NHL power rankings: Red Wings continue to slide out of playoff picture
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The NHL playoff picture is finally starting to come into focus, with some teams emerging as clear contenders while others are slipping after recent struggles and now sit on the outside looking in. A few teams have done everything they can to stay in the race, like the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have put together an impressive 19-3-4 record over their last 26 games to secure a spot among the top three in the Metro Division.
On the other hand, teams like the Detroit Red Wings have gone the opposite direction. After a New York Islanders win on Sunday, Detroit has fallen out of a playoff spot for the first time since early December, following a 6-8-3 stretch over their last 17 games.
There is still a chance for the Red Wings to end their near decade-long playoff drought, but time is running out. Their standing has taken a noticeable hit in the power rankings, along with several other teams, including the surging Nashville Predators, who have climbed more than ten spots.
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1. Dallas Stars (42-14-10, Previous Ranking: 1)
The Stars have dropped two straight narrow contests against the Wild and Golden Knights, but after defeating the Avalanche for the second time this season, they continue to hold the top spot.
2. Colorado Avalanche (46-13-10, PR: 2)
After dropping three straight, the Avs have bounced back with consecutive victories and appear to be on the upswing, which is scary for anyone in their path.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (45-19-6, PR: 3)
With seven wins in their last ten games, the Canes present a solid case for a top-two spot with victories over the Lightning and the Penguins twice this week. However, a decisive 5-1 defeat to the Blue Jackets holds them back from moving up.
4. Buffalo Sabres (44-20-7, PR: 4)
The Sabres continue to roll through everything in their path with three impressive wins this week, all on the road and all against teams that are either in or closely contending for a playoff spot. Their only hiccup of the week was a 6-5 overtime defeat to the Ducks.
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5. Minnesota Wild (40-19-12, PR: 5)
Despite a bad loss to the Blackhawks, the Wild rebounded and took down one of the league’s best on Saturday, beating the Stars in a 2-1 overtime contest.
6. Montreal Canadiens (38-21-10, PR: 7)
A tough 3-1 loss to the stumbling Red Wings was deflating, but the Habs had a promising week with victories over playoff contenders in the Bruins and Islanders.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-5, PR: 6)
The Lightning handled business against the Canucks and Oilers this past week and picked up a strong win over the Kraken. Their only stumble came Sunday, when they fell 4–3 in overtime to a surging Flames team during the second game of a road back-to-back.
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8. Boston Bruins (39-23-8, PR: 17)
Boston’s 4–2 win over Detroit on Saturday was a huge result, putting them firmly in control of the top wild card spot in the East while also pulling even with Montreal at 86 points for third place in the Atlantic Division.
9. Columbus Blue Jackets (37-22-11, PR: 11)
Columbus’ 1–0 loss to the Islanders on Sunday was about as tight as it gets, but it shouldn’t overshadow how impressive the Blue Jackets have been, notching big wins this week over the Hurricanes and Kraken.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins (35-19-16, PR: 8)
The Penguins drop two spots after a pair of losses to Carolina, but remain in the top ten with impressive victories over Colorado and Utah.
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11. Anaheim Ducks (39-27-4, PR: 12)
If not for the scorching pace of the teams ahead of them, the Ducks would likely sit in the top ten after a stellar week that featured wins over three strong opponents in the Canadiens, Mammoth, and Sabres.
12. New York Islanders (40-26-5, PR: 9)
Despite losing a pair of crucial games to the Canadiens and Senators, the Islanders bounced back with a meaningful 1–0 win over the Blue Jackets, allowing New York to leapfrog Detroit for the second wild card spot in the East.
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13. Utah Mammoth (37-28-6, PR: 13)
Holding steady in the rankings, the Mammoth have kept pace with the pack and remain firmly in a playoff position. Key wins over the Kings and Golden Knights have bolstered their case, and a dominant 6–3 victory over the nearly flawless Stars strengthens their push for a top-ten spot this week.
14. Ottawa Senators (36-24-9, PR: 10)
Still not in the playoffs, the Senators continue to do everything they can, with victories over the Islanders and Sharks, as well as a rivalry win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday.
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15. Nashville Predators (33-28-9, PR: 29)
Making the biggest leap in the rankings are the Predators, who had quietly stayed in the playoff hunt before rattling off four straight wins. With key victories over the Kraken and Golden Knights, Nashville is now being viewed as a dangerous dark horse heading into the playoffs if they can hang on to their wild card spot.
