NHL Power Rankings: Sorting Out The Playoff Field

The 2018-19 NHL season has approached the home stretch. This edition of our NHL power rankings will make an attempt to sort through a cluttered field of postseason contenders.

The 2018-19 NHL season has entered the fourth quarter. This season has already been a great one. Looking at the postseason races, it should be an even better one down the stretch. The playoff field is shrinking, but there’s still a lot left to be figured out. This week’s NHL column will feature my weekly NHL power rankings, which will sort out the field, in my most humble opinion.

It will also feature my thoughts on a variety of NHL topics. This will hopefully be a weekly thing, so I hope you enjoy it. If you’d like to ask me any questions, just email me at FanSided.dave@gmail.com with the subject “Grab Bag”. There’s a good chance it will be answered in a future post.

Eastern Conference

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Nobody is catching up to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The season is a marathon, not a sprint. And the Lightning have been running that marathon like Usain Bolt runs 100-meter dashes. They’ve got the NHL’s best offense and have allowed the fourth-fewest goals. Tampa has the league’s most efficient power play and penalty kill.

2. Washington Capitals

The Metropolitan Division is slumping a bit right now. Both the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders are struggling at a time when it’s simply not good to struggle. Meanwhile, the Capitals are looking a lot like last season’s Stanley Cup winners.

Yes, they have a very tough schedule ahead, as their remaining opponents have an average point percentage of 0.625. However, that’s slightly skewed because they’ve got to play the Lightning twice. Nine of their remaining 17 games are against teams who are currently in the postseason. The Capitals play the Carolina Hurricanes twice. Those two games might well determine who wins the Metro.

3. Boston Bruins

Nobody’s talking about how darn good the Boston Bruins have been. They’ve faced a number of injuries and yet, they’re second in the Atlantic Division. David Pastrnak has been out for most of the post-All-Star break portion of their schedule. And yet, the Bruins have a 9-0-1 record over their past 10 games. Goaltender Tuukka Rask is looking as good as he’s ever looked.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are starting to resemble the team everyone thought they would be. It took them a while to get there, but everything seems to be clicking well for them right now. Frederik Andersen should be on everyone’s Vezina Trophy list.

They have quite a few injuries, but a relatively easy remaining schedule should cancel that out. At this point, the Leafs just need to make sure Jake Gardiner, Nazem Kadri, and Travis Dermott are 100 percent healthy for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

5. New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are still very much in the hunt for the Metropolitan Division title. But they’ve got to get their act together quickly. The Islanders defense hasn’t been as good as it has been for most of the season. Usually, their defense made up for their scoring woes. But that hasn’t been the case over the past few weeks.

Getting Andrew Ladd back healthy should help. If the Islanders get Michael Dal Colle back into the lineup, that should help too. They have a relatively easy schedule from here on out, but if the Islanders don’t start resembling the team that won a ton of games in December and January, they won’t be able to take advantage of it.

6. Carolina Hurricanes

Quick, which NHL team has the most wins in 2019? Is it the Lightning? Perhaps the Bruins? Nope, it’s the Carolina Hurricanes. Those bunch of jerks have had horrible scoring luck for quite some time. It appears the Hurricanes are making up for it because they’ve scored the most goals in 2019.

Carolina also appears to finally have that league average goaltending they’ve been looking for. Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney aren’t going to get on any Vezina Trophy ballots, but they’ve been darn solid. Which is way more than you could say about the Hurricanes goaltending in a while. If they can beat the reigning Stanley Cup Champs twice in the next few weeks, they might win the Metropolitan Division.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a very flawed team. Their defense is downright pitiful at times. But you’re a fool if you’re betting against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin right now. Also, Matt Murray has low key been pretty freaking good since returning from injury. The Penguins won with a blueline put together with bubble gum and duct tape in 2017, so don’t rule them out.

8. Montreal Canadiens

Ultimately, this spot comes down to the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens. Give me the team who has the easier schedule, which would be the latter. Carey Price, aside from a hiccup against the Penguins, has been playing terrific as of late. Now, can the Canadiens score enough to help him? There’s the $64,000 question. I think the answer is “yes”, though.

Western Conference

1. Calgary Flames

The race for first place in the Western Conference is going to be a ton of fun. I wouldn’t rule out the Sharks, but give me the Calgary Flames. They’ve got everything you want to see in a Stanley Cup contender except for good goaltending. The Flames have the easiest remaining schedule of any NHL team, so there’s no reason they shouldn’t win the West.

2. Winnipeg Jets

With three games in hand, the Winnipeg Jets have a one point lead over the Nashville Predators in the Central Division. Both teams are limping to the finish, as the two teams have combined for a 10-9-1 record of their respective last 10 games. This is why I believe the Western Conference Champion will ultimately come from the Pacific Division.

