| NHL Power Rankings |
|---|
| Rank |
LW |
|
Team |
| 1 |
2 |
 |
Ottawa Senators
So a couple of Senators scrapped during a recent practice scrimmage? Perhaps this really is a team that's forming some sandpaper on the outside, just in time for the playoffs. |
| 2 |
1 |
 |
Detroit Red Wings
Minnesota lulled them into the 4-0 loss that ended the winning streak at six. The defeat also allowed Dallas to catch the Wings in the Western Conference standings. Theme alert: Manny Legace posted a season-low .850 save percentage in that game. |
| 3 |
5 |
 |
Dallas Stars
After 18 games away, which he spent nursing a sprained ankle, Marty Turco returned to a breeze of a day at the office on Sunday. The Blues were kind enough to take only 13 shots on Turco, and Dallas was kind enough to wrap up the Pacific Division. |
| 4 |
3 |
 |
Vancouver Canucks
Shooting with the Stars on Tuesday night, and then it's five games against three teams -- Anaheim, Phoenix (home and away) and Los Angeles (home and away), where the Maurice Richard Trophy may be decided between two teammates. And yet no on can stop harping on their goaltending. |
| 5 |
7 |
 |
New Jersey Devils
Ridiculous stat of the week: Fourteen of the Devils' 17 goals from March 15-24 were scored by a player whose first name began with either a J or a P. Worthwhile stat of the week (thanks to the Bergen (N.J.) Record): After a 14-game points streak that ended in early February, the Devils allowed the first goal in seven of nine contests. Over the past week or so, however, according to one of the Js, Jamie Langenbrunner, "We had a bit of a lull where we had some tough games, and I think in hindsight that's going to be good for us. We've remembered how we play and we're getting back to it bit by bit." |
| 6 |
4 |
 |
Philadelphia Flyers
We give the Flyers tough-love treatment this week, and part of us really doesn't feel good about it. But the Devils took a few steps ahead in the division standings and earned their raise over the past seven days while the Flyers, prior to whipping the Thrashers 6-2 Monday night, had won only once in three games against non-playoff opponents. |
| 7 |
6 |
 |
St. Louis Blues
They clinched their 24th consecutive playoff appearance last week and nearly are assured of facing the Avalanche in the first round -- home ice, however, is up in the air. Nice to know Chris Pronger might be around to help secure the first two at Savvis. |
| 8 |
9 |
 |
Colorado Avalanche
Is it irony if the Avalanche is postponed by snow, as they were last week before getting back in the win column against the Sharks? In other news, Colorado's division-title hopes may have been snowed under in Buffalo after Monday's 4-3 OT loss to the Sabres. |
| 9 |
10 |
 |
Tampa Bay Lightning
With 34 saves in San Jose on Monday night, Nikolai Khabibulin (11-0-2 in 13 decisions) helped the Lightning extend a franchise-record, nine-game unbeaten streak and clinch the team's first playoff berth in seven seasons. (Those of you who had Tampa Bay in the playoffs on March 25 and the Sharks way out, raise your right hand and take a bow.) |
| 10 |
11 |
 |
Minnesota Wild
If you're going to nail down the first playoff appearance in franchise history, you might as well do it with a 4-0, home-ice shutout of the Red Wings, the NHL's hottest team at the time. |
| 11 |
12 |
 |
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
In the event the Ducks and Stars square off in the first round of the playoffs, those of you in Vegas for the NCAA tournament might want to put something down on the under for a best-of-seven series. Facing the high-powered Canucks would provide an equally compelling matchup, one that may provide Anaheim a better chance of winning. |
| 12 |
8 |
 |
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto still held a seven-point advantage on the Bruins when it woke up Tuesday morning, but it sure didn't look that way in Monday night's 3-2 loss in Boston. |
| 13 |
14 |
 |
Edmonton Oilers
Current playoff teams have scored a combined 483 more goals than they've allowed, an average of 30.18 above break-even, but the Oilers are one of two teams in the red (the Islanders are the other). Edmonton, however, has been doing its part to pull away from that distinction, having outscored opponents 39-30 through 12 games (8-2-1-1) in March. |
| 14 |
15 |
 |
Boston Bruins
