The top three teams from last week's THN.com NHL power rankings – the Rangers, Bruins and Sharks – have retained their spots, but the Nashville Predators are making noise this week. Winners of four straight and seven of their past eight games, the Preds are getting just enough offense (averaging 2.70 goals-per-game, while giving up an average of 2.68 goals-against) to keep them in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
Surprisingly, the Preds have the league's third-best power play (21.6 percent) – a marked improvement from last season, when they were 26th overall at 15.2 percent. Their leading scorer is defenseman and captain Shea Weber (32 points), but they're spreading around the offense, with nine players amassing at least 20 points. This week features three road games for the Preds, tilts with the Isles, Rangers and Jackets, before an important divisional showdown against Chicago on Saturday. Will they continue to say nay to the naysayers and move on up the charts? Check THN.com next Monday 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.
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