16. Philadelphia Flyers (34-23-12, PR: 16)
Scraping together every point they can, the Flyers have needed extra time in four of their last five games. Despite that, they are finding ways to win, picking up five victories in their last six matchups, including an impressive overtime road win against the Ducks this past Wednesday.
17. Edmonton Oilers (34-28-9, PR: 20)
The Oilers secured important wins against the Sharks and Predators, but closed out the week with tough losses to the Lightning and Panthers. Still, with McDavid playing at an elite level, Edmonton is firmly back in the playoff picture as a serious threat.
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18. Vegas Golden Knights (32-25-14, PR: 15)
Some teams are difficult to predict, and the Golden Knights are a perfect example. They have looked lifeless at times with recent losses to the Predators, Mammoth, and Sabres, but then stunned the Stars on Sunday with a 3–2 victory.
19. Detroit Red Wings (38-24-8, PR: 14)
Injuries and an inconsistent lineup have made it difficult for the Red Wings to find their rhythm, and after losing a crucial home game to the Bruins on Saturday, Detroit’s standing continues to slide.
20. Washington Capitals (35-27-9, PR: 21)
If the Capitals played at their recent level all season, they would likely be in the playoffs. They have shown they can beat top teams with wins over the Sabres and Senators while keeping games close against other elite squads like the Avalanche and Bruins.
21. New Jersey Devils (35-32-2, PR: 23)
Another team showing signs of hitting their stride, though perhaps too late in the season, is the Devils. They closed out the week with wins over the Kings and Bruins and now face a major test on Tuesday against the Stars.
22. Los Angeles Kings (28-25-17, PR: 24)
Many expected this season to be memorable for the Kings following the Artemi Panarin trade and captain Anze Kopitar’s retirement, but three straight losses this week have stalled their push for the postseason.
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23. Calgary Flames (29-34-7, PR: 31)
Out of nowhere, the Flames appear to have revived their season. Despite trading away key players like Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri near the deadline, they have rattled off three straight wins against the Lightning, Panthers, and Blues, and even in a narrow 3–2 loss to the Islanders, they showed they can be a scrappy, resilient team.
24. Seattle Kraken (31-29-9, PR: 22)
Three consecutive losses have pushed the Kraken from solid playoff contention to the fringes of the race, now sitting four points behind the Predators, the new holders of their wild card spot.
25. Florida Panthers (34-32-3, PR: 26)
Aside from a commanding 4–0 win over the Oilers, the Panthers have done little to quell speculation about tanking, suffering lopsided losses to struggling teams like the slumping Kraken, the red-hot Flames, and the last-place Canucks.
26. St. Louis Blues (28-20-11, PR: 25)
The Blues are the definition of scrappy this season, with seven wins over their last ten games, and their last defeat by multiple goals was in late January.
27. San Jose Sharks (32-30-6, PR: 19)
After firmly looking like superstar Macklin Celebrini was going to carry the Sharks into the playoffs, San Jose looks completely out of the race and like the basement team they’ve been over the last several years, with six losses in their last nine games.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (29-29-13, PR: 27)
Over their last 14 games, the Buds are tied for the worst record in hockey at 2-8-4 with a 2.36 goals-per-game average during that span, which ranks second-worst in the NHL.
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29. Winnipeg Jets (29-29-12, PR: 18)
After appearing poised to make a late push for a playoff spot, decisive losses to the Bruins and narrow defeats to the Predators and the Penguins have largely ended their playoff chances. However, a Sunday shootout win over the Rangers keeps a small glimmer of hope alive.
30. New York Rangers (28-33-9, PR: 28)
New York seemed to be gaining momentum after a surprising win over the Wild last week, but four straight losses since have quickly dashed any hopes of a strong finish to the season for the Blueshirts.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (26-31-13, PR: 30)
Although their home-and-home series with Minnesota showed some promise, narrowly losing in overtime at home and then pulling off a surprising 2–1 road win, the Hawks still look like they are struggling, having lost four of their last five games.
32. Vancouver Canucks (21-40-8, PR: 32)
The Canucks’ 5–2 win over the Panthers was unexpected, but their 3–9–3 record over the last 15 games shows that Vancouver is still far from climbing out of last place.
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