Last night in Boston, the Bruins started defense of the Stanley Cup.
The opponent in their 1st round match-up are the Washington Capitals who had been one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL up until this season.
While Washington has struggled all year to find their game after starting the year 7-0, Boston has managed to play it's way out a couple slumps this season.
The Bruins came into the playoffs winners in seven of their last ten games. On paper this game looked to be a mismatch and it could have been if not for the play of Braden Holtby.
Holtby, filling in goal because of injuries was spectacular last night for Washington turning away all 29 shots he faced through three periods.
In the 2nd period alone Boston out shot Washington 17-2. Holtby was up to the challenge and made saves on every shot he faced.
Unfortunately for him his counterpart at the other end of the ice, Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was just as solid turning away all 16 shots he faced through three periods.
That led us to overtime where each team would get one shot on goal. Bruins forward Chris Kelly would make the most of his shot as it just went wide of Hotlby and into the net giving Boston a 1-0 win and a 1-0 lead int he series.
If I'm a Capitals fan I have mixed feelings about this game.
On one hand I'm thrilled with the way Holtby played. With Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth out of the lineups due to injuries it's essential for Holtby to play well in net if Washington is going to have a chance in this series.
On the other hand the inability to score all year for the Capitals shows up again in game one. What's even worse is the big guns for Washington, Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin only had one shot on goal the entire game.
If they aren't shooting the puck the Capitals aren't winning this series. I don't care how good Holtby plays in net.
Minnesota Wild Alumni making an impact in the playoffs.
A pair of former Minnesota Wild forwards had an impact in wins for their respective teams last night.
Marian Gaborik had a goal to give the New York Rangers a 2-0 lead en route to a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Gaborik had four shots on goal in nearly twenty minutes of ice time.
Meanwhile in St. Louis, Martin Havlat scored two goals including the game winner in double overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in their best of seven series.
I have to imagine for some Minnesota Wild fans seeing both Gaborik and Havlat scoring goals in the playoffs has to be the equivalent of rubbing salt into open wounds.
Working overtime:
One thing that makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs better that any other post-season tournament is sudden death overtime.
We are only two nights in and we have had four overtime games including three last night, one of which that went to double overtime.
It was the first time since April 18th 2001 that we had three overtime games in one night. Hopefully there is many more to come.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Observations from the Opening Night of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Stanley Cup Playoffs got underway last night with three games and all three games had drama and intrigue. Something we have come to expect this time of year.
Today I'll take a look back at last night's games and what caught my attention. Let's start in the Steel City.
Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh:
It didn't take long for the scoring to begin as Sidney Crosby (who else) got the first goal of the 2012 playoffs just under four minutes in to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
Tyler Kennedy scored nearly four minutes later and the Penguins were up 2-0 before the Flyers knew what hit them.
At that point as Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette was calling a timeout two thoughts crossed my mind.
The first one was if Pittsburgh can keep playing like they are during the first eight minutes of this game then there is no team in the NHL that can touch them in the playoffs.
The second thought was the Penguins better not let up. Twice in the last month they had an early two goal lead on the Flyers and twice they ended up losing both those games.
Pascal DuPuis would add a goal with 37 seconds to play in the period, giving Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead going into the 1st intermission. At that point the question was would Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov come out to start the 2nd period in net or would he be pulled for Sergei Bobrovsky?
Bryzgalov did start the 2nd period and stopped all 10 shots that he faced in that period. He faced 15 total shots throughout the rest of the game, turning all of them away and giving Philadelphia a chance to get back in the game.
Danny Briere got the Flyers on the board with a wrist shot in the 2nd period and added another in the 3rd period to get Philly within one. Brayden Schenn would score three minutes later to tie the game 3-3 setting the stage for the first overtime of the 2012 playoffs.
In the overtime it didn't take long as Jakub Voracek scored 2:23 into overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 win and a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series.
What I found interesting is how last summer the Flyers had to do a complete makeover of their roster so they could sign Bryzgalov to a nine year deal worth $51 million dollars. Too make room Philadelphia had to trade away forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.
Last night Schenn, who was acquired in the Richards deal, had the game tying goal to force overtime while Voracek, who was acquired in the Carter deal scored the game winning goal.
There still is a lot of hockey to be played but for one night, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren can feel good about the deals he made this past summer.
Detroit vs. Nashville:
This series got underway in the Music City last night with the Predators winning 3-2 to take a 1-0 lead in this best of seven series.
Nashville got on the board first when Paul Gaustad threw a puck on net that deflected off of Brad Stuart and past Jimmy Howard. The first goal is huge for the Predators as they were 35-3-4 when scoring first this season. Only Vancouver had more wins (42) scoring first.
With the early lead Nashville was able to settle in and do what they do best, play good defensive hockey and limit the scoring of the opposition.
While Detroit was able to tie the game early in the second period I just never got the feeling watching this game that the Red Wings were going to win. They weren't getting the bounces a team usually gets if they are to steal a game on the road.
Pekka Rinne came up big in goal for the Predators stopping 35 of the 37 shots he faced. When you have a goalie like Rinne and two top notch defenseman in Shea Weber and Ryan Suter an early goal is all it takes for those three to set the tone of the game.
Speaking of Weber he was involved in what may be the most controversial incident so far in the playoffs.
With the game coming to the end Weber got tangled up along the boards with Henrik Zetterberg. Weber then ends up elbowing Zetterberg along side the head before grabbing his head and throwing him face first into the glass.
After seeing that my reaction was Weber needs to be suspended for his actions.
Granted it wasn't as bad as what Shawn Michaels did to Marty Jannetty but a fine is unacceptable. If the NHL is serious about cutting down on shots to the head then you can't let Weber off with a slap on the wrist.
Some people say I feel that way because I am a Red Wings fan. I won't deny that but I'll ask you this, if Weber did that to one of the best players on your team what would you think the punishment should be.
My guess is you wouldn't be OK with just a fine.
Los Angeles vs. Vancouver:
Going into this series the two players under the microscope were Dustin Penner for the Kings and Roberto Luongo for the Canucks.
Fittingly both figured in prominently in the Kings 4-2 win last night at Rogers Arena.
Tied 2-2 late in the 3rd period Penner scored when a puck deflected off of Jeff Carter's skate and onto his stick. All he had to do was shoot it into an open net past Luongo, which he did and Los Angeles had a 3-2 lead.
Yes the same player that injured himself earlier this year while eating pancakes scored the game winning goal giving the Kings a 4-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the series.
Speaking of Luongo, my first thought when seeing the final score this morning was how bad was he and would he be benched in game two with Cory Schneider taking over in net.
After watching the first three goals by the Kings I think the Canucks team defense is more to blame that the play of Luongo in net. Also giving up a power play goal during a five minute major doesn't help.
Overall I thought Luongo played well for Vancouver. He gave his team a chance to win which is the least you can ask of your goaltender.
The Kings did a great job limiting the Canucks shots on goal allowing Jonathan Quick to steal game one of the series which is what he needed to do for Los Angeles to have a chance to win this series.
There may be some paranoia in British Columbia after last night loss. To that I tell Vancouver fans to take a deep breath and settle down.
The Canucks were the best team in the NHL the last two seasons and finished one win short of winning the Stanley Cup last season. This is a veteran team and last night's loss shouldn't even phase them. Let's see how Vancouver responds in game two.
It's way too early to panic.
Today I'll take a look back at last night's games and what caught my attention. Let's start in the Steel City.
Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh:
It didn't take long for the scoring to begin as Sidney Crosby (who else) got the first goal of the 2012 playoffs just under four minutes in to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
Tyler Kennedy scored nearly four minutes later and the Penguins were up 2-0 before the Flyers knew what hit them.
At that point as Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette was calling a timeout two thoughts crossed my mind.
The first one was if Pittsburgh can keep playing like they are during the first eight minutes of this game then there is no team in the NHL that can touch them in the playoffs.
The second thought was the Penguins better not let up. Twice in the last month they had an early two goal lead on the Flyers and twice they ended up losing both those games.
Pascal DuPuis would add a goal with 37 seconds to play in the period, giving Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead going into the 1st intermission. At that point the question was would Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov come out to start the 2nd period in net or would he be pulled for Sergei Bobrovsky?
Bryzgalov did start the 2nd period and stopped all 10 shots that he faced in that period. He faced 15 total shots throughout the rest of the game, turning all of them away and giving Philadelphia a chance to get back in the game.
Danny Briere got the Flyers on the board with a wrist shot in the 2nd period and added another in the 3rd period to get Philly within one. Brayden Schenn would score three minutes later to tie the game 3-3 setting the stage for the first overtime of the 2012 playoffs.
In the overtime it didn't take long as Jakub Voracek scored 2:23 into overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 win and a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series.
What I found interesting is how last summer the Flyers had to do a complete makeover of their roster so they could sign Bryzgalov to a nine year deal worth $51 million dollars. Too make room Philadelphia had to trade away forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.
Last night Schenn, who was acquired in the Richards deal, had the game tying goal to force overtime while Voracek, who was acquired in the Carter deal scored the game winning goal.
There still is a lot of hockey to be played but for one night, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren can feel good about the deals he made this past summer.
Detroit vs. Nashville:
This series got underway in the Music City last night with the Predators winning 3-2 to take a 1-0 lead in this best of seven series.
Nashville got on the board first when Paul Gaustad threw a puck on net that deflected off of Brad Stuart and past Jimmy Howard. The first goal is huge for the Predators as they were 35-3-4 when scoring first this season. Only Vancouver had more wins (42) scoring first.
With the early lead Nashville was able to settle in and do what they do best, play good defensive hockey and limit the scoring of the opposition.
While Detroit was able to tie the game early in the second period I just never got the feeling watching this game that the Red Wings were going to win. They weren't getting the bounces a team usually gets if they are to steal a game on the road.
Pekka Rinne came up big in goal for the Predators stopping 35 of the 37 shots he faced. When you have a goalie like Rinne and two top notch defenseman in Shea Weber and Ryan Suter an early goal is all it takes for those three to set the tone of the game.
Speaking of Weber he was involved in what may be the most controversial incident so far in the playoffs.
With the game coming to the end Weber got tangled up along the boards with Henrik Zetterberg. Weber then ends up elbowing Zetterberg along side the head before grabbing his head and throwing him face first into the glass.
After seeing that my reaction was Weber needs to be suspended for his actions.
Granted it wasn't as bad as what Shawn Michaels did to Marty Jannetty but a fine is unacceptable. If the NHL is serious about cutting down on shots to the head then you can't let Weber off with a slap on the wrist.
Some people say I feel that way because I am a Red Wings fan. I won't deny that but I'll ask you this, if Weber did that to one of the best players on your team what would you think the punishment should be.
My guess is you wouldn't be OK with just a fine.
Los Angeles vs. Vancouver:
Going into this series the two players under the microscope were Dustin Penner for the Kings and Roberto Luongo for the Canucks.
Fittingly both figured in prominently in the Kings 4-2 win last night at Rogers Arena.
Tied 2-2 late in the 3rd period Penner scored when a puck deflected off of Jeff Carter's skate and onto his stick. All he had to do was shoot it into an open net past Luongo, which he did and Los Angeles had a 3-2 lead.
Yes the same player that injured himself earlier this year while eating pancakes scored the game winning goal giving the Kings a 4-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the series.
Speaking of Luongo, my first thought when seeing the final score this morning was how bad was he and would he be benched in game two with Cory Schneider taking over in net.
After watching the first three goals by the Kings I think the Canucks team defense is more to blame that the play of Luongo in net. Also giving up a power play goal during a five minute major doesn't help.
Overall I thought Luongo played well for Vancouver. He gave his team a chance to win which is the least you can ask of your goaltender.
The Kings did a great job limiting the Canucks shots on goal allowing Jonathan Quick to steal game one of the series which is what he needed to do for Los Angeles to have a chance to win this series.
There may be some paranoia in British Columbia after last night loss. To that I tell Vancouver fans to take a deep breath and settle down.
The Canucks were the best team in the NHL the last two seasons and finished one win short of winning the Stanley Cup last season. This is a veteran team and last night's loss shouldn't even phase them. Let's see how Vancouver responds in game two.
It's way too early to panic.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Stanley Cup Playoffs: 1st Round Predictions
Eastern Conference:
1. New York Rangers (51-24-7 109 points) vs. 8. Ottawa Senators (41-31-10 92 points)
Why New York will win:
It starts with the man in net.
Henrik Lundqvist had a career high this season in wins, (39) GAA (1.97) and save percentage (.929)
His play this season has made him the favorite to win the Vezina award for top goaltender. Whenever you have a Vezina candidate on your team you have a chance to go far in the playoffs.
