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Cappers NHL Picks: NHL March 24th 2015 Power Rankings

Where do teams stand in the NHL?

Another two weeks of NHL action is in the books and the Power Rankings landscape has changed as always. The Rangers have made quite a statement and are now tops in the league while a few of the elite are limping into this week.

NHL Lines & Matchup Insight

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So where does your favorite team sit? Let’s break it down in the bi-weekly edition of Dave B’’s NHL Power Rankings.

1. New York Rangers 46-18-7 (Two Weeks Ago: 4) – The Rangers made quite a statement on Sunday beating the Duck 7-2. The Rangers are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games overall and sit in first place in the overall standings with at least one game in hand on anyone else at the top of the standings. New York has a league-best +54 goal differential and easily takes over top spot in the Rankings.

2. Montreal Canadiens 46-20-7 (Two Weeks Ago: 2) – The Habs are just 5-3-2 in their last 10 games but still possess the best defense in the game and own some guy names Carey Price. Montreal enters the week on a three game win streak looking as dangerous as any team in the game right now.

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3. Tampa Bay Lightning 45-21-7 (Two Weeks Ago: 3) – The Lightning have gone 8-1-1 in their last 10 games overall and still own the best offense in the league – by quite a margin. With incredible goal scoring potential and Ben Bishop manning the net, Tampa is a worthy #3.

4. Anaheim Ducks 46-21-7 (Two Weeks Ago: 1) – The Ducks still sit in a tie atop the NHL standings but they haven’t looked great the last couple of weeks – just 6-4-0 in their last 10 games overall including at 7-2 thrashing at the hands of the Rangers. They are just 6-4-0 in their last 10 games but still remain in the elite category of teams.

5. Chicago Blackhawks 43-22-6 (Two Weeks Ago: 11) – The Hawks enter the week having won four of their last five games- the loss of Patrick Kane doesn’t seem as big a deal as we all suspected. Chicago is deep, they are talented and they are finally the top 5 club we all envisioned.

6. St. Louis Blues 45-21-7 (Two Weeks Ago: 6) – The Blues are just 2-2-2 in their last six games – looking a tad vulnerable right now. But they still sit with 97 points heading into the week and are still, on paper, the mist well balanced team in the game. If the goaltending finds some consistency the Blues are a legit. Top 5 club.

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7. Nashville Predators 44-21-8 (Two Weeks Ago: 7) – The Predators have snapped out of a lengthy skid and now sit just one point back of St. Louis in the Central Division. They absolutely need James Neal back from injury and they need Pekka Rinne to find some sort of consistency or it could be a short playoff run for this team.

8. Minnesota Wild 40-25-7 (Two Weeks Ago: 10) – The Wild have cooled off a bit but are still 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They remain as one of the hottest teams in the NHL however – 22-6-2 in their last 30 games. Devan Dubnyk has been remarkable and the offense has certainly done its part.

9. New York Islanders 44-25-4 (Two Weeks Ago: 5) – The Islanders have struggled lately – just 3-5-2 in their last 10 game overall – they could have realistically tumbled further down the Rankings. Still, the Isles have been great all season long and definitely don’t deserve to be bumped out of the Top 10.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins 40-22-10 (Two Weeks Ago: 8) – The Penguins don’t look like a contender to me – at all. They are just 4-5-1 in their last 10 games – a 3-1 win against Arizona ended an ugly four game losing streak. Somehow this team is struggling to score – just five total goals in their last five games.

11. Detroit Red Wings 39-21-11 (Two Weeks Ago: 9) – the Wings have certainly struggled (4-6-0 in their last 10 games) but they are healthy and should be able to snap out of their funk. They are 8-9-2 in their last 19 games overall – reason for a bit of concern for sure.

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12. Washington Capitals 39-24-10 (Two Weeks Ago: 12) – the Capitals are just a .500 team in the last 30 games – 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. They are still entrenched in a playoff spot but there are concerns for sure in the Nation’s Capital.

13. Vancouver Canucks 42-26-4 (Two Weeks Ago: 14)
14. Winnipeg Jets 37-23-12 (Two Weeks Ago: 15)
15. Ottawa Senators 36-24-11 (Two Weeks Ago: 18)
16. Calgary Flames 39-27-6 (Two Weeks Ago: 17)
17. Los Angeles Kings 34-23-14 (Two Weeks Ago: 13)
18. Boston Bruins 36-25-12 (Two Weeks Ago: 16)
19. Florida Panthers 33-25-14 (Two Weeks Ago: 19)
20. Colorado Avalanche 33-26-12 (Two Weeks Ago: 22)
21. Dallas Stars 34-28-10 (Two Weeks Ago: 24)
22. San Jose Sharks 35-29-8 (Two Weeks Ago: 20)
23. Columbus Blue Jackets 33-35-4 (Two Weeks Ago: 26)
24. New Jersey Devils 31-30-11 (Two Weeks Ago: 21)
25. Philadelphia Flyers 29-29-16 (Two Weeks Ago: 23)
26. Carolina Hurricanes 26-35-10 (Two Weeks Ago: 25)
27. Toronto Maple 27-40-6 (Two Weeks Ago: 27)
28. Edmonton Oilers 20-39-13 (Two Weeks Ago: 29)
29. Arizona Coyotes 21-44-8 (Two Weeks Ago: 28)
30. Buffalo Sabres 20-45-7 (Two Weeks Ago: 30)

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By DaveB

Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.