NHL Power Rankings: Highlights and Lowlights of Week 6

In this week’s NHL Power Rankings, a Canes fan steals some ice cream, the lights went out in Boston, and Dallas’ scorers get called out… again.

Happy Wednesday, hockey fans. Welcome back to the NHL Power Rankings with highlights and lowlights from each team over the last week. It’s the only way to really get a taste of how everyone’s doing.

As always, comments are encouraged. Disagreeing with an author is basically what comment sections were made for, and we know how everyone loves telling people that their own opinion is indeed the right one. So let us know what your right opinion is below.

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• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

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On to the rankings.

NHL Power Rankings

1. Washington Capitals (2-0-1, +4 Goal Differential)
Last Week: 2

Highlight: After a brilliant save by Braden Holtby, John Carlson and Tom Wilson teaming up for the OT winner in Florida.

Lowlight: The first minute of the second period against the Coyotes, giving up goals to Christian Fisher and Michael Grabner to fall behind 3-0. The Caps would lose in a shootout after TJ Oshie’s OT game-winner was called back on an offside review.

2. Boston Bruins (0-1-2, -2 GD)
Last Week: 1

Highlight: Brad Marchand’s tying goal against Philadelphia late in the third to force OT. Warning, this highlight has a big time Jack Edwards warning.

Lowlight: Someone must have been leaning on the light switch early in the second period against Florida, and accidentally caused a momentary blackout in the TD Garden. Whoops.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-0-1, Even GD)
Last Week: 6

Highlight: Bryan Rust’s pair of goals helped lead the Pens to a big division win against the Islanders, snapping the Isles’ 10 game win streak.

Lowlight: Sidney Crosby is injured, and possibly getting sports hernia surgery. The Pens have been in zombie mode all season, but this one could really hurt.

4. Colorado Avalanche (3-0-0, +11 GD)
Last Week: 16

Highlights: Cale Makar and Nathan Mackinnon are carrying this team. Makar’s pair against Columbus and Mackinnon’s pair in Winnipeg each led directly to wins.

Lowlight: I have always maintained that no good jersey has ever come from the Stadium Series. This is further proof, as the Avalanche are channeling their inner 1980’s Canucks with this leaked jersey.

5. St. Louis Blues (2-0-1, +4 GD)
Last Week: 9

Highlight: Jake Allen’s two saves against Alex Chiasson in Edmonton, robbing Chiasson of a sure goal that the Oilers really could have used.

Lowlight: David Perron feeding a perfect centering pass to…Arizona’s Clayton Keller. Pizza time!

6. New York Islanders (1-0-1, Even GD)
Last Week: 5

Highlight: Mat Barzal’s hands on this dirty, dirty PPG against Florida to give the Isles a 1-0 lead.

Lowlight: Blowing a 3-0 third period lead to snap their 10 game win streak against Pittsburgh.

7. Vancouver Canucks (1-3-0, -5 GD)
Last Week: 3

Highlight: The power play against Nashville scoring on all three attempts, and counting for the first three Vancouver goals in their 5-3 win.

Lowlight: The Canucks tried three-against-the-goalie last week, and that failed. So this week, they removed the goalie from the equation and tried three-against-an-open-goal in Winnipeg.

8. Carolina Hurricanes (1-2-0, +1 GD)
Last Week: 8

Highlight: Pick either Sebastian Aho goal against the Senators in their 8-2 blowout win. Let’s show you the hand-eye goal here, as Aho picked the puck off the boards and batted it in out of midair.

Lowlight: During an intermission show, a Canes fan steals ice cream from his friend, tries to put it back after a lick, but after realizing he’d be caught, he just walked away with it. The perfect crime.

9. Philadelphia Flyers (3-0-0, +1 GD)
Last Week: 14

Highlight: Sean Couturier’s game-winning goal against Montreal counting for the only win the Flyers had this week that wasn’t in a shootout.

Lowlight: Rebound control and clearing the crease were both things that the Flyers didn’t do on this Danton Heinen spin cycle goal that got the Bruins back in the game.

10. Nashville Predators (0-2-1, -7 GD)
Last Week: 4

Highlight: Filip Forsberg scoring a highlight reel goal to open the scoring late against the Sharks.