Just as important is the blueline for the Rangers. As a team they gave up 187 goals, the fewest of any team in the Eastern Conference.
The only regular defenseman that finished in the minus category of plus/minus is Marc Staal who was a -7 in the 46 games he played this season. I've watched Marc Staal play and trust me, he's better than his plus/minus rating indicates.
It's going to be very hard to beat the Rangers if you can't score on them.
Why Ottawa will win:
The Senators had success against New York this season winning three out of the four matchups including a shutout back on January 12th. Granted the playoffs are a different season but for a young team Ottawa can use that as a confidence builder.
The Senators can also score goals. Ottawa finished the season with 249 goals which was tied for 4th overall in the NHL. They'll need to continue to score if they are to beat Lundqvist.
Prediction:
It's been a nice season for the Senators as they surprised a lot of people by finishing 2nd in the Northeast Division and clinching the final playoff spot in the East but I think the Rangers are a well coached team and are too tough defensively to lose this series.
Rangers in 5.
2. Boston Bruins (49-29-4 102 points) vs. 7. Washington Capitals (42-32-8 92)
Why Boston will win:
The defending Stanley Cup Champions return to the playoffs with practically the same roster they had last season.
The only two players missing from last year's team that had an impact were Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder.
Brian Rolston has seemed to settle into that veteran role that Recchi had last year in his return to Boston. In 21 games Rolston has 15 points (3G, 12A) and is a +7. With the New York Islanders he had 9 points (4G, 5A) in 49 games and was a -12 on the ice.
More importantly the Bruins are one of the most balanced teams in the NHL on both ends of the ice. They were 2nd in the NHL in goals for with 269 and 5th in goals allowed with 202. Their goal differential of +67 is the best in the NHL.
Why Washington will win:
There is no pressure on the Capitals this postseason.
Think about it. For the last four years Washington has been one of the favorites to come out of the East only to stumble before the Conference Finals.
The Capitals are 2-4 in their last six playoffs series since returning to the post-season in 2008 and each time they had home ice in the series.
This year they get to travel to Boston where they face the defending Stanley Cup Champions and nobody is giving them a chance to pull off the upset.
If I'm a Capitals fan the thought of having Zdeno Chara shadow Alexander Ovechkin each shift does not make me feel good about my teams chances however if there is one thing I have learned by watching the playoffs in previous years is that if something quirky does happen in the 1st round it usually is in the 2-7 matchup.
Prediction:
There isn't a lot that has gone right for Washington this season. Boston has had it's share of adversity too but unlike the Capitals they have been able to play their way out of it.
Washington has the talent to make this series go longer than it should but I think Boston wins the series in the end.
Bruins in 6.
3. Florida Panthers (38-26-18 94 points) vs. 6. New Jersey Devils (48-28-6 102 points)
Why Florida will win:
Because they are in the postseason.
When I look at this Panthers roster I'm not that impressed. Their 38 wins is the fewest of any division winner since 2003 when Tampa Bay won the Southeast Division with 36 wins.
The fact that Florida won the Southeast speaks more of the underachievement of the Washington Capitals and the struggles of the Tampa Bay Lightning than the success of the Panthers.
18 of Florida points this season came after regulation with 11 of those being a loss in the shootout. That's one thing the Panthers won't have to worry about here.
But Florida is in the playoffs. There are 14 other NHL teams that would love to trade places with the Panthers and they have home ice in the 1st round. Every little bit helps.
Why New Jersey will win:
The Devils got a nice break here.
By finishing 6th in the East they get a Florida team that scored 203 goals this season. Only Los Angeles scored fewer goals of all the playoff teams. That's a lot better than finishing 5th and drawing Philadelphia or Pittsburgh in the 1st round.
And New Jersey still has Martin Brodeur in net. Granted Brodeur at 39 isn't the same as he was when he was 32 but he is still a pretty good goaltender. A low scoring team like the Panthers is the perfect opponent for Brodeur in the 1st round.
Plus the Devils had the best penalty kill in the NHL this season (89.6%) They have never been an easy team to score against and the Panthers don't have a lot of offensive fire power.
Offensively this season New Jersey finished with 228 goals, 9th best among all the playoff teams. This is a series where 2-3 goals might be enough to win the game.
Prediction:
The last time Florida made the playoffs was back in 2000. They were swept by the Devils in four straight games as New Jersey went on to win the Stanley Cup.
I'm not saying history is going to repeat itself in regards to the Devils winning the cup but I think history does repeat itself as New Jersey gets out of the 1st round for the first time since 2006.
Devils in 4.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (51-25-6 108 points) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (47-26-9 103 points)
Why Pittsburgh will win:
As I wrote when I ranked the 16 playoff teams, the Penguins have the most quality depth of any team in the post-season. They were the highest scoring team in the NHL finishing with 282 goals.
Plus right now Evgeni Malkin might be the best player on the planet. Malkin finished with the league lead in points with 109. He was 2nd in goals with 50 and 3rd in assist with 59.
With numbers like that you figure Philadelphia top defensive pairing will get the majority of the on ice shifts against Malkin's line.
That leaves Sidney Crosby's line to match-up against the Flyers 2nd defensive pairing and Jordan Staal's line to match-up against the Flyers 3rd defensive pairing.
With the injuries Philadelphia has dealt with on the blueline and no Chris Pronger in the lineup Pittsburgh has a huge advantage here.
The Penguins special teams has been great all season long. Their power play is 5th in the NHL (19.7%) and 3rd in penalty kill (87.8). With numbers like that all Marc Andre Fleury has to do is be efficient in goal for Pittsburgh.
Why Philadelphia will win:
If there is one team in the NHL that doesn't fear the Penguins it's Philadelphia.
The Flyers were 4-2 this season against Pittsburgh and their offense matches up well with the Penguins. They finished 3rd in the NHL in goals scored with 264.
Philadelphia was also tied for 5th in the NHL with Pittsburgh for the best power play at 19.7%. Finding the back of the net should not be a problem for the Flyers.
One thing Philadelphia will definitely try to do is flex their muscle early in the series and establish a physical presence. Yes it's a dangerous strategy to employ against a team like Pittsburgh but if they can get inside their head the Flyers have an excellent chance to win this series.
Prediction:
This will be the best series in the 1st round as these two teams do not like each other. All you have to do is look back at their meeting on April 1st to see what I mean.
While both teams are equal on offense the Penguins are better defensively and have better goaltending than Philadelphia.
Plus the Flyers were the most penalized team in the NHL this season with 382 penalty minutes. Against a team like Pittsburgh it's only a matter of time before playing that style of hockey will cost you.
Philadelphia may have won the season series 4-2 but in the playoffs I think Pittsburgh turns the tables.
Penguins in 6.
Western Conference:
1. Vancouver Canucks (51-22-9 111 points) vs. 8. Los Angeles Kings (40-27-15 95 points)
Why Vancouver will win:
They were the best team in the NHL during the regular season. Most of the attention was on the New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues but when the season was said and done the Canucks were left holding the President's Trophy.
It will be the second year in a row the Canucks will have home ice for the entire postseason and much like last year this is a deep roster that is poised to have a strong playoff run.
Vancouver was 4th in the NHL in goals scored (249) and goals allowed (198) with a goal differential of +51, 3rd best overall. On special teams the Canucks power play was 4th best in the NHL (19.8 %) while their penalty kill was 6th best (86%).
With a balance like that you can see why Vancouver is the top seed in the west.
Why Los Angeles will win:
The Kings have a goaltender who can steal a series.
While he doesn't get the attention that Henrik Lundqvist, Tim Thomas or Roberto Luongo does in net Jonathan Quick has a great season in goal for Los Angeles.
Quick led the NHL in shutouts with 10. He was second in the NHL in GAA with 1.95 and finished 5th in the league in save percentage (.929) and wins (35)
Quick's play in net will be the key for Los Angeles to win the series. The Kings scored the second fewest goals in the NHL this season with 194. Only the Minnesota Wild scored fewer goals with 177.
Prediction:
While Los Angeles has an edge in goal, Vancouver is a much better and deeper team than the Kings.
If Los Angeles can keep it a low scoring game then the Kings have a chance to win the series. I can see that happening in a couple games but I don't think Los Angeles can contain the Canucks offense for the entire series.
Canucks in 6.
2. St, Louis Blues (49-22-11 109 points) vs. 7. San Jose Sharks (43-29-10 96 points)
Why St. Louis will win:
The Blues won 30 games on home ice this season. Only Detroit had more home win with 31. Also St. Louis did well this year against the Sharks winning all four games with two of those being shutouts.
What works in the Blues favor is the goaltending tandem of Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak.
Elliott led the NHL in goals against (1.56) and save percentage (.940) while Halak was fifth and seventh respectively. My guess is Halak gets the start in goal for the series because of his playoff experience.
With the tandem of Halak and Elliott and coach Ken Hitchcock's attention to defense St. Louis gave up the fewest goals in the NHL this season with 165.
Why San Jose will win:
While the Sharks aren't as deep offensively as they have been in previous seasons they do have three forwards that reached the 30 goal mark this season.
Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski tied for the team lead in goals with 31 while Patrick Marleau finished one goal behind them. They'll need to continue to produce against a stingy Blues defense.
The one forward that needs to produce if San Jose is to win the series is Joe Thornton.
While he has been the poster boy for the Sharks underachievement in the post-season his playoff numbers have been pretty solid. He'll need to be the best player for San Jose if they are to win this series.
Prediction:
Logic tells me that with the way both teams have played this season St. Louis should win this series skating away.
However as I wrote earlier strange things can and usually do happen in the 1st round of the playoffs and chances are it will happen in the 2-7 matchup.
The Sharks are in the same situation as Washington where for once there are the underdog and nobody is giving them a chance to win. With no pressure on them I going to play a hunch and pick San Jose to pull the upset.
Sharks in 7.
3. Phoenix Coyotes (42-27-13 97 points) vs. 6. Chicago Blackhawks (45-26-11 101 points)
Why Phoenix will win:
Coach Dave Tippett finds a way to get the most out of the Coyotes every season.
They aren't the most talented team on the ice but they do the little things very well and are capable of outworking anybody on the ice. That alone gives Phoenix a chance to win the series.
The Coyotes finished the season by winning seven of their final ten games which was enough to get them their first division title since 1979. A lot of that was due to the play of Mike Smith in goal.
Smith had a career high in GAA (2.21) save percentage (.930) and shutouts with eight. If he continues to play this well phoenix has an excellent chance to move into the 2nd round for the first time since 1987.
Why Chicago will win:
They are a more talented team than Phoenix.
Granted being the more talented team doesn't guarantee playoff success but the Blackhawks do know what it takes to win in the playoffs. That's something the Coyotes can't say.
Another thing in the favor of Chicago is the return of their captain Jonathan Toews. Toews has missed the last 23 games with concussion like symptoms. He is expected to be back in the lineup by at least game two of the series.
Prediction:
I like Chicago in this series mainly because I don't trust Mike Smith in goal for the Coyotes.
While Smith has had a great season in net this is the same goaltender that could never claim the job in Tampa Bay. I have trouble believing that he is the answer in Phoenix.
Smith is going to have to be the best player in the series if the Coyotes are to advance. With a healthy Toews back in the lineup and an offense that can score goals I don't see that happening.
Blackhawks in 6.
4. Nashville Predators (48-26-8 104 points) vs. 5. Detroit Red Wings (48-28-6 102 points)
Why Nashville will win:
Because the future of the franchise depends on it.
That may sound a little extreme but defenseman Ryan Suter is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season while defenseman Shea Weber is a restricted free agent after the following season.
A strong playoff run could entice both players to sign long term deal to stay in the Hockeytonk. A first round exit could mean the end of both Suter and Weber in Nashville.
Why Detroit will win:
Because they are the Red Wings.
They have been the measuring stick in the NHL for the last 21 years. Here's an example of how good Detroit has been. This will only be the 3rd time in the last 21 years that the Red Wings have opened the playoffs on the road.
Detroit also had the best home record in the NHL finishing 31-7-3. While they don't have home ice in this series all the Red Wings have to do is get a split in the first two games before heading back to the Motor City. If they can pull that off it's a huge edge for Detroit.
Most importantly they are getting healthy at the right time.
The Red Wings were without Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Jimmy Howard, and Darren Helm throughout the month of March. Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Howard all returned to the lineup before the end of the year and Helm is set to rejoin the lineup tonight. A Detroit team that is healthy is a very difficult team to beat.
Prediction:
This was the hardest series for me to pick.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the Red Wings. Going into the playoffs all I wanted was for them to stay healthy, have home ice in the 1st round and avoid playing Nashville.
Instead they were plagued by injuries which cost them home ice in the 1st round and now they have to play in Nashville.
