NHL 2022-23 Season Weekly Power Rankings: Monday 3/13
28. Philadelphia Flyers (27)
The Philadelphia Flyers won their first game of the week against the Detroit Red Wings but could not buy a win after that. With only three goals in their final three games of the week, the Flyers fall one spot.
27. Montreal Canadiens (24)
While we have grown to not expect much from this year’s version of the Montreal Canadiens, a week with four games and zero wins is still unacceptable. It will be a long end to the season for a storied franchise that has nothing to compete for in 2023.
26. Arizona Coyotes (28)
Unlike the Canadiens, the Arizona Coyotes picked up at least one point in each of their four games last week. The Coyotes have been hot and cold throughout this season, and this past week, they were hot.
25. Vancouver Canucks (26)
Speaking of hot, the Vancouver Canucks went three-for-three last week, extending their winning streak to four straight games. Vancouver has a new coach in place and some changes to the lineup since the deadline, so the franchise will hope that this is a glimpse of things to come.
24. St. Louis Blues (25)
The St. Louis Blues picked up a pair of wins last week against struggling teams, which is about as good as we should expect this team to look in what has been an underwhelming campaign. It’s been a tough season for the Blues, so an above-average week does little for St. Louis on this list.
23. Detroit Red Wings (23)
The Detroit Red Wings have been unable to get things back on track in 2023. With fewer than 20 games remaining on the schedule this season, the Red Wings are becoming less and less of a postseason threat with each passing week.
22. Buffalo Sabres (18)
While Detroit’s descent has been in progress for several weeks, the Buffalo Sabres had been gaining ground on some fringe playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. Last week, however, Buffalo went 0-3-1 and surrendered ten goals in an ugly loss to the Dallas Stars.
21. Calgary Flames (22)
The Calgary Flames are still sticking around in the race for a Western Conference playoff spot. With key wins over the Stars and Minnesota Wild, the Flames move up one spot in these rankings as they try to put it all together in time for the postseason.
20. Washington Capitals (21)
The Washington Capitals picked up three points in two games against Metropolitan Division opponents to creep a little closer to the second wild card spot in the East.
It still seems like a long shot for the Caps to make the playoffs, but winning games in the division is important, so they move up.
19. Nashville Predators (19)
It was a pretty up-and-down week for the Nashville Predators, and truthfully, the Preds could have easily moved down in these rankings. However, they are the first team out in the West, so they remain in the same spot.
18. Ottawa Senators (16)
Perhaps the most impressive team in the NHL a week ago, the Ottawa Senators did not follow that up with a very good performance last week. With lopsided losses to both the Blackhawks and Canucks, the Senators’ playoff hopes took a serious hit last week.
17. Florida Panthers (20)
Conversely, the Florida Panthers had a solid week, going 2-0-1. The Cats are still sitting outside of the playoff picture, but like the other teams on this slide, Florida is essentially already playing playoff games, and last week, it took a step toward the actual playoffs.
16. Winnipeg Jets (14)
Things have not been great for the Winnipeg Jets lately, and while last week wasn’t a disaster, it didn’t help the team improve its playoff positioning. A team that once was in contention for the Central Division title, the Jets are now battling to stay out of a wild card spot.
15. Pittsburgh Penguins (17)
Don’t look now, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing some inspired hockey. With points in eight of their last nine contests, the Pens are moving further away from the fringe of the playoff picture and closer to a top-three spot in the Metro.
14. New York Islanders (15)
The New York Islanders went 2-1 last week, but they’re beginning to look more and more like a playoff team.
They’ve played more games than most teams in the NHL this season, so their point total might be misleading, but their spot in the playoffs looks to be in less jeopardy than it was a few weeks ago.
13. Edmonton Oilers (13)
From the high of beating the Boston Bruins to the low of blowing a lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Oilers continue to be inconsistent from game to game. The only thing that fans can count on on a nightly basis is more magic from Connor McDavid.
12. New York Rangers (12)
The New York Rangers had another good week as they attempt to settle into the number three spot in the Metro.
With a sizable gap between them and the New Jersey Devils in second place and key games coming up against the Penguins, the Rangers are looking to cement their current position in the division.
11. Colorado Avalanche (7)
The Colorado Avalanche did not have a bad week, but in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there is no room for error. Colorado’s key win was a 6-0 result against the Sharks, but losses to the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings drop the Avs in these rankings.
10. Seattle Kraken (11)
Since surprising fans across the NHL in the early parts of this season, the Seattle Kraken have become less exciting in 2023. Still, Seattle earned points in three of its four games last week and is still a top-three team in the Pacific Division.
9. Minnesota Wild (10)
The Minnesota Wild have been on an absolute tear as of late. With outstanding goaltending, solid defense, and a shot at first place in the Central Division, the only thing in the Wild’s way right now is the injury to Kirill Kaprizov.
8. Los Angeles Kings (9)
Los Angeles is similar to Seattle in the sense that it quietly goes about its business. There are plenty of teams out West that garner attention each night, but the Kings continue to sneakily pick up points and stay in a favorable playoff position.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (8)
Besides last Sunday’s thumping at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, last week was much better for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts have an outside shot at catching the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, but more realistically, this will be a third-place club,
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (4)
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a perfect week, going 2-0. Toronto’s two-spot drop is a result of two Western Conference teams not only having good weeks themselves but also extending their respective division leads.
The Leafs are, of course, well behind the Bruins, and that counts against them here.
5. Dallas Stars (5)
Dallas took everyone by surprise by dropping ten goals on the Sabres last Thursday. For the week, the Stars went 2-1, and their 36-17-13 record continues to pace the Central, though the Wild are close behind.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (3)
Goal-scoring became a problem for the Metro-leading Carolina Hurricanes at the end of last week.
There is no need to panic about a team as good as Carolina, though, and its 6-0 win over the Bolts last Sunday is a perfect example of how this can be one of the best teams in the NHL on any given night.
3. Vegas Golden Knights (6)
This is a team that I believe has recently become more exciting. With six wins in their last seven games, including an impressive 4-0 win over the aforementioned Hurricanes, the Vegas Golden Knights are back to being the top team in the West.
2. New Jersey Devils (2)
For the second week in a row, the New Jersey Devils own the second spot in these rankings. New Jersey won all but one game last week and is trying to hunt down the Hurricanes and claim the Metro crown.
1. Boston Bruins (1)
Last week, the Boston Bruins became the first team in the NHL to reach 50 wins this season and became the first to clinch a playoff berth as well.
More. The 2023 New Jersey Devils are the 2022 New York Rangers. light
It may not have been a perfect week for the Bruins, but as long as they continue to set the standard league-wide, they’ll continue to be number one on this list.