning two and losing two. But hey, that’s good for six points, eh?!
Their most recent OT was a loss to the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 on Sunday night. They take on the Arizona Coyotes coming up tonight. Perhaps they can get lucky and win one in regulation.
Dec 10, 2016; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Tom Rowe looks on during the second period against the Vancouver Canucks at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
No. 19: Florida Panthers
Previous: 22nd
Season Record: 13-12-4
This Florida team has been finding a way to get a few points recently. They defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Saturday, and have taken things to overtime in four of the last seven games (winning one of them).
They appear to be rallying around the loss of their head coach, Gerard Gallant, by fighting tooth and nail and keeping games close. Now if they could just get over that hump and start winning a few more.
Dec 8, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) skates with the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
No. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning
Previous: 8th
Season Record: 14-13-2
Tampa Bay has hit quite the glitch lately; they’ve only managed to win one of their last eight games. Ouch! To make matters even worse, they fell to the lowly Hurricanes and Canucks earlier this week.
Jonathan Drouin is starting to heat up; he scored two goals in the Lightning’s last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s now tallied three goals in the last two games, and six on the season.
Dec 11, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Antti Raanta (32) makes a save as New Jersey Devils rifght wing Devante Smith-Pelly (25) looks for a rebound during the third period at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
No. 17: New Jersey Devils
Previous: 19th
Season Record: 12-10-6
The Devils have lost three games in a row, including a 5-0 shutout to the New York Rangers on Sunday. They also endured their first home regulation loss to the St. Louis Blues (4-1) on Friday night.
This is still a very well balanced team all the way around, from forwards to defense to goaltending. I wouldn’t count them out by any means, but they are definitely in a slump right now.
Dec 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot (3) chases down Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter (77) as he takes the puck behind the net in the second period of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
No. 16: LA Kings
Previous: 12th
Season Record: 14-11-2
Holding the second wild card slot in the Western Division, the Kings have had a relatively light schedule so far in the month of December. They’ve only played in four games, winning two and losing two. With Jonathan Quick out, Peter Budaj is doing as exemplary job as the backup. He has 13 wins, 7 losses, a 2.18 goals against average, and a .910 save percentage. It will be interesting to see if he can continue at his current pace for the long haul.
The King’s schedule picks up as the month goes along, and they hit the road for the next nine games.
December 9, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) during a stoppage in play against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
No. 15: San Jose Sharks
Previous: 9th
Season Record: 16-11-1
Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski both lead the Sharks with 25 points. This San Jose team currently sits in the first wild card spot in the Western Division. But with 33 points, they are only a few points behind their competition. Every win counts, as they head on a four-game road trip.
December 11, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Ottawa Senators left wing Ryan Dzingel (18) celebrates his goal scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
No. 14: Ottawa Senators
Previous: 4th
Season Record: 16-11-2
Back-up goaltender Mike Condon has been letting in a lot of goals during the absence of Craig Anderson. Over the weekend, he allowed four goals to the LA Kings, and on Sunday five goals against the Anaheim Ducks. The Sens have now lost two games in a row, and three out of the last four.
Dec 12, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Boston Bruins center Austin Czarnik (27) celebrates his goal against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) with teammate right wing Jimmy Hayes (11) and left wing Paul Byron (41) during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
No. 13: Boston Bruins
Previous: 14th
Season Record: 16-12-2
After losing their last three games, the Boston Bruins finally pulled out a win, and a big win at that. They defeated the first-place Montreal Canadiens in overtime 2-1 on Monday night.
The Boston Bruins are now third place in the Atlantic Division, behind Ottawa and Montreal.
Dec 10, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) controls the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
No. 12: Calgary Flames
Previous: 16th
Season Record: 16-13-2
Don’t look now, but Calgary has won six games in a row. They’re on a roll, and now sit in third place in the Pacific Division. They’re led by Johnny Gaudreau, better known as Johnny Hockey. Even after missing 10 games with a fractured finger, he still leads the team with 19 points. The Flames next take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Dec 11, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Nino Niederreiter (22) celebrates his goal in the second period against the St Louis Blues at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
No. 11: Minnesota Wild
Previous: 13th
Season Record: 15-8-4
Minnesota is a bit of a surprise this year. They are currently third place in the Central Division, and have recently been winning a lot of close games (the last four to be exact). This is the longest winning streak they’ve had all season. The team has acquired at least one point in nine of the past 10 games.
Dec 11, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a second period gaol by defensemen Oscar Klefbom (77) against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
No. 10: Edmonton Oilers
Previous: 11th
Season Record: 15-11-5
In the month of December, the Oilers have picked up at least a point in all their seven games but one. They’ve won three games, and taken three games to overtime or a shootout but lost. Their one outright loss was to the Philadelphia Flyers, by a score of 6-5.
Needless to say, Edmonton is finding a way to keep games close, and give themselves a chance to win. Captain Connor McDavid is currently leading the league in points, with 39.
