Power Rankin's (week of 3/8/10)

The Olympics are over. The trade deadline is passed. Each team now has fewer than 20 games remaining. It's the stretch run, and the NHL Power Rankin's are here to light the way!

First off, I would like to thank Gary Bettman, the International Olympic Committee, the Trilateral Commission, the Heads of the Five Families, the Freemasons, the chief military commander at Area 51, and the Wizard of Oz for manipulating the goings-on of the hockey world during the past week in order to allow the Pittsburgh Penguins to take home this week's Big Mover award. The Pens are four-and-oh coming out of the Olympic break, Sidney Crosby is the current leader in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy, and Alexei 'The Ukraine Train' Ponikarovsky (thanks, Steigey) is in Steeltahn generating mayhem in front of the net. I'd still take Washington to win a playoff series against Pittsburgh, but it won't be in four games straight.

On the flip side, Buffalo and New Jersey continue to fade in the Rankin's. Both team rank in the bottom five in terms of remaining strength of schedule, however, and both teams are facing serious challenges for their respective division titles. Their places in the Power Rankin's will tell the tale of how well they handle the pressure over these last few weeks of the season.

1) (1) Washington
2) (3) Phoenix
3) (2) San Jose
4) (5) Chicago
5) (6) Los Angeles
6) (4) Colorado
7) (14) Pittsburgh
8) (9) Vancouver
9) (7) Buffalo
10) (13) Detroit
11) (8) New Jersey
12) (11) Nashville
13) (12) Philadelphia
14) (15) Calgary
15) (10) Ottawa
16) (18) St. Louis
17) (16) Anaheim
18) (21) Montreal
19) (19) Boston
20) (17) Dallas
21) (20) Minnesota
22) (22) Atlanta
23) (23) NY Rangers
24) (25) Florida
25) (28) Carolina
26) (24) Tampa Bay
27) (26) NY Islanders
28) (29) Edmonton
29) (27) Columbus
30) (30) Toronto

Power Rankin's (week of 1/25/10)

Chicago maintains top spot in this week's edition of The Power Rankin's. Phoenix, though, is rising fast. The Coyotes are the only team in the NHL to sport a top-10 ranking in all 5 contributing elements of the Power Rankin's index.

The past week's movers and shakers come from the Northeast Division. The Ottawa Senators have riden a 6-game win streak to the 15th slot in the Rankin's (up from 22nd last week). Their past week's results including 4 wins - 2 over division rival Boston. The Bruins, on the other hand, plummeted 9 slots to 22nd on the heels of 4 losses for the week, including 2 to the Blue Jackets and the Hurricanes (yuck!).

Sadly for Bettman's Nightmare's administrator, the Rangers remain a bottom-third team in the new week's results.

1) (1) Chicago
2) (3) Phoenix
3) (4) Washington
4) (8) Colorado
5) (7) San Jose
6) (2) Buffalo
7) (5) New Jersey
8) (9) Vancouver
9) (11) Los Angeles
10) (10) Pittsburgh
11) (6) Nashville
12) (12) Calgary
13) (14) Detroit
14) (15) Philadelphia
15) (22) Ottawa
16) (17) Anaheim
17) (19) Montreal
18) (23) Dallas
19) (18) Minnesota
20) (16) St. Louis
21) (20) NY Rangers
22) (13) Boston
23) (24) NY Islanders
24) (25) Florida
25) (21) Atlanta
26) (26) Tampa Bay
27) (27) Edmonton
28) (30) Carolina
29) (28) Columbus
30) (29) Toronto

Power Rankin's (Week of 1/18/10)

Chicago and Buffalo continue to battle it out at the top, with Chicago taking this week's poll position. And despite the hopes and dreams of you so-called hockey purists, Phoenix and Nashville are hanging tough in the top 10.

The week's big upside mover was St. Louis. The Blues shot up 6 spots on the strength of a 3-0 record for the week and a 9-2 goal differential (including 1 shutout).

On the other hand, the week's biggest fall goes to Dallas, which found itself sliding 6 spots on losses to Philadelphia and Montreal, though they did record a shootout win over a thusfar substandard Detroit squad (the validity of replay goals is not included in this index).

Each team's prior-week rankin' is provided in parentheses.

1) (2) Chicago
2) (1) Buffalo
3) (3) Phoenix
4) (5) Washington
5) (4) New Jersey
6) (8) Nashville
7) (7) San Jose
8) (9) Colorado
9) (6) Vancouver
10) (11) Pittsburgh
11) (12) Los Angeles
12) (10) Calgary
13) (13) Boston
14) (14) Detroit
15) (15) Philadelphia
16) (22) St. Louis
17) (18) Anaheim
18) (16) Minnesota
19) (19) Montreal
20) (20) NY Rangers
21) (23) Atlanta
22) (21) Ottawa
23) (17) Dallas
24) (25) NY Islanders
25) (24) Florida
26) (26) Tampa Bay
27) (27) Edmonton
28) (29) Columbus
29) (28) Toronto
30) (30) Carolina