NHL power rankings: Playoff teams struggle while lottery teams pick up wins

The NHL regular season is approaching its final stretch, and teams across the league find themselves in very different situations.

Contenders are trying to lock in their playoff seeding, bubble teams are battling to stay in the postseason race, and those near the bottom of the standings are searching for encouraging signs they can build on for the future. Interestingly, it’s that last group that has been seeing some of the most surprising success lately.

Since last Monday, four of the eight teams with the best records over the past week have come from clubs buried near the bottom of the standings. Leading that surge are the New York Rangers. Ranked 30th in our power rankings last week, they responded emphatically with four straight wins against strong competition, including the red-hot Winnipeg Jets and a playoff-contending Philadelphia Flyers squad. Their most eye-opening result, however, was a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.

The St. Louis Blues have also been heating up. After finishing 28th in last week’s power rankings, they continued their recent run of form. Although they dropped a game to Winnipeg, they bounced back with convincing victories over the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes. That stretch has pushed the Blues to an impressive 7-2-1 record over their last ten games.

While teams at the bottom may have an eye on improving their draft position, they’re also playing the role of spoiler, knocking off playoff hopefuls and denying them valuable points in the standings.

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1. Dallas Stars (42-14-10. Previous Ranking: 2)

Backed by a career-best hot streak from Matt Duchene, the Stars haven’t lost a game in regulation since late January and appear ready to exercise their Western Conference Finals demons. This 14-0-1 run has been done without superstars Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz for the most part.

2. Colorado Avalanche (44-12-9. PR: 1)

If not for a near-franchise-record point streak from Dallas, Colorado would still own the top spot, though losses to the Oilers and Jets have slightly lowered their stock. 

3. Carolina Hurricanes (42-18-6. PR: 4)

The new leaders of the East recently knocked off the Lightning with a 4-2 victory on the road. Their impressive shootout win over the Penguins gives the Canes a hold of the top spot in the Conference.

4. Buffalo Sabres (41-20-6. PR: 5)

Despite a narrow loss to the Washington Capitals, the Sabres still appear unstoppable with a 9-1-0 record since returning from the Olympic break, including a pair of wins over the Lightning as well. 

5. Minnesota Wild (38-18-12. PR: 3)

A bit of steam has been lost with three straight defeats for the Wild, all of which came at home. Their upcoming tests against the Stars, Lightning and Bruins will be crucial. 

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (40-21-4. PR: 6)

After dropping seven of their last nine and falling to the teams ahead of them on this list, the Lightning haven’t done much to boost their cause. Their wins over reeling teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs have been their only promising signs since prior to the Olympic break.

7. Montreal Canadiens (36-20-10. PR: 7)

A pair of losses to good teams in the Sharks and Ducks have pulled back some of Montreal’s momentum, but they remain a major threat in the East with an impressive win to start this week over the Senators. 

8. Pittsburgh Penguins (33-18-15. PR: 10)

No Sidney Crosby has proved to be no problem for the Penguins with stellar wins over the Bruins and Mammoth, as well as a narrow defeat in the shootout versus the Carolina Hurricanes. 

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9. New York Islanders (38-24-5. PR: 11)

After being one of the league’s hottest teams last week, the Islanders have mostly sustained that form with close wins against the Sharks, Blues, and Flames.

10. Ottawa Senators (34-23-9. PR: 13)

Despite still being on the outside looking in for the playoffs, the Sens appear to be ready to overtake with an 11-2-2 record over their last 15 games and are just three points back of a Red Wings team that has been sliding. 

11. Columbus Blue Jackets (34-21-11. PR: 14)

Since January 11th, the Blue Jackets have recorded at least a point in 20 of 22 games, with very tight losses and their wins coming over top clubs like the Mammoth, Penguins, Stars and the Lightning twice. 

12. Anaheim Ducks (37-27-3. PR: 12)

Although they’ve dropped four of their last eight games, Anaheim’s 4-3 win over the Habs on Sunday proved they are still a major threat and remain atop the Pacific division.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

13. Utah Mammoth (34-27-6. PR: 8)

Utah’s lead for the top wild card spot in the West is quickly fading as they’ve dropped four straight games with explainable losses to the Wild and Penguins, but a brutal set of losses to the Blackhawks.

14. Detroit Red Wings (36-23-8. PR: 9)

Holding their own against one of the best teams in the league, the Stars, without your top two centers, Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, was shocking, as they at least claimed a point in an overtime loss, but Detroit’s March curse is in full effect with five losses in their last six games.

MORE: Why Are The Detroit Red Wings' Playoff Hopes Suddenly In Jeopardy?

15. Vegas Golden Knights (31-22-14. PR: 16)

After dropping six of seven games, the Golden Knights have finally responded with consecutive wins, both coming in emphatic fashion with a 6-2 rout over the Penguins, followed by a 4-0 shutout of the Blackhawks. 