Revealing thoughts from Joe Thornton, to the Boston Globe, in response to Robbie Ftorek's firing on the road last week: "I thought, why do it out here? We're six hours away from home. If you knew a while ago that this was going to happen, why not tell him at home so he doesn't have to fly all the way home?" ... "I think the guy probably knows more about hockey than anybody else in the world. He taught me so much about little things that you'd never think about. Hopefully, I'll be able to be coached by him again in the future." Most of the NHL's players are professionals, of course, and not nearly as petty as, say, someone who complies a weekly Power Rankings list, but if we liked our coach and he was fired, only to be replaced by the person who did the firing, we'd be a little less likely to give such a great effort night in and night out. Thornton and the Bruins, though, have played well in Ftorek's absence. |
| 15 |
13 |
 |
Washington Capitals
A friend of the Power Rankings' family, one who happens to be a longtime caps fan and United States Coast Guard Academy graduate now serving his country overseas, wondered why it was that his team had to be playing so well as he was shipping out. Mike, they're on the road now, too, and we'll spare you of the struggles they've encountered of late. Get home safely. |
| 16 |
16 |
 |
New York Islanders
Come-from-behind effort last Tuesday (they took one shot in the first period in Toronto and were down 2-0 after two) salvaged a 3-3 tie. Two nights later, after Canadiens fans booed the U.S. national anthem, the Isles appeared to salvage a playoff spot with a 6-3 win. Then they go and chunk it with a 4-2 loss on home ice to New Jersey. In the midst of this renewed uncertainty, Alexei Yashin put together a five-point night. |
| 17 |
17 |
 |
New York Rangers
There are a few ways to look at the Islanders' machine as it coughs and sputters down the stretch. The cross-island rivals could be dangling a carrot to a) give the Rangers some momentum for next season, b) twist the knife that much harder when there are no longer games to play, or c) serve up a chance for the Rangers to steal their playoff spot on April 1. |
| 18 |
19 |
 |
Phoenix Coyotes
This space was supposed to have been dedicated to the idea that Nashville's falling off the pace almost coincided with the late playoff push put forth by the Coyotes. Then Phoenix was shut out in consecutive games vs. Tampa Bay on Saturday and in Calgary on Monday, the latter of which featured a shotless first period by the Coyotes. |
| 19 |
18 |
 |
Nashville Predators
Perhaps the workload wore on Tomas Vokoun. After picking up points in 10 of 12 games from Feb. 13 to March 7 (he was 9-2-1) as the clear-cut No. 1, Nashville’s goaltender went 0-6-2 in his next eight starts as the team fell from playoff contention. |
| 20 |
21 |
 |
Montreal Canadiens
Fans' booing of The Star-Spangled Banner on Thursday night may have charged the visiting Islanders up just enough to end the Habs' season. |
| 21 |
20 |
 |
Los Angeles Kings
Kings' ownership plans to cut ticket prices by an average of 3 percent next season. They'd like to cut injuries at least that much. |
| 22 |
23 |
 |
Chicago Blackhawks
We read a headline on Monday morning that Chicago won a bunch of awards over the weekend. |
| 23 |
25 |
 |
Calgary Flames
Since it had been 23 years, according to the Calgary Sun, that the Flames held an opponent without a shot in the first period of a game, as they did Monday night while playing bad hosts to the Coyotes, we'll slide Calgary in at No. 23 this week. |
| 24 |
24 |
 |
San Jose Sharks
Tough week for the Sharks. Their GM gets fired and a snowstorm keeps them from their appointed rounds -- a shutout loss in Denver -- which sentenced them to three games in three nights, one of which they won. |
| 25 |
22 |
 |
Florida Panthers
NHL players who didn't make it to the All-Star Game are finding that the Panthers’ home hospitality continues throughout the season. |
| 26 |
26 |
 |
Atlanta Thrashers
Efforts to let Pittsburgh back into the goal-scoring-deficit race were thwarted by Monday’s 6-2 loss in Philadelphia. |
| 27 |
29 |
 |
Buffalo Sabres
Thanks to Monday's inspiring 4-3, come-from-behind win over Colorado on home ice, the Sabres crept out of a two-team, misery-loves-company club that shared a winning percentage below .300. Buffalo is now up to .303, leaving only the Hurricanes in the .200s. |
| 28 |
28 |
 |
Columbus Blue Jackets
Kicked off a five-game road trip with a 5-0 loss in Anaheim. Only one non-playoff opponent remains on the schedule. |
| 29 |
27 |
 |
Carolina Hurricanes
If it was a tough week for the Sharks, it was an even tougher March 18 for the defending Eastern Conference champs. The goaltender who won the starting job earlier this season (Kevin Weekes) injured his hand, which will require surgery in the offseason, and allowed six goals on 24 shots. The resulting 6-5 loss to Ottawa also officially eliminated Carolina from the playoffs. |
| 30 |
30 |
 |
Pittsburgh Penguins
On pace to finish with the fewest points in 2002-03, though the Pens will probably leave the fewest-wins title for the Hurricanes, Sabres and Panthers to settle. |
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