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Power Rankings: A tip of the Cap to Mr. McPhee Print
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Written by Blake Benzel   
Tuesday, April 06, 2010 20:09
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HPT Power Rankings (Week 26) :




It's time to start putting George McPhee in the same class as Ken Holland and Brian Burke among the league's premier general managers. This isn't a knee-jerk reaction to the Capitals' Presidents Trophy. It's an observation that both the NHL club and the AHL-affiliate Hershey Bears have lost a league-low 15 regulation games all season, and the ECHL-affiliate South Carolina Stingrays have lost just 19, more than only one team in the league. Impressive.

On with the list ...

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1. Washington Capitals (52-15-12): Has it occurred to anyone that the Caps’ goaltending might not be as bad as everyone thinks? Inconsistent, yes. But if their goaltending tandem gets hot, watch out. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that this team just secured the first Presidents Trophy in team history.



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2. Chicago Blackhawks (49-22-7): The ’Hawks certainly seem to be peaking at the right time, winning three in a row and giving up a total of two goals during that time. Only one question remains: How much bad ju-ju will a mural of the pig-faced Jonathan Toews standing in front of the Stanley Cup bring? Not that we’re superstitious or anything.


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3. Phoenix Coyotes (48-25-6): This is really defying all logic. How many of you at the beginning of the season had Phoenix with more points than the Red Wings, Devils and Penguins with three games remaining in the season? That wasn’t the guess here, either.



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4. Vancouver Canucks (48-27-4): We’re starting to wonder if the people who scoffed at re-signing the Sedin twins this off season are starting to season those words for the grill, now that they’ve accounted for approximately 26 percent of Vancouver’s points this season. We like ours medium well, please.



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5. Nashville Predators (46-28-6): Yes, Steve Sullivan is the Preds’ second-leading scorer and no, you’re not seeing things. Sully’s great story is getting even better, as he has played every single game this season not long after his serious back injury. He has also been a large part of the reason why the Preds are flirting with their third 100-plus point season.


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6. San Jose Sharks (48-20-11): It might not be fair to point this out now, but is no one worried about the workload that Evgeni Nabokov has faced this season? He’s one of four goalies with 4,000-plus minutes played this season and is second in the NHL in shots against. There’s no doubt that he’s having a good season, but the Sharks might want to consider hooking him up to an IV come playoff time, rather than giving him a water bottle. They’re going to have one tired goalie on their hands.

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7. Detroit Red Wings (41-24-14): Ladies and gentlemen, the streak has reached the auspicious number 19 for the Detroit Red Wings — as in 19 straight seasons that Detroit has made the playoffs. They won’t make it nine straight division titles but, with the way that they’ve been playing of late you’ll forgive them for not caring.


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8. Pittsburgh Penguins (45-26-7): Man, Bill Guerin must be feeling old. Pittsburgh’s three leading scorers are Sidney Crosby (22), Evgeni Malkin (23) and Jordan Staal (21). I’m sure Billy G is “hip” and “with it,” but it’s still entertaining to think of the 39-year-old regaling Crosby, Malkin and Staal with “when I was your age,” stories. Like, “When I was your age, we had to skate to the rink, uphill both ways, through 20 feet of snow in nothing but our jock strap.”



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9. New Jersey Devils (45-26-7): So Marty Brodeur has played 70-plus games for the 12th time in 14 seasons and, once again, looks fantastic. In fact, his stats are eerily similar to those of the regular season the last season that the Devils won the Cup. Just saying.


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10. Buffalo Sabres (43-25-10): With four games remaining, the Sabres are once again the class of the Northeast Division. The big problem is that no one has informed them that there isn’t a Lightweight Stanley Cup Champion, which will make the playoffs that much more difficult for the undersized Sabres.


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11. Ottawa Senators (43-31-5): Is there any team that is as hard to read as the Senators? They’re either world beaters or can’t beat anyone. The good news, though, is that if they get their latest bad streak out of their system, they could be dangerous in the postseason.


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12. Colorado Avalanche (42-29-7): Colorado is clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot like a dog clings to a chew toy, despite the fact that most of their roster probably can’t grow a playoff beard yet. With a game in hand and two points up on Calgary, it would be fun to watch them try.


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13. Calgary Flames (40-30-9): The Flames won three straight over Washington, Phoenix and Colorado – and still need help to make the playoffs. Three games remain. Will Jarome Iginla conquer his latest scoring drought? It’s up to eight games.


