Dave B’s NHL Power Rankings – Feb. 14, 2012
The NHL season is about to enter the stretch run. Some teams are positioning themselves well heading into the most important part of the year while others are sputtering at precisely the wrong time. Get weekly NHL Handicapping tips from CappersPicks.com.
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Dave B will analyze all the risers and the fallers for the rest of the season in his bi-weekly NHL Power Rankings.
Take a look and let me know what you think!
1. Rangers 36-13-5 – sitting on top of the NHL standings and riding a four game win streak. It is hard to believe but New York is leading the East by a mile with absolutely no sign of slowing down!
2. Red Wings 38-17-2 – 20 straight wins on home ice? Insane! They are tops in the West despite not having a healthy true #1 goaltender. That speaks to just how good this team is. The Wings are only a .500 club away from Joe Louis Arena – something that keeps them out of top spot.
3. Canucks 35-15-6 – Vancouver has gone to extra time in five of their last six games but has recorded a point in 10 straight (7-0-3). It doesn’t matter how you get it done as long as you get it done!
4. Bruins 34-17-2 – Boston is slipping and will probably make a move at the trade deadline with Nathan Horton’s future uncertain. The Bruins are playing .500 hockey over the past couple of weeks.
5. Blues 34-14-7 – The Blues have won four straight games and simply won’t go away! Andy McDonald is back and playing well and goaltenders Brian Elliot and Jaroslav Halak have become one of the best tandems in the NHL. With solid goaltending and coaching, the Blues land at #5.
6. Penguins 32-19-5 – Pittsburgh has won two straight games and has gone 7-2-1 in their last 10. Evgeni Malkin continues his MVP type season recording three goals and four assists over the weekend!
7. Predators 32-18-6 – Nashville has gone 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, many of which have come on the road and against the likes of Philadelphia, St. Louis, Vancouver, Ottawa, Boston and San Jose. The Preds are solid up and down the lineup.
8. Flyers 31-18-7 – Philadelphia has hit a rough patch – 3-4-3 in their last 10 games. The goaltending has been weak and the injuries have been brutal. Still, with 69 points and sitting 7th in the NHL overall standings, the Flyers are easily Top 10.
9. Devils 31-20-4 – The Devils have been playing very well despite having a number of regular defensemen out of the lineup. New Jersey sits in ninth in the NHL overall standings despite the lack of superstars on the team – what else is new?
10. Sharks 31-17-6 – The Sharks are in real danger of slipping out of the Top 10 – 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and 5-6-1 since January 15th.
11. Panthers 27-17-11 – The Panthers just keep getting it done – three straight wins and 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. With Scott Clemensen in net, get used to seeing the Panthers hovering around the Top 10.
12. Blackhawks 29-20-7 – Chicago, as of Tuesday night is mired in a five game losing streak and is tumbling down the rankings. The Hawks need a goaltender – BADLY!
13. Kings 27-19-11 – LA is a disappointing 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and is in on every trade rumor out there. They have played their last six games on the road where they went 2-3-1.
14. Coyotes 27-21-9 – Phoenix had their five game win streak snapped on Monday night against Vancouver. Mike Smith has been money in guiding the Coyotes to wins over the likes of San Jose, Detroit and Chicago.
15. Capitals 28-23-5 – Can we blame injuries anymore? I am still giving the Caps the benefit of the doubt even though they are 3-4-3 in their last 10 games. Mike Green and Nick Backstrom are obviously critical for Washington’s success. [ad-4437448]
16. Maple Leafs 28-22-6 – The Leafs are just 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and they have lost three straight! Now they head West where they have had their share of issues in the last couple of seasons.
17. Flames 26-22-8 – Calgary is playing OK right now – 5-2-3 in their last 10 and 2-0-2 last week. With Phoenix heating up, the Flames still find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. They are still Top 20 in the power rankings though!
18. Senators 28-22-8 – Ottawa is really struggling and are falling down not only the Eastern Conference standings but the power rankings as well. The Sens are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games and early season standout goaltender Craig Anderson has looked brutal as of late.
19. Stars 28-24-3 – Injuries have hit this team hard – first Brenden Morrow and then Sheldon Souray. Dallas is under .500 over the last couple of weeks but still amazingly hold onto a top 20 spot on the power rankings.
20. Avalanche 28-25-4 – Colorado has followed up an absolutely brutal stretch with a 2-0-2 streak – barely keeping them in the top 20.
21. Ducks 22-24-9
22. Jets 26-25-6
23. Canadiens 23-25-9
24. Islanders 23-24-8
25. Wild 25-22-8 -7
26. Sabres 24-25-6
27. Lightning 24-25-6
28. Oilers 22-28-5
29. Hurricanes 21-25-11
30. Blue Jackets 16-34-6