16. Philadelphia Flyers (31-23-12. PR: 19)

One team going quietly unnoticed is the Flyers, who have picked up points in ten of their last 13 games, including stellar victories over the Wild, Penguins and Bruins.

17. Boston Bruins (37-23-6. PR: 15)

The Bruins are also quietly one of the most fierce teams to beat as of late, with points in 13 of their last 16 games, but need to start converting extra time losses into wins against tough opponents.

18. Winnipeg Jets (28-18-10. PR: 17)

What once looked like a completely lost season has seen a 180-degree turn, with the Jets looking like a dark-horse playoff contender, sitting just five points out of a spot and recently toppling some of the best in the league, the Avalanche and Lightning. 

19. San Jose Sharks (32-27-6. PR: 21)

Despite Macklin Celebrini’s frustration at the end of San Jose’s 7-4 loss to Ottawa, it’s worth noting that the Sharks are playing well, coming off back-to-back standout performances in wins over the Canadiens and Bruins.

Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

20. Edmonton Oilers (33-26-9. PR: 18)

A 7-2 rout at the hands of the Stars, who the Oilers would likely have to defeat for the third straight year if they hope to reach the Stanley Cup Final, is far from ideal. However, their impressive 4-3 win over the Avalanche shows this team is still elite and simply needs to bring that level of play every night.

21. Washington Capitals (33-27-8. PR: 22)

The Capitals often go unnoticed, yet they can shock opponents, as they did in their 2-1 win over Buffalo and 3-2 victory over the Golden Knights in February. Still, a challenging schedule ahead could quickly put them out of playoff contention.

22. Seattle Kraken (31-26-9. PR: 23)

Seattle passed on major moves at the trade deadline and have since won two straight against weaker opponents. With tough games ahead against teams like the Lightning, they will need to show they can compete for the playoffs, holding only a one-point lead over the Sharks for the second wild card spot.

23. New Jersey Devils (33-31-2. PR: 20)

The Devils sit 12 points out of a playoff spot and appear out of the picture, thanks in large part to repeated losses to teams above them, including the Red Wings, Penguins, Sabres, Islanders, Blue Jackets, and Senators, all since late January.

24. Los Angeles Kings (27-24-15. PR: 25)

Two points hold the Kings out of the playoffs, but losses to teams like the Devils don’t help their cause. LA needs to make ground quickly with easier competition ahead in the Rangers, Flames and Canucks. 

25. St. Louis Blues (27-30-10. PR: 28)

Contending for the first overall pick is not the Blues’ priority. They have gone 7-2-1 in their last ten games and beaten several playoff contenders, including the Kraken, Wild, Sharks, Ducks, Hurricanes, and Oilers, since returning from the Olympic break.

26. Florida Panthers (33-30-3. PR: 24)

The Panthers’ win over the red-hot Blue Jackets and a sweep of the Red Wings highlighted their firepower, but a 6-2 loss to the Kraken revealed they aren’t the same consistent threat they have been the past three years.

27. Toronto Maple Leafs (29-27-12. PR: 26)

With captain Auston Matthews out for the rest of the season, the Maple Leafs are unlikely to make major strides. Despite wins over strong teams like the Ducks and Wild, as with the Panthers, they are no longer the consistent threat they were over the past nine years.

MORE: 'Start The Clock': Matthews' Injury Allows Him To Contemplate Future With Maple Leafs

28. New York Rangers (28-30-8. PR: 30)

The hottest team this past week was the Blueshirts, who’ve won four straight against some of the very best in the league, like the Jets, Flyers, and Wild.

MORE: Who's Hot And Cold In The NHL: Rangers' Alexis Lafreniere Shows A Glimmer Of Hope

29. Nashville Predators (29-28-9. PR: 27)

Losing to the last-place Canucks, even in the shootout, is quite deflating for any team, and the Predators appear to be staring down a difficult stretch coming up versus the Jets, Kraken, Golden Knights, and Sharks. 

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30. Chicago Blackhawks (25-30-11. PR: 31)

While the Blackhawks are focused on rebuilding rather than racking up points, they have kept games competitive and even pulled off upsets, including three straight wins over Utah and overtime losses to the Jets and Stars.

31. Calgary Flames (26-33-7. PR: 29)

The Flames have won only five of their last 18 games, signalling a focus on next season, but fans have seen some highlights, including a 5-4 upset of the Hurricanes last Saturday and another 5-4 win over the Devils on Thursday.

32. Vancouver Canucks (20-38-8. PR: 32)

With only one regulation win in their last 12 games and a 2-7-3 record over that span, Vancouver is deep in rebuild mode. They still have key players like Elias Pettersson, but they seem focused on clearing space to target a potential superstar like Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg in the draft.

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