December 11, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) speaks with goalie John Gibson (36) during a stoppage in play against the Ottawa Senators during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
No. 9: Anaheim Ducks
Previous: 17th
Season Record: 15-9-5
After suffering an 8-3 loss to the Calgary Flames last Sunday, the Ducks have won their last three games, all at home. It’s been a team effort, and head coach Randy Carlyle attributes the wins towards his team’s ability to play fast and execute fast. Ryan Kesler and Corey Perry each have 25 points apiece to lead the team.
The Ducks are well served to take advantage of home ice, as they now embark on a six-game road trip.
Dec 11, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; St Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko (91) at the faceoff in the first period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
No. 8: St. Louis Blues
Previous: 10th
Season Record: 16-9-4
The Blues are pretty even keel right now, having won three games and lost three games in the month of December. With 36 points, they’re going to have to pick up the pace if they want to catch the Chicago Blackhawks (40 points) for the lead in the Central Division.
Forward Vladimir Tarasenko is by far leading his team with 32 points. Kevin Shattenkirk is in second place with 19 points. Call me crazy, but this doesn’t seem very balanced.
Dec 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) on the ice against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
No. 7: Washington Capitals
Previous: 7th
Season Record: 17-7-3
The Caps are looking good right now, and riding a four-game win streak. They are incredibly strong on both the power play and the penalty kill, which makes them a dangerous team. And don’t forget they have one of the best offensive players in the league in Alex Ovechkin.
In their 3-0 blanking of the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, Ovechkin scored his 200th power play goal, which also turned out to be his fifth game-winning goal of the season.
Dec 10, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderson (34) celebrates a goal with teammate left wing Matt Calvert (11) against the New York Islanders during the third period at Nationwide Arena. Columbus beat New York 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
No. 6: Columbus Blue Jackets
Previous: 6th
Season Record: 17-5-4
The Jackets are continuing to roll as they beat the Islanders 6-2 on Saturday, for their sixth consecutive win. There are several players contributing to this success, but this week Sam Gagner is at the forefront of it all.
Gagner was named the NHL’s third star of the week, scoring three goals and three assists for six points to help the Jackets win all three of their contests last week.
Dec 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek (93) and Philadelphia Flyers left wing Michael Raffl (12) celebrates after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
No. 5: Philadelphia Flyers
Previous: 15th
Season Record: 18-10-3
A winning streak of nine games in a row is not too shabby. This is what the Philadelphia Flyers have just accomplished. They go for win number 10 on Wednesday against the struggling Colorado Avalanche.
Jakub Voracek was named the NHL’s first star of the week. He’s had two four-point games in the past seven days. This includes six assists and nine point in four outings.
Dec 1, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81) celebrates with defenseman Duncan Keith (2) after scoring the game-winning goal against the New Jersey Devils in overtime at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
No. 4: Chicago Blackhawks
Previous: 5th
Season Record: 18-8-4
Even while missing top players in Jonathan Toews, Corey Crawford, and Brent Seabrook, the Hawks are finding a way to get it done. Marian Hossa scored his 15th goal of the season Sunday night, and back-up goaltender Scott Darling has really stepped up in net. Combine this with the youngsters getting comfortable and starting to contribute as well, and you have a recipe for success.
The Hawks currently lead the Central Division with 38 points, and their stars all appear to be close to getting back on the ice soon. This is a good thing, as they have a tough upcoming schedule ahead this week.
Dec 12, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) checks his stick before a face-off against the Arizona Coyotes during the second period at the PPG PAINTS Arena. The Penguins won 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
No. 3: Pittsburgh Penguins
Previous: 3rd
Season Record: 19-7-3
This squad is doing everything in its power to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. The reigning Stanley Cup champions have been dominant this year. Last night’s 7-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes with their sixth win in a row.
And the Pens are scoring goals like there’s not tomorrow. Captain Sydney Crosby leads the team and the league with 21 goals.
Dec 9, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; New York Rangers goalie Antti Raanta (32) makes a save on the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
No. 2: New York Rangers
Previous: 2nd
Season Record: 20-9-1
The Rangers will go for their fourth win in a row when the have a rematch against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. They beat them 1-0 in overtime last Friday.
The story of the week is back-up goaltender Antti Raanta, who was named second star of the week by the NHL. He has played in three consecutive games, where he has had recorded back-to-back shutouts, and only allowing one goal. Will he get a fourth start? Or will the Rangers go with their starter, Henrik Lundqvist?
Dec 12, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens left wing Paul Byron (41) celebrates his goal against Boston Bruins with teammates during the third period period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
No. 1: Montreal Canadiens
Previous: 1st
Season Record: 19-6-4
The Habs have led the league for most of the season. They dominated the Colorado Avalanche 10-1 on Saturday, and beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Thursday. But they fell to the Boston Bruins last night in overtime.
When you’re first in the league, everyone else wants you to lose. But I wouldn’t count on the Habs making a habit of it. They have three days off to lick their wounds before taking on some healthy competition in the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals this weekend.
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