Ah, love is in the air. This Valentine's Day, it's all about
new love in the NHL. In this week's Power Rankings, I identify the players whom
teams (and fans) have fallen for this season.
Teams are rated through Tuesday night's games, taking into
account overall record, recent success and context such as injuries.
1. TAMPA BAY
LIGHTNING
Previous ranking: 1
Nikita
Kucherov has been the leading man all season. With a
league-leading 88 points (and seven in his past two games), he could be staring
at a Hart (Trophy) in June.
2. SAN JOSE
SHARKS
Previous ranking: 4
You can count on Joe Thornton to
make a Monday night special. This Monday, he surpassed Gordie Howe for all-time
career assists, passed Shane Doan and
Johnny Buyck for games played, and tied Teemu Selanne for
points.
3. WINNIPEG JETS
Previous ranking: 3
Despite their first three-game losing streak of the season,
the Jets are back atop the West. They're hoping that true love can melt a
frozen heart, with Patrik Laine looking
to break out of a cold spell (two goals in his past 25 games).
4. CALGARY
FLAMES
Previous ranking: 2
We've admired the Flames all season, but it hasn't been a
great February so far (one win in five games), as Matthew
Tkachuk (eight-game goalless streak) and Johnny
Gaudreau (six) are stuck in droughts.
5. TORONTO MAPLE
LEAFS
Previous ranking: 5
Jake Muzzin and Auston
Matthews? That's obvious. Lately, the Maple Leafs are low-key
crushing on Andreas
Johnsson; the Swede is coming into his own, especially after a
recent seven-points-in-three-games stretch.
6. NEW YORK
ISLANDERS
Previous ranking: 6
What's so wrong about loving two goalies equally? Robin Lehner has
gotten a bit more attention, but Thomas Greiss is
only a slight step behind and has gone 4-0-1, saving 154 of 157 shots (.981
save percentage) in his past five games.
7. NASHVILLE
PREDATORS
Previous ranking: 7
Predators fans better fall in love with Brian Boyle (and
at least show some affection for Cody McLeod)
because there's a chance that's all they're getting ahead of the trade
deadline.
8. BOSTON BRUINS
Previous ranking: 8
Are the Bruins once-bitten, twice-shy deadline lovers after
the Rick Nash
acquisition didn't yield a perfect connection a year ago? Perhaps, but we think
they might swing for the big names this deadline anyway.
9. MONTREAL
CANADIENS
Previous ranking: 9
Nate Thompson was
the more important acquisition (can kill penalties, is a left-handed faceoff
specialist), but Dale Weise --
aka "the Dutch Gretzky" -- was already a cultish fan favorite from
his previous service in Montreal.
10. WASHINGTON
CAPITALS
Previous ranking: 12
You know you're madly, deeply in love when you won't hold a
grudge. Evgeny
Kuznetsov's early-season slide already feels long forgotten. The
Russian center has seven goals and eight assists in his past nine games.
11. COLUMBUS BLUE
JACKETS
Previous ranking: 13
The Blue Jackets are so smitten; they're not even acting
like themselves. Ever since Martin St.
Louis signed on as a consultant, Columbus' woeful power play
has gone 5-for-16 (31.3 percent), the third-best mark in the league in that
span.
12. VEGAS GOLDEN
KNIGHTS
Previous ranking: 11
He has bounced in and out of the lineup and has a small
sample, but Vegas fans have crushed on Brandon Pirri all
season. He has 12 goals in 20 career games with the Knights.
13. PITTSBURGH
PENGUINS
Previous ranking: 10
GM Jim Rutherford acquires a player; the team is smitten.
First this season, it was defenseman Marcus
Pettersson. Now attention shifts to Nick Bjugstad,
who already looks comfortable on the second line.
14. DALLAS STARS
Previous ranking: 14
The 2018-19 Stars haven't established an identity yet, but
plenty of teams envy their goaltending. Ben Bishop and Anton
Khudobin have been spectacular (both have a save percentage of
.924 or better).