3. San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have been quite impressive as of late. They have a 6-3-1 record over their last 10 games. Gustav Nyquist has been a really nice addition to their offense. However, it’s not a secret their chances rely heavily on Martin Jones being a competent goaltender. He’s been great in previous postseasons, but he has been far from great this season.

4. Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators certainly have a shot at winning the Central Division. They’ve got an uphill battle, but their remaining schedule is noticeably easier than the Jets. The Predators’ remaining opponents have an average 0.552 point percentage while the Jets’ remaining opponents have an average 0.581 point percentage.

That said, I don’t know what to make of Nashville. The Predators are too darn inconsistent. Now would be a great time for their power play to finally start scoring some goals.

5. Vegas Golden Knights

Getting Mark Stone has significantly helped the Vegas Golden Knights. They’re starting to resemble last year’s team that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. The Golden Knights are playing quite well in front of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Now they just have to hope he has some gas left in the tank for a long postseason run. Vegas has the look of a team nobody wants to play in the playoffs.

6. St. Louis Blues

I’m not going to lie. I can’t help but think the St. Louis Blues are just setting their fans up for an epic let down. Because if there’s one thing the Blues know how to do, it’s let people down. In all seriousness, they’re looking a lot like the team everyone thought they would be. Perhaps even better. But can Jordan Binnington continue his hot streak? If he can, the Blues are a dark horse Stanley Cup contender.

7. Dallas Stars

Speaking of teams that enjoy letting their fans down, let’s discuss the Dallas Stars. They haven’t had a historical meltdown yet, so they’re already leagues ahead of last season’s farce. The Stars have their issues (scoring), but I’ll give them the nod because they have a pretty easy schedule from here on out. Their opponents have an average 0.533 point percentage. If they don’t make the postseason, it’s their fault. ‘

8. Arizona Coyotes

The last spot was between the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild. It would have been safe to pick the Wild, who are playing better than everyone thought they would without their captain Mikko Koivu. Ryan Donato has been a godsend for them. The Avalanche are a good team, but they’ve shown me nothing to make me think they’re able to go on the kind of run they’ll need to go on to make the postseason.

I’m not someone who likes “safe” picks. I enjoy making bold predictions, so the Coyotes making the postseason are mine. It would be nothing short of a miracle if they did. After all, no team has been hurt more by injuries than them.

Give the Coyotes credit, they’re defiantly raising a middle finger to the injury gods. They’ve won six straight and are right outside the playoffs. The Coyotes even have an easy remaining schedule to boot, as their remaining opponents have an average 0.534 point percentage.

Highlight Of The Week

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin didn’t put the puck in the net in his shootout attempt against the New York Rangers on Sunday. But he still scored the game-winning goal because goaltender Alexandar Georgiev threw his stick. According to the rules, goalies can’t do that. In a shootout (or penalty shot), it’s an automatic goal if they do.

Poor Georgiev was stuck in a no-win situation. Either get ridiculed for letting Ovechkin turn you into a human pretzel or get ridiculed for throwing his stick. Georgiev chose the much more hilarious option of the two.

