NHL Power Rankings: Bruins Are In, Sharks Are Out

With the playoff picture becoming clearer – sorry, Sens fans, I think this might be it – there won’t be a lot of movement in the NHL power rankings for the rest of the season.

That’s natural – with the finish line a month away, we’ve got a pretty good read on just about every team. Only injuries and winning (or losing) streaks will significantly impact the standings.

In the East, given the Sabres and Sens have faltered a little bit, the wild-card race will likely come down to the Penguins, Islanders and Panthers. The three teams in the two divisions are also likely set – the only battles that remain will be for the Metro Division title, where the banged-up Hurricanes need to hold off the Devils, and the Lightning and Leafs will battle for home-ice advantage in preparation for their first-round matchup.

In the West, the division titles are all up for grabs – especially the Central – but it’s pretty clear which eight teams will make the playoffs. The only surprise that remains may be the Predators, who are 7-2-1 in their past 10 and somehow winning more games after injuries to Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen and having traded a few of their key veterans.

Here are this week’s THN power rankings.

(All fancy stats are 5-on-5 and courtesy naturalstattrick.com. CF% stands for Corsi For Percentage and xGF% represents Expected Goals For Percentage.)

1. Boston Bruins (50-11-5, +100. CF% league rank: 15, xGF% league rank: 5)

Losing consecutive games for just the second time this season wasn’t so bad, considering they became the fastest team to win 50 games and the first team to clinch a playoff spot. But they have fallen off the pace to set the record for most points in a season, so I guess they really are overrated, eh?

2. Toronto Maple Leafs (40-18-8, +47. CF%: 13, xGF%: 7)

Not much action for the Leafs, but they did assert their dominance as the top Canadian team with a win over the Oilers. Key question for them: are we sure Matt Murray is the right choice over Ilya Samsonov?

3. Vegas Golden Knights (42-20-6, +34. CF%: 23, xGF%: 13)

The Knights are on a tear with four straight wins and seven of their past eight. They still haven’t really missed a beat despite being on their fourth starter in Jonathan Quick, who’s 4-0-0 with the Knights. As it stands, the Knights and Kings will face each other in the second round of the playoffs if they advance.

4. New Jersey Devils (44-17-6, +55. CF%: 4, xGF%: 2)

Their defense improved, allowing just one goal against the Habs and Canes, but came out flat against the Lightning. It’s only the first round, so we’ll see how the Devils bounce back when they face them again on Thursday.

5. Carolina Hurricanes (44-14-8, +54. CF%: 1, xGF%: 1)

Oof. The Canes take a tumble after getting shut out in back-to-back games against the Knights and Devils, and then lose Andrei Svechnikov for the season. Did their Cup aspirations just go up in smoke?

6. Dallas Stars (37-18-13, +51. CF%: 12, xGF%: 12)

A road loss to the Canucks was understandable – it was their third road game in four nights, and third-string Matt Murray (no, not that one) drew the start. Winning the Central will be vital because it avoids a potential first-round matchup against the Avs.

7. Los Angeles Kings (39-20-9, +10. CF%: 6, xGF%: 9)

Good thing Joonas Korpisalo has been excellent for the Kings because otherwise, they may never live down the fact they traded away their greatest goalie in franchise history. Korpisalo and Pheonix Copley have yet to allow more than two goals in March.

8. New York Rangers (38-19-10, +33. CF%: 17, xGF%: 20)

They’ve won three of their past four, but they needed extra time to win two of them. It looks like they’re starting to find their rhythm after adding Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, and they have an upcoming two-game series against the Pens.

9. Minnesota Wild (38-21-8, +17. CF%: 19, xGF%: 16)

Should’ve known better than to bet against the Coyotes at home. Otherwise, the Wild have been very good and have not lost in regulation since Feb. 15 against the Avs. It’s still a pretty tough schedule coming up, and so far, they’ve done a good job of generating offense sans Kirill Kaprizov.

10. Edmonton Oilers (37-23-8, +34. CF%: 9, xGF%: 6)

Connor McDavid is setting all sorts of records, but we must give credit where credit is due – Ken Holland made some good moves this season, and perhaps none may be bigger than acquiring Mattias Ekholm. No team should be more feared in the Pacific, even though they’re sitting third.

11. Colorado Avalanche (37-22-6, +29. CF%: 7, xGF%: 15)

Injuries, man. Artturi Lehkonen may miss the remainder of the regular season due to a broken finger, and it’s amazing how the Avs are still in contention for the division title despite their poor injury luck.

12. Winnipeg Jets (38-27-3, +18. CF%: 16, xGF%: 17)

“I’m free… free fallin’…” Tom Petty’s classic rings through my ears. Despite winning two of their three games through the old Southeast Division, the Jets are 4-8-2 since Feb. 16 when their slump started, third-worst in the league in points percentage. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nino Niederreiter combined for a minus-11 rating, and Mason Appleton (!) led their forwards in ice time Tuesday against the Canes.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (40-22-6, +30. CF%: 11, xGF%: 10)

It’s been better going 3-1-1 in their past five, including a key win against the Devils. The Lightning’s record makes a good argument to put them higher in the rankings, but relative to expectations, their play has been subpar. We’ll see if they can flip the switch in April.

14. Seattle Kraken (37-23-7, +18. CF%: 5, xGF%: 18)

The Kraken’s three-game losing streak is the sixth (!) such losing streak of their season. They win in bunches and lose in bunches, and right now, it’s the latter. They must head into the post-season with some momentum. Otherwise, it’s going to be a short playoff run.

