Here are the power rankings updated up to Saturday's slew of matches, most of which were actually very surprising in the results. As before, numbers in parenthesis are the team's rankings last week. The topic of discussion will be the results of the trade deadline, based on reactions around the media of the hockey world initially, and performance results in the acquir-eed's first couple of games with their new teams.
1 (1). Boston Bruins (95 points) - The Boston Bruins have sole possession of first place in the NHL after a season long battle with the San Jose Sharks, and more recently the Detroit Red Wings. But like the two previously mentioned teams, they have been struggling stringing some wins together. So, without sacraficing their team's leading goal scorer in Phil Kessel, who many assumed would be traded for a big name defenseman, they got a veteran winger to take up a role in their third line: Mark Recchi. In his second game with his new team, Recchi scored 2 goals and got the first star award in a 5-3 win over the up and coming Chicago Blackhawks. Based on what the Bruins lost (or didn't lose), Recchi was pretty much thought of as a great pick-up for the Bruins: not the big move type of guy, but someone to simply fill in a missing piece of the puzzle.
2 (2). San Jose Sharks (94 points) - The only reason I ranked San Jose second was because they have a two game advantage over Detroit in the points standings. Other than that, they have not played like a team that deserves to be in second place. If the rankings were based purely on weekly performances, San Jose would probably be around 20th. They have lost all 4 games since the last power ranking update, going 0-3-1. They traded two prospects and a conditional draft pick for Travis Moen and Kent Huskins. They also traded Kyle McLaren for a 6th round pick, but McLaren failed a physical and is once again a San Jose Shark. In Moen's first game (a 1-3 loss to Vancouver), he played 15 minutes, was an even +/-, and had 3 shots on goal, including a very nice opportunity on the penalty kill generated from a great individual effort. Kent Huskins is there purely for insurance, but with the way Semenov has been playing, it won't be surprising if he is called up for a game or two to see if he can secure a spot in the playoff roster. The one thing they did lose was Nick Bonino, a young offensive prospect who most of the league was salivating over.
3 (3). Detroit Red Wings (94 points) - Detroit's recent performance is parallel with their inconsistant goaltending. Ty Conklin got the start in Nashville, where he was shelled in an 8-0 loss. Osgood got the next start in a 5-0 shutout win. Conklin responds with a 3-2 win over the Blues. Osgood then gets slaughtered by Columbus, allowing 7 goals including a hat trick to Rick Nash. Detroit did absolutely nothing at the trade deadline. Not surprising considering they have potential first and second line starters currently playing in the minors, although one must question, especially after this week, whether or not they should've made a move with one of their goaltenders.
4 (5). New Jersey Devils (87 points) - Immediately after Brodeur's return, the Devils sent Scott Clemmensen back to the AHL, which pretty much said who their starting goaltender would be for the rest of the season and into the playoffs. Brodeur didn't let them down, posting a shutout and 4 wins before finally dropping a 3-7 loss to the Islanders. For the first time in a long time, New Jersey's offense isn't the problem. They are threatening Boston's legitimacy at being the #1 team in the East, and don't be surprised if many people are starting to think the Devils are the best in the NHL. Like Detroit, the Devils did not make a move at the trade deadline simply because they didn't need to, but they wanted to ship Clemmensen to a different team out of respect since he deserved to be a starter in the NHL after holding the fort down for Brodeur. Unfortunately, he remained in the AHL.
5 (6). Calgary Flames (84 points) - The Flames scored 6 goals in their first two games of the week in a 6-8 loss to Tampa Bay and a 6-3 win over Ottowa. Then they made the big moves at the deadline, acquiring Leopold to bolster their defensive depth and Jokinen to provide even more scoring to their monstrous offense. Jokinen responded by scoring twice in his first game with the Flames in a 5-1 win over Philadelphia, but the Flames then dropped their next game, losing 1-6 to Carolina. And the loss could probably be considered a fluke, as Kiprusoff was given the night off and the Flames were heavily outshot. This team is starting to become the team to beat in the West, and they truly have a scary roster. The only team in the NHL that has more offensive depth than the Flames are the Detroit Red Wings, and the Osgood/Conklin combo cannot compare to the Kipper.
