So, which team will be next to go on an extended run during this season of the streak? Will it be the
Washington Capitals, the
Pittsburgh Penguins or the
Montreal Canadiens? Is this the week
Alex Ovechkin hits 1,000 career points? When will the
Colorado Avalanche finally start impersonating an NHL team? All will be revealed, as it is every week, in the Power Rankings.
OK,
I wasn't sure what to do with Columbus after its 16-game win streak was
halted in Washington on Thursday, and then the Blue Jackets blew a lead
at home Saturday against the
New York Rangers. But getting back on track on Sunday against the
Philadelphia Flyers earned them another week in the top spot.
You have to love that
Sidney Crosby and
Evgeni Malkin are dueling for the league's points lead, as the dynamic Pittsburgh duo is hot on the heels of
Connor McDavid atop the scoring ladder -- while the Pens are hot on the heels of the Blue Jackets, thanks to five consecutive wins.
The Caps have, likewise, won five in a row and have closed the gap on Columbus, Pittsburgh and the
New York Rangers in the league's most competitive division. Ovechkin is four points away from the magic 1,000 mark.
The
Wild have bounced back nicely after their 12-game winning streak was
halted by Columbus on Dec. 31. Minnesota has the top goal differential
in the Western Conference and notched a homecoming win for coach Bruce
Boudreau on Sunday in Anaheim.
5. (4) New York Rangers, 28-13-1
Three
of the NHL's top four teams through Sunday hail from the Metropolitan
Division, and the Rangers are one of them. Coach Alain Vigneault is
doing a bang-up job in spite of various injuries to key forwards.
6. (8) Montreal Canadiens, 25-9-6
The Habs are without
Brendan Gallagher after the forward took a shot in the hand from teammate
Shea Weber, but they've now won three in a row. It doesn't matter who's out of the lineup; this team just keeps on chugging.
Chicago whipped Nashville on Sunday to remind everyone it's still the cream of the Central Division, and
Jonathan Toews is starting to heat up.
The
Ducks had won three in a row to move into a tie with San Jose atop the
Pacific Division before Sunday's loss. At some point Anaheim is going to
have to learn to win on the road, where it is a pedestrian 8-8-6.
The
Sharks apparently aren't suffering any Stanley Cup finals hangover at
the midpoint of the season, as they continue to push the pace in the
Pacific Division. San Jose is an impressive 14-5-1 at home.
The
Oilers are on a nice 6-2-2 run -- in spite of Sunday's 5-3 loss in
Ottawa -- as they continue to push toward their first playoff berth
since 2006. They're home for six straight games, but haven't been all
that dominating (9-7-2) in their new digs.
The
Blues' game has been up and down this season -- especially away from
home, where they are a desultory 5-10-1. That futility is hard to
explain, especially for a team that otherwise still looks locked in for
another postseason berth.
The Flames are 6-3 in their past nine games, and goalie
Brian Elliott
has won five of his past six as he tries to right the ship after a
leaky first half. Calgary owns the top wild-card spot -- and has the
rest of the Pacific Division in its sights.
The
Leafs got a dose of reality Saturday night in their loss to Montreal,
but that doesn't -- or shouldn't -- blunt the excitement of the
meaningful games that the youthful Leafs are playing.
The
Kings are keeping things interesting in the Western Conference, as the
NHL prepares to descend on the Staples Center for All-Star weekend later
this month.
The
Flyers got a loser's point on Sunday after picking up a win against
Tampa Bay on Saturday as they try to emerge from the funk into which
they fell after winning 10 in a row in December.
Here's
to coach Willie Desjardins and the Canucks for defying skeptics and
their own horrific play of earlier this season to remain very much in
the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Vancouver has gone 6-1 in
its past seven games.
The weirdness surrounding
Bobby Ryan's
scratch from Saturday's game notwithstanding, the Senators continue to
impress. They knocked off Edmonton on Sunday and continue to hold down a
playoff berth in the Atlantic Division.
The
Hurricanes are playing good hockey these days, but they're pushing
uphill with the rest of the Metropolitan Division (except the Islanders)
playing at such a high level. Carolina started off its four-game
homestand on the right skate with a win on Sunday.
The
Bruins are doing just enough to hang on to the second and/or third spot
in the Atlantic Division, even though they've won just six of 17 since
winning three in a row to start December, including Sunday's
entertaining overtime loss to Carolina.
The Jets blew a lead in Buffalo and lost super rookie
Patrik Laine to a concussion after the right winger was rocked by a big open-ice hit by
Jake McCabe. Will Laine's loss cost Winnipeg a playoff spot?
Something's
amiss in Nashville, as the Predators have lost two in a row, including
Sunday's 5-2 mauling by Chicago. They haven't won more than two in a row
since the third week of November and remain outside the playoff
bracket.
The Lightning are still adrift, with four straight losses -- including a 6-2 thrashing in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Goalie
Andrei Vasilevskiy has struggled mightily in
Ben Bishop's absence, which is more than a bit of a surprise.
Goalie
Roberto Luongo's
injury -- as he attempts to pass Terry Sawchuk on the all-time wins
list -- has added to what has been a season of upheaval for the
disappointing Panthers.
Dallas, currently without
Jamie Benn,
remains one of the most disappointing teams in the league. The smoke in
the cockpit of the team plane over the weekend flight seems like a
metaphor for the Stars' season.
The
Devils have played better of late, which isn't saying all that much.
New Jersey's minus-26 goal differential is the worst in the Eastern
Conference. The good thing is that the Devils' schedule has been heavily
weighted toward road games so far, but they are excellent at home, so
they should make up ground.
A
big come-from-behind win over Winnipeg on Saturday suggests that the
Sabres' offense might be coming alive after a half-season slumber. It
better.
It's
painful to watch as the Red Wings, with just 12 wins outside the
shootout, battle to stay ahead of the Islanders as the worst team in the
Eastern Conference.
GM
Garth Snow keeps fiddling while the Islanders continue to smolder at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
The nightmare in the desert continues, as the Yotes have just eight regulation or overtime wins. Coyotes ugly, indeed.
The
Avs have just 13 wins and a minus-51 goal differential, and there's
talk in Colorado of trading any and all players. It's hard to watch on a
variety of levels.
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