For at least another week, consider this space a demilitarized zone. The Power Rankings are not produced in a vacuum, of course, and while we're aware of political commentary on the news in Iraq, we'll try not to engage. So let's pick up our weary leg, throw it over the boards and hit the ice for another effort as the NHL season's clock ticks into the little digits.
In the three days leading into this edition, the league's docket featured some interesting action among our top-shelf teams, the final scores of which lead to a new top shelf.
| NHL Power Rankings |
|---|
| Rank |
LW |
|
Team |
| 1 |
2 |
 |
Detroit Red Wings
No team has led more laps of the Power Rankings Cup over the past three seasons than the Red Wings, so when they return to Victory Lane, the party will ring out from the Grosse Pointes to Grand Rapids to the U-P. As soon as he scores goal No. 35, which would kick in his $4.5 million option for next season, Brett Hull, who scored three in a showdown of our No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams, should spring for some snacks. |
| 2 |
1 |
 |
Ottawa Senators
Humbled by a Hull hat trick. Those three goals hurt, of course, but not as much as the three Detroit scored on four shots in the second period of last week's main event. The good news is that the Senators managed to put 43 shots on net, the most the Wings had allowed this season. The bad news is that their own goaltender played so poorly in such a big game. |
| 3 |
3 |
 |
Vancouver Canucks
Todd Bertuzzi fueled Hart Trophy talk in Vancouver with a hat trick on the road in Dallas. Prior to the Canucks' rematch with the Blues (the two teams combined for a chippy 4-4- result on March 13), Bertuzzi had scored a dozen goals in 13 games. |
| 4 |
8 |
 |
Philadelphia Flyers
Welcome back, John LeClair. Wins over Carolina and Pittsburgh won't bribe the Power Rankings powers-that-be much more than a spot or two, but Monday's win in New Jersey dragged Philly up to No. 4. The Flyers also benefited from Dallas' three-game losing streak. |
| 5 |
4 |
 |
Dallas Stars
Since Dallas had been outscored 14-8 in its past four games against teams with something to play for, including the loss to Vancouver, we figured a Marty Turco update was in order. On Monday he told the Dallas Morning News that he would like to "go on the ice with the intent of being a real goalie in about a week." |
| 6 |
7 |
 |
St. Louis Blues
They're not going to catch Detroit for the division lead, so Chris Osgood's first order of business is to keep the Blues as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Then, should seeding hold form in the first round, we all can start talking about how interesting it is that Osgood will play the team that cut him loose. |
| 7 |
5 |
 |
New Jersey Devils
Came out flat against Philadelphia on Monday and donated their lead in the Atlantic standings to the Flyers. |
| 8 |
9 |
 |
Toronto Maple Leafs
Without Gary Roberts, Alexander Mogilny and Doug Gilmour, the Leafs marched into GM Place and came away with a 1-0 win. Each team took 23 shots in the Saturday affair, but Eddie Belfour pitched his 65th career shutout and his first against Alex Auld. |
| 9 |
6 |
 |
Colorado Avalanche
Consecutive losses last week to Detroit and Washington, the latter of which became David Aebischer's third defeat in four decisions, were Colorado's first of the back-to-back variety since Jan. 9-11. |
| 10 |
13 |
 |
Tampa Bay Lightning
The regular season just can't contain the Capitals-Lightning rivalry. If the season ended today (we've asked, but it's not going to happen), the two teams would play at least four more. |
| 11 |
11 |
 |
Minnesota Wild
As of March 18, the Wild and Ducks were tied with the Lightning at 83 points, but the Lightning sail ahead of both on the strength of their past 10 games. This week's arbitrary second tiebreaker is games in hand, of which the Wild has one on the Mighty Ducks. |
| 12 |
12 |
 |
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
With a pair of third-period goals in a span of 4:05 Sunday night, Petr Sykora ran his hot streak (and congrats if you had him in the pool to lead Anaheim in scoring) to four goals in as many games. In the process, the Ducks salvaged their eighth point in 11 games and Paul Kariya ran his goalless streak to 10. |
