And you thought the trade deadline was going to be dull. When the dust settled, some of which may have symbolized the razing of a franchise or two, 46 players had been shipped to new addresses. We were rumored to be headed for suburban Helena, Mont., where a mite league is in need of a cheap fix for its power rankings. We’re here today because that league refused to give up a second roll of tape. Cheapskates.
| NHL Power Rankings |
|---|
| Rank |
LW |
|
Team |
| 1 |
2 |
 |
Ottawa Senators
Muckler's moves bring new faces to the dressing room. (Well, not new in the case of Bryan Smolinski.) They'll have plenty of time to get to know one another on the road, where, after hosting the Rangers and Islanders, they'll play seven of their final 10. |
| 2 |
3 |
 |
Detroit Red Wings
If only the Red Wings could make what seems like the right acquisition at the right time. |
| 3 |
1 |
 |
Vancouver Canucks
Regarding the beefing up done by some Western Conference teams at the deadline, Trevor Linden didn't mind that the Canucks added only Brad May. "I heard all summer how Chicago [Theo Fleury] got better and how Phoenix [Tony Amonte] got better, and that we were in trouble." Linden said. "When you believe in what you have, you stick with it." |
| 4 |
4 |
 |
Dallas Stars
Stu Barnes won't win many games on his own in Dallas, but he sure could win a Cup. |
| 5 |
5 |
 |
New Jersey Devils
Thanks to SportsTicker for a pretty good line: "The New Jersey Devils were inactive at the NHL trade deadline. And they didn't get a lot done immediately after it." They lost Tuesday night to the Thrashers, failing to lock up a playoff spot and dropping their fifth game in seven tries. |
| 6 |
6 |
 |
Colorado Avalanche
Perhaps Pierre Lacroix wasn't uncomfortable enough with Rob Blake, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy. |
| 7 |
9 |
 |
St. Louis Blues
Chris Osgood, knowing that he'd be setting sail from the Islanders, still took time to sign autographs with his soon-to-be-former teammates for fans in Vancouver. Osgood may let in a bad goal or two along the way, but here's hoping St. Louis fans keep the good-guy factor in mind when they might be tempted otherwise to boo. |
| 8 |
7 |
 |
Philadelphia Flyers
Tony Amonte is a flashy pickup, but we're not sure the cure for goal-scoring woes in Philadelphia (three goals in three games last week) is a guy with a recent history of declining production -- goal totals since '98-'99: 44, 43, 35, 27 and 13; shooting percentage in those seasons: 17.2, 16.5, 13.7, 11.6 and 7.6. |
| 9 |
8 |
 |
Toronto Maple Leafs
With Marilyn Manson's Beautiful People rattling the rafters of Air Canada Centre on Saturday night, Owen Nolan's first introduction as a starting right winger sent Leafs fans in attendance into a frenzy. Nolan felt at home enough (shouldn't have been hard, considering his parents were there, too) to score a pair of goals. By Wednesday, though, Nolan was just another in a handful of newly acquired faces in Toronto. |
| 10 |
11 |
 |
Washington Capitals
Don Cherry, master of understatement (and not the last reason we'd like a dog named Blue), on Saturday night called Dainius Zubrus out for redefining "dive" with his airborne pirouette near the Boston crease. When Cherry says you're embellishing, he knows of what he speaks. |
| 11 |
10 |
 |
Minnesota Wild
Slight moves at the deadline; nothing positive. Slight move here; nothing positive. |
| 12 |
13 |
 |
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
The day after he's traded, it's doubtful Steve Thomas will take the schedule-makers up on the opportunity to wish his former teammates good luck on the golf course. |
| 13 |
12 |
 |
Tampa Bay Lightning
At this point they might wind up playing Southeast Division rival Washington in the first round. Which, by the way, would guarantee a bye for the division that is always picked last when the NHL's six divisions get together for a game of three-on-three. |
| 14 |
16 |
 |
Edmonton Oilers
Sputtering down the home stretch only puts them slightly closer to the finish line than Nashville is in the rearview mirror. |
| 15 |
17 |
 |
Boston Bruins
Dan McGillis will upgrade an occasionally Keystone Cops defense. The only possible concern, and we say this in jest, is that McGillis, a former Northeastern University standout, could revert to the kind of collegiate excess that derailed so many on the path to athletic success. |
| 16 |
14 |
 |
New York Islanders
An NHL television analyst on Monday evening, setting forth a thesis defending the Islanders' chances of holding onto a playoff spot, said matter-of-factly that "the key for them is to get through these next six [road] games." Oh, is that all? In an effort to spare diehard, lifelong Islanders fans, at least one of whom is a friend of the Power Rankings and nearly five months pregnant, the ugly truth about the schedule left on the bone. |
| 17 |
15 |
 |
Nashville Predators
For a team that was seven games below .500 as recently as Jan. 16, getting to 26-25-9-4 is a nifty run. But after stumbling off the trajectory that brought them above break-even (winning 13 of 19), they're probably going to run out of time. |
| 18 |
23 |
 |
New York Rangers
With the Islanders taking on water (is two one too many aquatic allusions to the Islanders?) and the Rangers taking on Anson Carter, the local rivals' meetings on March 17 and April 1 take on that much more meaning. |
| 19 |
20 |
 |
Phoenix Coyotes
In an upset, Teppo Numminen was not traded. If he were to end up in Detroit, perhaps Numminen was upset. |
| 20 |
18 |
 |
Los Angeles Kings
According to a radio analyst on Sunday afternoon, Los Angeles "has the pep back in their step, and the glide in their stride." Oops, sorry to lead you astray. That quote comes courtesy of Fred Carter, author of perhaps the best non-verbally communicated aloha in sports, and is in reference to the Lakers. |
| 21 |
25 |
 |
Florida Panthers
Worst home record in the league takes another hit with a 4-0 loss to the Sabres. Top-10 road record was then boosted by a 2-1 win in Manhattan. Playoff hopes, though, are still suffering from fact that 22-27-12-9 teams don't make the playoffs. |
| 22 |
21 |
 |
Montreal Canadiens
It was a 3-1 Monday night win in Columbus. Nothing special, right? Unless your only previous win was Feb. 15. |
| 23 |
22 |
 |
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks somehow managed to acquire yet another draft pick for Rosevelt Colvin. |
| 24 |
23 |
 |
San Jose Sharks
GM Dean Lombardi found no takers to upgrade his Zambonis. |
| 25 |
28 |
 |
Calgary Flames
The 5-2 Tuesday home loss to Edmonton, which broke a four-game winning streak, suggests the Dean McAmmond Effect has not taken just yet. |
| 26 |
24 |
 |
Pittsburgh Penguins
No truth to the rumor that the Penguins will be sending split squads to away games next season. |
| 27 |
26 |
 |
Columbus Blue Jackets
A three-win February pretty much ended Columbus' season. Come to think of it, the four-win December didn't help much, either. |
| 28 |
27 |
 |
Atlanta Thrashers
We're submitting as evidence the road win in New Jersey and the two games in hand they have on Carolina that the Thrashers can move ahead of the Hurricanes and Buffalo in the overall standings. |
| 29 |
29 |
 |
Buffalo Sabres
GM Darcy Regier found no takers for his equipment guy. After all, Buffalo might need him to skate. |
| 30 |
30 |
 |
Carolina Hurricanes
At 3:01 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, the Hurricanes called to see about trading up in the Power Rankings. When told that not only was it past the deadline, but also that there would no longer be the rally cry of having no place to go but up, they were talked out of a swap. |
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