Detroit is good enough to beat Nashville. However Nashville has been playing at such a high level that it's hard for me to pick against the Predators.
Nashville GM David Poile built this team for a strong playoff run this season. I think it starts with the Predators knocking the Red Wings out of the playoffs.
Predators in 7.
1. New York Rangers (51-24-7 109 points) vs. 8. Ottawa Senators (41-31-10 92 points)
Why New York will win:
It starts with the man in net.
Henrik Lundqvist had a career high this season in wins, (39) GAA (1.97) and save percentage (.929)
His play this season has made him the favorite to win the Vezina award for top goaltender. Whenever you have a Vezina candidate on your team you have a chance to go far in the playoffs.
Just as important is the blueline for the Rangers. As a team they gave up 187 goals, the fewest of any team in the Eastern Conference.
The only regular defenseman that finished in the minus category of plus/minus is Marc Staal who was a -7 in the 46 games he played this season. I've watched Marc Staal play and trust me, he's better than his plus/minus rating indicates.
It's going to be very hard to beat the Rangers if you can't score on them.
Why Ottawa will win:
The Senators had success against New York this season winning three out of the four matchups including a shutout back on January 12th. Granted the playoffs are a different season but for a young team Ottawa can use that as a confidence builder.
The Senators can also score goals. Ottawa finished the season with 249 goals which was tied for 4th overall in the NHL. They'll need to continue to score if they are to beat Lundqvist.
Prediction:
It's been a nice season for the Senators as they surprised a lot of people by finishing 2nd in the Northeast Division and clinching the final playoff spot in the East but I think the Rangers are a well coached team and are too tough defensively to lose this series.
Rangers in 5.
2. Boston Bruins (49-29-4 102 points) vs. 7. Washington Capitals (42-32-8 92)
Why Boston will win:
The defending Stanley Cup Champions return to the playoffs with practically the same roster they had last season.
The only two players missing from last year's team that had an impact were Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder.
Brian Rolston has seemed to settle into that veteran role that Recchi had last year in his return to Boston. In 21 games Rolston has 15 points (3G, 12A) and is a +7. With the New York Islanders he had 9 points (4G, 5A) in 49 games and was a -12 on the ice.
More importantly the Bruins are one of the most balanced teams in the NHL on both ends of the ice. They were 2nd in the NHL in goals for with 269 and 5th in goals allowed with 202. Their goal differential of +67 is the best in the NHL.
Why Washington will win:
There is no pressure on the Capitals this postseason.
Think about it. For the last four years Washington has been one of the favorites to come out of the East only to stumble before the Conference Finals.
The Capitals are 2-4 in their last six playoffs series since returning to the post-season in 2008 and each time they had home ice in the series.
This year they get to travel to Boston where they face the defending Stanley Cup Champions and nobody is giving them a chance to pull off the upset.
If I'm a Capitals fan the thought of having Zdeno Chara shadow Alexander Ovechkin each shift does not make me feel good about my teams chances however if there is one thing I have learned by watching the playoffs in previous years is that if something quirky does happen in the 1st round it usually is in the 2-7 matchup.
Prediction:
There isn't a lot that has gone right for Washington this season. Boston has had it's share of adversity too but unlike the Capitals they have been able to play their way out of it.
Washington has the talent to make this series go longer than it should but I think Boston wins the series in the end.
Bruins in 6.
3. Florida Panthers (38-26-18 94 points) vs. 6. New Jersey Devils (48-28-6 102 points)
Why Florida will win:
Because they are in the postseason.
When I look at this Panthers roster I'm not that impressed. Their 38 wins is the fewest of any division winner since 2003 when Tampa Bay won the Southeast Division with 36 wins.
The fact that Florida won the Southeast speaks more of the underachievement of the Washington Capitals and the struggles of the Tampa Bay Lightning than the success of the Panthers.
18 of Florida points this season came after regulation with 11 of those being a loss in the shootout. That's one thing the Panthers won't have to worry about here.
But Florida is in the playoffs. There are 14 other NHL teams that would love to trade places with the Panthers and they have home ice in the 1st round. Every little bit helps.
Why New Jersey will win:
The Devils got a nice break here.
By finishing 6th in the East they get a Florida team that scored 203 goals this season. Only Los Angeles scored fewer goals of all the playoff teams. That's a lot better than finishing 5th and drawing Philadelphia or Pittsburgh in the 1st round.
And New Jersey still has Martin Brodeur in net. Granted Brodeur at 39 isn't the same as he was when he was 32 but he is still a pretty good goaltender. A low scoring team like the Panthers is the perfect opponent for Brodeur in the 1st round.
Plus the Devils had the best penalty kill in the NHL this season (89.6%) They have never been an easy team to score against and the Panthers don't have a lot of offensive fire power.
Offensively this season New Jersey finished with 228 goals, 9th best among all the playoff teams. This is a series where 2-3 goals might be enough to win the game.
Prediction:
The last time Florida made the playoffs was back in 2000. They were swept by the Devils in four straight games as New Jersey went on to win the Stanley Cup.
I'm not saying history is going to repeat itself in regards to the Devils winning the cup but I think history does repeat itself as New Jersey gets out of the 1st round for the first time since 2006.
Devils in 4.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (51-25-6 108 points) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (47-26-9 103 points)
Why Pittsburgh will win:
As I wrote when I ranked the 16 playoff teams, the Penguins have the most quality depth of any team in the post-season. They were the highest scoring team in the NHL finishing with 282 goals.
Plus right now Evgeni Malkin might be the best player on the planet. Malkin finished with the league lead in points with 109. He was 2nd in goals with 50 and 3rd in assist with 59.
With numbers like that you figure Philadelphia top defensive pairing will get the majority of the on ice shifts against Malkin's line.
That leaves Sidney Crosby's line to match-up against the Flyers 2nd defensive pairing and Jordan Staal's line to match-up against the Flyers 3rd defensive pairing.
With the injuries Philadelphia has dealt with on the blueline and no Chris Pronger in the lineup Pittsburgh has a huge advantage here.
The Penguins special teams has been great all season long. Their power play is 5th in the NHL (19.7%) and 3rd in penalty kill (87.8). With numbers like that all Marc Andre Fleury has to do is be efficient in goal for Pittsburgh.
Why Philadelphia will win:
If there is one team in the NHL that doesn't fear the Penguins it's Philadelphia.
The Flyers were 4-2 this season against Pittsburgh and their offense matches up well with the Penguins. They finished 3rd in the NHL in goals scored with 264.
Philadelphia was also tied for 5th in the NHL with Pittsburgh for the best power play at 19.7%. Finding the back of the net should not be a problem for the Flyers.
One thing Philadelphia will definitely try to do is flex their muscle early in the series and establish a physical presence. Yes it's a dangerous strategy to employ against a team like Pittsburgh but if they can get inside their head the Flyers have an excellent chance to win this series.
Prediction:
This will be the best series in the 1st round as these two teams do not like each other. All you have to do is look back at their meeting on April 1st to see what I mean.
While both teams are equal on offense the Penguins are better defensively and have better goaltending than Philadelphia.
Plus the Flyers were the most penalized team in the NHL this season with 382 penalty minutes. Against a team like Pittsburgh it's only a matter of time before playing that style of hockey will cost you.
Philadelphia may have won the season series 4-2 but in the playoffs I think Pittsburgh turns the tables.
Penguins in 6.
Western Conference:
1. Vancouver Canucks (51-22-9 111 points) vs. 8. Los Angeles Kings (40-27-15 95 points)
Why Vancouver will win:
They were the best team in the NHL during the regular season. Most of the attention was on the New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues but when the season was said and done the Canucks were left holding the President's Trophy.
It will be the second year in a row the Canucks will have home ice for the entire postseason and much like last year this is a deep roster that is poised to have a strong playoff run.
Vancouver was 4th in the NHL in goals scored (249) and goals allowed (198) with a goal differential of +51, 3rd best overall. On special teams the Canucks power play was 4th best in the NHL (19.8 %) while their penalty kill was 6th best (86%).
With a balance like that you can see why Vancouver is the top seed in the west.
Why Los Angeles will win:
The Kings have a goaltender who can steal a series.
While he doesn't get the attention that Henrik Lundqvist, Tim Thomas or Roberto Luongo does in net Jonathan Quick has a great season in goal for Los Angeles.
Quick led the NHL in shutouts with 10. He was second in the NHL in GAA with 1.95 and finished 5th in the league in save percentage (.929) and wins (35)
Quick's play in net will be the key for Los Angeles to win the series. The Kings scored the second fewest goals in the NHL this season with 194. Only the Minnesota Wild scored fewer goals with 177.
Prediction:
While Los Angeles has an edge in goal, Vancouver is a much better and deeper team than the Kings.
If Los Angeles can keep it a low scoring game then the Kings have a chance to win the series. I can see that happening in a couple games but I don't think Los Angeles can contain the Canucks offense for the entire series.
Canucks in 6.
2. St, Louis Blues (49-22-11 109 points) vs. 7. San Jose Sharks (43-29-10 96 points)
Why St. Louis will win:
The Blues won 30 games on home ice this season. Only Detroit had more home win with 31. Also St. Louis did well this year against the Sharks winning all four games with two of those being shutouts.
What works in the Blues favor is the goaltending tandem of Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak.
Elliott led the NHL in goals against (1.56) and save percentage (.940) while Halak was fifth and seventh respectively. My guess is Halak gets the start in goal for the series because of his playoff experience.
With the tandem of Halak and Elliott and coach Ken Hitchcock's attention to defense St. Louis gave up the fewest goals in the NHL this season with 165.
Why San Jose will win:
While the Sharks aren't as deep offensively as they have been in previous seasons they do have three forwards that reached the 30 goal mark this season.
Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski tied for the team lead in goals with 31 while Patrick Marleau finished one goal behind them. They'll need to continue to produce against a stingy Blues defense.
The one forward that needs to produce if San Jose is to win the series is Joe Thornton.
While he has been the poster boy for the Sharks underachievement in the post-season his playoff numbers have been pretty solid. He'll need to be the best player for San Jose if they are to win this series.
Prediction:
Logic tells me that with the way both teams have played this season St. Louis should win this series skating away.
However as I wrote earlier strange things can and usually do happen in the 1st round of the playoffs and chances are it will happen in the 2-7 matchup.
The Sharks are in the same situation as Washington where for once there are the underdog and nobody is giving them a chance to win. With no pressure on them I going to play a hunch and pick San Jose to pull the upset.
Sharks in 7.
3. Phoenix Coyotes (42-27-13 97 points) vs. 6. Chicago Blackhawks (45-26-11 101 points)
Why Phoenix will win:
Coach Dave Tippett finds a way to get the most out of the Coyotes every season.
They aren't the most talented team on the ice but they do the little things very well and are capable of outworking anybody on the ice. That alone gives Phoenix a chance to win the series.
The Coyotes finished the season by winning seven of their final ten games which was enough to get them their first division title since 1979. A lot of that was due to the play of Mike Smith in goal.
Smith had a career high in GAA (2.21) save percentage (.930) and shutouts with eight. If he continues to play this well phoenix has an excellent chance to move into the 2nd round for the first time since 1987.
Why Chicago will win:
They are a more talented team than Phoenix.
Granted being the more talented team doesn't guarantee playoff success but the Blackhawks do know what it takes to win in the playoffs. That's something the Coyotes can't say.
Another thing in the favor of Chicago is the return of their captain Jonathan Toews. Toews has missed the last 23 games with concussion like symptoms. He is expected to be back in the lineup by at least game two of the series.
Prediction:
I like Chicago in this series mainly because I don't trust Mike Smith in goal for the Coyotes.
While Smith has had a great season in net this is the same goaltender that could never claim the job in Tampa Bay. I have trouble believing that he is the answer in Phoenix.
Smith is going to have to be the best player in the series if the Coyotes are to advance. With a healthy Toews back in the lineup and an offense that can score goals I don't see that happening.
Blackhawks in 6.
4. Nashville Predators (48-26-8 104 points) vs. 5. Detroit Red Wings (48-28-6 102 points)
Why Nashville will win:
Because the future of the franchise depends on it.
That may sound a little extreme but defenseman Ryan Suter is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season while defenseman Shea Weber is a restricted free agent after the following season.
A strong playoff run could entice both players to sign long term deal to stay in the Hockeytonk. A first round exit could mean the end of both Suter and Weber in Nashville.
Why Detroit will win:
Because they are the Red Wings.
They have been the measuring stick in the NHL for the last 21 years. Here's an example of how good Detroit has been. This will only be the 3rd time in the last 21 years that the Red Wings have opened the playoffs on the road.
