THN.com/podcast Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2MDY1OTgxMzAxMjcwNTI2/usatsi_19792973.jpg] OK, so we all know who’s at the top. But the arms race is on, with the Rangers acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko and the Leafs acquiring Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari. Luke Schenn and Jakob Chychrun are now sitting out pending a trade, and the race for Timo Meier is hitting a fever pitch. Along with some big trades, a whole whack of games – 53, to be exact – were played since last week’s rankings, which means there’s been considerable movement in this week’s power rankings. Last week, the Rangers made their way to No. 2, the third time in 22 weeks this season, but a 2-1-1 record drops them to fourth behind the Canes (3-0-0) and Leafs (3-1-0). Life moves fast in the Eastern Conference. Here are this week’s THN power rankings. (All fancy stats are 5v5 and courtesy naturalstattrick.com. CF% stands for Corsi For Percentage [http://www.naturalstattrick.com/glossary.php?teams] and xGF% represents Expected Goals For Percentage.) 1. Boston Bruins (43-8-5, +92. CF% league rank: 14, xGF% league rank: 5) Another perfect week for the league’s best team. The NHL record for most points in a season is 132, set by the 1976-77 Habs. The Bruins are 41 points away from tying the record with 26 games to go, which is equal to earning 1.58 points per game. They’re at 1.63 points right now (91 points in 56 games). The chase for history is on. 2. Carolina Hurricanes (38-10-8, +44. CF%: 1, xGF%: 1) The Canes’ perfect 3-0-0 week moves them back into the second spot. They’re ranked first in both statistical measures, and Frederik Andersen is healthy. What more can you ask? 3. Toronto Maple Leafs (35-15-8, +44. CF%: 9, xGF%: 4) O’Reilly has been a big hit so far with a hat-trick performance against his former team. They’re an excellent team, but it is perplexing why they keep losing to lower-tier teams such as Chicago, Columbus and Montreal. 4. New York Rangers (33-15-9, +36. CF%: 15, xGF%: 20) Tarasenko has made them better, but does it put them over the top? They’ve now lost two straight with only three goals scored, and their best player, Igor Shesterkin, has allowed at least three goals in six straight games. While the Leafs are knocking on the door of elite contender status, it’s still a little uncertain with the Rangers. 5. New Jersey Devils (37-15-5, +43. CF%: 3, xGF%: 2) It’s already difficult to comprehend how the Devils got this good this quickly after finishing last or second-last in their division for four straight seasons, and now they’re looking to add Timo Meier? This is one of the most surprising and fastest turnarounds since Fast Five saved the Fast & Furious franchise. 6. Vegas Golden Knights (34-18-5, +26. CF%: 20, xGF%: 6) They’re scoring again, which is good, but now they’re down to their fourth goalie in Laurent Brossoit. Actually, it’s pretty amazing they’ve not had to use an EBUG this season. 7. Tampa Bay Lightning (36-17-3, +38. CF%: 7, xGF%: 8) The Lightning stumble but they never fall flat on their faces. They’ve been eerily quiet so far as the trade deadline approaches, but we shouldn’t gloss over the fact that Nick Perbix has been yet another great find for them. 8. Winnipeg Jets (35-21-1, +32. CF%: 18, xGF%: 21) The dilemma facing the Jets is that this may be their best shot at winning the Cup. Pierre-Luc Dubois will need a new contract at the end of the season, and both Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler can walk at the end of next season. Can Kevin Cheveldayoff do the impossible and actually pull off a major move? 9. Colorado Avalanche (31-19-5, +18. CF%: 11, xGF%: 16) It’s actually quite amazing the Avs are so good despite not having a healthy lineup at any point this season. Good news: Gabriel Landeskog is expected to start skating soon. 10. Minnesota Wild (31-21-5, +7. CF%: 19, xGF%: 17) This is a dog-eat-dog world, so I imagine there’s no sympathy for Adam Beckman, whose first NHL goal was taken away by the Kings on an offside challenge. Oh, Filip Gustavsson is really good, by the way. 11. Dallas Stars (30-15-12, +37. CF%: 17, xGF%: 14) The Stars have all the pieces, but sometimes, they don’t come together. It was a light week, but they’ve now lost seven of their past nine and stumbled at a very bad time. 12. Los Angeles Kings (32-19-7, +2. CF%: 8, xGF%: 12) Wait, the Kings have a positive goal differential now? Who allowed this? 13. Seattle Kraken (32-19-6, +19. CF%: 6, xGF%: 18) They’re the only team to shut out the Bruins this season, but they also got shut out by the Sharks. Tough team to figure out, right? 