After two tough losses, the Washington Capitals abdicated their throne atop the National Hockey League. The new No. 1, the Minnesota Wild, played terrifically and earned the league’s top position. This week’s top five consist of the Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets. All teams from last week’s top five dropped games this week. However, these teams accumulated comfortable play-off positions throughout the season and maintained top five consideration. The only difference from last week is the Columbus Blue Jackets replacing the New York Rangers. Outside the top five, the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have winning streaks of at least three games.
The following rankings are based off play as of print time..
No. 1 Minnesota Wild (39-13-6)
Minnesota’s rise to the top is due to their offensive play. Forwards Jason Zucker, Jason Pominville, Mikael Granlund and Eric Staal have taken the Wild’s forecheck to the next level. The Wild received reliable goaltending from Devan Dubnyk and backup Darcy Kuemper. Their week started poorly, falling to the Anaheim Ducks last Tuesday. Goaltender John Gibson shut out the Wild, helping the Ducks win 1-0. Rebounding from an offensive lull, the Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 3-1 Thursday, Feb. 16. Kuemper spearheaded the Wild’s victory, making 34 saves. Recording their second straight win Saturday, the Wild trounced the Nashville Predators in a 5-2 victory. Zucker led the offense with two goals and an assist. Dubnyk’s winning performance was his league-leading 32nd win of the season.
No. 2 Washington Capitals (39-12-7)
The Capitals had a quiet week, playing two games over the weekend. Both games failed to yield sought-after results for the current league leaders. Washington’s first game went to a shootout against the Detroit Red Wings. Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg snapped the winning shot in the shootout, beating Washington goaltender Braden Holtby. In the second half of a back-to-back, the Capitals took on the New York Rangers. Despite a powerplay goal by forward Alexander Ovechkin, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist held off Washington’s forecheck to win the game 2-1. Despite the two losses, Washington showed that they are poised to claim the prime position heading into the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Championship.
No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins (36-14-8)
Penguins forward Sidney Crosby reached a career milestone this week, scoring his 1,000th career point. His trek to 1,000 began Tuesday when the Penguins faced the Vancouver Canucks. Crosby tallied his 999th career point by assisting forward Jake Guentzel. Another Penguins star, forward Evgeni Malkin, also played well recording a goal and assist. The Penguins won the game 4-0 and goalie Matt Murray notched his third shutout of the season. Crosby scored his 1,000th point Thursday in a Penguins victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The monumental point occurred after Crosby dished a pass to forward Chris Kunitz, who converted on the scoring chance. To make the night even sweeter, Crosby also scored the game-winning goal in overtime stuffing in a rebound on a shot from Malkin. After Crosby’s historic night, the Penguins faltered in play Friday, and Sunday, losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings, respectively. The Penguins are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
No. 4 Chicago Blackhawks (36-18-5)
Much like the Capitals, the Blackhawks had a quiet week, playing only two games Saturday and Sunday. The Blackhawks fell to the Edmonton Oilers in their first game of the weekend. Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot stymied the Blackhawks, saving 35 of the Blackhawks’ 36 shots. On the other side, goaltender Corey Crawford failed to lock down the goal creases and allowed two goals. The Blackhawks’ offense came to life Sunday, lighting up the scoreboard with five goals against the Buffalo Sabres. Five different players scored for the Blackhawks and back-up goaltender Scott Darling saved 25 of 26 shots. Chicago has a 10-point lead over the St. Louis Blues for second place in the Central Division.
No. 5 Columbus Blue Jackets (37-16-5)
Columbus returns to the top five after a one-week hiatus from the rankings. The Blue Jackets had a solid week, winning two of their three games, including a win over No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins. Columbus’s first victory occurred last Wednesday in a 5-2 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Among the strongest performers in the game were the dynamic defensive pairing of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, who both had two assists. Columbus topped the Penguins Friday, edging a 2-1 victory in overtime. Forward Brandon Dubinsky scored the winning goal, swiftly skating in the zone and firing a nifty wrist shot. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky saved 33 of 34 Penguins’ shots. The Blue Jackets concluded their week with a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators. However, Werenski and Jones continued their impressive play and scored points in all three Columbus goals.