Detroit also had the best home record in the NHL finishing 31-7-3. While they don't have home ice in this series all the Red Wings have to do is get a split in the first two games before heading back to the Motor City. If they can pull that off it's a huge edge for Detroit.
Most importantly they are getting healthy at the right time.
The Red Wings were without Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Jimmy Howard, and Darren Helm throughout the month of March. Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Howard all returned to the lineup before the end of the year and Helm is set to rejoin the lineup tonight. A Detroit team that is healthy is a very difficult team to beat.
Prediction:
This was the hardest series for me to pick.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the Red Wings. Going into the playoffs all I wanted was for them to stay healthy, have home ice in the 1st round and avoid playing Nashville.
Instead they were plagued by injuries which cost them home ice in the 1st round and now they have to play in Nashville.
Detroit is good enough to beat Nashville. However Nashville has been playing at such a high level that it's hard for me to pick against the Predators.
Nashville GM David Poile built this team for a strong playoff run this season. I think it starts with the Predators knocking the Red Wings out of the playoffs.
Predators in 7.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Ranking the Stanley Cup Playoff Teams
Back in September, thirty NHL teams opened training camp with the same goal, win the Stanley Cup.
After seven months, sixteen of those teams have earned the opportunity to make that goal happened.
Looking at the list of playoff teams I feel that only six teams have a legit chance at winning the Stanley Cup this spring but it is a 16 team tournament where the unexpected can happen and usually does in the first round.
I'll have a breakdown of each first round series on Wednesday but in the meantime here's my power rankings of the 16 playoff teams and how I think their chances are of raising Lord Stanley's Cup.
16. Florida Panthers:
During the off-season GM Dale Tallon did a major overhaul remaking nearly half the roster from the previous season. It worked as the Panthers clinched their first division title in franchise history and their first playoff berth in 12 years.
And while Florida is back in the post-season I don't think it will last long.
They have the fewest wins of any team in the playoffs and 18 of their losses during the season came in overtime or the shootout. The Panthers are 2-3-5 in their last ten games, worse of all sixteen playoff teams. Florida also has a goal differential of -24 which is the worst of all sixteen playoff teams.
I hope the all the Panthers fans enjoy their first post-season trip in 12 years. I don't think it's going to be a long stay.
15. Ottawa Senators:
In my opinion no team overachieved more this season than the Ottawa Senators.
Coach Paul MacLean took over a team that finished 32-40-10, 19 points out of a playoff spot last season and led them to a playoff berth in his first season as head coach. not bad for a team that many thought to be rebuilding.
Yet for all the success Ottawa has had this season we need to remember this is a team with a lot of young players, many of them making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
While there is a good mix of veterans on this roster it's the young players that have allowed the Senators to overachieve this season. The playoffs are a different animal though and I don't the Senators are up to the challenge.
14. Washington Capitals:
If you ask me who the biggest disappointment in the East was this season the answer would have to be the Washington Capitals.
After being the top seed in the East the last two years the Capitals struggled this season after starting the year 7-0. Bruce Boudreau was fired as head coach with Dale Hunter taking over.
Despite the change Washington struggled to find their groove all season. The Capitals were able to finally clinch a playoff spot on Thursday night, defeating Florida 3-2 while Buffalo lost 2-1 in Philadelphia.
Yet I don't see Washington doing anything in the playoffs. Their goal differential on the season is -8. Only Florida was worse. For a team that historically underachieves in the playoffs I don't see that changing this spring.
13. Los Angeles Kings:
The last few years I have taken a look at the Kings roster and say this is the year they breakthrough and win the Pacific Division. And every year they underachieve and make the playoffs as a lower seed.
This year the same story was unfolding before Los Angeles made a coaching change, hiring Darryl Sutter to replace Terry Murray.
While the Kings did not end up winning the Pacific Division they did end up clinching their 3rd consecutive playoff berth.
The story for Los Angeles all season long has been they play good defense, have good goaltending and yet cannot score any goals to save their life.
They'll have to hope their defense and goaltending doesn't fail them if they want to get out of the 1st round for the first time since 2001.
12. San Jose Sharks:
If Washington is the biggest disappointment in the East then the San Jose Sharks have to be the biggest disappointment in the West this season.
Having been the sexy pick to win the Stanley Cup the last few years the Sharks struggled finally clinching a playoff spot on Thursday night.
A big part of the Sharks struggles was the loss of Dany Heatley and Devon Setoguchi to Minnesota in the off-season.
Martin Havlat was brought in to replace Heatley but he has missed most of the season with injuries only scoring seven goals in 38 games.
The good news for San Jose was they did finish the season strong winning seven of their last ten games including four in a row. Whether that momentum carries over into the playoffs remains to be seen.
11. Phoenix Coyotes:
After watching the job Dave Tippett has done as coach of the Phoenix Coyotes the last three seasons you can make a good argument that he is the best coach in the NHL.
What Tippett has done as head coach over 82 games is impressive. Yet when you play the same team over a seven game span strengths and weaknesses become apparent. You may be able to surprise a team in game one but you won't surprise them by game seven.
A lot of people have marveled at the season Mike Smith has had in goal (38 wins, 2.21 GAA, .930 save percentage) for the Coyotes. Without his play in net Phoenix would not have won the Pacific Division.
However I must point out this is the same goaltender that never took hold of the starting job in Tampa Bay despite having numerous opportunities to establish himself as the man in net during the four seasons he played for the Lightning.
While Smith has had a great season in goal his career stats give me doubts he can continue to keep up this pace. How far the Coyotes go in the playoffs depend on his play in net.
10. New Jersey Devils:
After a one year hiatus the New Jersey Devils are back in the post-season where they will be the number six seed in the East. This is the best case scenario for the Devils as they will face Florida in the 1st round.
And while these Devils don't strike fear in the NHL like they did from 1995-2004 when they won three Stanley Cups they are a solid team that plays good fundamental hockey.
New Jersey has won six games in a row entering the post-season and are just has good on home ice (24-13-4) as they are on the road (24-15-2)
With the futures of Martin Brodeur and Zach Parise in New Jersey up in the air after this season there is plenty of motivation for the Devils to make a strong run in the playoffs.
9. Chicago Blackhawks:
When trying to figure out the chances of the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs the first question that needs to be asked is what is the health of center Jonathan Toews.
Toews has missed the last 23 games with a concussion and while the Blackhawks have gone 13-5-5 without him in the lineup Chicago is a much better team when he plays.
Without Toews in the lineup there is a huge drop-off in depth at center. If you don't have depth at center you aren't going to go far in the playoffs.
The second question is how will Corey Crawford play in net?
In his first full year as the starting goaltender Crawford won 30 games while finishing with a GAA of 2.72 and a save percentage of .903%.
He'll have to be strong in net if the Blackhawks make a deep run in the playoffs, especially with the health of Toews in question.
8. Philadelphia Flyers:
Whenever I hear people talk about who they like to come out of the East one team I hear referred to frequently is Philadelphia.
That doesn't surprise me. The Flyers are 3rd in the NHL in goals scored (264) and they have the 5th best power play (19.7%)
For as good as their offense has been their defense is what concerns me. The Flyers are in the bottom third of the NHL in goals allowed (232) and their penalty kill has been average this season.
The other thing that concerns me is Ilya Bryzgalov in goal for Philadelphia.
He has been in the playoffs three times in his career and the only success he has had was when he was when he played in Anaheim in 2006 sharing the job in net with J. S. Giguere. With Phoenix the last two seasons he was bounced out by Detroit in the 1st round.
It's one thing to under perform in Phoenix. It's another to under perform in Philadelphia where the goalie has been under the microscope since Bernie Parent manned the net back in the 70's.
Maybe I would feel differently if Chris Pronger was healthy and playing on the blueline for the Flyers. Pronger's not healthy and while GM Paul Holmgren has done a decently job tweaking the blueline in Pronger's absence I still don't feel a strong playoff run in them.
7. Detroit Red Wings:
There was a point earlier this season where I thought the Red Wings had a legit chance to win the Stanley Cup once again.
After all they were almost invincible this season at Joe Louis Arena and the core of players on this roster are playoff tested and know what it takes to win in the post-season.
Then injuries derailed whatever momentum they had built during the regular season. Jimmy Howard, Pavel Datsyuk, and Nicklas Lidstrom missed games in March. Because of this Detroit went 4-8-2 in March allowing both St. Louis and Nashville to over take them in the Central Division, sacrificing home ice in the 1st round.
Winning the Stanley Cup without home ice in the 1st round is practically impossible. The only team to do it since the NHL adopted the current playoff format was New Jersey in the lockout shortened season of 1995.
Yet if there is one team that is capable of pulling off that feat in the playoffs this season it's Detroit. All they have to do is get a split in the 1st two games for everything to fall in their favor.
6. St. Louis Blues:
At the start of the season I picked the Blues to finish last in the Central Division.
I don't think I could have been more wrong if I tried.
Granted it took a coaching change back in November but once Ken Hitchcock took over the Blues took off finishing with 107 points on the season, good enough to win their first Central Division title since 2000.
Hitchcock is a defensive minded coach and nobody has benefited more this season that Kevin Shattenkirk.
The former Boston University defenseman has reached a career high this season in goals, assists, and points along with having the best plus/minus total in his three year NHL career. What was once thought to be a just another player in the Erik Johnson trade may have become the best player in that trade.
Two other players that have benefited because of Hitchcock are the tandem of Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak in goal for the Blues.
Elliott leads the NHL in GAA (1.56) and save percentage (.940) while Halak is 5th in GAA (1.97) and 7th in save percentage (.926)
The only thing that concerns me about St. Louis is Hitchcock's track record as a coach in the playoffs.
While he was the coach of the team that was awarded a Stanley Cup in 1999 his first year in the playoffs with a team is usually short-lived. He lost in seven games with Dallas in 1997 and was swept by Detroit in 2009 while coaching Columbus.
He did manage to get out of the 1st round in 2003 in his first season coaching the Flyers but was ousted six games later thanks to Ottawa.
I guess what I am trying to say is if one of the top four seeds is to lose in the 1st round, my money would be on St. Louis.
5. Boston Bruins:
It's been quite a year for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Boston started the season by going 3-7 in October. Before talk of a Stanley Cup hangover took effect the Bruins bounced back going 12-0-1 in November. They followed that up by going 9-3 in December.
Boston is the number two seed in the East and is just as good as last year. The only thing that concerns me is that the Bruins have played a lot of hockey over the last two years.
When you play that much hockey it's only a matter of time before you hit the wall. Boston did a good job of playing their way out a slump at the start of the season and after the Tim Thomas/White House fiasco back in January.
The Bruins are playing some good hockey right now going 7-2-1 in their last ten games. It wouldn't surprise me if they are representing the Eastern Conference once again this June.
4. Nashville Predators:
Every year in the playoffs there is a team that gets the label "The team no one wants to face."
This year that label once again belongs to the Nashville Predators but unlike previous seasons the team with this label has a legit chance to make a Stanley Cup run.
Goaltender Pekka Rinne leads the NHL in wins with 43 and gives the Predators a swagger in net that most teams wish they had.
The blueline, which is lead by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, got better at the trade deadline with the addition of Hal Gill from Montreal.
Nashville added forwards Paul Gaustad and Andrei Kostitsyn at the trade deadline giving the Predators the most quality depth at forward they have ever had.
The Wild Card for Nashville is Alexander Radulov who came back to the club a few weeks ago after spending the last couple years over in Russia playing in the KHL.
Mentioned by many as the best player not playing in the NHL Radulov will be a key forward for the Predators and gives them a dynamic wing that is capable of scoring whenever his stick touches the puck in the offensive zone.
It wouldn't surprise me if Nashville comes out of the West. With Suter a free agent at the end of the season and Weber a restricted free agent next season you could say the future of the Predators depends on this post-season.
3. New York Rangers:
Let me start by saying I love watching the Rangers play this year.
I love the fact the Henrik Lundqvist is playing like an elite goaltender. I love the players the Rangers have on defense and I love the job John Tortorella has done coaching this team.
What I don't love about the Rangers are their forwards, mainly their top six.
Watching them this season I felt New York was one forward away from being a legit Stanley Cup threat. Seeing them two weeks ago I still feel that way.
The Rangers are a good team that is capable of winning the East but if one of their top six forwards gets hurt (and we here in Minnesota are all familiar with Marian Gaborik's history of health) and is out for a good amount of time then New York will have to rely on their defense to carry them.
This is the best team the Rangers have had since they won the Cup in 1994 and yet to me they feel more like the team from 1992 when they were good enough to contend for the Stanley Cup but came up short in the playoffs.