14. Edmonton Oilers (31-19-8, +25. CF%: 10, xGF%: 9) The Oilers avoided a disastrous week with a comeback win against the Flyers. The secret? Sitting Jack Campbell, of course! 15. Florida Panthers (29-25-6, -1. CF%: 4, xGF%: 7) They’ve alternated between wins and losses for six straight games, and their longest winning and losing streaks this season have lasted three games. They’re consistently inconsistent. 16. Buffalo Sabres (28-23-4, +11. CF%: 5, xGF%: 19) The Sabres are in playoff contention but have only 11 (!) wins at home this season, tied for third-fewest in the league. Fans in Buffalo suffer even when their team is good. 17. Detroit Red Wings (27-21-8, -5. CF%: 29, xGF%: 27) Just when you think the Dead Things have come alive, Robby Fabbri was injured yet again after blocking a shot. No word on his status, but the kid just can’t catch a break sometimes. 18. Calgary Flames (26-20-11, +4. CF%: 2, xGF%: 3) Darryl Sutter isn’t rainbows and unicorns, but do you blame him? The Flames have underachieved all season and lost six of their past nine. THN.com/podcast. 19. New York Islanders (29-24-7, +5. CF%: 23, xGF%: 23) Losing Mathew Barzal will be a big blow, but at least Barzal and Bo Horvat are signed through 2030-31. The Isles lineup is so thin right now that Holmstrom, Fasching and Durandeau sounds more like a fancy law firm. 20. Pittsburgh Penguins (27-20-9, +2. CF%: 12, xGF%: 11) Brian Burke apparently went ballistic [https://twitter.com/Real_RobRossi/status/1627844469507891201?s=20] when the Isles started beating them up, which means at the trade deadline, he’s going to trade two first-round picks for a fourth liner because of truculence. 21. Washington Capitals (28-25-6, +3. CF%: 16, xGF%: 15) The Caps can’t wait to have Alex Ovechkin back in the lineup once he feels ready to return. While the Pens and Caps ruled the East once, they were a combined 0-6-0 over the past week. 22. Ottawa Senators (27-25-4, -7. CF%: 13, xGF%: 13) It’s been an impressive run lately, and a wild-card berth is mathematically possible. Cam Talbot was activated from injured reserve, and they might have to play him every game for the rest of the season. 23. Arizona Coyotes (20-28-9, -44. CF%: 30, xGF%: 30) The Coyotes are perfectly happy playing the spoiler, and perhaps no single goaltending performance this season has been better than Connor Ingram’s 47-save shutout against the Lightning. No sarcasm here, just major props. 24. Nashville Predators (27-22-6, -10. CF%: 21, xGF%: 22) What do the Preds and John Constantine have in common? They’re both stuck in purgatory. After Ryan Johansen left Tuesday’s game against the Canucks with an apparent ankle injury, their top center might be Cody Glass. If that’s not a sign to wave the white flag, I don’t know what is. 25. Vancouver Canucks (22-30-5, -36. CF%: 24, xGF%: 24) Clearly, the key to success is Pepsi and bananas [https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1627209666077032448?s=20] and not, y’know, learning how to play defense. 26. St. Louis Blues (26-28-3, -33. CF%: 27, xGF%: 26) They’ve lost three in a row with only four goals scored during that span. Sammy Blais (19 goals in 178 games in his career) and Josh Leivo (42 goals in 254 games) are two of their top-six wingers. Bright side: if the Blues manage to somehow land Chychrun and Meier, they’re right back in the playoff mix next season. 27. Chicago Blackhawks (19-32-5, -64. CF%: 31, xGF%: 31) They’ve won three in a row, helping them move up a couple of spots from last week’s power rankings. Unfortunately, that actually moves them farther away from the ultimate prize in Connor Bedard. 28. Columbus Blue Jackets (18-34-5, -66. CF%: 28, xGF%: 28) The Jackets are so bad, they’ve broken Johnny Gaudreau, whose ironman streak of 349 games ended on Saturday. But they’re also 1-0-1 without him in the lineup, which means they move up a couple spots. 29. Philadelphia Flyers (23-26-10, -31. CF%: 25, xGF%: 25) There are lineups with questionable talent, and then there are questionable lineups such as this one [https://twitter.com/ReinerOlivia/status/1627136039465943040?s=20]. There’s a method to John Tortorella’s madness, but sometimes it seems like he’s just mad. They’ve lost nine of their past 12. 30. Montreal Canadiens (24-29-4, -51. CF%: 26, xGF%: 29) They’ve won four of their past six, which is great, but the best entertainment at the rink these days is still their hot dog. 31. San Jose Sharks (18-29-11, -39. CF%: 22, xGF%: 10) There are only so many jokes we can make about being dead in the water, but at least they came out victorious in the battle of the sea creatures against the Kraken. 32. Anaheim Ducks (17-34-7, -101. CF%: 32, xGF%: 32) Connor. Bedard.