23 Rants

Dallas Eakins is going to have a job coaching in the NHL next season. If the Anaheim Ducks don’t hire him, he’d be a home run pick for the Ottawa Senators. Though his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers didn’t go well, Eakins has earned a second chance for what he has done with the San Diego Gulls.
It’s an indictment on the Edmonton Oilers that they have both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and are still out of the playoffs. Both are having brilliant seasons and, if the Oilers were good, both would be in the Hart Trophy discussion.
The Buffalo Sabres were hoping the Ryan O’Reilly trade gave them the culture change they needed. It appears they were wrong. If the Sabres were indeed shopping Rasmus Ristolainen during the offseason, they should have traded him instead of O’Reilly.
After their 10 game winning streak, Buffalo had 36 points through 25 games. They only needed to play slightly better than .500 hockey to make the postseason (59 points in 57 games would have given them 95). Since their winning streak, the Sabres have a record of 13-22-6, good for 32 points in 41 games. That’s a 64 point pace. More changes are needed.
One team to watch this summer is the Vancouver Canucks. They have some very nice young pieces in place and a ton of cap space, even after factoring in Brock Boeser’s significant pay raise. This should be a good test for general manager Jim Benning. He’s done a great job drafting. But Benning’s work after the NHL Draft has left a lot to be desired.
The Senators are going to need to spend money to make the salary cap floor next season. I wonder, do they call the Oilers about Milan Lucic and try to milk Jesse Puljujarvi and a draft pick out of them? The Senators have a ton of cap space and they’d be very wise to use it to their advantage.
No team is going to be more under pressure this summer than the New Jersey Devils. They’ve got to convince Taylor Hall to stick around long-term. The best way for them to do that is to improve the team.
The New York Rangers didn’t wind up trading Chris Kreider at the trade deadline. However, they’ll likely move him this offseason unless they extend him. His value will never be higher than it is right now.
Everyone’s talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs facing a ton of offer sheets for Mitch Marner. However, if they face any, it would likely be for someone like Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson. Also, why is no one talking about the San Jose Sharks or Tampa Bay Lightning facing offer sheets for Timo Meier and Brayden Point, respectively? These offer sheet rumors are a smokescreen. Nobody’s signing anyone to an offer sheet.
Steve Yzerman’s going to get a new job this summer if he wants one. Every sign points to him taking over the Detroit Red Wings front office. He’ll have a plethora of options. My gut feeling is Yzerman will be hired by the Red Wings in a role larger than a general manager. Maybe a Bob Nicholson style role?
Barry Trotz is getting a lot of Jack Adams love (and rightfully so). However, don’t forget about Bill Peters (who has turned the Flames into legit Stanley Cup contenders) and Jon Cooper, who has found a way to keep the Lightning motivated through an 82 game schedule. Don’t sleep on Rod Brind’amour or Craig Berube either.
Keep an eye on the Pittsburgh Penguins. They now have six defensemen under contract for next season. This doesn’t include Marcus Pettersson, who is a restricted free agent. Somebody’s getting traded. One would hope no team is dumb enough to trade for Erik Gudbranson (again!) or Jack Johnson. Perhaps it’s Olli Maatta?
General Manager Lou Lamoriello has done a great job with the Islanders. But he deserves to be put over an open flame for not helping his team at the trade deadline. Also, it’s worth noting Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, and Robin Lehner haven’t signed an extension yet. Islanders fans are understandably starting to get a bit antsy because they went through this last season. Hopefully for them, this novel has a better ending.
A quick take about the war over what fans should do to John Tavares – sports are fun. The rivalry between the Islanders and Leafs has the potential to be a very fun one. Isles fans have every right to boo Tavares just as Toronto fans have every right to cheer him. It was entertaining to see the contrast.
Stop hating on the Hurricanes’ Storm Surge. I know the NHL doesn’t like fun, but hear me out. The Hurricanes have found a way for their players to engage with their fans and make hockey exciting again. Also, how are they going to top Evander Holyfield knocking someone out? Maybe have Ric Flair put someone in a Figure Four lock?
Speaking of the Hurricanes, I wonder if they’ll be interested in Sergei Bobrovsky this summer. The Canes are a goaltender away from being a legit Stanley Cup contender. Both of their goalies are free agents after this season. They certainly have the cap space for Bobrovsky too.
Ted Lindsay isn’t in the “greatest player ever” conversation. But the recently departed Red Wings legend is easily in the “most influential player ever” conversation. Lindsay put his career on the line to stand up for players’ rights and he should be applauded for it. Pour one out for him today.
St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube should be on everyone’s Jack Adams Trophy ballot. He’s turned their season around and has them playing great hockey. So why no extension? Perhaps the Blues are waiting to see what free agent coach Joel Quenneville wants to do.
Ultimately, the Philadelphia Flyers will likely be the team who hires coach Q. They’ve wanted him ever since he was fired. Scott Gordon has done an admirable job, but Quenneville would be perfect for the Flyers.
The Minnesota Wild had an interesting trade deadline strategy. They targeted young and talented, but flawed NHL players. It appears to have worked. Kevin Fiala has all the tools to be an impact player and the Wild have the patience to find out if he’ll be one. Donato’s off to a really good start too.
How close is Patrick Kane to being the greatest American hockey player ever? He’s got to be close. Heck, he might already be the greatest. Kane’s having a heck of a season and if the Blackhawks make the postseason, he deserves Hart Trophy votes.
The Florida Panthers are the favorites to sign Artemi Panarin at this point. They better hope they sign him because if they don’t, they’re going to look mighty dumb. Don’t be surprised if the Panthers pursue Bobrovsky as well. Remember, they’ve got Florida’s lack of taxes on their side.
How do the Los Angeles Kings rebuild? Most of their best players are locked up long-term and have some sort of no-trade protection. They don’t have very many young players either. Dean Lombardi left them in a big hole, but the Kings haven’t done much to dig themselves out.

Parting Shot

Shootouts are bad. If you want a gimmick to determine a hockey game, at least give us something enjoyable like a goalie race or a hardest shot competition. My solution would be to extend overtime to 10 minutes. Wouldn’t get rid of every shootout, but it would sure minimize them.