2. Vancouver Canucks:
Is it possible to win the President's Trophy and fly under the radar at the same time?
If it is then that's what Vancouver did this season as they finished with 111 points.
A lot of people are quick to dismiss the Canucks as a Stanley Cup threat. That would be a mistake as I believe this Vancouver team is better than last year's squad.
The additions this season of David Booth, Sammy Pahlsson, and Zack Kassian makes the Canucks group of forwards better than last years group that played in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Vancouver has a deep core of defenseman and the luxury of knowing that if Roberto Luongo struggles in goal, Cory Schneider can come in to play and the team won't miss a beat.
They won the West last year, I don't see any reason why it can't happen again.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins:
The most important thing a team can have in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is depth and nobody has more quality depth than the Penguins.
Their top three centers are Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Sidney Crosby. Those three alone would be the top center on 10-15 other teams in the NHL.
They lead the NHL in scoring with 278 goals and they have two players, Malkin and James Neal that have reached the 40 goal mark this season.
The Penguins have a goal differential of +61. Only Boston has a better goal differential with +67. Because of that Pittsburgh has two defenseman, Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik that are in the top 15 in Plus/Minus ratings.
The other key for the Penguins is Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. While his stats aren't as strong as other goaltenders in the NHL they don't have to be on this team.
With Pittsburgh ability to score from all four lines and their defense to shut down the opposition all Fluery has to do is make the key save when his team needs it. Having already won a Stanley Cup back in 2009 I feel confident that Fleury can do it again.
Come June the Steel City will be celebrating their 4th Stanley Cup championship in 21 years.
After seven months, sixteen of those teams have earned the opportunity to make that goal happened.
Looking at the list of playoff teams I feel that only six teams have a legit chance at winning the Stanley Cup this spring but it is a 16 team tournament where the unexpected can happen and usually does in the first round.
I'll have a breakdown of each first round series on Wednesday but in the meantime here's my power rankings of the 16 playoff teams and how I think their chances are of raising Lord Stanley's Cup.
16. Florida Panthers:
During the off-season GM Dale Tallon did a major overhaul remaking nearly half the roster from the previous season. It worked as the Panthers clinched their first division title in franchise history and their first playoff berth in 12 years.
And while Florida is back in the post-season I don't think it will last long.
They have the fewest wins of any team in the playoffs and 18 of their losses during the season came in overtime or the shootout. The Panthers are 2-3-5 in their last ten games, worse of all sixteen playoff teams. Florida also has a goal differential of -24 which is the worst of all sixteen playoff teams.
I hope the all the Panthers fans enjoy their first post-season trip in 12 years. I don't think it's going to be a long stay.
15. Ottawa Senators:
In my opinion no team overachieved more this season than the Ottawa Senators.
Coach Paul MacLean took over a team that finished 32-40-10, 19 points out of a playoff spot last season and led them to a playoff berth in his first season as head coach. not bad for a team that many thought to be rebuilding.
Yet for all the success Ottawa has had this season we need to remember this is a team with a lot of young players, many of them making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
While there is a good mix of veterans on this roster it's the young players that have allowed the Senators to overachieve this season. The playoffs are a different animal though and I don't the Senators are up to the challenge.
14. Washington Capitals:
If you ask me who the biggest disappointment in the East was this season the answer would have to be the Washington Capitals.
After being the top seed in the East the last two years the Capitals struggled this season after starting the year 7-0. Bruce Boudreau was fired as head coach with Dale Hunter taking over.
Despite the change Washington struggled to find their groove all season. The Capitals were able to finally clinch a playoff spot on Thursday night, defeating Florida 3-2 while Buffalo lost 2-1 in Philadelphia.
Yet I don't see Washington doing anything in the playoffs. Their goal differential on the season is -8. Only Florida was worse. For a team that historically underachieves in the playoffs I don't see that changing this spring.
13. Los Angeles Kings:
The last few years I have taken a look at the Kings roster and say this is the year they breakthrough and win the Pacific Division. And every year they underachieve and make the playoffs as a lower seed.
This year the same story was unfolding before Los Angeles made a coaching change, hiring Darryl Sutter to replace Terry Murray.
While the Kings did not end up winning the Pacific Division they did end up clinching their 3rd consecutive playoff berth.
The story for Los Angeles all season long has been they play good defense, have good goaltending and yet cannot score any goals to save their life.
They'll have to hope their defense and goaltending doesn't fail them if they want to get out of the 1st round for the first time since 2001.
12. San Jose Sharks:
If Washington is the biggest disappointment in the East then the San Jose Sharks have to be the biggest disappointment in the West this season.
Having been the sexy pick to win the Stanley Cup the last few years the Sharks struggled finally clinching a playoff spot on Thursday night.
A big part of the Sharks struggles was the loss of Dany Heatley and Devon Setoguchi to Minnesota in the off-season.
Martin Havlat was brought in to replace Heatley but he has missed most of the season with injuries only scoring seven goals in 38 games.
The good news for San Jose was they did finish the season strong winning seven of their last ten games including four in a row. Whether that momentum carries over into the playoffs remains to be seen.
11. Phoenix Coyotes:
After watching the job Dave Tippett has done as coach of the Phoenix Coyotes the last three seasons you can make a good argument that he is the best coach in the NHL.
What Tippett has done as head coach over 82 games is impressive. Yet when you play the same team over a seven game span strengths and weaknesses become apparent. You may be able to surprise a team in game one but you won't surprise them by game seven.
A lot of people have marveled at the season Mike Smith has had in goal (38 wins, 2.21 GAA, .930 save percentage) for the Coyotes. Without his play in net Phoenix would not have won the Pacific Division.
However I must point out this is the same goaltender that never took hold of the starting job in Tampa Bay despite having numerous opportunities to establish himself as the man in net during the four seasons he played for the Lightning.
While Smith has had a great season in goal his career stats give me doubts he can continue to keep up this pace. How far the Coyotes go in the playoffs depend on his play in net.
10. New Jersey Devils:
After a one year hiatus the New Jersey Devils are back in the post-season where they will be the number six seed in the East. This is the best case scenario for the Devils as they will face Florida in the 1st round.
And while these Devils don't strike fear in the NHL like they did from 1995-2004 when they won three Stanley Cups they are a solid team that plays good fundamental hockey.
New Jersey has won six games in a row entering the post-season and are just has good on home ice (24-13-4) as they are on the road (24-15-2)
With the futures of Martin Brodeur and Zach Parise in New Jersey up in the air after this season there is plenty of motivation for the Devils to make a strong run in the playoffs.
9. Chicago Blackhawks:
When trying to figure out the chances of the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs the first question that needs to be asked is what is the health of center Jonathan Toews.
Toews has missed the last 23 games with a concussion and while the Blackhawks have gone 13-5-5 without him in the lineup Chicago is a much better team when he plays.
Without Toews in the lineup there is a huge drop-off in depth at center. If you don't have depth at center you aren't going to go far in the playoffs.
The second question is how will Corey Crawford play in net?
In his first full year as the starting goaltender Crawford won 30 games while finishing with a GAA of 2.72 and a save percentage of .903%.
He'll have to be strong in net if the Blackhawks make a deep run in the playoffs, especially with the health of Toews in question.
8. Philadelphia Flyers:
Whenever I hear people talk about who they like to come out of the East one team I hear referred to frequently is Philadelphia.
That doesn't surprise me. The Flyers are 3rd in the NHL in goals scored (264) and they have the 5th best power play (19.7%)
For as good as their offense has been their defense is what concerns me. The Flyers are in the bottom third of the NHL in goals allowed (232) and their penalty kill has been average this season.
The other thing that concerns me is Ilya Bryzgalov in goal for Philadelphia.
He has been in the playoffs three times in his career and the only success he has had was when he was when he played in Anaheim in 2006 sharing the job in net with J. S. Giguere. With Phoenix the last two seasons he was bounced out by Detroit in the 1st round.
It's one thing to under perform in Phoenix. It's another to under perform in Philadelphia where the goalie has been under the microscope since Bernie Parent manned the net back in the 70's.
Maybe I would feel differently if Chris Pronger was healthy and playing on the blueline for the Flyers. Pronger's not healthy and while GM Paul Holmgren has done a decently job tweaking the blueline in Pronger's absence I still don't feel a strong playoff run in them.
7. Detroit Red Wings:
There was a point earlier this season where I thought the Red Wings had a legit chance to win the Stanley Cup once again.
After all they were almost invincible this season at Joe Louis Arena and the core of players on this roster are playoff tested and know what it takes to win in the post-season.
Then injuries derailed whatever momentum they had built during the regular season. Jimmy Howard, Pavel Datsyuk, and Nicklas Lidstrom missed games in March. Because of this Detroit went 4-8-2 in March allowing both St. Louis and Nashville to over take them in the Central Division, sacrificing home ice in the 1st round.
Winning the Stanley Cup without home ice in the 1st round is practically impossible. The only team to do it since the NHL adopted the current playoff format was New Jersey in the lockout shortened season of 1995.
Yet if there is one team that is capable of pulling off that feat in the playoffs this season it's Detroit. All they have to do is get a split in the 1st two games for everything to fall in their favor.
6. St. Louis Blues:
At the start of the season I picked the Blues to finish last in the Central Division.
I don't think I could have been more wrong if I tried.
Granted it took a coaching change back in November but once Ken Hitchcock took over the Blues took off finishing with 107 points on the season, good enough to win their first Central Division title since 2000.
Hitchcock is a defensive minded coach and nobody has benefited more this season that Kevin Shattenkirk.
The former Boston University defenseman has reached a career high this season in goals, assists, and points along with having the best plus/minus total in his three year NHL career. What was once thought to be a just another player in the Erik Johnson trade may have become the best player in that trade.
Two other players that have benefited because of Hitchcock are the tandem of Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak in goal for the Blues.
Elliott leads the NHL in GAA (1.56) and save percentage (.940) while Halak is 5th in GAA (1.97) and 7th in save percentage (.926)
The only thing that concerns me about St. Louis is Hitchcock's track record as a coach in the playoffs.
While he was the coach of the team that was awarded a Stanley Cup in 1999 his first year in the playoffs with a team is usually short-lived. He lost in seven games with Dallas in 1997 and was swept by Detroit in 2009 while coaching Columbus.
He did manage to get out of the 1st round in 2003 in his first season coaching the Flyers but was ousted six games later thanks to Ottawa.
I guess what I am trying to say is if one of the top four seeds is to lose in the 1st round, my money would be on St. Louis.
5. Boston Bruins:
It's been quite a year for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Boston started the season by going 3-7 in October. Before talk of a Stanley Cup hangover took effect the Bruins bounced back going 12-0-1 in November. They followed that up by going 9-3 in December.
Boston is the number two seed in the East and is just as good as last year. The only thing that concerns me is that the Bruins have played a lot of hockey over the last two years.
When you play that much hockey it's only a matter of time before you hit the wall. Boston did a good job of playing their way out a slump at the start of the season and after the Tim Thomas/White House fiasco back in January.
The Bruins are playing some good hockey right now going 7-2-1 in their last ten games. It wouldn't surprise me if they are representing the Eastern Conference once again this June.
4. Nashville Predators:
Every year in the playoffs there is a team that gets the label "The team no one wants to face."
This year that label once again belongs to the Nashville Predators but unlike previous seasons the team with this label has a legit chance to make a Stanley Cup run.
Goaltender Pekka Rinne leads the NHL in wins with 43 and gives the Predators a swagger in net that most teams wish they had.
The blueline, which is lead by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, got better at the trade deadline with the addition of Hal Gill from Montreal.
Nashville added forwards Paul Gaustad and Andrei Kostitsyn at the trade deadline giving the Predators the most quality depth at forward they have ever had.
The Wild Card for Nashville is Alexander Radulov who came back to the club a few weeks ago after spending the last couple years over in Russia playing in the KHL.
Mentioned by many as the best player not playing in the NHL Radulov will be a key forward for the Predators and gives them a dynamic wing that is capable of scoring whenever his stick touches the puck in the offensive zone.
It wouldn't surprise me if Nashville comes out of the West. With Suter a free agent at the end of the season and Weber a restricted free agent next season you could say the future of the Predators depends on this post-season.
3. New York Rangers:
Let me start by saying I love watching the Rangers play this year.
I love the fact the Henrik Lundqvist is playing like an elite goaltender. I love the players the Rangers have on defense and I love the job John Tortorella has done coaching this team.
What I don't love about the Rangers are their forwards, mainly their top six.
Watching them this season I felt New York was one forward away from being a legit Stanley Cup threat. Seeing them two weeks ago I still feel that way.
The Rangers are a good team that is capable of winning the East but if one of their top six forwards gets hurt (and we here in Minnesota are all familiar with Marian Gaborik's history of health) and is out for a good amount of time then New York will have to rely on their defense to carry them.