| 13 |
10 |
 |
Washington Capitals
Since the Capitals swapped places in the standings with Tampa Bay, it just made sense to swap the two here, too. |
| 14 |
14 |
 |
Edmonton Oilers
Try as they might, they just couldn't slip from the playoff race, perhaps driving the final nail into Nashville's playoff hopes with a 5-3 win Monday night. |
| 15 |
15 |
 |
Boston Bruins
The first of two teams not many expected to reel off a pair of inspiring wins last week, but seven of their remaining 10 are all over the map (West Coast, Philly, Ottawa and New Jersey). |
| 16 |
16 |
 |
New York Islanders
Just when they could have folded the tent on the road, and let the Rangers sputter into something interesting last week, the Isles go and win in Edmonton and Ottawa by a combined score of 10-4. The schedule is still brutal down the stretch (Toronto and New Jersey twice, another meeting with the Blueshirts, and Detroit, too), but a five-point lead with two games in hand isn't so alarming. |
| 17 |
18 |
 |
New York Rangers
Not counting their inspired 5-1 win over the Flyers, the Rangers scored six goals in five games between March 3-17. Granted, one gained them a St. Patrick's Day win over the Islanders, but the sand running through the hourglass is dotted with too many Ls along the way. |
| 18 |
17 |
 |
Nashville Predators
Since pulling even with the Oilers in the win column on March 1, the Preds won one of eight games. Now they head out for a road trip to British Columbia and Alberta for the first three of seven road games to finish the season. |
| 19 |
19 |
 |
Phoenix Coyotes
Of the three teams sitting on 69 points, the Coyotes have won five of their previous 10 games, and only eight teams as of this writing had won more in that span. |
| 20 |
20 |
 |
Los Angeles Kings
With a 0-0 tie against Carolina (not a misprint), Los Angeles was mathematically eliminated from breaking 90 points, a total the Kings had achieved in each of the past three seasons. |
| 21 |
22 |
 |
Montreal Canadiens
Hockey News coverboy Jose Theodore, he of the forgettable season, allowed only five goals in four starts from March 10-15, while the Habs went 3-1-0-0 in that span. Making a playoff run similar to last season's at this time, though, is quite unlikely. |
| 22 |
21 |
 |
Florida Panthers
At different points this season Olli Jokinen scored 12 goals in 18 games, seven in nine and six in six, but the streaks are now fewer and farther between. In Florida's 14 games since the alluded-to six-in-six, Jokinen has scored only three goals, though one was the game-winner in Pittsburgh on Sunday. |
| 23 |
23 |
 |
Chicago Blackhawks
"Fleury's OT goal lifts Blackhawks past Sharks." That's the headline that ran on SI.com on Tuesday, and we couldn't have said it better ourselves. |
| 24 |
24 |
 |
San Jose Sharks
Thanks to a 32-save performance from Vesa Toskala, San Jose retained the belt in a title fight with the Flames Saturday night -- that title being the coveted No. 24 spot in our rankings. |
| 25 |
25 |
 |
Calgary Flames
Jumped all over the Sharks early in the first period of the aforementioned title fight, outshooting the Sharks 13-3 in the first, and held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before allowing power play goals in the second and third. |
| 26 |
28 |
 |
Atlanta Thrashers
Just an update on where the Thrashers stand in the goal-scoring deficit race: 30th. Their 61 goals below break-even is a number that represents more than 13 percent of the total combined by the 16 teams in the red this season. |
| 27 |
30 |
 |
Carolina Hurricanes
Worst division record among all Eastern Conference teams. And they play in the Southeast Division, where teams average an NHL-low 27.4 wins. |
| 28 |
27 |
 |
Columbus Blue Jackets
Even with a 5-0 win over the Wild on the Ides of March, the Blue Jackets still had been outscored 19-15 from March 8-17. |
| 29 |
29 |
 |
Buffalo Sabres
Big upset win last week: They found an owner. |
| 30 |
26 |
 |
Pittsburgh Penguins
We can't say something sweet, so at least we'll make it short. Pens are winless in 10. |
| |
