NFL
By: Jesse Rosales
Top 10 NHL Rankings
Now into February and past the NHL All-Star break, we can start to shift our NHL Rankings to focus on what without a doubt is the most critical part of the season for at least half of the teams in the NHL… the playoff race. In the Eastern Conference, there are currently 8 teams within 10 points of one of the two Wild Card positions, and none of the division races are separated by more than 4 points between the first and second-place teams in the those divisions.
In the West, it’s a very similar story. 7 teams are within 9 points of one of the two Wild Card spots and the Central Division’s top 3 teams are currently separated by only 3 points. Even in the Pacific, the Cancucks have a 7-point lead over the Golden Knights and 11 points over the Oilers, but it doesn’t feel like they have anything locked up at this point. Every game matters as we head down the stretch of the regular season.
We wrote about the Oilers earlier in the year as the one team that was in the most trouble out of the gate. They ultimately fired their head coach but retained their core roster of players. It took the MVP level of play from the best player in the world, Connor McDavid, to really turn things around, but they have. Not only have they done that, but they are playing the Golden Knights on 2/6 for a chance to tie the all-time NHL win streak (17) by any team. Talk about a turnaround!
After going on an 8-game win streak, the Jets have gone 2-4 in their last 6 games and despite having a Vezina Trophy candidate goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, they have slid down to 3rd in the Central in the blink of an eye. I personally have not considered the Jets a Cup-contending team as I don’t believe they possess the offensive firepower that will be needed to survive the West, but they deserve to stay in the top 10 of these NHL Rankings.
The Maple Leafs are tied for 4th in the Atlantic Divison but make no mistake about it. This is a playoff team and NO one, not even the Boston Bruins are going to want to face them in the playoffs. That is assuming that their star young goalie, Joseph Woll comes back fully healthy from his injury. You see, that is the position that has plagued the Maple Leafs for YEARS. It is the reason they haven’t made up any ground in their division since his injury occurred almost 2 months ago.
Assuming they get Woll back, the Maples Leafs are one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference. Auston Matthews has returned to being a top 5 forward in the league and at some point this team has to be playing with the chip on their shoulder…. Right?
7. Vegas Golden Knights (-6) 
The defending Stanley Cup champions have fallen behind the Vancouver Canucks for the top spot in the Pacific division. They haven’t even really been playing that bad just goes to show how good Vancouver has been. The Golden Knights have also been dealing with injuries to keep players such as Jack Eichel and William Karlsson.
This team will definitely make the playoffs the question will be how deep of a playoff run will they make. They have the wear and tear from last year’s extended run and they have been playing without last year’s star goaltender Adin Hill, who only played two games in January.
Still the top 10 team in these NHL rankings, but definitely not as scary-looking as they were a couple of months ago.
The Rangers have been one of my favorite teams to watch over the past several years. They have a top-five goalie, they have arguably the best three lines in the NHL, plus a great mix of veteran leadership with young talent. They have fallen short in the playoffs the last few years this year looks to be different.
The team is currently in first place in the metropolitan division, and with only the threat of the Carolina hurricanes behind them I don’t see them falling any lower than second place come the end of the season.
Sergei Bobrovsky just completed his third trip to the All-Star Game this past weekend. He has been playing great as well as the rest of the team. The Panthers strung together nine straight wins recently and are currently on a four-game winning streak. They are still five points behind Boston for first in the Atlantic division, but they look ready for another deep playoff run come springtime.
The Dallas Stars have made the biggest jump in these NHL rankings over the past month. They only have 13 losses in regulation and are only two points behind the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the central division.
This team definitely has a good mix of offensive power, led by Jason Robertson and his 50 points, and defensive effectiveness. The Stars have the third-highest goals scored per game this season so far and with the way the league plays now, you need that consistency to seriously contend for a Cup.
Even though the Avalanche lost Valerie Nuchuskin, who recently entered into the league’s player assistance program, the Avs have been on an absolute tear. They’ve gone 7-3 in their last 10 games and have the second-highest goals scored per game average in the NHL. Nathan McKinnon is putting together a Hart trophy caliber-worthy season, and the team is getting outstanding goaltending from first-time All-Star netminder, Alexander Georgiev.
The question this year is never been if the Avalanche will make the playoffs, The question has been how deep of a run can they make. To me, this all hinges on the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog, who hasn’t played an NHL game in over a year but the team is optimistic that he will be able to return for a playoff run this year. Landy is the heart and soul of this team and if he’s out there, they definitely have a chance to win another Cup come springtime.
I’m still very surprised and impressed. by the Canucks. I thought for sure that they would have slid back down in the standings at this point, but to their credit, they’ve actually become better. The Canucks have gone 9-0-2 in their past 11 games and have the highest goals-per-game average in the league.
Thatcher Demko is giving them a Vezina-winning caliber performance in net, and the amount of young talent on this team is just mind-boggling. The Oilers have certainly made it interesting in the Pacific division but at this point, I have to think that the Canucks finished this season on top of the division, which would be the first time since 2012.
This seems like déjà vu from last season where the Boston Bruins spent pretty much the entire season on top of these NHL rankings. I’ve done my best to hold them off from being in that spot this season but it’s finally time to give them their due.
The Bruins are tied with the Canucks for the most points in the NHL but they only have nine losses and regulation. They have the best goaltending tandem in the NHL and you know they aren’t very happy about how last season ended. For now, the Boston Bruins are the team to chase in the NHL heading into what will be a very exciting next two months of hockey.
*NR = Not Ranked (Previously)
**NC = No Change
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