This is the best team the Rangers have had since they won the Cup in 1994 and yet to me they feel more like the team from 1992 when they were good enough to contend for the Stanley Cup but came up short in the playoffs.
2. Vancouver Canucks:
Is it possible to win the President's Trophy and fly under the radar at the same time?
If it is then that's what Vancouver did this season as they finished with 111 points.
A lot of people are quick to dismiss the Canucks as a Stanley Cup threat. That would be a mistake as I believe this Vancouver team is better than last year's squad.
The additions this season of David Booth, Sammy Pahlsson, and Zack Kassian makes the Canucks group of forwards better than last years group that played in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Vancouver has a deep core of defenseman and the luxury of knowing that if Roberto Luongo struggles in goal, Cory Schneider can come in to play and the team won't miss a beat.
They won the West last year, I don't see any reason why it can't happen again.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins:
The most important thing a team can have in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is depth and nobody has more quality depth than the Penguins.
Their top three centers are Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Sidney Crosby. Those three alone would be the top center on 10-15 other teams in the NHL.
They lead the NHL in scoring with 278 goals and they have two players, Malkin and James Neal that have reached the 40 goal mark this season.
The Penguins have a goal differential of +61. Only Boston has a better goal differential with +67. Because of that Pittsburgh has two defenseman, Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik that are in the top 15 in Plus/Minus ratings.
The other key for the Penguins is Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. While his stats aren't as strong as other goaltenders in the NHL they don't have to be on this team.
With Pittsburgh ability to score from all four lines and their defense to shut down the opposition all Fluery has to do is make the key save when his team needs it. Having already won a Stanley Cup back in 2009 I feel confident that Fleury can do it again.
Come June the Steel City will be celebrating their 4th Stanley Cup championship in 21 years.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Week 23 Power Poll
We are less that two weeks away from the end of the NHL regular season and there is a lot left to be determined.
So far only five teams have clinched playoff spots with one those teams clinching their division. On the other end of the standings only four teams have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. That means the fate of 21 NHL teams are still to be determined.
This will be the final Power Poll for the 2011-2012 season I'll be traveling the rest of the week but I will return right before the post-season with my playoff preview.
In the meantime here are the Power Rankings for week 23.
1. St. Louis 47-20-9 103 points
The Blues look well on their way to their first Central Division title in 12 years and maybe their second President's trophy. That being said I still don't think they are the favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
2. N.Y. Rangers 47-21-7 101 points
Right now I think the Rangers are one player short of being a Stanley Cup favorite. I'll get a better feel for them tomorrow night.
3. Pittsburgh 47-22-6 100 points
I picked the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup at the start of the season. Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good about that.
4. Vancouver 45-21-9 99 points
The Canucks are the 1st team in the NHL to win their division. Of course when you compare their talent to the other four teams no one should be surprised.
5. Detroit 45-25-5 95 points
If the Red Wings can clinch home ice in the 1st round and get Nicklas Lidstrom back in the lineup they are a threat to win their 5th Stanley Cup in 15 years. If not, it could be a quick exit.
6. Philadelphia 44-23-8 96 points
OK Flyers fans, how comfortable do you feel going into the playoffswith Bryzgalov in goal and no Pronger on defense?
7. Boston 44-28-3 91 points
I'm not sure if the Bruins can repeat as Stanley Cup Champions but I do know they will not be an easy team to beat in April.
8. Nashville 44-24-8 96 points
Right now they look like they are on a collision course with Detroit in the 1st round. And yes, this concerns me.
9. Chicago 42-26-8 92 points
Duncan Keith five game suspension might be a blessing in disguise for the Blackhawks as he gets some rest before the post-season.
10. New Jersey 42-28-6 90 points
With 90 points on the season the Devils look like they will return to the playoffs after missing last year for the first time in 13 seasons.
11. Dallas 41-29-5 87 points
Nice job by Glen Gulutzan, winning over 40 games in his first season as head coach. It still might not be enough to make the playoffs.
12. Colorado 40-31-6 86 points
In my opinion, no one has overachieved more in the West than the Avalanche. It still might not be enough to make the playoffs.
13. Los Angeles 37-26-12 86 points
It's taken longer than expected but the Kings are starting to play like a playoff team. A division title is still possible.
14. San Jose 38-27-10 86 points
I picked the Sharks to come out of the West at the start of the season. I'm not feeling too good about that pick.
15. Phoenix 37-27-13 86 points
I'm not sure how Dave Tippett does it but each year he finds a way to have his team in the middle of a playoff chase. That being said I'm not sure the Coyotes make it.
16. Ottawa 38-28-10 84 points
No team in the NHL has overachieved more than the Senators this year. They just have to survive two more weeks to clinch a playoff spot.
17. Washington 38-30-8 81 points
Capitals host Buffalo tomorrow night in what could be the biggest game of the season for both teams.
18. Florida 36-24-15 85 points
I don't think they are the best team in the Southeast but Washington's failure to take charge may give the Panthers their first division title.
19. Buffalo 37-29-10 80 points
See Washington.
20. Winnipeg 35-32-8 76 points
A record of 12-21-4 on the road could be the reason the Jets miss the playoffs.
21. Calgary 34-27-15 83 points
After watching the Flames play against Minnesota on Thursday I have to think Brent Sutter's days as head coach are numbered.
22. Tampa Bay 34-33-7 75 points
While they are still mathematically alive the top priority for the Lightning has to be what to do in goal for next year.
23. Toronto 33-34-9 75 points
Looks like seven years and counting for the Maple Leafs missing the playoffs.
24. Anaheim 32-32-11 75 points
With the Ducks looking like they will miss the playoffs I can't help but wonder if we are seeing the end of Teemu Selanne.
25. Minnesota 31-34-10 72 points
My only plea to Wild owner Craig Leipold is not to make any rash decisions this summer. Let the GM keep doing what he's doing.
26. Carolina 30-31-15 75 points
Blowing a four goal lead in a 5-4 loss to a slumping Red Wings team pretty much sums up how this season has gone for the Hurricanes.
27. N.Y. Islanders 31-33-11 71 points
The National Post had an interesting article last week about how relevant the Islanders are. It's a fair question.
28. Edmonton 31-36-9 71 points
There is a good chance the Oilers may not finish last in the division.
29. Montreal 29-34-13 69 points
Dieu merci la saison est presque terminée.
That's French for "Thank God the season's almost over."
30. Columbus 24-44-7 55 points
One of the reasons the Blue Jackets are bad, their goal differential is -68. That 20 goals worse than the next closest team.
So far only five teams have clinched playoff spots with one those teams clinching their division. On the other end of the standings only four teams have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. That means the fate of 21 NHL teams are still to be determined.
This will be the final Power Poll for the 2011-2012 season I'll be traveling the rest of the week but I will return right before the post-season with my playoff preview.
In the meantime here are the Power Rankings for week 23.
1. St. Louis 47-20-9 103 points
The Blues look well on their way to their first Central Division title in 12 years and maybe their second President's trophy. That being said I still don't think they are the favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
2. N.Y. Rangers 47-21-7 101 points
Right now I think the Rangers are one player short of being a Stanley Cup favorite. I'll get a better feel for them tomorrow night.
3. Pittsburgh 47-22-6 100 points
I picked the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup at the start of the season. Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good about that.
4. Vancouver 45-21-9 99 points
The Canucks are the 1st team in the NHL to win their division. Of course when you compare their talent to the other four teams no one should be surprised.
5. Detroit 45-25-5 95 points
If the Red Wings can clinch home ice in the 1st round and get Nicklas Lidstrom back in the lineup they are a threat to win their 5th Stanley Cup in 15 years. If not, it could be a quick exit.
6. Philadelphia 44-23-8 96 points
OK Flyers fans, how comfortable do you feel going into the playoffswith Bryzgalov in goal and no Pronger on defense?
7. Boston 44-28-3 91 points
I'm not sure if the Bruins can repeat as Stanley Cup Champions but I do know they will not be an easy team to beat in April.
8. Nashville 44-24-8 96 points
Right now they look like they are on a collision course with Detroit in the 1st round. And yes, this concerns me.
9. Chicago 42-26-8 92 points
Duncan Keith five game suspension might be a blessing in disguise for the Blackhawks as he gets some rest before the post-season.
10. New Jersey 42-28-6 90 points
With 90 points on the season the Devils look like they will return to the playoffs after missing last year for the first time in 13 seasons.
11. Dallas 41-29-5 87 points
Nice job by Glen Gulutzan, winning over 40 games in his first season as head coach. It still might not be enough to make the playoffs.
12. Colorado 40-31-6 86 points
In my opinion, no one has overachieved more in the West than the Avalanche. It still might not be enough to make the playoffs.
13. Los Angeles 37-26-12 86 points
It's taken longer than expected but the Kings are starting to play like a playoff team. A division title is still possible.
14. San Jose 38-27-10 86 points
I picked the Sharks to come out of the West at the start of the season. I'm not feeling too good about that pick.
15. Phoenix 37-27-13 86 points
I'm not sure how Dave Tippett does it but each year he finds a way to have his team in the middle of a playoff chase. That being said I'm not sure the Coyotes make it.
16. Ottawa 38-28-10 84 points
No team in the NHL has overachieved more than the Senators this year. They just have to survive two more weeks to clinch a playoff spot.
17. Washington 38-30-8 81 points
Capitals host Buffalo tomorrow night in what could be the biggest game of the season for both teams.
18. Florida 36-24-15 85 points
I don't think they are the best team in the Southeast but Washington's failure to take charge may give the Panthers their first division title.
19. Buffalo 37-29-10 80 points
See Washington.
20. Winnipeg 35-32-8 76 points
A record of 12-21-4 on the road could be the reason the Jets miss the playoffs.
21. Calgary 34-27-15 83 points
After watching the Flames play against Minnesota on Thursday I have to think Brent Sutter's days as head coach are numbered.
22. Tampa Bay 34-33-7 75 points
While they are still mathematically alive the top priority for the Lightning has to be what to do in goal for next year.
23. Toronto 33-34-9 75 points
Looks like seven years and counting for the Maple Leafs missing the playoffs.
24. Anaheim 32-32-11 75 points
With the Ducks looking like they will miss the playoffs I can't help but wonder if we are seeing the end of Teemu Selanne.
25. Minnesota 31-34-10 72 points
My only plea to Wild owner Craig Leipold is not to make any rash decisions this summer. Let the GM keep doing what he's doing.
26. Carolina 30-31-15 75 points
Blowing a four goal lead in a 5-4 loss to a slumping Red Wings team pretty much sums up how this season has gone for the Hurricanes.
27. N.Y. Islanders 31-33-11 71 points
The National Post had an interesting article last week about how relevant the Islanders are. It's a fair question.
28. Edmonton 31-36-9 71 points
There is a good chance the Oilers may not finish last in the division.
29. Montreal 29-34-13 69 points
Dieu merci la saison est presque terminée.
That's French for "Thank God the season's almost over."
30. Columbus 24-44-7 55 points
One of the reasons the Blue Jackets are bad, their goal differential is -68. That 20 goals worse than the next closest team.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Week 22 Power Poll
Thursday night was an important night for the Pittsburgh Penguins as Sidney Crosby made his return to the lineup.
Crosby as you may recall suffered a concussion during last year's Winter classic and ended up missing the rest of the 2010-2011 after receiving a hit from Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman.
Crosby did return earlier this season against the New York Islanders scoring two goals and assisting on two others in the Penguins 5-0 over the Islanders.
Crosby had 2 goals and 10 assists on the season before suffering another hit against Boston that knocked him out of the lineup again after only playing eight games.
But Crosby did finally return on Thursday and while his return wasn't has dramatic as it was back on November 21 he did play a solid game assisting on two goals and getting sixteen minutes of ice time in the Penguins 5-2 win over the New York Rangers.
Crosby then came back on Saturday against New Jersey with three assists in the Penguins 5-2 win over the Devils.
What does Crosby's return to the lineup mean for Pittsburgh?
The Penguins are the hottest team in the NHL having won eleven in a row before losing in overtime yesterday in Philadelphia. They currently are 4th in the East with 94 points and trail the Rangers by one point for the lead in the Atlantic Division and first in the Eastern Conference.
Pittsburgh is already deep at center with Evgeni Malkin (41G, 47A), Jordan Staal (22G, 18A), and Tyler Kennedy (6G, 20A). Adding Crosby to the lineup give the Penguins depth at center that no NHL team can match.
Just as important for Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang returned to the lineup as well after missing five games due to a hit he received against the Dallas Stars back on February 29th.