6 (4). Washington Capitals (85 points) - Like 4 out of the 5 other division leaders in the league, the Capitals have been struggling recently. After a 4-3 win over Boston in overtime off a fluke goal, the Caps have dropped 3 straight, failing to score more than 2 goals in each game. Ovechkin missed the most recent loss: a 1-2 defeat to Toronto. But down the stretch, Washington is starting to show their vulnerabilities, primarily on defense and goaltending. They also received a lot of heat for not making a move at the trade deadline when there has been lots of questions as to whether Jose Theodore can actually lead them on a deep playoff run. So far, he isn't passing the test of faith Washington put on him.
7 (8). Chicago Blackhawks (81 points) - The Blackhawks started the week strong, with wins over two Western Conference teams fighting for a playoff spot, before dropping a 3-5 loss to the Boston Bruins. No big trades for the Blackhawks, but the acquisition of Pahlsson from the Ducks was the added veteran leadership they needed for a playoff run. Their offense is still going to run through their two young superstars: Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The question with the Hawks still, though, is whether or not they have the goaltending to get them far in the playoffs. There hasn't been consistancy with the Chihawks at either end of the ice recently, so right now the answer is no.
8 (7). Philadelphia Flyers (80 points) - The Flyers were both impressive and victimized, winning against Boston and the red-hot Nashville Predators, but losing to the well-rested Brodeur and Olli Jokinen and the Calgary Flames. Common theme: Flyers were screwed by the trade deadline. Although Brodeur wasn't really a trade deadline acquisition, his return was pretty much the same as the Devils picking him up for free. And the Flyers traded Scottie Upshall for Daniel Carcillo. The worst trade this deadline on paper by far, but Carcillo's infamous agitating skills actually propelled the Flyers to a 4-1 win over Nashville. Maybe they picked him up for a stretch run to the playoffs, especially against matches over Western Conference teams.
9 (10). Vancouver Canucks (76 points) - In the past 4 games, Roberto Luongo has not allowed more than 2 goals. No surprise the Canucks went 4-0-0 in that stretch. Mats Sundin is looking young again and their defense is playing smarter, as the team went from the most penalized team in the NHL to the third most. To put an exclamation mark on all of it, the Canucks avenged their disappointing 2-1 OT loss where they dominated San Jose for 59 minutes of the game, defeating the Sharks in regulation 3-1 with 2 quick first period goals. Their offense is hot, their goaltending is hot. The only question is can the Canucks consistantly beat the top 3 teams in the West when the playoffs come?
10 (14). Florida Panthers (76 points) - Probably the biggest surprise of the season, the Florida Panthers are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Although they are only 2 points away from 9th, they don't look like they are dropping out of the playoff race anytime soon, going 3-1-0 this week with their only loss to Pittsburgh, but had a huge win over Washington. The Panthers are serious about this playoff run, as they held on to Jay Bouwmeester, their top defenseman rumored to be going to several different teams. If the Panthers make it into the playoffs and add some offensive depth during the off-season, don't be surprised of Bouwmeester stays with the Panthers, who are slowly becoming legitimate playoff contenders.
11 (11). New York Rangers (76 points) - Rangers had a bye this week, and it served them well, helping them prepare for the newcomers in Sean Avery and Nik Antropov. Avery remained disciplined while throwing legal checks, and Antropov provided an instant offensive spark alongside Chris Drury, and the Rangers defeated the streaking Islanders in their only match this week. They still aren't a pencil-in for the playoffs, but Antropov will provide them the offense they were sorely missing for most of the season. And the Rangers have proven, despite what Sean Avery does, they play better with him than without him.
