The home stretch is upon us and any playoff bubble teams want to get in the dance, now is the time to show it.
Once again this week there is little movement at the top of the rankings, however, there is significant movement shortly thereafter.
The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers lead the upside this week while the Hurricanes, Capitals, Penguins, and Coyotes make notable jumps themselves.
The Battle of the Central Division: Jets vs Predators
On the downside, the Blue Jackets lead the way after some post-deadline struggles while the Predators and Islanders fall back from their previous spots as well.
Let’s see how the league stacks up this week!
1. Tampa Bay Lightning (50-12-4)
Last Week: 1
I might as well shorten this segment to a 30-team fight for second place as the Lightning continue to assert their dominance on the rest of the league.
They have won nine of their last 10 games and with 104 points through 66 games, they will cruise to a top-seed finish in the Atlantic and pound on the second Wild Card team in the east when the playoffs arrive.
2. Boston Bruins (39-17-9)
Last Week: 2
It’s hard to force any shakeup in the top two spots in the rankings considering the Bruins are also winners of nine of their last 10 and have not lost in regulation since January 19th against the rangers.
They have done all this damage without superstar David Pastrnak in their lineup, but the young winger is expected back shortly, making this white-hot Bruins group even more formidable heading towards the postseason.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs (41-21-4)
Last Week: 4 (+1)
The Maple Leafs might sit three points back of the Flames for third overall in the league, but they match their 41 wins, match their 41 regulation + overtime wins, own a +52 to +42 goal differential advantage and spanked the Flames 6-2 on Monday night.
Including John Tavares’ embarrassing return to Long Island, the Maple Leafs have won five of their last six and have scored at least five goals in all of these victories. Needless to say, this is a monster of an Atlantic Division.
4. Calgary Flames (41-18-7)
Last Week: 3 (-1)
The Flames took one on the chin Monday, their second consecutive loss since rattling off seven wins in a row to conclude the month of February.
Johnny Gaudreau’s goal on Monday was just his second over his last 16 games which makes a seven-game winning streak seem impossible during such a stretch. The Flames have scored more than two goals in just one of their last six games.
5. San Jose Sharks (39-19-8)
Last Week: 5
The lack of a shareup near the top continues here with the Sharks as they hang onto the fifth spot thanks to winning two in a row and six of their last 10.
The modest two-game win streak has coincided with the Flames’ modest two-game losing streak which has the Sharks back within arm’s length of Calgary for top spot in the Pacific. Let’s hope their March 31st clash in San Jose has divisional implications.
6. Washington Capitals (38-21-7)
Last Week: 9 (+3)
The Capitals make a three-spot jump in the rankings thanks to a four-game win streak that has them sitting atop the Metropolitan Division standings once again.
What’s even better is the fact that if the playoffs started today, the Capitals would face the Pittsburgh Penguins in round one of the playoffs, something hockey fans everywhere need to be rooting for regardless of bias.
7. Carolina Hurricanes (36-23-6)
Last Week: 11 (+4)
The Hurricanes have gone from several points outside of the playoff picture into a top-three spot in the Metro, leapfrogging the Penguins and Blue Jackets in the process.
They have rattled off five wins in a row and have won eight of their last 10. All the sudden, their offense has been unstoppable with 4.40 goals per game over their five-game win streak. Their white-hot stretch will be greatly tested this week in games against the Bruins, Jets, and Predators.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (36-26-5)
Last Week: 17 (+9)
The Golden Knights might not be at the top of the league standings, but boy are they starting to resemble last year’s club of late.
They have won four straight games and haven’t allowed a goal in each of their last two. The win streak has coincided with the trade deadline acquisition of Mark Stone as they are once again a club that no one wants to face come playoff time.
9. New York Islanders (37-21-7)
Last Week: 6 (-3)
The Islanders’ beatdown of John Tavares and the Maple Leafs last Thursday probably felt good, but that’s been about it as of late.
New York has lost the other three of their last four and have scored exactly one goal in each of those three losses. They have an excellent opportunity to bounce back this week with back-to-back games against the Senators before a couple of big ones with the Flyers and Blue Jackets on Saturday and Monday, respectively.
10. Winnipeg Jets (39-22-4)
Last Week: 7 (-3)
The Jets have won two in a row, but also just five of their last 10 to fall a couple spots in the rankings.
They appear to have Patrik Laine back full of confidence with four goals and six points over his last six games. Perhaps his spot on the top line alongside Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler won’t be so temporary after all.
11. Pittsburgh Penguins (34-22-9)
Last Week: 14 (+3)
The Penguins briefly fell out of the playoff picture last week, but whalloped the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 on Saturday and leapfrogged them for the top Wild Card spot in the east in the process.