Letang (9G, 25A, +13) is the Penguins best defenseman. You could make the argument that having Letang on the ice is almost as important as having Crosby on the ice.
Pittsburgh is getting healthy at just the right time. That's good news for Penguins fans and bad news for the rest of the NHL.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 22.
1. St. Louis 46-19-8 100 points
Blues are the 1st team to 100 points and to clinch a playoff berth.
2. Pittsburgh 44-21-6 94 points
Despite the loss to Philadelphia, the Penguins have earned a point in 12 straight games.
3. N.Y. Rangers 44-20-7 95 points
What once looked to be the best team in the East, the Rangers have lost 5 of their last 7 games.
4. Detroit 44-24-4 92 points
Red Wings return home after going 0-2-1 on their California road trip.
5. Vancouver 43-20-8 94 points
Canucks finish their seven game homestand 3-4. They now hit the road for a four game trip.
6. Nashville 42-22-8 92 points
Good news for Predators fans. Alexander Radulov will rejoin the team for their playoff push.
7. Philadelphia 42-22-8 92 points
With all the focus in the Atlantic being on the Penguins and Rangers, the Flyers are lurking only three points out of first overall in the East.
8. Boston 41-27-3 85 points
Bruins go for a season sweep of the Maple Leafs tonight when they host Toronto.
9. New Jersey 41-26-5 87 points
Ilya Kovalchuk have 5 goals and 5 assists in his last 7 games for the Devils.
10 Chicago 40-25-8 88 points
Blackhawks are getting back on track going 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
11. Dallas 39-28-5 83 points
Despite losing two in a row the Stars are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games and are still on top in the Pacific Division.
12. Colorado 39-30-5 81 points
Avalanche have been a big winner at the trade deadline with the acquisition of Jamie McGinn (7G, 3A)
13. Ottawa 37-26-10 84 points
Only one point behind Boston, there is a good chance the Senators could win the Northeast.
14. San Jose 36-25-10 82 points
Logan Couture has 30 goals in back to back seasons. I can see why the Sharks didn't want to trade him for Rick Nash.
15. Washington 36-30-6 78 points
Alex Ovechkin becomes the 9th player in NHL history to score 30 goals in his first seven seasons.
16. Phoenix 36-26-11 83 points
Congrats to Dave Tippett on win number 400 as head coach.
17. Los Angeles 35-25-12 82 points
Kings have scored 18 1st period goals in their last 11 games
18. Florida 35-23-13 83 points
Left Wing Tomas Fleischmann records a career high for most points in a season with 52. (22G, 30A)
19. Calgary 34-26-13 81 points
You can't seriously consider yourself to be a playoff team if you can't take two points from Columbus during this time of year.
20. Winnipeg 34-30-8 76 points
Loss to Carolina ends the Jets home win streak at four games.
21. Buffalo 33-29-10 76 points
Sabres have earned at least one point in 13 of their last 15 games as they make a late push to the playoffs.
22. Tampa Bay 32-31-7 71 points
The Lightning's AHL affiliate in Norfolk has won 18 games in a row. So they have that going for them.
23. Toronto 32-32-8 72 points
Even though they have won two straight the Maple Leafs are 3-61 in their last 10 games.
24. Anaheim 30-32-11 71 points
Magic number for the Ducks being eliminated from the playoff race is 7.
25. Carolina 29-29-5 73 points
Having had a chance to watch defenseman Justin Faulk this past Saturday he should be a fixture on the Hurricanes blueline for many years to come.
26. N.Y. Islanders 29-32-11 69 points
Forward Jay Pandolfo nominated for the Bill Masterson Award.
27. Minnesota 29-32-10 68 points
If there is a silver lining for Wild fans it's that some of their young NHL prospects should be here next season and they should make an impact.
28. Montreal 28-32-13 69 points
One bright spot for Montreal this season, they have the bast penalty kill in the NHL (89.5%)
29. Edmonton 28-36-8 64 points
Craziest rumor of the weekend: Brent Sutter is a candidate to be the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers according to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. Something tells me Calgary may have something to say about this.
30. Columbus 23-42-7 53 points
Win over Calgary snaps a four game winless skid on the road.
Crosby as you may recall suffered a concussion during last year's Winter classic and ended up missing the rest of the 2010-2011 after receiving a hit from Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman.
Crosby did return earlier this season against the New York Islanders scoring two goals and assisting on two others in the Penguins 5-0 over the Islanders.
Crosby had 2 goals and 10 assists on the season before suffering another hit against Boston that knocked him out of the lineup again after only playing eight games.
But Crosby did finally return on Thursday and while his return wasn't has dramatic as it was back on November 21 he did play a solid game assisting on two goals and getting sixteen minutes of ice time in the Penguins 5-2 win over the New York Rangers.
Crosby then came back on Saturday against New Jersey with three assists in the Penguins 5-2 win over the Devils.
What does Crosby's return to the lineup mean for Pittsburgh?
The Penguins are the hottest team in the NHL having won eleven in a row before losing in overtime yesterday in Philadelphia. They currently are 4th in the East with 94 points and trail the Rangers by one point for the lead in the Atlantic Division and first in the Eastern Conference.
Pittsburgh is already deep at center with Evgeni Malkin (41G, 47A), Jordan Staal (22G, 18A), and Tyler Kennedy (6G, 20A). Adding Crosby to the lineup give the Penguins depth at center that no NHL team can match.
Just as important for Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang returned to the lineup as well after missing five games due to a hit he received against the Dallas Stars back on February 29th.
Letang (9G, 25A, +13) is the Penguins best defenseman. You could make the argument that having Letang on the ice is almost as important as having Crosby on the ice.
Pittsburgh is getting healthy at just the right time. That's good news for Penguins fans and bad news for the rest of the NHL.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 22.
1. St. Louis 46-19-8 100 points
Blues are the 1st team to 100 points and to clinch a playoff berth.
2. Pittsburgh 44-21-6 94 points
Despite the loss to Philadelphia, the Penguins have earned a point in 12 straight games.
3. N.Y. Rangers 44-20-7 95 points
What once looked to be the best team in the East, the Rangers have lost 5 of their last 7 games.
4. Detroit 44-24-4 92 points
Red Wings return home after going 0-2-1 on their California road trip.
5. Vancouver 43-20-8 94 points
Canucks finish their seven game homestand 3-4. They now hit the road for a four game trip.
6. Nashville 42-22-8 92 points
Good news for Predators fans. Alexander Radulov will rejoin the team for their playoff push.
7. Philadelphia 42-22-8 92 points
With all the focus in the Atlantic being on the Penguins and Rangers, the Flyers are lurking only three points out of first overall in the East.
8. Boston 41-27-3 85 points
Bruins go for a season sweep of the Maple Leafs tonight when they host Toronto.
9. New Jersey 41-26-5 87 points
Ilya Kovalchuk have 5 goals and 5 assists in his last 7 games for the Devils.
10 Chicago 40-25-8 88 points
Blackhawks are getting back on track going 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
11. Dallas 39-28-5 83 points
Despite losing two in a row the Stars are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games and are still on top in the Pacific Division.
12. Colorado 39-30-5 81 points
Avalanche have been a big winner at the trade deadline with the acquisition of Jamie McGinn (7G, 3A)
13. Ottawa 37-26-10 84 points
Only one point behind Boston, there is a good chance the Senators could win the Northeast.
14. San Jose 36-25-10 82 points
Logan Couture has 30 goals in back to back seasons. I can see why the Sharks didn't want to trade him for Rick Nash.
15. Washington 36-30-6 78 points
Alex Ovechkin becomes the 9th player in NHL history to score 30 goals in his first seven seasons.
16. Phoenix 36-26-11 83 points
Congrats to Dave Tippett on win number 400 as head coach.
17. Los Angeles 35-25-12 82 points
Kings have scored 18 1st period goals in their last 11 games
18. Florida 35-23-13 83 points
Left Wing Tomas Fleischmann records a career high for most points in a season with 52. (22G, 30A)
19. Calgary 34-26-13 81 points
You can't seriously consider yourself to be a playoff team if you can't take two points from Columbus during this time of year.
20. Winnipeg 34-30-8 76 points
Loss to Carolina ends the Jets home win streak at four games.
21. Buffalo 33-29-10 76 points
Sabres have earned at least one point in 13 of their last 15 games as they make a late push to the playoffs.
22. Tampa Bay 32-31-7 71 points
The Lightning's AHL affiliate in Norfolk has won 18 games in a row. So they have that going for them.
23. Toronto 32-32-8 72 points
Even though they have won two straight the Maple Leafs are 3-61 in their last 10 games.
24. Anaheim 30-32-11 71 points
Magic number for the Ducks being eliminated from the playoff race is 7.
25. Carolina 29-29-5 73 points
Having had a chance to watch defenseman Justin Faulk this past Saturday he should be a fixture on the Hurricanes blueline for many years to come.
26. N.Y. Islanders 29-32-11 69 points
Forward Jay Pandolfo nominated for the Bill Masterson Award.
27. Minnesota 29-32-10 68 points
If there is a silver lining for Wild fans it's that some of their young NHL prospects should be here next season and they should make an impact.
28. Montreal 28-32-13 69 points
One bright spot for Montreal this season, they have the bast penalty kill in the NHL (89.5%)
29. Edmonton 28-36-8 64 points
Craziest rumor of the weekend: Brent Sutter is a candidate to be the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers according to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. Something tells me Calgary may have something to say about this.
30. Columbus 23-42-7 53 points
Win over Calgary snaps a four game winless skid on the road.
Friday, March 16, 2012
The Three Point Game
The NHL General Managers had their annual March meeting this past week in Boca Raton, Florida where they get together and discuss ways to improve the game.
A lot of topics were discussed like bringing in hybrid icing (It has support from the GM's), bringing back the Red Line (Which thankfully had little support) and eliminating the trapezoid behind the net allowing the goalie to play the puck (A rule I have never understood)
But one topic that the GM's and the NHL fails to bring up on a regular basis is one that drives hockey fans nuts.
The Three Point Game.
As long as I have been a fan of the NHL the standings have been determined by how many points a team has not wins and losses. It use to be that a team would get two points for a win and one for a tie.
When the last wave of expansion started in 1998 the NHL decided to tweak the system feeling most teams were just settling for a tie. They decided to still give one point to both teams if they were tied after 60 minutes and award a second point if a team won the game in overtime.
While the intent was to reward teams for winning it had little impact as teams were still settling for ties.
After the lockout the NHL decided to eliminate tie games and have the winners decided by shootout if two teams were still tied after playing five minutes of overtime.
Teams would each get a point for being tied at the end of regulation and an extra point would be awarded to a team if they won in overtime or a shootout.
While tie games haven't been an issue in the NHL since the lockout teams have managed to take a cautious approach in games. It seems teams are more content with shutting everything down in a close game, hoping it gets to a shootout where they can take their chances to get an extra point in what is nothing more than a glorified skills competition.
So why doesn't the NHL do anything about this? All you have to do is take a look at the current standings.
At first look you'll notice a bunch of teams are close together in points. What you don't realize is that some of those points have come as a result of a team losing in overtime or a shootout.
It's not fair that some games are worth three points in the standings while some are only worth two points.
So what's the solution to this? The obvious one is to determine the standings by wins and losses alone.
However the GM's don't like the idea of having the game go all the way to a shootout only to lose and have nothing to show for it.
With the shootouts not going away and the NHL unwilling to move away from the point system to determine standings I think the best solution is to make every game worth three points.
The way I would do it is a win in regulation or overtime would be three points to the winner and no points to the loser. If the game goes to a shootout each team would get a point with the shootout winner getting the extra point.
By using this method the NHL would actually be rewarding teams for winning games instead of playing for a shootout.
Yes the playoff races wouldn't be as tight as they are now but right now all the playoff races are offering is false hope. Any true hockey fan knows by now whether or not their team has a legit chance to make the playoffs.
If the GM's still have questions about this they can always try it out in the AHL like they do with other potential rule changes before implementing them in the NHL.
I know this rule has been proposed before and each time a variation of this has been turned down but if the NHL really wants to put an emphasis on winning games then this is a rule which needs to be seriously considered.
With three points at stake for a win I think a lot of regular season games would take on more of a playoff like feel.
Something like that can only be good for the NHL as they continue to try and market the game.
A lot of topics were discussed like bringing in hybrid icing (It has support from the GM's), bringing back the Red Line (Which thankfully had little support) and eliminating the trapezoid behind the net allowing the goalie to play the puck (A rule I have never understood)
But one topic that the GM's and the NHL fails to bring up on a regular basis is one that drives hockey fans nuts.
The Three Point Game.
