NHL Power Rankings: Avalanche on Top for 11th Week in a Row

Here's something you already knew: The Colorado Avalanche are good.

They have been for a while, in fact, as evidenced by finishing third in the NHL two seasons ago and winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2020-21.

But there's more on the agenda this season. Namely, the organization's first Stanley Cup since 2000-01.

The Avs have done nearly all they can to prepare for a deep 2021-22 playoff trek, including running roughshod in these power rankings with their 11th straight top spot this week. Our panel of five B/R NHL staff members unanimously picked Colorado to remain in its throne of dominance.

Colorado was joined in the top five by the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avalanche, Panthers and Hurricanes were the top three teams listed by every voter, while the Flames and Lightning squeezed in ahead of a pack that included the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers.

Read on to see how the rest of our weekly collection shaped up. As always, we encourage viewpoints—supportive or dissenting—in the comments section.

Stats and standings accurate through Monday.

32. Arizona Coyotes (Last Week: 31st)

Losses at Calgary, Winnipeg and Edmonton made it six in a row for Arizona, which scored just four goals while allowing 12. It wasn't all bad news, though. Veteran forward Phil Kessel played his 965th consecutive game, passing Doug Jarvis for the second-longest streak in league history behind only the run by active Philadelphia defenseman Keith Yandle.

31. Montreal Canadiens (Last Week: 32nd)

Three games meant three points for the Canadiens, who are on a four-game trip. Off the ice, general manager Kent Hughes gave interim coach Martin St-Louis his endorsement by suggesting he ought to stay on as the full-time coach. "I'm not one to bet against Marty St-Louis, and those that have have generally lost," he told TSN. "He's a pretty special guy, and he's proven to be a pretty special coach."

30. Seattle Kraken (Last Week: 30th)

A two-game trip to Los Angeles was much better at the end for the Kraken, who followed a 4-2 loss on Saturday with a 6-1 win on Monday. Seattle has won three of four games and was responsible for a flurry of activity before the trade deadline. Newly acquired forward Daniel Sprong has scored in each of the three games he's played with his new team.

29. Ottawa Senators (Last Week: 29th)

The Senators were impressive in scoring a 5-2 win at the Jets before returning home to get to a shootout with one of the league's elites in the Panthers. However, the on-ice product was a secondary concern for the organization after the death of owner Eugene Melnyk at 62 following "an illness he faced with determination and courage."

28. Philadelphia Flyers (Last Week: 28th)

The Flyers have lost three of four, allowing 17 goals against the Red Wings, Avalanche and Predators. Looking far ahead, the team signed University of Minnesota Duluth forward Noah Cates to a two-year, entry-level contract after his college season ended with an NCAA tournament loss. He was drafted in the fifth round in 2017 and was on a national championship team in 2018-19.

27. New Jersey Devils (Last Week: 27th)

The Devils scored seven times in a win over the Rangers but then managed just eight goals in three games, enduring one-goal losses to the Leafs and Caps before beating the Canadiens in a seven-round shootout. Jack Hughes scored twice and had a shootout goal in the latter victory. "I guess just take the two points," he said. "You've got to win in different ways, and that was a good win."

26. Chicago Blackhawks (Last Week: 26th)

Four games yielded two wins and an overtime loss for the Blackhawks, who scored four goals three times and five goals once. The downside? A 6-5 loss to the Sabres after Chicago had a 4-0 lead. "We stopped playing the game the right way," interim coach Derek King said. "They took it upon themselves to do what they wanted to do."

25. Buffalo Sabres (Last Week: 25th)

The Sabres have registered a point in six straight games—winning four times and losing twice after regulation. The most impressive triumph came Monday against Chicago when Buffalo rallied from 4-0 down and won on Tage Thompson's goal with 12 seconds left. "I said it in the locker room after," Thompson said. "We've got a really special group. I think people outside the locker room are starting to see it."

24. Detroit Red Wings (Last Week: 24th)

The Red Wings' two wins-in-three games optimism of last week quickly went away with three losses, including a particularly ugly 11-2 blowout by the Penguins on Sunday. "For a long time through the season, we were in the mix of things," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We were excited about that. Now we're not. I'm not sure if we feel sorry for ourselves, whatever. Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We have to figure out a way to go out and play way better."

23. Anaheim Ducks (Last Week: 23rd)

The plummet has continued for the Ducks, who dropped two more games. Anaheim entered Tuesday having not won since March 6 against San Jose and has consequently fallen to seventh in the Pacific Division. In a 4-1 loss to the Sharks on Saturday, the Ducks trailed 1-0 after the first period despite starting with an 8-1 shot advantage. "All we had to do was bang one," coach Dallas Eakins said. "It could have easily been 2-0 or 3-0. But it wasn't, and that's where sometimes some frustration can build."