15. CAROLINA
HURRICANES
Previous ranking: 17
You know when you were looking for love, and it was right in
front of you all along? Micheal
Ferland felt destined to be shipped at the deadline, but
Carolina might now keep the winger as its own rental.
16. ST. LOUIS
BLUES
Previous ranking: 19
The Blues have been blinded by love in the form of a mystery
newcomer. Jordan
Binnington was a minor league afterthought to begin the season.
This week, he was the NHL's No. 1 star (3-0, 1.31 goals-against average, .954
save percentage last week).
17. MINNESOTA
WILD
Previous ranking: 15
The Wild could be big players at the deadline, but first,
they'll want to send a Valentine to one of their own: Zach Parise,
a year removed from back surgery, is having his best statistical season since 2009-10.
18. BUFFALO
SABRES
Previous ranking: 16
The Sabres love their captain, Jack Eichel,
for nixing euphemisms and telling it like it is. Like this declaration last
week: "I think the moral victories are a thing of the past at this
point."
19. PHILADELPHIA
FLYERS
Previous ranking: 21
Gritty might have had a two-month head start, but Carter Hart is
making a late, great push to be Philadelphia's ultimate sweetheart. Over the
past month, he's 8-1 with a .931 save percentage.
20. VANCOUVER
CANUCKS
Previous ranking: 20
The Canucks have been swooning for their uber-rookie Elias
Pettersson ever since his debut. The Swede is now the fastest
rookie to 25 goals since Alex Ovechkin.
21. ARIZONA
COYOTES
Previous ranking: 22
It has been a bumpy season for the Yotes, but Darcy Kuemper has
been all right: Since Jan. 1, he's 8-2-3 with a .920 save percentage, including
a 41-save win over Vegas on Tuesday.
22. COLORADO
AVALANCHE
Previous ranking: 18
Sometimes it feels like fans adore Colorado's top line and
nobody else. But there has been some secondary scoring from an unexpected
source: 33-year-old Carl
Soderberg is trending for a career season.
23. CHICAGO
BLACKHAWKS
Previous ranking: 25
Dylan Strome was
a high draft pick in distress in Arizona. The Blackhawks saved him, and he's
heating up (17 points in his
24. NEW YORK
RANGERS
Previous ranking: 23
Of course, Rangers fans are still in love with Henrik
Lundqvist. But last week, we caught them sneaking glances at
23-year-old Alexandar
Georgiev after he recorded 55 saves against Toronto, the
second-highest one-game total in franchise history.
25. FLORIDA
PANTHERS
Previous ranking: 24
Since this season has been blah, it's all about lust for the
Panthers. They're not exactly being coy about whom they're crushing on: Sergei
Bobrovsky and Artemi
Panarin.
26. LOS ANGELES
KINGS
Previous ranking: 29
On one hand, you have to like this team for not quitting on
the season. But maybe it's time to lose for Jack Hughes?
27. EDMONTON
OILERS
Previous ranking: 26
Oilers players probably won't be giving chocolates to Ken
Hitchcock, especially after the coach's public scolding about a lack of
commitment last week.
28. DETROIT RED
WINGS
Previous ranking: 28
The Red Wings have googly eyes for Gustav
Nyquist. At 29, he's playing some of his best hockey and could yield
one of the biggest returns in the trade market.
29. ANAHEIM DUCKS
Previous ranking: 27
There isn't much to love in Anaheim right now. Sometimes,
you just need to wallow in sadness before it can get better.
30. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Previous ranking: 30
It could be a long, lonely Valentine's Day for the Devils,
who have dropped eight of their past 11 and had to say goodbye to fan favorite
Brian Boyle. They did add a local boy, though -- Morristown native Kenny
Agostino -- via waivers.
31. OTTAWA
SENATORS
Previous ranking: 31
Mark Stone and Matt Duchene have
both expressed interest in sticking around, but the feelings might not be
mutual (on contract terms, that is), and the Sens could be shipping one or both
away.
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