Pittsburgh has at least one point in eight of their last 10 and have done so during a time where Phil Kessel hasn’t scored in his last 15 games. Perhaps Sidney Crosby’s 21 points over his last 10 games have helped the cause.
12. Nashville Predators (38-25-5)
Last Week: 8 (-4)
The Predators are looking more and more like the team that will finish second in the Central and face the Blues rather than a much more comfortable matchup with whoever finishes as the top Wild Card seed in the west.
They sit one point behind the Jets but have played three more games and with 14 games remaining, they better hope for a Jets losing skid in order to get a shot at another division crown.
13. St. Louis Blues (34-25-6)
Last Week: 10 (-3)
The Blues have lost two in a row, the latter of which was a big one against the Dallas Stars who now sit just three points back of St. Louis for the third spot in the Central.
A three-game swing through California is never easy regardless of the standings and that is exactly what the Blues will face this week as part of six of their next seven games coming on the road.
14. Minnesota Wild (32-27-7)
Last Week: 13 (-1)
The Wild might be in a dogfight to get into the postseason, however they have have five of their last six games and notched a point in that lone loss via the shootout Sunday against the Predators.
They’ll take on that same Central Division for Tuesday night in Nashville before a two-game swing through Florida against the Lightning and Panthers later in the week. Circle the March 14th tilt against the Stars as a big one for this club.
15. Montreal Canadiens (35-24-7)
Last Week: 15
The Canadiens lost a big one to the Penguins on Saturday, but they sure took care of business in their previous two by beating the Red Wings and Rangers by a combined 12-3 score, both of which came on the road.
Like the Blues, the Habs are heading out to California to face the Kings, Sharks and Ducks before getting the weekend off. Needless to say, they will certainly require vintage Carey Price, or close to it, to sneak into the playoffs.
16. Arizona Coyotes (32-28-5)
Last Week: 20 (+4)
No one in the NHL is doing more with less than the Arizona Coyotes.
They have won six games in a row and eight of their last 10 despite a laundry list of injuries, a list that now includes Derek Stepan for at least a few weeks.
They are defending with the best of em’ with just three goals against over their last two and no more than three against in each of their last six. Of their next 13 games to conclude March, only four opponents are currently in the playoff picture, so at least the schedule is in their favor moving forward.
17. Philadelphia Flyers (32-26-8)
Last Week: 19 (+2)
The Flyers are not going to say die as they have won seven of their last 10 and sit five points back of the Penguins and Canadiens for either of the two Wild Card spots in the east.
Now, the schedule gets interesting for the Flyers. Three of their next four are against either the Capitals (twice) and the Islanders. After that, two of their next three are against the Penguins and Canadiens. Furthermore, two of their next three after that are against the Islanders and Capitals. Boy, now would be a good time for one of those 11-game win streaks.
18. Dallas Stars (33-27-5)
Last Week: 16 (-2)
Their win against the Blues was their second in a row, but more consistency is going to be required moving forward if the playoffs are where they want to end up.
How about the quiet, elite season from goaltender Ben Bishop? Bishop has allowed more than two goals in just one of his last seven starts and owns a .948 Sv% over that time. If he can stay healthy, which has been an issue in his Stars tenure, he would be the single biggest reason why Dallas makes it to the dance.
19. Edmonton Oilers (29-30-7)
Last Week: 27 (+8)
The Oilers have risen from the dead in the west thanks to three straight wins including a come-from-behind 4-3 win in Buffalo on Monday after being down 3-1 in the second.
The climb is still very much uphill as they sit six points back of the Stars and Wild. That said, if Leon Draisaitl continues to score every night they might just get there. He has 17 goals over his last 18 games and quietly sits second in the Rocket Richard race with 41 goals in 66 contests this season.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (36-26-3)
Last Week: 12 (-8)
The Jackets plummet down the rankings as they have dropped three of their last four games at a time where most of their division and conference has been on the upswing.
The three losses are especially concerning after going all-in at the trade deadline with the acquisitions of Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Adam McQuaid, all of which are free agents at season’s end and the latter of which was a healthy scratch on Sunday. They play two massive games against the Penguins this week.
21. Colorado Avalanche (28-26-12)
Last Week: 18 (-3)
The Avalanche are one of those teams in desperate need of wins down the stretch as they sit three points back of a Wild Card spot with the Coyotes to jump in the process.
If they fall short of the postseason, look no further than those 12 extra time losses, 11 of which have come in overtime. This league is chock-full of one-goal games, but losing that many in overtime is a good way to fall short of expectations.