22. San Jose Sharks (Last Week: 22nd)

Saturday's win over the Ducks made it three wins in four games for the Sharks, who got a hat trick from Timo Meier. It was his third career hat trick, and teammate Tomas Hertl notched his 200th assist. "Timo's skating well, and when he shoots the puck like he is, it's nice to see him get rewarded," coach Bob Boughner said. "He's had a great season and he's not stopping."

21. New York Islanders (Last Week: 21st)

The Islanders kicked off a stretch Tuesday in which they'll be on the road for nine of 11. They finish with five of seven at home. A 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday ended a six-game home winning streak. "It's definitely frustrating," forward Anthony Beauvillier said. "We have a good group in there, good players. We know we can do great things, win big games in big moments."

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (Last Week: 20th)

Close hasn't been good enough for the Blue Jackets, whose losing skid stretched to three. Columbus dropped a 5-1 decision at Pittsburgh before consecutive overtime losses at Winnipeg and Minnesota. "I'm frustrated for our guys, I'm going to be quite honest," coach Brad Larsen said. "They played so hard [against the Wild]. They really did, and I really wanted that win for them, for that group, to feel good about themselves."

19. Vancouver Canucks (Last Week: 19th)

A 4-1 loss in St. Louis on Monday night ended a streak of points in four straight games for the Canucks, who are clinging to playoff hopes as they sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot and trail third-place Pacific Division rival Edmonton by six. "We didn't have enough guys play with a sense of urgency that you need at this time of the season," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I just didn't think we were in it [Monday] at all."

18. Winnipeg Jets (Last Week: 17th)

It continues to be a good month for the Jets, who have won nine times in their 14 March games. After an overtime win against Arizona on Sunday, Winnipeg entered Tuesday just two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card position. "Obviously we want to make the playoffs. That's our thought," forward Mark Scheifele said. "But we know we're not going to make the playoffs in one game."

17. Vegas Golden Knights (Last Week: 18th)

It's up to four wins in six games for the surging Golden Knights, who had dropped five straight from March 8-15. An overtime win against Chicago on Saturday was the latest positive for Vegas as it heads northwest for two games at Seattle and another at Vancouver. The team is hoping to get goalie Robin Lehner (lower-body injury) and forward Mark Stone (back) back in the fold for a postseason push. "I don't spend a lot of time on the math of the others," GM Kelly McCrimmon said. "I just know ourselves that we kind of think that likely 10-4 [over the final 14 games] is what we need to get to."

16. Dallas Stars (Last Week: 14th)

A 4-1 loss to the visiting Canucks on Saturday ended a run of three straight wins for the Stars, who began a stretch of four straight on the road Tuesday before they'll play six of seven in Dallas. The Stars are 5-5-0 in their past 10 and looking to find consistency. "I think we've been trending good on the road, so we just have to make sure we bring our A-game every night on the road and make sure we take care of business," defenseman Jani Hakanpaa said.

15. Edmonton Oilers (Last Week: 16th)        

Scoring 16 goals in three games, including two victories, was unquestionably a good thing for the Oilers, though the sting remains fresh after a 9-5 loss at Calgary on Saturday in which Edmonton was outscored 9-2 at even strength. A 6-1 win over Arizona on Monday followed up the loss. "As a group, we were pretty motivated after that last game," forward Ryan McLeod told reporters. "Everyone was pretty frustrated, and we came out pretty motivated. It was good to see our response."  

14. Los Angeles Kings (Last Week: 15th)        

Back and forth has been the recent rule for the Kings, who split two home games with Seattle and have played barely above .500 (7-5-2) since the beginning of the month. Los Angeles entered Tuesday's games clinging to a two-point advantage for second place in the Pacific Division ahead of Edmonton. "We're leaving for three very important games on the road," center Anze Kopitar said. "So we'll address this one [Monday's loss to the Kraken], I'm sure, look at some stuff and put it behind us and get ready for the next one."  

13. Nashville Predators (Last Week: 12th)        

The torrent of goals in Predators games continued this week as Nashville surrendered six in a loss to Vegas and then scored five while beating Philadelphia. At least one team has scored five goals in the last six games, with the Predators winning three and scoring 23 times overall. Only five teams have averaged more goals per game than Nashville's 3.83 since March 17, but only one has allowed more than its 4.5.  

12. Washington Capitals (Last Week: 13th)        

A two-win start to the week ended with a 6-1 thumping at home by a visiting Carolina. Strangely, Washington is 21-7-5 on the road this season but just 16-14-5 at home. "It's trying to figure out not what we're doing wrong here but what we're doing right on the road and how to translate that to do it at home," forward Garnet Hathaway told reporters following a loss to the Hurricanes.