12 (16). Carolina Huricanes (75 points) - The Hurricanes finally found some great goaltending, but it came at a time when they didn't really need it. In the past 3 games, they have averaged 2 goals against, while scoring a total of 20 in that span. They had a huge win over the Washington Capitals (everyone has been doing that lately), and after a 3-way trade landed them their old teammate Erik Cole, the offense that got them the Stanley Cup several years ago seems rekindled, as Cole scored a goal in a 6-1 win over Calgary, and dished out 4 assists in a 9-3 stompin gof Tampa Bay. The Hurricanes are playing great hockey as of late, but the true test comes in the remaining games of the season, where they have 2 games against the Devils, Capitals, and their next game is against the Rangers, which could very well determine which of the two teams gets in and which will be sent packing early.
13 (17). Pittsburgh Penguins (74 points) - Sitting in 9th place in the Eastern Conference is helping the Pens find their Stanley Cup game back, as they are now on a 5 game winning streak. All of it is centered around 2 players: Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. During the 5 game stretch, the Pens only allowed more than 1 goal in 1 of those games: a 5-4 win over Chicago. Sidney Crosby returned this week and added some offense, but Malkin had been carrying the team on his back while the Kid was out. The big deadline add for the Penguins comes in the ageless Bill Guerin, who has been shuffled around the league for the past few years for the same reason: a team looking for veteran leadership in the playoffs. But the Pens are looking for more from Guerin as they struggle to make it into the playoffs this year, and he delivered an assist on a Crosby goal in his first game with his new team.
14 (9). Montreal Canadiens (75 points) - After a win against San Jose, Montreal has dropped 2 straight against Buffalo and Atlanta. Those are two teams they should not be losing against, and both losses were with Carey Price reclaiming his starting goaltending job, although he only allowed 1 goal on a 26 save effort against Atlanta. Montreal was heavily criticized for not making a single move at the trade deadline, as they were (and still are) struggling in all aspects of the game. They did puck up Mathieu Schneider before the deadline, and he provided instant offense, but he and the rest of the Canadien offense has been quiet this past week, only scoring once in their two losses. Montreal needs to fix things fast, as the other 5 bubble teams in the East are all getting hot.
15 (12). Columbus Blue Jackets (72 points) - The Blue Jackets can't put together a winning streak as of late, and that may come to haunt them in the near future. Still, they are in good position to make their first franchise playoff appearance, and an 8-2 shelling of the Red Wings doesn't hurt either. They acquired Antoine Vermette from the Senators for their backup goalie Leclaire, and he picked up an assist in the 8-2 win. Rumors had it that he would've centered Rick Nash, but that hasn't happened yet.
16 (15). Buffalo Sabres (73 points) - Buffalo strung together a couple of 5-1 wins on the back of Patrick Lalime before finally dropping a 3-6 loss to Ottawa. They dealt Ales Kotalik and picked up Mikael Tellqvist, a necessary move with Ryan Miller out. The most important deal, however, was their contract extension with Tim Connolly, who is injury prone but dishes out a lot of points in the few games he does play in. They were also blessed with the return of Thomas Vanek, and the Sabres are finally finding some consistancy with their offense. Notice a common theme here? Teams with consistancy win.
17 (20). Nashville Predators (70 points) - Nashville had a 6 game winning streak, but it ended on Saturday against Philadelphia. Still, the Predators have been playing some good hockey, and their key win was an 8-0 blowout of the defending champions Detroit Red Wings. Their goaltending behind Pekka Rinne could use a bit of an improvement, but it is getting the job done. This team is clearly only as successful as their offense is, as there were multiple games in the first half of the season where the Predators lost 0-1 or 0-2. They made no move at the trade deadline, a controversy in itself. They are currently good enough to be a playoff team, but at the same time they aren't good enough overall to be a real playoff team.
