2010 NHL Power Rankings – (Feb. 16th)

NHL Power Ratings – Dave B’s NHL Power Rankings – Feb. 16th 2010

The Olympic Break is finally here and for some teams, it couldn’t have come too soon. Although there is not much change at the top of the rankings, some teams are rounding into form and are gaining ground on teams ahead of them.

This will be the last Rankings column for a couple of weeks as NHL teams will be resting and obsessing over the Olympic tournament that promises to be one of the best ever.

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The Top Teams In The NHL

1. Capitals – 41-13-8 (2 weeks ago: 1). 14 straight victories before a minor speed bump (3 straight losses – 2 in a shootout), but how can one argue that they are the best in the land?

2. Sharks – 40-13-9 (2). Stumbled into the Olympic break but still own the best record in the West and the second best record overall. This team is stacked.

3. Blackhawks – 41-15-5 (3). 41 wins at the break – only two other teams have done that – Washington and San Jose. They have proven tough in regulation, in overtime and especially in the shootout this week.

4. Kings – 37-20-4 (4). 10-1-1 in their last 12 games heading into the break. Jonathan Quick is emerging as an elite goaltender on the most surprising team in the NHL.

5. Canucks – 37-22-2 (5). 4-4 on their epic road trip, the Canucks are finally getting secondary scoring to match the talent of their top line.

6. Avalanche – 35-20-6 (9). Hanging in with the Canucks, the Avs are runner up to the most surprising story of the NHL so far. They have still been getting it done without arguably their best player – Milan Hejduk which is the sign of a good team.

7. Coyotes – 37-21-5 (7). Have the fourth best record in the NHL at the break and although they have lost two straight, they are still 7-3 over their last 10 games.

8. Senators – 36-23-4 (6). 8-2 in their last 10 games and playing beyond their potential. Superstars Jason Spezza, Alexi Kovalev and Daniel Alfredssson have been carrying the Offensive load while goaltender Brian Elliot is simply on fire.

9. Penguins – 36-22-4 (8). The Penguins remain in the Top 10 because of their stacked lineup. Only 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, the Pens have been somewhat disappointing. But if you want to talk POWER, the Pens certainly posses that.

10. Devils – 37-21-3 (11). Despite going only 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, the Devils still own the NHL’s sixth best overall record. The addition of Ilya Kovalchuk and the return of Patrik Elias should give the slumping Offense a boost.

11. Sabres – 33-18-9 (10). Another slumping team going into the Olympic break. They are still solid and will be looking to regain their Top 10 spot after their much needed break.

12. Flyers – 32-25-3 (17). Four straight wins against Eastern Division foes has the Flyers making the biggest jump in the Power Rankings. For the first time this season, the Flyers are playing like the playoff team that we all expected to see.

13. Predators – 33-23-5 (14). The Preds have been playing better of late and have an amazing 33 wins so far. They are the New Jersey Devils of the West, playing a complete team game and getting results.

14. Flames – 30-23-9 (12) – The last of the 30 win teams on the Power Rankings. The Flames have made quality trades in the last couple of weeks in the attempt to bolster their lineup. With Jarome Iginla breaking out of his slump, the post Olympic Break Flames can only get better.

15. Red Wings – 28-21-12 (15). Just when the Wings are finally healthy, Tomas Holmstrom goes down with an injury. Still, the Wings have the pedigree and the experience to make a real push after the Olympic Break. The Wings are largely the same team that went to the Cup Final last year and are the definition of a Power franchise.

Here’s the also rans…

16. Stars – 28-21-12 (13)
17. Ducks – 30-25-7 (19)
18. Bruins – 27-22-11 (27)
19. Thrashers – 26-24-10 (18)
20. Wild – 30-27-4 (21)
21. Rangers – 28-27-7 (24)
22. Blues- 28-25-9 (25)
23. Canadiens – 29-28-6 (22)
24. Panthers – 24-29-10 (16)
25. Lightning – 26-24-11 (20)
26. Hurricanes – 24-30-7 (23)
27. Blue Jackets – 25-28-10 (26)
28. Islanders – 25-29-8 (28)
29. Maple Leafs – 19-31-11 (29)
30. Oilers – 19-36-6 (30)

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