The NHL has long been a league with the kind of parity even the NFL is envious of, but things have gotten really out of control this year. In the East, just three points separate No. 2 Washington and eighth-place Tampa Bay, though there is at least a decent drop-off to the first non-playoff spot with Ottawa seven points back in ninth.
Things are even tighter in the West, with 14 points separating all 15 teams and just four points between No. 2 Dallas and No. 11 Columbus. All five Pacific Division teams are within four points of each other, just nine points separate the top and bottom clubs in the Northwest, and while Detroit has a five-point lead in the Central, the other four teams are bunched within three points of each other.
The tight standings make it tough to sort out the rankings, but one thing is clear. When you want to find the top teams in the league, all you have to do is look to the state of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh finally had its 12-game winning streak snapped, and naturally, the Pens’ run ended at the hands of cross-state rival Philadelphia.
The Flyers took over the league lead with 45 points with that 3-2 victory on Tuesday, and they also took over the top spot in our power rankings. But the Penguins didn’t fall far. Check out where they landed, and how everyone else stacks up this week with the latest edition of our NHL Power Rankings.
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Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers have points in six straight (5-0-1) and snapped Pittsburgh’s 12-game winning streak on Tuesday to vault into the top spot. |
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Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins’ run finally came to a halt with a 3-2 loss at Philadelphia, but Crosby and Co. remain a force to be reckoned with. |
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Detroit Red Wings The Wings beat Montreal in a big Original Six clash, but are still just 4-3-1 this month, with a humbling 5-0 home loss to the Kings coming on Monday. |
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Montreal Canadiens The Habs didn’t fare well against original Six competition this week, losing to both Detroit and Toronto. The Bruins will try to continue that trend in Montreal on Thursday. |
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Atlanta Thrashers The Thrashers aren’t going away with two more wins this week, though their mascot may be getting sent away to the big house for an unauthorized Zamboni joyride. |
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Boston Bruins The overtime loss to the Flyers was painful, but the Bruins still had points in six straight, going 4-0-2 in that span. |
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Dallas Stars The Stars maintained their slim lead in the Pacific with a pair of wins this week, but they needed to go to the shootout for both victories. |
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Vancouver Canucks The Canucks love the nail-biters, playing five straight one-goal games, but they’re winning most of those close games to move into the Northwest Division lead. |
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Washington Capitals The Caps are in freefall mode, losing seven straight, highlighted by an embarrassing 7-0 loss to the Rangers. |
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Chicago Blackhawks The Marty Turco experiment has blown up in the Blackhawks’ faces, as he’s allowed 18 goals in his last four starts, getting pulled in his last outing after allowing four goals on 10 shots against Colorado. |
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