Flames still red-hot; Habs out of basement in latest NHL Power Ranking

By Sportlogiq Staff (@Sportlogiq)

The Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche are in a battle for the Presidents’ Trophy, and while Colorado has the edge in the standings, it's the Panthers who take the first spot in our Power Rankings after a perfect 3-0-0 week.

Florida picked up wins over the Hurricanes and Wild, two top-10 teams last week. The Panthers have the best goal differential and second best expected goal differential in the NHL. However, the Avs rank third in both categories and will be ready to pounce on the top spot should the Panthers drop off.

The Calgary Flames are on fire, pun intended. They have won 10 games in a row and are building a comfortable lead atop the Pacific Division. The Flames might only be eighth in points percentage, but the only team we are putting ahead of Calgary in our rankings right now is Florida.

Former Panther Jacob Markstrom is running laps around everyone in the shutout department with eight, twice as many as any other goaltender. Offensively, the line of Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, and Matthew Tkachuk has been the best in the league. Calgary has scored 49 even-strength goals when those three players share the ice, easily the most of any three-man unit, as no one else has more than 35.

Calgary fully deserves to be the top-ranked Canadian team and they are making a case to be the top-ranked team overall.

Toronto has dropped out of the top five, falling to eighth place in our rankings. The Leafs have lost two straight games in regulation, allowing 11 goals in their losses to the Blues and Canadiens.

Toronto has been excellent from a process standpoint this season, ranking first in expected goal differential. Their actual goal differential ranks sixth. A strong week could see the Leafs climb back into a top-five spot as Toronto gets set for games against Columbus, Minnesota, and Detroit.

The Edmonton Oilers are slowly recovering from the massive slide that led to a coaching change. Their five-game win streak under new coach Jay Woodcroft was broken up with a loss to the Wild on Sunday, but the streak was enough to bring Edmonton back into the top three in the Pacific. The Oilers move up into 12th spot in our rankings and are knocking on the door of the top 10 once again.

The Western playoff race is heating up, and it’s looking more and more like the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks will be on the outside looking in when all is said and done.

Both teams have struggled to string wins together lately, which is why both rank outside the top 15 in our rankings. The Canucks rank 26th in expected goal differential as goalie Thatcher Demko continues to cover up defensive warts. The Jets' process largely matches their results, which continue to be average.

A 1-2-1 record for Ottawa is enough for it to climb one spot this week. The Sens pushed the Bruins to overtime and lost a one-goal game to the Rangers. They're still far from a playoff team, but the team from the Nation’s Capital is showing some fight. That is encouraging for their long-term outlook.

Last but not least, the Montreal Canadiens are no longer in last place in our Power Rankings.

It took 51 games, two coaches, and a pair of overtime decisions, but the Canadiens are officially on a winning streak for the first time this season. Interim coach Martin St. Louis has done wonders for a Habs team that has won three straight games.

Perhaps no player has benefitted more than Cole Caufield. The young sniper has five goals in six games since the coaching change and appears to be playing with much more confidence. Defensively, Montreal has cut its goals-against average a full goal per game since St. Louis took over behind the bench. Progress is being made.