Yahoo Finance NHL Power Rankings: Sharks showing signs of life
Hey everyone, we here at Yahoo! Sports are doing real power rankings for teams Nos. 1-31. Here they are, based on only how I am feeling about these teams and their chances to win the Cup, meaning you can’t tell me I’m wrong because these are my feelings and feelings can’t be wrong. Please enjoy the Power Feelings.
31. Los Angeles Kings (Last week: 29)
Truly shocking to see anyone other than the Senators or Red Wings in this spot this season, but both those teams had notable wins this week (over Carolina and Boston, respectively). LA went 0-2-1 in Eastern Canada, scoring just five goals. So that’s that.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (LW: 28)
They beat Arizona for their third regulation win of the year but that was sandwiched between two more losses where they might not have even shown up.
29. Ottawa Senators (LW: 31)
28. Detroit Red Wings (LW: 30)
Two wins for these guys is a big deal. Two wins in a row is even bigger. Two wins in a row against Boston and Vegas is a huge deal. Do I think Robby Fabbri is everything they ever needed to turn things around? Yes, I definitely do.
27. New York Rangers (LW: 27)
26. Anaheim Ducks (LW: 23)
Three straight losses in which they give up 13 goals to Chicago, Minnesota, and Edmonton doesn’t exactly help the perception that this team has defensive problems masked by having one of the best starters and best backups in the league.
25. Chicago (LW: 26)
I will harp once again on the Calvin de Haan thing: It’s not a “corsi” problem if your team gives up almost 160 shots in a four-game stretch. It’s a “your team sucks” problem. But hey, 2-1-1. Enjoy your moment in the sun, fellas.
24. New Jersey Devils (LW: 22)
23. Minnesota Wild (LW: 25)
Starting to look like that Minnesota team that was so good defensively last season is back. And then they also scored four, five, and four goals this week. Juggernaut incoming, for sure.
22. Philadelphia Flyers (LW: 24)
Here is a cool list of the Flyers’ last six game results: Shootout win, shootout loss, regulation win, OT win, shootout win, shootout win. On the one hand that’s where actually having a goalie comes in. But I bet if you go up against the Devils, Leafs, ‘Canes, Habs, Leafs, and Bruins and keep playing for the loser point, that’s not a winning strategy.
21. Buffalo Sabres (LW: 16)
Five losses in a row? These guys? No way!
20. Montreal Canadiens (LW: 20)
19. Winnipeg Jets (LW: 19)
18. Vancouver Canucks (LW: 15)
If we’re meant to believe the argument that they were getting by because of weak competition, then why did they lose to Chicago, Winnipeg, and New Jersey in regulation over their last three games, huh smart guy?
17. Edmonton Oilers (LW: 18)
Can’t knock ‘em for continuing to bank points but can knock ‘em for doing it against Arizona, New Jersey, and Anaheim this week. They play San Jose (twice), Colorado (twice), Vancouver (twice), Dallas, and Vegas, among others in the next little while. That’ll be interesting.
16. Dallas Stars (LW: 17)
What’s interesting to me is that the Stars have points in eight of the last nine and generally look pretty good, so why is the coach doing a nice version of the f’ing horsepoop rant from last year about Seguin and Benn? Especially when Seguin is second on the team in scoring? Oh, it’s because he’s shooting 5.5 percent again, and Jamie Benn (while admittedly not playing well) is shooting 2.6 percent. Got it.
15. Arizona Coyotes (LW: 14)
Expectations for a defensive setback came into the station right on schedule.
14. San Jose Sharks (LW: 21)
Three wins in a row, plus-23 shot difference. Would be cool if these guys figured it out. Not exactly holding my breath but you never ever know with them.
13. Florida Panthers (LW: 12)
12. Pittsburgh Penguins (LW: 11)
No timetable as of this writing on Crosby’s injury but you gotta figure “any amount of time more than what’s already gone by” is bad news. That’s the life you gotta lead sometimes if you have so many of your stars being over 30, but there are very few guys who are so critical to their teams’ success as ol’ 87, y’know?
11. Calgary Flames (LW: 13)
10. Colorado Avalanche (LW: 10)
You were worried that losing Rantanen, Landeskog, Wilson, Zadorov, and possibly Grubauer would be a problem for them? I guess you forgot about Cale Makar and… Pavel Francouz?
9. Nashville Predators (LW: 8)
Oh right all those guys on the Avs were hurt and the Preds still gave up NINE to them. It’s a fun sport, you gotta say.
8. New York Islanders (LW: 9)
7. Carolina Hurricanes (LW: 4)
Woof, four straight losses. All by at least two goals. Can’t think of too many stretches where a team with this much skill will only score seven times on 147 shots. Nor give up 17 on 103. Generally speaking if you outshoot your opponents by 11 a game, you’re not gonna lose four in a row too often. But it does happen. Again, fun sport, unless that’s your team.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (LW: 6)
Good news: They got five of eight points this week. Bad news: Marner is out until almost Christmas. Worse news: They lost to Chicago.
It’s tough, right? You gotta keep saying, “They’re gonna figure it all the way out,” but they don’t. And despite ALL that: They’re second in the division. So whatever.
5. Vegas Golden Knights (LW: 3)
Three losses out of four this week, all on the road. Yeah you can swallow it if it’s to Toronto (in OT) and Washington. But barely beating Columbus and losing to Detroit because you only put 19 shots on net can’t happen. Even if it’s at the end of a four-in-six and even if it’s the second half of a back-to-back.
It’s the Red Wings for MAF’s sake.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning (LW: 7)
I said it yesterday but their winning three of the last four and heading back to Tampa for a leeeeengthy run of home games (only seven more on the road in the 2019 calendar year) is gonna set them up for a nice run in the second half of the season.
3. St. Louis Blues (LW: 5)
2. Boston Bruins (LW: 1)
Losers of three in a row shouldn’t be enough to make you forget that 11-1-2 record to start the year. I’m sure the local media is already working on “Trading everyone but Halak and Cahlo” takes anyway.
1. Washington Capitals (LW: 2)
They’ve lost two games in the last month and one of them was in overtime so that’ll all work for me. Probably them too.
Ryan Lambert is a Yahoo! Sports columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.
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