NHL Power Rankings: Panthers Overtake Canucks for Top Spot as Kings Rebound

Nick Cousins and Brock Boeser Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

We have a new No. 1, and it’s the Florida Panthers.

Paul Maurice’s squad has rattled off six straight wins and is 9-1-0 in its last 10 games, moving up one spot from No. 2 last week. It’s the first time all season the Panthers are the top-ranked team, though they’ve been lurking in the top five since late December.

The New York Rangers climb to No. 2, knocking down the previous week’s top team, the Vancouver Canucks, down to No. 3. The power rankings have taken a decidedly Eastern Conference flavor recently, with the Boston Bruins coming in at No. 4 and the Carolina Hurricanes holding steady at No. 7.

The New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings are two of the biggest risers, with the Devils winning consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 3 to 5, and the Kings have won five of their past six, including a comeback win against the Bruins on the road in a matinee matchup.

(All fancy stats are 5-on-5 and courtesy naturalstattrick.com. CF% stands for Corsi-for percentage and xGF% represents expected goals-for percentage.)

1. Florida Panthers (37-15-4, +51. CF%: 2, xGF%: 3)

The Panthers have no glaring weakness – even in net, where Sergei Bobrovsky has done a fine job. Paul Maurice is the most experienced active coach (1,822 games) without a Cup ring, and it’d be great to see him finally win after losing in the final last season and in 2002.

2. New York Rangers (37-16-3, +31. CF%: 19, xGF%: 20)

It didn’t always look pretty, but wins are wins, and good teams find a way to get it done. And they’re doing this with practically just two centers.

3. Vancouver Canucks (37-15-6, +54. CF%: 16, xGF%: 12)

Just a little stumble or a sign of things to come? The Canucks have lost three straight and allowed 17 goals during that span.

4. Boston Bruins (33-12-11, +39. CF%: 22, xGF%: 18)

Suddenly, the Bruins’ goaltending tandem doesn’t look that strong. They needed a shootout to snap their four-game losing streak, and they’re 2-3-2 so far in February with only one regulation win.

5. Edmonton Oilers (33-18-1, +37. CF%: 4, xGF%: 1)

They’re the league’s scariest team because of Connor McDavid. Since their 16-game winning streak, the Oilers are 4-3-0 with losses to key division rivals, the Knights and the Kings.

6. Dallas Stars (34-15-8, +35. CF%: 6, xGF%: 5)

The Stars have lost three straight, but we’ll give them a slight reprieve since two of them were in extra time, and it was a tough schedule with all three opponents ranked ahead of them in the power rankings.

7. Carolina Hurricanes (33-17-5, +29. CF%: 1, xGF%: 2)

I’m not sure there’s a better team out there with a shakier goaltending situation than the Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin have been very good, and if you had guessed that would be their tandem at the beginning of the season, you would have been a big fat liar.

8. Colorado Avalanche (34-18-4, +30. CF%: 9, xGF%: 13)

It’s impressive how dominant the Avs can be with a lineup that’s so thin. Just when you thought Ryan Johansen was playing himself out of the NHL, he responds with two goals in a key win over a conference rival.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (30-16-8, +27. CF%: 15, xGF%: 15)

Bobby McMann is reaching folk hero status, but this is another team that’s winning a lot of games despite having a shaky goalie tandem. They’re 7-1-0 with Ilya Samsonov in net over the past month.

10. Winnipeg Jets (34-15-5, +37. CF%: 7, xGF%: 8)

This is the classic story of a small-market team that everyone had written off and is much more than the sum of its parts. Rick Bowness deserves a ton of kudos for coaxing one of the best records out of this roster.

11. Vegas Golden Knights (32-18-6, +26. CF%: 24, xGF%: 14)

The reigning champions have generally been good, but once in a while, they’ll stumble. They’ve lost three of their last four, following a poor November and a four-game losing streak to close out December. Do they look like a group that can repeat? It’s doubtful without a healthy Jack Eichel.

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (30-22-5, +2. CF%: 12, xGF%: 21)

Sometimes you watch the Lightning, and they just don’t seem to be able to kick things into an extra gear like they used to. The Lightning have lost four straight regular season games to the Panthers dating back to last season, getting outscored 23-6 (!), and they’ve also lost their subsequent game every single time.

13. Los Angeles Kings (28-16-10, +20. CF%: 3, xGF%: 4)

Are the Kings turning a corner thanks to ‘Big Save’ Dave Rittich?! This is further proof that nobody really knows what’s going on with goaltending.

14. Detroit Red Wings (29-20-6, +15. CF%: 30, xGF%: 29)

You watch the Wings play and you get the sense that they’re having trouble winning games consistently. But note since Jan. 1, the Wings have the fourth-best points percentage (.722) in the league. The top 10 teams are all currently in playoff position, with the Wings and Lightning (10th, .632) holding down the wild-card spots in the East. Making the playoffs will come down to seeing which team gets hot at the right time.

15. New Jersey Devils (28-23-4, -6. CF%: 5, xGF%: 6)

The Devils are definitely going to make a run for it. Their talented forwards will keep them in the race, but their playoff hopes will boil down to whether or not Nico Daws can be their guy.

