PHN NHL Power Ranking Poll 13 March 2015
The NHL is coming to raucous end of the 2014-15 season. A few pleasant surprises remain evident this late in the season. But there are a number of disappointments that still are playing out. Nonetheless, the NHL schedule has made for some exciting hockey at times and the poll reflects the changes and steadiness of some teams.
Eastern Conference
Adam Says: There is very little difference between the top four teams in the East. They are all really good teams and each also has a weakness heading into the playoff run. The first round matchups may be more important that what ultimate seed they each obtain.
- Tampa Bay (+1)-They Lightning certainly know how to score goals. They sport the best goal differential in the NHL. When things get tighter in the playoffs will their goaltending, which has been good, become good enough to make a deep run? Confidence is high after a shutout in Montreal
- New York Rangers (+4)-It is very believable to think the Blueshirts could represent the conference for the second straight year in the Stanley Cup Final. Rick Nash is playing on a different level than we have ever seen him at. He is not getting much talk for the Hart Memorial Trophy but should be. He is playing both ends of the ice and is leading the Rangers to a possible top seed. They have not missed a beat with Talbot taking over the net during Lundquist’s injury.
- Montreal (-2)-Carey Price is THE team. He made 36 saves, allowing only one puck past him against Tampa on Tuesday night and still lost. The players in front of him will need to find a touch more scoring in the playoffs or else is In Price We Must Trust.
- New York Islanders (-1)-They have cooled off a bit the last two weeks and are starting to show some of their holes, mainly in net. The Islanders need to avoid the Rangers and Capitals in the playoffs if they want a chance to make a deep run.
- Pittsburgh (0)-The Penguins biggest problem is their poor play inside the division. The playoffs force you to go through your own division for the first two rounds and their 9-11-4 record doesn’t bode well for their chances.
- Detroit (-2)-The team always makes the playoffs. They have once again battled through injuries this season but are in a position with a good stretch run to gain home ice for at least the first round.
- Washington (0)-The Caps could be a very dangerous team come playoff time. Braden Holtby continues to be the surprise goalie of the year with his 2.15 GAA. Their offense is what most expected and have yet to truly get on a long winning streak. A seven-game series could get them on the needed roll.
- Boston (0)-Just when it looked like they could possibly miss the postseason, the Bruins grabbed points in nine of their past 11 games. Their comeback victory over Philadelphia may have ended the Flyers hopes and they have finally separated a bit from the Panthers.
- Ottawa (+2)-Too little too late for the Senators. It took them too long to get right their ship. Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere and provided some record setting goaltending to give Ottawa fans some playoff hope. Their biggest problem is Boston also started playing quality hockey at the same time.
- New Jersey (+2)-Move some bodies at the trade deadline, send your most skilled players elsewhere and all the Devils have done is gotten on their best streak this season. New Jersey has come together to win six of their past 11 games and are showing some heart down the stretch.
- Florida (-1)-The team that was so close to turning the corner is instead looking from the outside again. The Panthers had a good February run, but have not been able to sustain their momentum in March. For a franchise that needed a strong finish for off-ice reasons, it appears they will sputter to the end.
- Philadelphia (-3)-Mark down Saturday, March 7th as the day their playoff dreams ended. With a late third period lead on Boston, it looked like a solid two points were coming their way. Instead Brad Marchand scored with 15 second to go and then again in overtime. The Flyers then made matters worse losing in New Jersey and against Dallas. Wonder if they are sad they ran Peter Laviolette out of town?
- Carolina (+1)-Cam Ward didn’t get moved at the trade deadline.
- Columbus (-2)-If this franchise can avoid bad luck, they could be fun to watch next year. No team has been hurt more by injuries than the Blue Jackets. Sadly, they also got were stuck with the worst All-Star Game in NHL History. Not a great year for the franchise.
- Toronto (+1)-They are still terrible. Finally, someone spoke up to the media and defended his teammates. They have played slight better than the Sabres, so they aren’t the worst in the East.