18 (18). Dallas Stars (70 points) - Dallas is in a 3 way tie with Nashville and Edmonton for 8th place, and their success is ultimately going to rely on Marty Turco. The Stars had a busy week, playing 4 games and going 2-1-1. Their regulation loss was with Turco given the night off in preperation for the Sharks, but the overtime loss was a heartbreaker for Dallas, blowing a 3 goal lead in the final seconds of the third period. But Turco is playing phenomenally, and the Stars are slowly grinding their way out of their injury troubles. The only problem is, with so many of their top stars out for the season, how far can they really go in the playoffs? Dallas didn't do a whole lot to fill the voids, picking up Brendan Morrison off the waivers. A good move, but more should have been made.
19 (21). Edmonton Oilers (70 points) - The Oilers have been up and down the past few weeks, stringing a couple of wins together only to go back into a losing streak. The Oilers have been playing with their emotions on their sleeves, however, and that is a good sign for a team fighting for their lives to stay in the fragile 8th spot in the Western Conference. The Oilers were big winnesr at the trade deadline, acquiring Kotalik from Buffalo and Patrick O'Sullivan from LA in that three way trade with Carolina and LA. Dwayne Roloson is a solid goaltender, who has a high GAA but puts up big numbers in saves and save percentage, which pretty much says if a team puts 40 shots on Roli, he's bound to let in a couple. The Oilers addressed this issue by adding some offensive weapons, so we'll see how that works out in the long run.
20 (19). Minnesota Wild (67 points) - The Wild had a big come back win in overtime against San Jose, courtesy of a blunder by Brian Boucher, but they haven't translated the confidence level they are playing at into wins. They sit in 11th place in the West, and it is looking less likely that they'll make a playoff spot. The big move they made at the deadline was the resigning of their top goaltender Niklas Backstrom, but since the extension he hasn't been playing spectacularly. They were not able to ship out Marian Gaborik, so we'll see if they lose their top offensive weapon in what looks to be a long offseason for the Wild.
21 (13). Anaheim Ducks (68 points) - Just when you thought the Ducks were going to make the playoffs, they go into a losing streak, and pretty much hosted a fire sale at the trade deadline. They stocked up on prospects and picks while shipping out half their forward lines. The strangest thing was that they held on to Chris Pronger. Scott Niedermayer wasn't traded either, which means he'll probably retire this summer. The Ducks are going into rebuilding mode, and we'll probably see Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan as the centerpieces for their futures. But the Ducks have abandoned ship this year, which is why I ranked them below the Wild despite them being 1 spot ahead of them in the standings.
22 (23). St. Louis Blues (66 points) - The Blues may end up being the only team out of their division that doesn't make the playoffs. They've been winning and losing games, and they didn't do a whole lot at the trade deadline. They acquired a defenseman, kept the aging Keith Tkachuk, and not a lot of "could have been" deals were revolving around St. Louis. They were right outside the playoff spot a week ago, but unless the Blues are already looking towards next year, their idleness is starting to look like a bad decision.
23 (22). Los Angeles Kings (65 points) - Give credit to the Kings: they are playing every game like they still have a shot at the playoffs. It is still possible, but all the other teams ahead of them are keeping up with the Kings. their offense, particularly Anze Kopitar, has been tearing it up, but Jonathan Quick is starting to show that he is a rookie and they can't seem to get into a winning streak. The Kings were still in a rebuilding phase coming into this season, however, and as long as they don't let this near-success get in the way of their offseason planning, they will be a team that can make the playoffs next year. LA was the big loser in the 3 way trade, shipping out O'Sullivan for Justin Williams. Williams is a scorer but he has injury history, while O'Sullivan was a solid centerman for their third line, and was thought to be a key piece in their rebuilding.
24 (25). Toronto Maple Leafs (65 points) - The Maple Leafs look more motivated to play spoiler than fighting for a playoff spot. The trade deadline pretty much said the Leafs have abandoned ship at their playoff hopes this season, and they were part of a very interesting deal, acquiring 3 players and a draft pick for one of their guys. Granted, 2 of those players will probably never wear the Leafs uniform, so Toronto was just using their large cap space to play host to some veteran skaters. Vesa Toskala has finally started playing like he did in his San Jose days, and one could only imagine what a healthy Kaberle would've done for this team. There is always next year.