16. Philadelphia Flyers (29-20-7, +2. CF%: 13, xGF%: 9)

The Flyers were good coming out of the break but now have stumbled yet again with two straight losses. They’re incredibly streaky but fun to watch. The Jack Adams Award has recently gone to the coach whose goaltending has improved the most, but John Tortorella really deserves some consideration for the work he’s done.

17. St. Louis Blues (29-24-2, -10. CF%: 29, xGF%: 30)

If I had to make a call right now, the Blues would be my pick to make the playoffs. However, their goaltending has to be good and Jordan Binnington can’t be accidentally on purpose hitting opponents with his stick. He has zero goodwill to think he can get away with pulling stunts like that.

18. Calgary Flames (26-25-5, -5. CF%: 14, xGF%: 17)

The Flames are somehow in a better position in the playoff race after trading some key veterans. Should they be doing the same to keep the trend going? They’re in a tough spot, and I think that’s one reason why we’re so close to the NHL trade deadline, yet no trades have been consummated lately. Everyone’s wondering if the Flames are going to keep selling.

19. Buffalo Sabres (24-27-4, -9. CF%: 11, xGF%: 19)

Yes, this team can shut out an opponent 7-0 and then lose 4-0 the next game. The Sabres have – for decades, it seems – the one team that’s really, really good at wasting talent.

20. Minnesota Wild (26-24-6, -12. CF%: 18, xGF%: 16)

I’m fascinated by the Wild because I can’t tell if they’re a good team or a bad team. At one point, they lost eight of nine games in December, and now they’re 5-1-1 in their past seven and showing signs of an elite offense. Which team are they? One side note: It is absolutely certain that Joel Eriksson Ek is a star player.

21. New York Islanders (23-18-14, -22. CF%: 27, xGF%: 23)

Here’s the worst part about the loser point. By points percentage, the Isles are 17th in the league, yet by regulation wins they’re 27th in the league. By just about every other metric that matters other than the one the NHL thinks is most important in determining the standings, the Isles just aren’t very good.

22. Pittsburgh Penguins (24-21-8, +11. CF%: 8, xGF%: 7)

It seems fitting that the Pens are the antithesis of the Isles. By most metrics, the Pens should be a lot better than their record, yet they’re eight points out of a playoff spot and not really in a position to bolster their lineup.

23. Seattle Kraken (23-22-11, -7. CF%: 10, xGF%: 10)

After a nine-game winning streak, the Kraken are 4-7-2 and quickly falling out of the playoff race. I get Dave Hakstol is in for the long haul and creating a culture for a new team, but there just never seems to be a sense of urgency.

24. Ottawa Senators (23-27-3, -11. CF%: 17, xGF%: 22)

Sometimes, it feels like taking the bus and commuting out of Kanata after their home games is the best part of the Sens experience because the worst part is already over.

25. Washington Capitals (25-21-8, -32. CF%: 25, xGF%: 27)

The Caps felt like they were D.O.A. at certain points in the first half of the season, but they’re low-key still in the running for a playoff spot. I can only guess that Alex Ovechkin was still hibernating in the first few months of the season because, since the calendar flipped, he’s been a point-per-game player.

26. Nashville Predators (29-25-2, -10. CF%: 20, xGF%: 11)

The Preds are still somehow sticking around in the playoff race, and, uh, we’re not really crazy enough to think Kevin Lankinen’s the one who will help them get there, right? Interesting stat: Since making his NHL debut in his lone start in the 2015-16 season, Juuse Saros has never finished a season with a losing record. He’s at 21-21-2 right now.

27. Montreal Canadiens (22-25-8, -41. CF%: 28, xGF%: 28)

Juraj Slafkovsky’s scoring binge has been a revelation after whispers of topping out as a middle-six power winger following his disappointing rookie campaign. Let’s not forget, however, that Slafkovsky only turns 20 in March.

28. Columbus Blue Jackets (17-27-10, -40. CF%: 21, xGF%: 26)

If you need further proof that the Jackets don’t seem to have any direction, consider that Boone Jenner’s ice time has increased significantly in February, even though he’s not (supposedly) being shopped as trade bait. Why not focus on developing your young players and give them the ice time?

29. Arizona Coyotes (23-28-4, -18. CF%: 23, xGF%: 24)

No place to call a permanent home, yet? Ah, yes, this is the Coyotes we know! It doesn’t matter the Coyotes are 0-9-1 in their last 10; Ryan Smith has basically told everyone without telling everyone that he’s willing to fork over a billion dollars to bring a hockey team to Salt Lake.

30. Anaheim Ducks (20-33-2, -50. CF%: 26, xGF%: 25)

According to tankathon.com, the Ducks have the hardest schedule among the three bottom teams. Don’t screw this up!

31. San Jose Sharks (15-35-5, -95. CF%: 32, xGF%: 31)

Would you prefer to have one Sam Reinhart or the entire Sharks roster? I ask because the Sharks have scored 23 goals on the power play this season, and Reinhart alone has scored 22.

32. Chicago Blackhawks (15-38-3, -81. CF%: 31, xGF%: 32)

The Blackhawks are putrid, but they will once again be featured in the Winter Classic because no one knows marketing better than the NHL.