Every team in the NHL has fewer than 20 games to play, so the playoff version of musical chairs is under way. Teams will start to legitimately and mathematically drop out of playoff contention as the postseason really starts to take shape.
The past week has been one filled with interesting streaks. Before falling to Toronto Thursday night the Los Angeles Kings had won seven straight games. As their streak ended, the Boston Bruins were wining their seventh consecutive game against Phoenix.
Meanwhile the Winnipeg Jets have dropped five in a row, virtually eliminating themselves from the postseason. Anaheim, which had looked dominant for large chunks of the season, has forgotten how to win. A humbling 7-2 whipping at the hands of lowly Calgary has left the Western Conference up for grabs.
As the Bruins close the gap on Pittsburgh, the Eastern Conference has turned into a two-team sprint for home ice. Let’s take a gander at eDraft’s Power Rankings 19.0.
30. Buffalo Sabres-The Sabres continue to be a giant pile of terrible and have lost four games in a row.
29. Florida Panthers-I’m still trying to figure out why Florida would trade for Roberto Luongo, especially if you are planning on trading Tim Thomas. There is absolutely no fun in that.
28. Edmonton Oilers-There is no one in the NHL that I feel more sorry for than coach Dallas Eakins in Edmonton. So much talent. Such a bad team. Maybe next year? Probably.
27. New York Islanders-Aside from the spectacular seven-goal third period in Vancouver, it’s been another lost season for the Islanders in their last season on Long Island.
26. Winnipeg Jets-I wonder if the current five-game losing streak and another postseason missed will inspire the Winnipeg brass to actually try to improve their team?
25. Calgary Flames-Like the Islanders, the Flames had a memorable seven-goal outburst this week. A 7-2 beat down of first place Anaheim seemed odd particularly against club as bad as Calgary.
24. Nashville Predators-Nashville looks like they are a year and a healthy Pekka Rinne from being pretty gosh darn good. Seriously.
23. Carolina Hurricanes-It might be time to concede that there are just too many Staals in Raleigh. The Canes seem like a southern version of Winnipeg with fewer fans.
22. Vancouver Canucks-…..and the dumpster fire continues. The only thing keeping John Tortorella from becoming the next Mike Keenan is his next big meltdown. His composed press conference after the Islanders’ debacle gives me an unsettling pause that Torts might have gotten control of his emotions. That thought makes me sad.
21. Ottawa Senators-Enough already you Sens. Just lose and be finished with the constant tease. You are plenty good enough to make the playoffs, but too often you play like you just don’t give a damn about winning.
20. Washington Capitals-The Evgeny Kuznetsov show is under way in the nation’s capital. While there will be no upstaging Alexander Ovechkin and his travelling howitzer show, at least Ovie has a teammate besides Nicklas Backstrom that can play some offense.
19. Detroit Red Wings-Since I have unofficially given up hope for the Red Wings making the playoffs, I can now enjoy the play of all the youngsters that are getting to play with the ridiculous pile of injuries in Detroit. Could this summer finally bring some REAL changes to the Detroit roster? Good gracious I hope so.
18. Phoenix Coyotes-Still there. Waiting like a dog in the desert looking through a pane of glass at a big bowl of water inside a house. Waiting to see if Dallas will open that door. The Coyotes are so close, and you get the impression that they will match the Stars win for win until they can get their foot/skate in the door.
17. New Jersey Devils-An awful loss to Florida Friday night is not what the Devils needed to push towards the playoffs. With everything to play for, they choked away a two-goal lead to one of the worst teams in the league. If they miss the playoffs again, this game will haunt them
16. Columbus Blue Jackets-The Jackets might just have what it takes to stay on course for a playoff berth. Who would have thought their playoff chances would be better without Marian Gaborik?
15. Dallas Stars-That Tim Thomas trade is looking like a stroke of genius right now with Kari Lehtonen’s injury. The Stars are in the final wild card spot with literally no room for error. They control their own destiny, but they have to keep winning.
14. Montreal Canadiens-Carey Price might be more important to his team than any player in the NHL right now. The Canadiens are a mediocre to bad team without Price, and that is probably hard for a lot of Habs fans to admit.
13. New York Rangers-If the Rangers can finally get that offensive chemistry going, they are my dark horse to get to the Stanley Cup Final. That’s a giant IF mind you, but on paper the talent is in place.
12. Philadelphia Flyers-With a logjam of teams clamoring for the Flyers’ position as the final wild card team. The focus of the club needs to be on keeping the goaltending solid. After a fantastic start Steve Mason is starting to play like, well, Steve Mason. Ray Emery is ready to return, so hopefully he can spark the team by beating up Marc-Andre Fleury or some other unsuspecting, non-combative goalie.
11. Minnesota Wild- A resurgent Wild team has been strengthening their hold on their playoff position. Barring a total collapse, the Wild should get to the postseason, but will certainly have their hands full in the brutal Central Division.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning-Steven Stamkos finally got his groove back after going scoreless in his first three games back from injury. Tampa hit the brakes on a five game skid to get back in the win column and get their playoff hopes back in the right direction.
9. Los Angeles Kings-A seven-game win streak is nothing to frown at, but the Kings still have a lot of ground to make up if they have designs on a division title. They certainly bolstered their playoff position before they dropped a game to Toronto. They are built for the playoffs and could do some real damage once the postseason begins.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs-This week it seems like Toronto wants to be a playoff team and improve their position for the postseason. Who knows what another seven days will bring, but for now Toronto looks poised to challenge Boston and Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference crown.
7. Chicago Blackhawks-The defending champs are hardly reeling, but they are playing .500 hockey down the stretch and have been passed by St. Louis AND now Colorado in the standings. There is no question that the Blackhawks are one of the elite teams in the NHL, but it looks like they have a good bit of company at the top now.
6. Colorado Avalanche-The Avalanche had been on a roll before their roller coaster loss to the Ducks on Friday night. They have leapfrogged the Chicago Blackhawks in the division standings and solidified their presence as a Stanley Cup contender.
5. Anaheim Ducks-Speaking of struggles, the Ducks had lost four straight headed into their showdown with Colorado Friday night. The Ducks held on for a wild victory, which will hopefully be a step in the right direction. This team has played too well for the majority of the season to spoil their year down the stretch.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins-The Pens were dealt yet another blow this week with the announcement that James Neal would be out indefinitely with a concussion. In a season that has seen broken bones, concussions, strains, sprains and even Kris Letang’s stroke, the Pens have shown the resilience needed to go far in the playoffs. They still have as much talent as anyone even without Neal in the lineup. The hope is that resting him now will have him ready for the postseason.
3. San Jose Sharks-Like the menacing beast that adorns their teal sweater, the Sharks have methodically crept back into the picture as the top team in the west. They have drawn even with the Ducks in the Pacific Division, with sights set on the Blues for the top seed in the conference. Five straight wins and counting for San Jose who could be the most dangerous team in the league now that they know how to win on the road.
2. Boston Bruins-The Bruins are white hot and seemed to have flipped a switch to reach “now we give a crap” mode. Statistically they are beasts, but their penalty kill has slipped a bit. Balanced scoring to go with their smothering defense is a tough combination to beat. They look like the St. Louis of the east.
1. St. Louis Blues-The Blues continue to look like the most complete team in the NHL right now. Boston seems to have the model for St. Louis’ success, but at least for this week the Blues continue to look like the best team in the NHL.
This week it seems like Toronto wants to be a playoff team and improve their position for the postseason. Who knows what another seven days will bring, but for now Toronto looks poised to challenge Boston and Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference crown.