Lowlight: Giving up six goals in just eight minutes against the Avalanche in a 9-4 loss. You could say it was an…Avalanche of goals…I regret nothing.

11. Montreal Canadiens (2-0-1, Even GD)
Last Week: 11

Highlight: Shea Weber’s if-at-first-you-don’t-succeed goal, where he took a slap shot that was blocked by Matt Roy of the Kings, the puck rebounded in the air back to Weber, who slapped at it again and scored.

Lowlight: James van Riemsdyk’s dirty goal off a failed clear giving the Flyers a 2-0 lead early in the second.

12. Edmonton Oilers (2-2-0, +2 GD)
Last Week: 12

Highlight: Connor McDavid’s hat trick against Anaheim, including a goal pretty much only McDavid can score on a regular basis.

Lowlight: Their first period against San Jose, falling behind 3-0, and a fourth goal early in the second was too much to overcome.

13. Arizona Coyotes (2-2-0, -2 GD)
Last Week: 7

Highlight: Michael Grabner scoring a classic Michael Grabner goal against Washington, stealing a pass and breaking in on a goalie by himself.

Lowlight: Emil Bemstrom’s first NHL goal coming from behind the net, bouncing the puck off the back of Darcy Kuemper to tie the game for Columbus.

14. Florida Panthers (2-1-1, -2 GD)
Last Week: 10

Highlight: A four goal third to come back and erase a 4-0 lead in Boston.

Lowlight: Brett Connolly denied of the tying goal against the Islanders with a save by…Jordan Eberle?

15. Toronto Maple Leafs (1-1-1, Even GD)
Last Week: 17

Highlight: John Tavares is officially back, scoring the OT winner against Vegas.

Lowlight: He’ll need to be back, as Mitch Marner is injured and will be out for at least a month.

16. Calgary Flames (1-0-1, +2 GD)
Last Week: 18

Highlight: A four goal second period was all it took to take down New Jersey at home, including a pair on the power play.

Lowlight: David Perron’s PPGWOTG for the Blues (stands for power play game winning overtime goal).

17. Vegas Golden Knights (0-2-1, -5 GD)
Last Week: 13

Highlight: Max Pacioretty’s third-period ice-breaking goal was all the Knights needed for a point in Toronto.

Lowlight: Anthony Mantha’s last-minute game-winner on a breakaway for a Red Wings win in Detroit.

18. Buffalo Sabres (0-2-0, -3 GD)
Last Week: 15

Highlight: Viktor Olofsson’s third-period goal to keep hope alive for the Sabres in Sweden. Always nice to see a guy score in his home country in one of these specialty games.

Lowlight: Yanni Gourde cleaning up a loose puck to give the Lightning the eventual winning goal in the first game of the series.

19. Dallas Stars (0-0-1, -1 GD)
Last Week: 19

Highlight: Those Winter Classic jerseys are incredible.

Lowlight: It’s becoming an annual thing for someone higher up to call out Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin not scoring enough. This time it’s head coach Jim Montgomery.

20. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0-0, +3 GD)
Last Week: 22

Highlight: Viktor Hedman scoring on a bomb on the power play to give the Lightning a lead they wouldn’t surrender. Always nice to see a guy score in his home country in one of these specialty games.

Lowlight: Sam Reinhart’s three goals in two games is just about all they let up, so easy week for the traveling Lightning.

21. Winnipeg Jets (2-1-0, Even GD)
Last Week: 21

Highlight: Kyle Connor’s steal and breakaway goal against the Canucks turned out to be the dagger in a 4-1 win.

Lowlight: Adam Werner’s 40 save shutout in his NHL debut was what kept the Jets off the scoreboard against Colorado. This came after Pavel Francouz was knocked out of the game 30 seconds in.

22. New York Rangers (3-0-1, +7 GD)
Last Week: 24

Highlight: Despite being outshot 47-19, and out-Corsi’d 90-38, Henrik Lundqvist stole yet another game for the Rangers, leading the way to a 4-2 win over Carolina.

Lowlight: Alexander Barkov and Dominic Toninato scoring 30 seconds apart to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead in the first at the Garden.