- Buffalo (-1)-It got dicey in Buffalo for a little bit. It looked like they might play themselves out of a guarantee of getting one of the top two picks. All seems to have been set right again as the Sabres have played terrible hockey and are making sure Edmonton doesn’t drop below them.
Adam.Minnick@prohockeynews.com
Western Conference
Lou says: The Pacific Division and the Western Conference as a whole must truly detest the Los Angeles Kings. For months, the Kings looked like an also-ran in the division. But since the All-Star Break they have found the switch and admittedly had to flip it a few times but at press they are in a wild card spot. The trick will be making that a consistent effort going into the playoffs. Otherwise, there have been major changes in the west since our last poll.
- We can no longer avoid giving the nod to the St Louis Blues. Brian Elliot owns the Blues’ net and has been solid In support of an offense that has sputtered including a 1-0 win through the talent portion of their match with the Devils this week. The trick as always for Ken Hitchcock is getting it right in the post season. If they maintain the top spot in the west maybe they can avoid the Chicago Blackhawks.
- The Minnesota Wild have gone, well, Wild, since Mike Yeo had a tantrum during practice some months back. His team was lackluster in effort in practice and his rage apparently had an impact. That and the acquisition of Devan Dubnyk from Arizona. Dubnyk has been nearly unbeatable and presents a solid net presence to a team that was once fighting for top draft selection in June. Now they own the wild card spot and are in fifth spot in the conference.
- The Los Angeles Kings have gone 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Jonathan Quick remains in form. The problem is the on again, off again offense. The defense is not an issue and that may prove the real asset.
- The Calgary Flames lost their inspiration, leader and captain to a shoulder injury and have responded for coach Bob Hartley and GM Brad Treliving with a 50302 record, not bad given the loss.
- The Colorado Avalanche have gone 7-3-0 in their last ten games. But for the Avs and head coach Patrick Roy it is too little too late. They are six back of the Kings who are on a tear.
- Vancouver Canucks fans have reason to celebrate and look forward to the post season, barring an unlikely collapse. Eddie Lack has been solid net for the injured Ryan Miller and the Sedin’s are playing well and are supported Radim Vrbata.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have not been lighting up the schedule by any means and it took Brad Richards’ 10th of the season to dispatch the lowly Arizona Coyotes this week. But they are 4th in the west and are five clear of the Wild.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sagged in our poll and are 6-4-0 in their last ten and not making any style points in their losses. A recent 6-3 loss to the Flames was case –in-point.
- We have the Nashville Predators in this spot because of the entire resume not the last ten, 3-7-0. They snapped a losing streak but needed a skills competition to end with the Coyotes.
- The San Jose Sharks can blame their miseries on the lack of success at home. They went 0-forFebruary and that has been a disaster for them. If they miss the post season one can imagine the housecleaning, or not based on their tepid trading activities this season.
- The Winnipeg Jets have simply run out of fuel. Injuries have begun to pile up; Ondrej Pavelec is now the number two goalie behind Michael Hutchins on. They are playing .500 hockey now and not treading water well. Coach Paul Maurice paces the bench but there is no one to step up because they are all injured or hobbled in one way or another.
- The Dallas Stars are the first of the true also-rans in the west. Tyler Seguin returned from injury, scored a couple of goals and the Stars still don’t win. We still wonder on the Bruins’ dismal of Seguin in that trade from a couple of years back. He is not the leader the Stars need to build around, that position is in Jamie Benn’s corner.
- The Arizona Coyotes move out of the cellar in the west simply because their leadership has not given up on them and the trade deadline moves were geared for the future. In the time, the club has secured one win in the last ten. For what has happened in Glendale, there are few if any whines coming from the Yotes.
- The Edmonton Oilers seem hell-bent on getting that number one pick in Connor McDavid. Not to put too fine a point on it but the Oilers have had an embarrassment of riches when it comes to top draft picks and still are dead last in a league and fan base that demands success.
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