25 (24). Ottawa Senators (60 points) - The Senators have put a couple of wins together, but they aren't getting any help from their goaltending. It is all offense for them, and it has been like that for the past few years. They signed Pascal Leclaire from Columbus and lost Vermette, whose talent was wasting away on their third line anyways. Leclaire is signed for the next few years, so the Senators are hoping that he'll be the go to guy to solve their goaltending problem as they try to make the playoffs next year.
26 (26). Phoenix Coyotes (61 points) - Phoenix has been doing nothing but losing lately, although they did eek out a 2-1 win over the Bruins this week. Still, they were at the receiving end of a good trade, picking up Scottie Upshall from the Flyers for Carcillo. Upshall is a personality guy with a lot of offensive upside, unlike Carcillo who only had a bad personality and never lived up to his offensive upside. They got rid of a lot of their top line guys, most noticeably Morris and Jokinen, and they are pretty much tearing their roster down and rebuilding from scratch. GM Don Maloney even came out to say that whatever was in the locker room just wasn't working. The Coyotes were looking like a team to be reckoned with in the next few years, as they were just transitioning out of their rebuilding phase. Looks like it's back to square one.
27 (29). Colorado Avalanche (57 points) - Same old story with the Avs. They have the talent up front to score enough goals to win games, but they just aren't consistant enough and they have absolutely nothing to protect their own net. They got rid of Leopold and picked up a second round draft pick, but there is a lot more to be addressed if they are to live up to their team's history, so moves should be made in the off-season, with goaltending being the priority. Paul Statsny's return didn't make much of a difference in the past 2 weeks, which tells you a lot about how a great talent can't even turn this club around.
28 (28). Tampa Bay Lightning (55 points) - Tampa Bay might be one of the biggest winners of the trade deadline because they held on to Lecavalier and St. Louis. They dumped a huge amount of salary cap space, and shifted around some defenseman and draft picks with other teams. Interesting move, because Tampa Bay hinted at wanting to rebuild around Stamkos, but ended up giving away some of their draft picks.
29 (29). Atlanta Thrashers (54 points) - Atlanta is pretty much battling not to be last place... and failing. The trade deadline has them looking in the future, as they picked up an 18 year old forward for one of their veteran defenseman. The big news was that Kovalchuk stayed put, and this year a lot of their young forwards flexed their offensive muscles. If they get some goaltending and defenseman during the offseason, while maintaining their offensive core, the future looks a bit brighter for the Thrashers.
30 (30). New York Islanders (49 points) - For a team in dead last, they sure like to win. They have won 3 out of their last 4, which might be a curse in disguise as they are getting farther away from grabbing the #1 overall draft pick. Still, good trade deadline move for a team clearly rebuilding, as they got rid of Bill Guerin for a 2009 conditional draft pick. Kyle Okposo and Richard Park are good offensively, so it is just a matter of getting DiPietro healthy, or moving him to another team and picking up another #1 goaltender.
Final thoughts: The past few weeks have been odd in terms of playoff standings. All the division leaders except New Jersey and Calgary have been losing a lot of games, but for the most part the standings are still the same for the top 6, while all the place shifting are at the bottom half of the playoff seedings. San Jose and Detroit should both thank their lucky stars that the other team is constantly losing, as they both maintain the tie at the #1 spot in the West. But at the same time, they have to start checking their rear-view mirrors, as Calgary is steamrolling teams, and the Olli Jokinen acquisition has made one of the scariest offensive teams scarier. In the East, New Jersey is looking like a very legitimate threat to Boston, as Washington is starting to slide. Bad news for Boston, as they have also lost games to the Capitals this season. Still, nobody expected the Bruins to be this good, and I would imagine getting past the second round in the playoffs would do wonders for this young roster next year.
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