As long as I have been a fan of the NHL the standings have been determined by how many points a team has not wins and losses. It use to be that a team would get two points for a win and one for a tie.
When the last wave of expansion started in 1998 the NHL decided to tweak the system feeling most teams were just settling for a tie. They decided to still give one point to both teams if they were tied after 60 minutes and award a second point if a team won the game in overtime.
While the intent was to reward teams for winning it had little impact as teams were still settling for ties.
After the lockout the NHL decided to eliminate tie games and have the winners decided by shootout if two teams were still tied after playing five minutes of overtime.
Teams would each get a point for being tied at the end of regulation and an extra point would be awarded to a team if they won in overtime or a shootout.
While tie games haven't been an issue in the NHL since the lockout teams have managed to take a cautious approach in games. It seems teams are more content with shutting everything down in a close game, hoping it gets to a shootout where they can take their chances to get an extra point in what is nothing more than a glorified skills competition.
So why doesn't the NHL do anything about this? All you have to do is take a look at the current standings.
At first look you'll notice a bunch of teams are close together in points. What you don't realize is that some of those points have come as a result of a team losing in overtime or a shootout.
It's not fair that some games are worth three points in the standings while some are only worth two points.
So what's the solution to this? The obvious one is to determine the standings by wins and losses alone.
However the GM's don't like the idea of having the game go all the way to a shootout only to lose and have nothing to show for it.
With the shootouts not going away and the NHL unwilling to move away from the point system to determine standings I think the best solution is to make every game worth three points.
The way I would do it is a win in regulation or overtime would be three points to the winner and no points to the loser. If the game goes to a shootout each team would get a point with the shootout winner getting the extra point.
By using this method the NHL would actually be rewarding teams for winning games instead of playing for a shootout.
Yes the playoff races wouldn't be as tight as they are now but right now all the playoff races are offering is false hope. Any true hockey fan knows by now whether or not their team has a legit chance to make the playoffs.
If the GM's still have questions about this they can always try it out in the AHL like they do with other potential rule changes before implementing them in the NHL.
I know this rule has been proposed before and each time a variation of this has been turned down but if the NHL really wants to put an emphasis on winning games then this is a rule which needs to be seriously considered.
With three points at stake for a win I think a lot of regular season games would take on more of a playoff like feel.
Something like that can only be good for the NHL as they continue to try and market the game.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Week 21 Power Poll
Before we get to this weeks Power Poll I want to take time to mention the Minnesota State High School hockey tournament that took place this weekend in St. Paul.
St. Thomas Academy won it's 4th state title, all in Class A defeating Hermantown 5-1. Matt Perry and Alex Johnson scored goals in the 1st period for the Cadets as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never looked back.
Johnson, Peter Krieger and Austin Sattler added goals to make it 5-0 St. Thomas Academy before Jared Kolquist scored for Hermantown. The goal by Kolquist was the only goal that goalie David Zevnik gave up in the tournament. Zevnik finished the tournament with 55 saves.
St. Thomas academy finishes the year 26-5 while Hermantown suffers their only loss of the season in the state title game, finishing 30-1.
In the Class AA title game Hill Murray took on what many people believed was the team of destiny, Benilde St. Margaret's.
Junior forward Grant Besse had a game to remember as he scored all five goals for the Red Knights, three of them short-handed, en route to a 5-1 victory.
What impressed me about Besse was how well he skated and always had a sense to be in the right place at the right time. Besse has already committed to play at Wisconsin and after that game I'm guessing he is on the radar of every NHL scout. If he isn't he should be.
The state title is the 3rd for Benilde and their first in Class AA. The win caps an emotional season where forward Jack Jablonski was paralyzed due to a hit in a game on December 30th.
To me it just seems right that nobody else but Benilde wins the Class AA State Hockey Tournament.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 21.
1. St. Louis 45-18-7 97 points
Blues have won a season high five straight and have the best record in the NHL
2. Detroit 44-22-3 91 points
Good news for the Red Wings as Jimmy Howard looks to return just in time for their trip to California.
3. N.Y. Rangers 43-18-7 93 points
The Rangers are 23-7-2 at Madison Square Garden this season, their best home mark since 1994.
4. Pittsburgh 42-21-5 89 points
Don't look now but the Penguins have won nine in a row.
5. Vancouver 42-19-8 92 points
The Canucks look like a lock to win the Northwest Division again. That has their fans celebrating.
6. Boston 40-25-3 83 points
Goalie Tuukka Rask is out 4-6 weeks with a lower body injury leading the Bruins to sign Marty Turco to back up Tim Thomas. Having Turco on your roster never ends well.
7. Nashville 40-21-7 87 points
Newly acquired Andrei Kostitsyn has six points (3G, 3A) in five games as a Predator.
8. New Jersey 40-24-5 85 points
Congrats to Martin Brodeur on his 650 career victory, against the Flyers no less.
9. Philadelphia 39-22-7 85 points
Ilya Bryzgalov (4-0-0, 0.49 GAA, .985 save %) named NHL 1st star of the week.
10. Dallas 38-26-5 81 points
Stars penalty kill is now 30 for 31 over their last 10 games, a success rate of 97 percent.
11. Chicago 37-25-8 82 points
Blackhawks give a two year extension to forward Dan Carcillo. I for the life of me do not understand why.
12. Ottawa 36-25-9 81 points
Erik Karlsson has 69 points this season which leads all defenseman. The next closest is Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell with 44 points.
13. Colorado 36-30-4 76 points
Avalanche forward Matt Duchene out 3-4 weeks with an ankle injury. Not good news for a team fighting for a playoff spot.
14. Washington 35-28-6 76 points
Are the Capitals finally turning things around? They've won three in a row.
15. Phoenix 34-25-10 78 points
3-0 win over San Jose snaps a five game skid (0-4-1) Coyotes are currently 7th in the West.
16. San Jose 33-25-9 75 points
Sharks forward Joe Thornton is slumping as he only has two goals in his last 15 games.
17. Los Angeles 32-25-12 76 points
Kings are 5-4-1 in their last ten games and are hanging around in the Pacific Division race.
18. Florida 32-23-13 77 points
Random stat that I find interesting: Panthers are 5-1 in their last six Sunday games.
19. Winnipeg 32-29-8 72 points
After watching their game against Buffalo last week I can't think of a better home crowd this season than the fans in Winnipeg.
20. Buffalo 32-29-8 72 points
Sabres are 8-2-1 in their last nine games and are currently on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
21. Calgary 32-25-12 76 points
Right now the Flames are tied for 8th in the West. I still don't think they get in.
22. Tampa Bay 31-30-7 69 points
Steven Stamkos is only two goals away from 50 on the season.
23. Toronto 30-31-8 68 points
The hiring of Randy Carlyle may work for the Maple Leafs. It just won't work this season.
24. Anaheim 29-30-10 68 points
Corey Perry is playing like an MVP scoring four goals in his last five games.
25. Minnesota 29-30-10 68 points
It's painful trying to watch the Wild do something simple right now, like completing a pass.
26. N.Y. Islanders 28-31-10 66 points
Some good news for the Islanders and John Tavares is ranked 10th in scoring amongst forwards with 66 points (28G, 38A)
27. Montreal 27-32-10 64 points
Max Pacioretty is the first American born player to score 30 goals for the Canadiens.
28. Carolina 26-28-15 67 points
Good News for the Hurricanes as Tuomo Ruttu could return to the lineup as early as Saturday.
29. Edmonton 26-35-7 59 points
Oilers have lost five of their last six games. (1-4-1)
30. Columbus 22-40-7 51 points
Swept by St. Louis in a home & home this past weekend which ended a four game winning streak.
St. Thomas Academy won it's 4th state title, all in Class A defeating Hermantown 5-1. Matt Perry and Alex Johnson scored goals in the 1st period for the Cadets as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never looked back.
Johnson, Peter Krieger and Austin Sattler added goals to make it 5-0 St. Thomas Academy before Jared Kolquist scored for Hermantown. The goal by Kolquist was the only goal that goalie David Zevnik gave up in the tournament. Zevnik finished the tournament with 55 saves.
St. Thomas academy finishes the year 26-5 while Hermantown suffers their only loss of the season in the state title game, finishing 30-1.
In the Class AA title game Hill Murray took on what many people believed was the team of destiny, Benilde St. Margaret's.
Junior forward Grant Besse had a game to remember as he scored all five goals for the Red Knights, three of them short-handed, en route to a 5-1 victory.
What impressed me about Besse was how well he skated and always had a sense to be in the right place at the right time. Besse has already committed to play at Wisconsin and after that game I'm guessing he is on the radar of every NHL scout. If he isn't he should be.
The state title is the 3rd for Benilde and their first in Class AA. The win caps an emotional season where forward Jack Jablonski was paralyzed due to a hit in a game on December 30th.
To me it just seems right that nobody else but Benilde wins the Class AA State Hockey Tournament.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 21.
1. St. Louis 45-18-7 97 points
Blues have won a season high five straight and have the best record in the NHL
2. Detroit 44-22-3 91 points
Good news for the Red Wings as Jimmy Howard looks to return just in time for their trip to California.
3. N.Y. Rangers 43-18-7 93 points
The Rangers are 23-7-2 at Madison Square Garden this season, their best home mark since 1994.
4. Pittsburgh 42-21-5 89 points
Don't look now but the Penguins have won nine in a row.
5. Vancouver 42-19-8 92 points
The Canucks look like a lock to win the Northwest Division again. That has their fans celebrating.
6. Boston 40-25-3 83 points
Goalie Tuukka Rask is out 4-6 weeks with a lower body injury leading the Bruins to sign Marty Turco to back up Tim Thomas. Having Turco on your roster never ends well.
7. Nashville 40-21-7 87 points
Newly acquired Andrei Kostitsyn has six points (3G, 3A) in five games as a Predator.
8. New Jersey 40-24-5 85 points
Congrats to Martin Brodeur on his 650 career victory, against the Flyers no less.
9. Philadelphia 39-22-7 85 points
Ilya Bryzgalov (4-0-0, 0.49 GAA, .985 save %) named NHL 1st star of the week.
10. Dallas 38-26-5 81 points
Stars penalty kill is now 30 for 31 over their last 10 games, a success rate of 97 percent.
11. Chicago 37-25-8 82 points
Blackhawks give a two year extension to forward Dan Carcillo. I for the life of me do not understand why.
12. Ottawa 36-25-9 81 points
Erik Karlsson has 69 points this season which leads all defenseman. The next closest is Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell with 44 points.
13. Colorado 36-30-4 76 points
Avalanche forward Matt Duchene out 3-4 weeks with an ankle injury. Not good news for a team fighting for a playoff spot.
14. Washington 35-28-6 76 points
Are the Capitals finally turning things around? They've won three in a row.
15. Phoenix 34-25-10 78 points
3-0 win over San Jose snaps a five game skid (0-4-1) Coyotes are currently 7th in the West.
16. San Jose 33-25-9 75 points
Sharks forward Joe Thornton is slumping as he only has two goals in his last 15 games.
17. Los Angeles 32-25-12 76 points
Kings are 5-4-1 in their last ten games and are hanging around in the Pacific Division race.
18. Florida 32-23-13 77 points
Random stat that I find interesting: Panthers are 5-1 in their last six Sunday games.
19. Winnipeg 32-29-8 72 points
After watching their game against Buffalo last week I can't think of a better home crowd this season than the fans in Winnipeg.
20. Buffalo 32-29-8 72 points
Sabres are 8-2-1 in their last nine games and are currently on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
21. Calgary 32-25-12 76 points
Right now the Flames are tied for 8th in the West. I still don't think they get in.
22. Tampa Bay 31-30-7 69 points
Steven Stamkos is only two goals away from 50 on the season.
23. Toronto 30-31-8 68 points
The hiring of Randy Carlyle may work for the Maple Leafs. It just won't work this season.
24. Anaheim 29-30-10 68 points
Corey Perry is playing like an MVP scoring four goals in his last five games.
25. Minnesota 29-30-10 68 points
It's painful trying to watch the Wild do something simple right now, like completing a pass.
26. N.Y. Islanders 28-31-10 66 points
Some good news for the Islanders and John Tavares is ranked 10th in scoring amongst forwards with 66 points (28G, 38A)
27. Montreal 27-32-10 64 points
Max Pacioretty is the first American born player to score 30 goals for the Canadiens.
28. Carolina 26-28-15 67 points
Good News for the Hurricanes as Tuomo Ruttu could return to the lineup as early as Saturday.
29. Edmonton 26-35-7 59 points
Oilers have lost five of their last six games. (1-4-1)
30. Columbus 22-40-7 51 points
Swept by St. Louis in a home & home this past weekend which ended a four game winning streak.
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