23. Anaheim Ducks (0-1-1, -5 GD)
Last Week: 20

Highlight: Max Jones scoring on a gorgeous wrap-around for his first of the season against Edmonton.

Lowlight: Dylan Larkin scoring in the last minute of the game to turn defeat into a subsequent OT win for the Wings.

24. San Jose Sharks (3-0-0, +4 GD)
Last Week: 30

Highlight: Scoring four first period goals against Minnesota.

Lowlight: Almost blowing it, hanging on to a 6-5 win.

25. Columbus Blue Jackets (1-1-1, -1 GD)
Last Week: 25

Highlight: Oliver Bjorkstrand handling a bouncing puck and ripping it past Darcy Kuemper for the game-winning goal in Arizona.

Lowlight: Cale Makar walking all over them for two goals in Colorado, the difference in a 4-2 Avs win.

26. Chicago Blackhawks (2-0-1, +4 GD)
Last Week: 29

Highlight: Robin Lehner making 53 saves against the Maple Leafs in a 5-4 win.

Lowlight: Calvin de Haan’s quote saying that the advanced stats don’t tell everything and that the Hawks aren’t giving up that many Grade-A chances. At the time, according to Natural Stat Trick, the Hawks had given up the most High Danger Scoring Chances in the NHL. But sure, not that many Grade-A’s.

27. Los Angeles Kings (1-1-1, Even GD)
Last Week: 26

Lowlight: Giving up two goals to Montreal in just 15 seconds, which would be the difference in the game.

Highlight: Jonathan Quick keeping his team in it with an impossible save on Tomas Tatar.

28. New Jersey Devils (1-2-0, -6 GD)
Last Week: 23

Highlight: Mackenzie Blackwood holding up the fort in Vancouver, stopping 32 of 33 for a 2-1 victory. Blackwood now officially owns the Canucks, with four wins and two shutouts against them.

Lowlight: Mikael Backlund’s game-winning power play goal came on a centering feed that hit Andy Greene’s stick and in past Blackwood. Nothing new for the Devils, that happens several times a year.

29. Ottawa Senators (2-1-0, -2 GD)
Last Week: 27

Highlight: Scoring two goals four seconds apart against Carolina, a team record.

Lowlight: Anders Nilsson’s night ending after a horrible bounce from a Haydn Fleury shot off a stick ended up in the back of his net. It’s ok, though, because Craig Anderson didn’t do any better. Both goalies gave up four each that night.

30. Minnesota Wild (1-2-0, -2 GD)
Last Week: 28

Highlight: Their come from behind win against Arizona in regulation, with Ryan Hartman getting the winner in the third.

Lowlight: Michael Grabner kinda kicking in a goal that just rolled right past everyone somehow. Devan Dubnyk had over-committed and watched helplessly as the puck trickled in slowly.

31. Detroit Red Wings (3-1-0, Even GD)
Last Week: 31

Highlight: Robby Fabbri scoring twice in his first game as a Red Wing, leading the charge in an upset win against Boston.

Lowlight: Greg McKegg following up his shot that Jimmy Howard lost, then Tyler Bertuzzi overskated it, for a goal typical for the Red Wings to give up this year.

Team of the Week

This week’s team is the Colorado Avalanche, who are taking Next Man Up to a whole new level. Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog are still on the shelf, as is starting goalie Phillipp Grubauer. However, Cale Makar and Nathan Mackinnon both led the way to a big three-win week.

Joonas Donskoi chipped in with a hat trick in their 9-4 win against the Preds, and Adam Werner stood in for an injured Pavel Francouz and stopped all 40 Jets shots in his NHL debut. Imagine what they’ll look like when everyone gets back.

Team in the Box

For the first time, a top-10 team is in the box, and it’s the victim of that 9-4 win, the Predators. Giving up nine is always bad. Giving up six goals in eight minutes is even worse. On top of that, they managed to only score one on the Sharks, a team known for bad goaltending.

Adding fuel to the fire was their penalty kill in Vancouver failing to kill a single penalty, and that was the difference in that game. It was a bad week for the Preds on the road. They’ll bounce back from a bad week. Everyone has one.