OUTSIDER SPORTS BUZZ: NHL WEEKLY REPORT
Welcome to Outsider Sports Buzz, NHL edition. Here we break down the biggest news over the course of the week and we give the Outsider Sports staff power rankings.
With just a couple weeks left in the season, we are going to take a deep dive into our power rankings and how each team could succeed come playoff time.
Image credit to Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
OUTSIDER SPORTS POWER RANKINGS
Members of the Outsider Sports Hockey Podcast Tom Leone and Mikey D, myself and Outsider Sports writer Arianna each provided our top 10 teams in the NHL. How we ranked them? Where we ranked each team was how many points assigned to them, with first getting 10 points and 10th getting one point. The team with the most points is ranked first. How we ranked each team is underneath our rankings.
1. Boston Bruins (40 points)
The word we’ve used to describe Boston all year long is dominant and that isn’t changing now. The Bruins were the first team to clinch their division with Saturday’s win over Tampa Bay. Then, they hit the 57-win mark with a win Sunday in Carolina. David Pastrnak continued his stellar season, scoring his 50th and 51st goals of the year in a 4-3 win.
The road seems simple enough for the Bruins to reach the promiseland. Don’t change a thing. Boston is already the best team in the league by a mile and there isn’t a team out there that scares them. Just stick to their game and avoid mistakes and penalties and teams won’t be able to keep up in a 7-game series.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (36 points)
The Hurricanes remained unanimous in the second spot in our power rankings, but they still remain just three points ahead of New Jersey for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division with one game in-hand, just 10 games left to play.
The Hurricanes won Saturday in Toronto but it came on the heels of back-to-back games against the Rangers, winning one, and they only grabbed one point in Sunday’s shootout loss to Boston. Outside of the five-goal outburst Saturday at home against the Maple Leafs, scoring goals has been an issue against the better teams without Andrei Svechnikov.
The Hurricanes are going to have to win playoff games by playing smart defensive hockey, preventing high danger scoring chances and capitalizing on your opponents mistakes. The biggest issue there is come playoff time, mistakes happen, but they are few and far between. They will need to put pressure on their opponents to create those turnovers and mistakes. Sebastian Aho has been the spark so far without Svechnikov, but come playoff time they will need everything he has to offer to make a run at the Stanley Cup.
3. New Jersey Devils (30 points)
The Devils are back into sole possession of third in our power rankings. They clinched a spot in the playoffs thanks to the Rangers defeating the Panthers on Saturday. New Jersey followed it up a 5-3 win over Ottawa to put another dagger into its playoff hopes.
They picked up three of a possible six points this week after losing in the final seconds of overtime to Minnesota and digging to deep of a hole against Buffalo before falling 5-4. They have a tough week ahead of them, getting games against a desperate Islanders team and the Rangers who sit just four points behind them in the standings. They’re into the playoffs, but two weeks ago it looked like the Devils might be able to overtake Carolina and run away with the Metro. Now they are still fighting for the division crown, they are also going to need to finish strong to keep the Rangers from juming them.
At this point, the biggest question for the Devils heading into the playoffs is between the pipes. No matter what, it looks like they will not have the advantage in any playoff series at that position. Still, they are one of the league’s best defensive teams in terms of allowing shots and high danger chances. Part of that is the team’s speed and ability to possess the puck and keep it away from other teams limits opportunities.
As long as the offense can continue to control the possession game 5-on-5 and they can stay out of the box, they should be able to overcome the goaltending deficiencies in the playoffs.
4. New York Rangers (29 points)
The Rangers are nipping at the Devils heels in the standings, and they are right there in our power rankings as well. They started the week with a one-goal loss to the Hurricanes at home, but they bounced back with two wins on the road, including one in Carolina.
The Rangers point streak finally ended, but they got right back to business and didn’t let it turn into a skid. We’ve talked about thise team finally taking shape but now it looks like they’re truly coming to form at the prefect time.