11. St. Louis Blues (Last Week: 11th)        

A 4-1 defeat of Vancouver on Monday came just in time for the Blues, who were reeling after beginning the week with consecutive home losses to Philadelphia and Carolina in which they allowed 12 goals while scoring just four. The win over the Canucks moved St. Louis into third place in the Central Division, a point ahead of Nashville entering Tuesday's games. Forward Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and had an assist to reach 500 career points. 

10. Minnesota Wild (Last Week: 10th)

It was a busy week in Minnesota. The Wild added a Vezina Trophy-winning goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury and stretched a winning streak to six games, including an overtime defeat of the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. "If you want to get to the Stanley Cup Final, you have to go through them," forward Kevin Fiala told reporters. "So, we don't really care how many points they have. We can beat anybody, and that's what we know—not just think. "It was just a good test for us, and now we can keep going forward."

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (Last Week: 7th)

The week yielded two wins in three games, which had significant implications in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference wild-card playoff races. The Leafs moved into third place in the Atlantic and would have been on a collision course with the defending champion Lightning if the season had ended Monday. John Tavares scored twice in a Sunday defeat of Florida for his first multigoal game since early November. "It was good. Good to finish some plays off," he told reporters.

8. Boston Bruins (Last Week: 8th)

The Bruins claimed four wins in a row to give themselves W's in seven of their past eight. The stretch further solidified Boston's wild-card playoff positioning and moved the team within range of Tampa Bay and Toronto in the Atlantic Division. "I think everyone is playing the right way and communicating," forward Patrice Bergeron said following his return from injury against the Islanders. "I've said it a few times, but I can see the growth in our team, the way that we're playing. Guys owning roles and playing the right way, doing it for the right reasons, obviously to win and help the team."

7. New York Rangers (Last Week: 9th)

So far, so good for the Rangers following four wins in five games (over Tampa Bay, Carolina, Pittsburgh and Buffalo). New York is now just one point behind the second-place Penguins in the Metropolitan Division."You're going to have those games, up and down battles," defenseman K'Andre Miller told reporters after a win over the Sabres. "I think it just shows how deep our team is and what we can bring every night. Obviously, it wasn't our best, but we made it work and found a way."

6. Pittsburgh Penguins (Last Week: 4th)

The Penguins had won five of six heading into the week, but they lost at Buffalo and the Rangers before righting the ship with an 11-2 rout of Detroit. "I was fairly confident that we were going to have a spirited effort," coach Mike Sullivan told reporters following Sunday's victory over the Red Wings. "We've got a proud group. No one was thrilled with our last game. Knowing these guys the way I know them, I expected them to play on their toes and respond."

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (Last Week: 6th)

After three straight losses in one-goal games, the Lightning got a 2-1 win over Detroit followed by a 4-1 defeat of the New York Islanders on Sunday. "I tell the guys all the time, bring two things to the rink—work ethic and preparation—and everything else will take care of itself," coach Jon Cooper told reporters.

4. Calgary Flames (Last Week: 5th)

The Flames had two excellent efforts to begin the week, first in a 4-2 defeat of Arizona and then in a 9-5 thrashing of visiting Edmonton in a Hockey Night in Canada showcase on Saturday. "For us, we've got to do what we've got to do to win," forward Milan Lucic said. "I know you guys want blood, sweat, tears, goalie fights, five-on-five brawls, all that type of stuff, but we're more focused on doing what we've got to do to win."

3. Carolina Hurricanes (Last Week: 3rd)

The Hurricanes got points in four straight games, with wins in three of them. They scored 13 goals in consecutive road victories against St. Louis and Washington. Ominously, though, center Jesperi Kotkaniemi suffered what appeared to be a leg injury on a penalized hit with 1.8 seconds left against the Capitals. "I don't know the extent of it, but it's not good," coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters.

2. Florida Panthers (Last Week: 2nd)

Florida had won three straight and four of five before skidding in a 5-2 loss at Toronto on Sunday. "We're not worried," forward Ryan Lomberg told reporters. "We're going to get back to work and see [the Maple Leafs] down the road here." The Panthers are leading the Atlantic Division; Tampa Bay and Toronto are second and third.

1. Colorado Avalanche (Last Week: 1st)

The Avs continue to be the leaders in the clubhouse for the Presidents' Trophy, but there may be trouble in the Mile High City with star forward Nathan MacKinnon expected to miss time because of an upper body injury. According to coach Jared Bednar, concern is "high" about the 26-year-old's availability. Nevertheless, Colorado has 98 points and a three-point advantage over Carolina for the top spot in the league. It's 6-3-1 in its past 10 games.