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14. Los Angeles Kings (44-27-7): The Kings sent a clear message that Jonathan Quick was their goaltender after sending Jonathan Bernier back to Manchester. Not to be a Negative Nellie, but it seems like he might have been a valuable backup. Can Erik Ersberg come down with a hangnail or something?


15. Anaheim Ducks (38-31-9): The Ducks have got to be singing the sweet strains of Needtobreathe’s “More Time” right now. They’ve lost just three of their last eleven. Just a few more weeks and they’d be fine, to the tune of a playoff spot, the way that they’re playing.


alt 16) Montreal Canadiens (39-32-8): The Habs are certainly putting their best foot forward, and Jaroslav Halak continues to cement himself as the starting goaltender past these playoffs. And, if all else fails, the team can fall back on their jobs at the newly opened Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory in Montreal. (Is two Oompa Loompa jokes in two weeks too much?)


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17. Boston Bruins (36-30-13): Boston continues to squeak by with solid defense and goaltending and not much else. Injuries to Andrew Ference (groin), Dennis Seidenberg (wrist) and Zdeno Chara (broken nose) are coming at the wrong time for the Bruins’ blue line.

 

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18. New York Rangers (36-32-10): The Rangers are two points back of Philadelphia with a game in hand over the Flyers. The home-and-home set between these two teams will decide their postseason fate. Tune in on Friday and Sunday to see the beginning of the playoffs in the Atlantic Division.



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19. Philadelphia Flyers (39-34-6): Johan Backlund had a solid-if-unspectacular first showing for the Flyers. Will he become just another name in the team’s string of revolving goaltenders? The Flyers are hoping he can help stop the bleeding and help secure a playoff berth. Hey, somebody gets to be first-round fodder for the Capitals.


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20. St. Louis Blues (39-31-9): You’ve got to believe that St. Louis is absolutely loving the disparity between the Western and Eastern Conferences right now. Were they in the East, they’d be gearing up for a playoff run, while in the West they’re starting to book their tee times.



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21. Atlanta Thrashers (34-32-13): Things are looking bleak for the Thrashers’ playoff hopes. Three points in three games is a tough prospect for a team that has to finish out the season against the Devils, Capitals and Penguins. The future may be bright for this franchise, but the here and now definitely isn’t.

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22. Dallas Stars (35-30-14): Brad Richards is having the best season of his career. He’s on pace for 96 points and could have career highs in goals and assists as well. But he’s not getting a whole lot of help, as Dallas will miss the playoffs for the second straight year. Joe Nieuwendyk, Marc Crawford and company have a lot of work ahead of them.



alt 23. New York Islanders (33-35-10): This young bunch has won six of 10, and holds the potential to make a few teams’ lives miserable over the next week. With their last three games against the Devils and Penguins, they have the potential to determine the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well.



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24. Columbus Blue Jackets (32-34-14): An 0-3 week suggests a limp toward the finish, but one-goal losses to the Red Wings, Capitals and Blues should come as signs of a pulse. If this is indeed a non-playoff team in deep financial trouble, at least it’s not showing in the locker room.


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25. Carolina Hurricanes (33-36-10): The ‘Canes would be in the playoffs if not for their horrendous start to the season. Playing the role of spoilers, they’re offering a glimmer of hope for next season. Here’s another fan base that can’t accuse its team of not playing with heart.


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26. Minnesota Wild (37-36-7): Speaking of heart, the true measure of a team is how they perform when they have nothing left to play for. To that, Minnesota has failed miserably, showing no effort in their last handful of games. A few more outings like that and it could be a team of 17,999 or fewer next season.


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27. Florida Panthers (31-35-12): The Panthers would do well to pick up some help for Tomas Vokoun this off season. His numbers might be Vezina-worthy, or at least worthy of consideration, on a winning team. A goal here and a blocked shot there could go a long way next season towards getting them into the playoffs.


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28. Toronto Maple Leafs (29-36-14): The future might be a ways off for the Leafs, but knowing Brian Burke he’ll do everything he can to make the Leafs a playoff team next season. With Giguere and Gustavsson in net, that’s a distinct possibility.



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29. Tampa Bay Lightning (31-35-12): Steve Downie became the first player in the NHL to amass 200 penalty minutes and 20 goals in a single season since Theo Fleury in 2001-02. Think his coach might have had something to do with it? Rich Tocchet accomplished the feat in the 1992-93 season. They’re two peas in a pod.


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30. Edmonton Oilers (25-46-8): It’s hard to remain optimistic about the Oilers, but the good news is that they’re looking at securing a future franchise player one way or the other in the Entry Draft. Still, rebuilding will be more strenuous than sexy.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, April 07, 2010 08:45