1. Washington Capitals: 51-14-5
Their victory on March 15th gave them their 50th win of the season. Braden Holtby has been standing on his head during the month of March, with four wins and a 2.14 GAA. Take into account the Capitals are also the second best offense in the NHL and you have the recipe for the more than likely Presidents Trophy winners. However this is a spot the Capitals have been in before, and they were unsuccessful in picking up the Stanley Cup.
2. Dallas Stars: 43-21-9
The top offense in the NHL has scored four or more goals in five of their nine games in the month of March. Jamie Benn has been the catalyst, with four goals and 10 points. Linemate Tyler Seguin has four assists and five points in the last five games, and seems to be benefiting off of the strong play from Benn.
3. St. Louis Blues: 42-22-9
The Blues six game-winning streak came to a screeching halt thanks to a 7-4 loss to Calgary. They are still only a couple points back from the top spot in the West, so the 10th ranked defense should be able to get their mojo back soon.
4. New York Rangers: 40-24-8
Its only a matter of time before the addition of Eric Staal pays off for the Rangers. They have a tough schedule ahead, with games against San Jose, Florida and Boston, so they could use a boost from the former Stanley Cup champion.
5.Chicago Blackhawks: 42-24-6
A recent four-game losing streak is only a minor bump in the road for the defending Stanley Cup champions. With Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane playing on the same line recently, expect their eighth ranked offense to explode in the remainder of the season.
6. Florida Panthers: 40-23-9
They have won four of their last six contests, and a large part of their recent turnaround has to do with the fact that Aaron Ekblad has gotten back to full health. After missing time a month or two ago, his reemergence has seen a flailing Panthers reassert their dominance over the Atlantic Division.
7. Los Angeles Kings: 44-22-5
Anze Kopitar has more than proved his worth this season, leading the NHL with a 31+/-. This all comes after his extension was called into question for being too lucrative for a player who has always been a star, but has never been thought of as an elite player. If he continues to lead the Kings to success, he will begin to enter the elite category.
8. New York Islanders: 38-23-9
The Islanders have cooled off after their four game winning streak in the beginning of March. A large part of that is due to the injury to Jaroslav Halak.
9. Anaheim Ducks: 39-22-9
After taking the lead in the race for the Pacific Division, the Ducks have cooled off and given control back to the Kings. As the 24th offense in the NHL, the Ducks need to start getting more production out of their star players if they are to grab the Pacific Division crown from the Kings.
10. Nashville Predators: 36-23-13
The Predators have had a successful March, winning five out of their nine games. Pekka Rinne has gone 5-2 in the month, and is one away from 30 wins for the season.
11.Tampa Bay Lightning: 41-26-5
The Lightning haven’t yet recovered since their nine game winning streak was snapped. Their offense needs to be better than average if they want to win the Atlantic Division and compete again for the Stanley Cup.
12. Boston Bruins: 39-26-8
The Bruins have had a successful March, winning five out of their 10 games. If they continue to outplay those ahead of them, they could soon be in the top-10 again in these rankings.
13. San Jose Sharks: 40-25-6
Another team on the rise, the Sharks have been revived since the deadline, and are only one win away from 40 for the season.
14. Pittsburgh Penguins: 39-24-8
Pittsburgh’s five-game winning streak has put them right back into the playoff mix. Carl Hagelin has been the Penguins unsung hero this month, with six assists and eight points in eight games.
15. Detroit Red Wings: 36-25-11
With four wins in their last six games, the Red Wings are doing enough to get by. Their shutout loss to the Maple Leafs, though, is unacceptable for a team with so many veteran playmakers.
16. Philadelphia Flyers: 34-24-12
New coach Dave Hakstol has got his team in a position where they can contend for the playoffs. Under his tutelage, talented young prospects play Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere are having breakout seasons.
17. Colorado Avalanche: 37-31-4
Barely hanging onto the final spot in the Western Conference playoff picture probably was not what head coach Patrick Roy was hoping from his young team at this point in the season. Their inconsistent March has a chance to turn positive with a relatively easy upcoming schedule.
18. Minnesota Wild: 33-28-11
After winning only two out of their last six games, they appear to be an underdog to get into the playoffs.
19. New Jersey Devils: 34-31-7
The Devils are stuck in no man's land right now. They would need a miracle to get into the playoffs, but they are also far away from a top-10 pick.
20. Carolina Hurricanes: 31-27-14
The Hurricanes haven't won in four contests, and seem to be missing former captain Eric Staal.
21. Ottawa Senators: 34-31-8
With victories over Toronto and Minnesota, the Senators appear to be gaining momentum for one last desperate attempt to sneak into the playoffs.
22. Montreal Canadiens: 33-33-6
Injuries have derailed a once promising season for the Canadiens.
23. Arizona Coyotes: 31-33-7
With wins in their last three games prior to a loss against Tampa on Saturday, the Coyotes are doing just enough to make sure they do not get a top-five pick.
24. Vancouver Canucks: 27-32-12
The Canucks impressive victory over Nashville was unfortunately not what we have recently come to expect from a team that has looked over the hill so far this season.
25. Buffalo Sabres: 29-34-10
The Sabres just barely avoided the bottom-five thanks to a victory over a Hurricane team that has Staaled (sorry for the bad pun).
26. Calgary Flames: 30-35-6
The most disappointing team in the league showed a glimpse of why they had such high expectations heading into the season, beating the Blues 7-4.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets: 29-34-8
The Blue Jackets just looked completely outclassed in games against Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Detroit. Even with the return of star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, the Blue Jackets are a long way away from competing for a playoff spot.
28. Winnipeg Jets: 29-37-5
The Jets have a rough schedule ahead of them, facing Chicago, Anaheim and Los Angeles during their upcoming homestand.
29. Edmonton Oilers: 29-38-7
Poor Taylor Hall is wasting a fantastic season on the Oilers. His 23 goals and 58 points show that he won’t give up on the season.
30. Toronto Maple Leafs 25-35-11
The Maple Leafs are having one of the worst seasons in recent memory. The proud franchise has to accept the fact that they will probably be unable to reach 30 wins this season.