For playoff success, it hinges on the stars. It starts with goaltender Igor Shesterkin, defenseman Adam Fox and forward Artemi Panarin. The other guys on the roster will do what they do, but if any of these three don’t bring their A-game, things aren’t going to go as smoothly.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (22 points)
The Maple Leafs had a tough week, with a lopsided loss on Long Island on Tuesday and a 5-3 loss in Carolina on Saturday. They did beat the Panthers 6-3 inbetween and they closed the week with a 3-2 win in Nashville. It wasn’t the worst week, especially with the Lightning on yet another losing streak, but Toronto definitely wants to show more fight against the playoff teams of the East.
Expelling the playoff demons seem as realistic as ever in Canada’s Hockey Capital, but in order for that to happen it will need to be a full group effort. They will be facing more pressure than any team, and stars like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Jonathan Tavares and Mitchell Marner will need to produce. Goaltending will need to be sharp and most importantly, head coach Sheldon Keefe will need to keep the group focused and together. At the end of the day, it’s Toronto and things will go wrong, but how they respond to the the scrutiny and outside noise will be crucial for a potential playoff run.
6. Vegas Golden Knights (20 points)
The Golden Knights swept this week to remain two points ahead of the Kings for the top spot in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference. All one-goal wins, Bruce Cassidy has this Vegas team playing strong, defensive-minded hockey that should bode well for them heading into the playoffs.
Although the week was full of wins and we saw the return of Logan Thompson, who made his first start in over six weeks, it wasn’t all good, as Thompson left his first start back with a lower body injury the led to him leaving the road trip entirely.
Still, the conference seems wide-open, so it’s really anyone’s game. As the team currently occupying the top seed, they should be one of the favorites. With an experienced coach this Vegas team can certainly make a run for its first Stanley Cup.
7. Colorado Avalanche (18 points)
The surging Avs hit a speed bump in the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this week, but like the Rangers they didn’t let it turn into a losing streak and they won their next two games to close out the week.
Colorado has officially jumped the Stars for second in the Central division and they sit just one point behind the Wild for first with a game in-hand. Over the last two weeks, we have slowly seen the Avalanche chip away and now it seems they will eventually take over the division.
For the defending champs, their resume can’t be questioned. The important part was getting in, and while they haven’t officially secured that, they appear to be heading back to the playoffs as they race for the division title. They still have injuries, but they have found their stride and are playing their best hockey at the best time.
8. Los Angeles Kings (13 points)
The Kings won all three games this week to keep pace with Vegas for the top spot in the West, including Sunday where they almost let a 5-1 first period lead slip before eventually hanging on to win 7-6.
The race between the Kings and Golden Knights for the Pacific is one of the best we’ve seen, especially with the Quick drama. With Edmonton currently sitting in third in the Pacific, a choosing a first round matchup against them or one of the Wild Card teams seems like a big difference. In the playoffs, nothing is easy, but seeing Connor McDavid in the first round is not the best path for success.
For the Kings, like every other team in the West, there isn’t a heavy favorite to compete with. They might not be the best team the conference, but as the Devils and Rangers fans on our staff know, we’ve seen this before.
9. Minnesota Wild (8 points)
The Wild took two out of three this week, including an impressive overtime win in New Jersey on Tuesday, giving them a 2-0-0 record against one of the top teams in the East this season. The lost to Philadelphia in a shootout Thursday but then picked up two point against Chicago on Saturday.
Dallas went 1-1-1 this week, meaning the Wild currently sit in first place in the Central, but again, the Avalanche are right behind them.
Playoff success is going to really hinge on Marc-Andre Fluery for this team. He’s done it so many time over the last decade, but does Minnesota have enough around him? With Kirill Kaprizov not close to returning, they seem closer to Carolina’s position but the defending champs looming behind them.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning (3 points)
The up-and-down season continues for Tampa Bay, as they lost all three games this past week. After losing to New Jersey last Sunday, they’ve now lost four straight. This team is confusing because they are still so dangerous, but the inconsistencies are new to this group. They still look like they’ll finish with the third seed in the Atlantic Division and have a first round matchup with Toronto.
Playing the Leafs isn’t a great first round matchup on paper, but they might benefit from the experience they have and the ghosts haunting the Maple Leafs. On top of that, they still have the best goalie in the league, which gives them a chance in every series they play.
Others receiving votes: Dallas Stars (1 point)
How we ranked them:
Ben Mandell: Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tom Leone: Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning.
Mikey D: Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning.
Arianna: Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars.