Nation Network NHL Power Rankings: Blackhawks reclaim top spot

9 years ago

They’ve been called “the Glenn Healy” of NHL Power Rankings, they’ve been furiously annotated and derided as useless. And now they’re here. Available across the Nation Network: it’s NHL Power Rankings!

1. Chicago Blackhawks

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
33-18-2	+40	54.1%	3

Want to know what elite depth looks like? Over the past five weeks an injury to Kris Versteeg has forced the Blackhawks to play Patrick Sharp on their second-line. Yep, when this club is healthy Sharp is a third-liner…

There are several contenders this season. There is only one juggernaut:

(Courtesy: Giphy)

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
34-16-5	+34	54.2%	1

Cedric Paquette went full on Miley Cyrus on Alec Martinez this weekend:

After hanging with the Kings physically (and then some) on Saturday, the Lightning skated the Ducks right off the ice in the first period of Sunday’s game.

When you can brutalize the SoCal clubs, you know you’re legit.

3. Detroit Red Wings

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
31-12-9	+25	53.9%	5

Mike Babcock’s system is so efficient that the Red Wings are able to dominate the flow of play without quality NHL defensemen. Pay. The. Man.

4. St. Louis Blues

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
34-15-4	+36	51.4%	2

An essential version of the chicken vs. egg conundrum:

5. New York Islanders

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
34-18-1	+18	53.7%	4

Kanye West’s favorite jersey is Kyle Okposo’s bane.

6. Anaheim Ducks

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
34-13-7	+14	50.9%	7

Grand masters of the one goal win for much of the year, the Ducks lost two games by a single tally this week. It’s almost like they don’t have an innate ability to grind out narrow wins…

(Courtesy: @arby_18)

7. Los Angeles Kings

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
22-18-12	-1	54.3%	6

It has been an ugly year for the Los Angeles Kings…

So why do they remain in our top-10? Well they’re still an elite possession team, and will be a tough out come playoff time.

“But they’re five points out!” Yeah, but projection models that are weighted to account for predictive metrics still think the Kings are far more likely to qualify than not…

(Courtesy: @inefefectivemath)

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
30-15-8	+17	52.3%	9

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been the second best puck possession team by score adjusted shot attempt differential in 2015.

If this club can get healthy at the right time: look out.

9. Nashville Predators

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
35-12-6	+34	52.5%	8

David Poile is expected to be aggressive at the deadline, which may be bad news for Smashville.

When Poile is a buyer he’s done things like trade a first-round pick (that became Zemgus Girgensons) for Paul Gaustad, or bring Alexander Radulov back from the KHL. When he’s a seller he’s pulled off heists like Martin Erat for Filip Forsberg.

Stick to retail, Mr. Poile.

10. Washington Capitals

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
28-16-10	+22	51.6%	13

Alex Ovechkin has scored nine goals in his last 10 games. He’s hot enough to eat straight off of the hibachi:

Love it))))
A video posted by Alexander Ovechkin (@aleksandrovechkinofficial) on Feb 8, 2015 at 6:05pm PST

11. Montreal Canadiens

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
34-15-3	+24	49.1%	10

Weise-y F. Baby dropping bombs:

No one tell him about Eric Tulsky and the Carolina Hurricanes, okay?

12. Winnipeg Jets

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
27-18-10	+7	52.3%	11

The turmoil surrounding the still formidable Winnipeg Jets is an opportunity to remind ourselves that it’s usually a mistake to over-rate the impact off-ice drama has on on-ice results.

Also it’s a good opportunity for enterprising Manitoban teens to adopt a killer band name:

13. Boston Bruins

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
28-18-7	+8	52%	12

18-years-old and able to plow through massive open-ice hits by P.K. Subban. David Pastrnak the gawd:

14. San Jose Sharks

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
28-19-7	+4	51.2%	15

Nice of Epix to give zoo animals the chance to observe an elite power forward deployed out of position on the blue-line:

(Courtesy: The Royal Half)

15. Vancouver Canucks

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
29-19-3	+9	49.8%	17

It seems likely that Zack Kassian has never left bat country:

16. New York Rangers

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
30-16-5	+29	50%	14

Being marooned on a desert island is roughly as hopeless as the Rangers are without Henrik Lundqvist…

17. Minnesota Wild

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
25-20-6	-1	52.5%	18

Devan Dubnyk is singlehandedly responsible for getting the Wild back into the playoff race. And extending Tim Thomas’ sabbatical:

18. Calgary Flames

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
29-21-3	+16	44.9%	20

Mark Giordano and the Calgary Flames: making nerds look bad since the fall of 2014.

19. Florida Panthers

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
23-17-10	-18	51.7%	19

The Panthers reportedly want a second-round pick for rate stats All-Star Sean Bergenheim. And I want a Ferrari in exchange for writing a weekly Power Rankings post.

20. Dallas Stars

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
24-21-8	-5	50.8%	16

Losing to the Buffalo Sabres this weekend was Ruff.

21. Ottawa Senators

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
20-22-9	-5	49.5%	21

There are still NHL teams that think Chris Neil can help them win, apparently.

Maybe they’re right, but you better have a pretty great penalty-kill.

22. Colorado Avalanche

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
22-21-11	-15	43.6%	22

Avalanche fans be like:

Still looking better than Daniel Briere’s defensive game though.

23. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
23-25-3	-25	46.3%	24

The Blue Jackets blew out the Blues and the Senators by a combined score of 11-2 this weekend. Just imagine what this team would’ve been capable of were it not for the injury pestilence that wrecked their season (maybe a Wild Card spot!).

24. Philadelphia Flyers

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
23-22-8	-10	48.8%	23

Steve Mason gets hurt so much that the Flyers may as well construct an aerial runway from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia for Rob Zepp’s convenience. Then we could call it a Zepp line.

25. Carolina Hurricanes

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
19-26-7	-23	50.7%	25

There is reportedly concern around the league that, as a result of a preponderance of recent head injuries, Jeff Skinner has become something of a floater.

Speaking of floaters…

(Courtesy: GarnetPalmetto)

26. Arizona Coyotes

Record	Goal Differential	Corsi For Percentage	Previous Rank
19-27-7	-54	48.6%	28

Martin Hanzal is available on the trade market, which is cool news. Its been too long since he had an opportunity to injure opponents in the playoffs.