The Vancouver Canucks have dethroned the Detroit Red Wings as top team on THN.com’s NHL Power Rankings. And making a late charge up our list and into playoff contention are the Dallas Stars.
The Stars stumbled through the early part of February, unable to win two straight games until Feb. 21-23. But since then, they’ve reeled off two more wins and snuck back into the playoff race as the eighth seed (two points ahead of the Kings, who have one game in hand). That made GM Joe Nieuwendyk’s decisions about the trade deadline difficult, as he had more than a few veterans (including center Mike Ribeiro and agitator Steve Ott) who were drawing trade interest from other teams. However, with the team intact, it is safe to expect it will retain the resiliency that has become a hallmark of the Nieuwendyk Era.
Will Dallas continue to climb, or plummet out of the very tight playoff race? The answer will be reflected in next week’s edition of the Power Rankings. Check back each and every Monday to find out.
The Hockey News ranks the teams 1-30 each Monday based on a combination of last week’s play and a squad’s overall outlook.
For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.