22. Florida Panthers (28-26-11)
Last Week: 21 (-1)
The Panthers have done well to get at least a point in eight of their last 10, but they too can look to their record in extra time as a reason for their failures.
Their issues have been in the shootout where they have gone just 3-6 on the year on top of their five overtime losses. The playoffs are a pipe dream at this point, but I expect a productive offseason for Dale Tallon and his group.
23. New York Rangers (27-27-11)
Last Week: 23
The Rangers have been solid, if unspectacular as of late with a 3-4-3 record over their last 10.
That is all irrelevant at this point as the focal point for this club right now is getting looks at the future of the team in such names as Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, Brendan Lemieux, Libor Hajek, and Brett Howden. I like the future of this club as they’ve done well to accumulate significant assets for expiring veteran contracts over the last two years.
24. Buffalo Sabres (30-28-8)
Last Week: 22 (-2)
The free-fall in Buffalo continues and hit another low in last night’s loss to the Oilers on home ice after they led 3-1 in the latter half of the second period.
Jack Eichel has been a machine of late, but it’s been a one-man show and the Oilers just haven’t received any sort of goaltending in some time. The development of future No.1 Linus Ullmark has hit a snag this season, however, a bright spot has indeed been Rasmus Dahlin who has quietly been as advertised as an 18-year-old blueliner.
25. Chicago Blackhawks (27-30-9)
Last Week: 24 (-1)
The next two teams have faltered in their bid for an unthinkable playoff appearance, beginning here with Chicago who have dropped two in a row and six of their last 10.
At this point, it’s going to take another lengthy win streak to get back into the race at eight points back and with four teams to jump before they sit inside the postseason.
26. Vancouver Canucks (27-30-9)
Last Week: 25 (-1)
The Canucks have done well to get their name into the race in the west, but the truth is they still sit 13th in the conference and they are very much still a rebuilding team.
This league can humble you in a hurry and Elias Pettersson is no exception as he has a point in just one of his last six games and it stands to wonder if the 20-year-old star can benefit from a 22.6% shooting percentage again moving forward.
27. Anaheim Ducks (25-32-9)
Last Week: 28 (+1)
The Ducks are out of the race too and have dropped five of their last six and are moving ever so closer to getting one of those valuable top two picks in the upcoming NHL entry draft in June.
It’s also very much about getting looks at the future of the team in players like Max Jones, Troy Terry, and Sam Steele moving forward, a group that will now include veteran Jakob Silfverberg who inked a five-year extension with the team last week.
28. New Jersey Devils (25-33-8)
Last Week: 26 (-2)
The Devils have dropped three in a row in their bid to fall closer to the basement in the east.
Taylor Hall’s season is all but over at this point and it will go down as one of the more disappointing all-around seasons for player and team following a Hart Trophy and postseason year the prior season. Their 8-21-3 record on the road didn’t give them a chance at any point this season.
29. Los Angeles Kings (24-33-8)
Last Week: 30 (+1)
Well, the Kings lost nine games in a row and move up a spot, mostly because that lone win was in their most recent game and the Red Wings have now lost four in a row.
This is going to be a tough road ahead for Los Angeles without too many top prospects knocking on the door unlike some of the other rebuilding clubs we see near the bottom of these rankings. Hard to envision any sort of quick turnaround here.
30. Detroit Red Wings (23-33-9)
Last Week: 29 (-1)
The Wings have taken a licking of late and that was not more evident than their 8-1 home loss to the Canadiens last week.
Detroit’s defense has fallen apart of late which has put a renewed onus on management to improve the back end, in particular, considering most of their top prospects play up front. I would also look for the team to re-sign veteran Jimmy Howard next season after not moving him at the deadline.
31. Ottawa Senators (23-38-5)
Last Week: 31
It’s been a full-blown disaster for the Senators since about December 1st of 2018 and the pain should continue for some more years yet until the team figures out its situation both on and off the ice.
They need a more accessible arena, they need faith in the franchise and they need players that want to remain in Ottawa long-term. For now, they have the best chance at the number one pick in June’s draft.
Brenton Kemp
Brenton is a lifelong sports fan who resides in Ontario, Canada. Brenton is a fan of most all sports but specializes in hockey, baseball, football, basketball, and golf. He’s a fierce researcher with a strong appetite to deliver accurate and relevant facts that in turn have led to past success with picks and DFS advice across the board. Brenton’s biggest goal is to deliver readers with the picks and advice that can build their bankroll. He takes great pride in his success and loves nothing more than to share that success for the benefit of everyone involved.