15. New York Islanders (34-27-8, +6. CF%: 21, xGF%: 23)

They’ve scored just three goals in their past two games, though their win against the Pens last Thursday gave them some breathing room. Bo Horvat has been an excellent acquisition, but they have no chance unless Mathew Barzal and Jean-Gabriel Pageau return.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins (34-23-10, +5. CF%: 8, xGF%: 8)

No Dmitry Kulikov, and now potentially no Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta. Tristan Jarry’s hip is reportedly still an issue, and they’re also playing the other Nylander in their top six to try to balance things out. Good luck!

17. Florida Panthers (33-27-7, +3. CF%: 3, xGF%: 4)

THN colleague Mike Stephens liked to call them the ‘Fraudida Panthers’ last season, but hey, maybe being the underdog is better for them. They’re three points out of a wild-card spot, and the Isles and Pens are dealing with injuries to key players. Can Sergei Bobrovsky get on the case and pull it together?

18. Buffalo Sabres (33-28-5, +3. CF%: 10, xGF%: 22)

Too little, too late? Wins against the Leafs and Lightning were impressive, but they were also their only wins in their past eight games, and the Stars put up 10 goals against them. Their schedule down the stretch, even with two games against Philly, will not be easy, either.

19. Nashville Predators (34-24-7, -2. CF%: 22, xGF%: 21)

Since Feb. 1, Tommy Novak has led the Preds in scoring with 17 points in 15 games, and rookie Luke Evangelista has made an immediate impact. They’ve been better after the trade deadline and sit four points out of a wild-card spot with three games in hand against the Jets. The Smashville wagon is back.

20. Vancouver Canucks (29-32-5, -26. CF%: 24, xGF%: 24)

The return of Thatcher Demko, a coaching bump from Rick Tocchet and a soft schedule… as is tradition, the Canucks will make a too-late run and finish too high in the standings to land a top-10 pick. That’s not how this is supposed to work, but this team has always been full of contradictions. Case in point, they have the league’s worst penalty kill, but J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson are tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals, and all of them basically came in the past two weeks.

21. Washington Capitals (32-29-7, +6. CF%: 18, xGF%: 19)

It’s the Rasmus Sandin show in D.C., and it’s been fun watching him blossom since he wouldn’t have gotten the same opportunities had he stayed with the Leafs. Sandin and Trevor van Riemsdyk are the only two Caps D-men averaging over 20 minutes per game since the trade deadline.

22. Ottawa Senators (33-30-4, -8. CF%: 14, xGF%: 14)

Four losses in their past five games and a Mads Sogaard-Kevin Mandolese tandem are basically the death knell for their playoff hopes this season. Valiant effort, and hey, at least you got Jakob Chychrun for cheap!

23. Arizona Coyotes (25-32-11, -48. CF%: 30, xGF%: 30)

They have no business being as good as they’ve been this season, buoyed by the excellent Clayton Keller – Barrett Hayton – Nick Schmaltz line. They’ve won four of their past five, their best stretch since early November, and used three different goalies during that span.

24. Calgary Flames (30-24-14, +1. CF%: 2, xGF%: 3)

Maybe they should be ranked higher based on their record, but does any team make playing hockey seem more like a chore than the Flames?! There’s absolutely no joy in this group.

25. Detroit Red Wings (30-28-9, -19. CF%: 27, xGF%: 26)

It was actually kind of impressive they split the back-to-back against the Bruins, but they’ve had a ton of trouble scoring lately. Since they started slumping on Feb. 25, they’re averaging just 2.10 goals per game. Only the Flyers have been worse.

26. St. Louis Blues (29-32-5, -37. CF%: 26, xGF%: 28)

I’m waiting for Jordan Binnington to go after someone again. I know it’s coming. I can feel it.

27. Anaheim Ducks (22-35-10, -99. CF%: 31, xGF%: 32)

Not too bad lately, considering they’ve gone 5-1-3, so I’ll continue to refrain from sharing duck recipes. Let’s not forget, however, that they’re still one of the worst defensive teams ever in the cap era.

28. Chicago Blackhawks (23-38-6, -68. CF%: 32, xGF%: 31)

They’ve lost seven of their past nine, though that included a win against the Bruins on Tuesday, which will surely be their highlight for the next five years unless they land Connor Bedard. In the meantime, enjoy Taylor Raddysh’s hot streak, as he's scored six goals in six games, making him the only Blackhawk to score 20 goals this season.

29. Montreal Canadiens (27-35-6, -58. CF%: 28, xGF%: 29)

A win against the Pens on Tuesday ended a seven-game losing streak, but the entertainment factor is still high with the Habs. Kudos if you can name five forwards in their lineup right now.

30. Philadelphia Flyers (24-32-11, -50. CF%: 25, xGF%: 25)

“We haven’t made enough plays and we probably won’t the rest of the year.” No one speaks the truth as brutally as John Tortorella. The Flyers have scored three goals or more just three times in their past 15 games.

31. Columbus Blue Jackets (21-38-7, -74. CF%: 29, xGF%: 27)

How kind of Johnny Gaudreau to pour five points against the Sharks and let them take first place from the bottom.

32. San Jose Sharks (19-36-13, -65. CF%: 20, xGF%: 11)

The Sharks have won just six times in regulation in 2023 and became the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention. It's actually kind of insane we're awarding the Norris to a player on the league's worst team. I hope they got enough in return for Timo Meier!