NHL Power Rankings, March 2nd 2024 Edition

NHL Power Rankings, March 2nd 2024 Edition

Welcome back all right so once again we are here for the Saturday night snapshot of my power rankings uh I update the power rankings every day um Saturday I may go through and do a little bit of a a cleanup slash you know moving around of certain teams which I did today but

That’s standard on a Saturday but basically a lot of these teams are where they were say two days ago 3 days ago but they definitely move around as the week goes along and I know that people really focus on the Saturday game and my team won or my team lost so but yeah

It’s for the whole week all right so Preamble aside number 32 this week they’re consistent Chicago’s very consistent I I could almost just basically at this point guarantee that Chicago is going to be last on the board every week they’re they just don’t have it um the the good

News is you’re still getting points for Bard the bad news is nothing else seems to be going right for the Chicago Blackhawks but it is all about the fact that they’re still in the tank they’re still tanking uh with their eye on a top draft pick so if they draft MN celebrini

Everybody will be so happy for Chicago if that happens like just jubilant I I will be drowning in the jubilant if they win the draft lottery uh number 31 drown in the jubilant it’s like Skittles but so much worse uh number 31 same spot as last week as

Well San Jose Sharks so the Sharks don’t move from where they were last week and last week they were down one spot from where they were were the week before uh the sharks they get a point tonight in Dallas they’ve been getting points here and there they haven’t been getting

Wins they’re still stuck on 15 wins the same as Chicago they’ve just been playing better than Chicago has so San Jose gets 31 whereas Chicago has 32 number 30 also in the same spot as last week coyotes Arizona so a 14 game losing streak will do that uh if they had kept

Losing San Jose would have passed them this week but they did E out that victory over Ottawa which says a lot about where Ottawa is right now too so for for the coyotes they are still 30th I’d like to know what’s going on with the arena deal I I’d like to know

We’re into March we’re into March I know I know I know it’s Power Rankings it’s not Arena but it it hurts my brain a little bit this was the whole B Hood thing was by the end of 2023 or maybe the All-Star break and we’re almost through the season so yeah the coyotes

30th on the board this week number 29 dropping six spots six giving back all their gains and then some so they went from 28 to 23 now they’re down to 29 the Ottawa Senators uh what a miserable week uh Norris gets hurt he’s out for an extended period uh other guys banged up

And hurt uh Senators not winning games it’s just it’s it’s an absolute nightmare end to what’s been a nightmare season for them the problem with me saying end is we still have about six weeks left in the season so there’s still a lot of losing left to be done

For teams at the bottom of the board and I I do feel bad for fans of the teams at the bottom of the board because I’ve often been a fan of a team that’s out or near the bottom of the board at this time of year all right number 28 moving

Up one spot from last week the Anaheim Ducks uh the ducks have been playing well enough lately to win some games uh I I do think that the Anaheim Ducks have had a subpar season even comparatively speaking to what I think they can do and so with another

Top draft pick this year and the amount of guys they have in the pipeline right now prospects wise I think the future is really bright and Anaheim I’m I’m kind of crossing my fingers that it is because I want to make sure that for other trips to California and there will

Be other trips to California each time I go down there it’d be nice if anaheim’s a little bit better so let’s make that happen um so yeah the Anaheim Ducks move up one spot number 28 number 27 same spot as last week so no movement for Columbus uh

Columbus wins tonight but that’s over Chicago that’s an expected Victory absolutely an expected Victory and they get it and so that’s good news for Columbus that they went out there against the Chicago team they should be better than and they were they were better than Chicago through a lot of

That game uh they get the victory the the problem being they’re 20 30 and 10 so 60 games into the season 10 games below 500 it’s bottom row right there so number 27 this week is Columbus uh number 26 moving up two spots from last week you know I I get the feeling

Montreal is trying to get back to that 500 Mark so they lose in a shootout tonight and they’ve had losses here and there but they’re playing top teams tough they’re they’re playing the top teams in the NHL playoff teams you know teams above the playoff line anyways we

Don’t know if they’re going to be playoff teams necessarily just yet they should be but Montreal’s playing them tough and so yeah they move up a couple spots this week I was impressed with Montreal’s games overall I I I do think it’s great to see how well Primo’s

Playing how well montmo is playing uh Jake Allen plays in net every now and then as well he’s had a rough Co of it lately uh but yeah so Montreal not out of the bottom row but moving towards that number 25 dropping three spots from last week uh they’re in the bottom row

And and honestly for New Jersey It’s just tough um yeah it’s it’s been a it’s been a rough go for the New Jersey Devils recently uh really since the start of the season we knew where the weaknesses were I talked about that in the review I

Did last night um where I was clearly just kind of fed up at the end of that game decided it’s time for a rant so I don’t rant often but if I do it’s usually in a review video and in last night’s video for the review of the New

Jersey Anaheim game uh that definitely qualified as a rant that that to me qualifies and I knew I was going to do it before that review started I was like I have some things to say so New Jersey’s been very disappointing this year and it’s too bad because there’s

Some forwards that have had really good years couple defenseman have had really good years there’s some defensemen that are passengers and the goal tending just has not leveled up as needed at this time of year to keep them in contention I I don’t think new jerseyy is going to

Make it uh so yeah they round out the bottom row number 24 moving out of the bottom row moving up two spots from last week two spots this is one finger this is two uh buffalo buffalo moves up two spots I think it broke me that Buffalo

Moved out of the bottom row but there they are the number 24 uh they beat Vegas tonight and handedly now I think that also states that Vegas right now is going through a lot uh they need eel back now and and honestly they really miss Mark stone for all of the hey this

Is all a big you know deal for them to to you know make sure they can screw around with the cap I I don’t think that’s front of mind with Vegas when you look at what Buffalo did to them tonight I think what’s front of mind is we’re in

Trouble they’ve Fallen to third in the division and while they’re still I think 10 points above the playoff line the way they’re playing we’ll see uh Buffalo’s 10 points below the playoff line last I looked I think they still are but I mean they’re they’re trying they’re they’re

Fighting late in the season I’m not going to lie and tell you this is going to carry over to next year I’m not crazy not this year last year I was uh number 23 on the board and moving up one spot from last week I’m just happy to verify because I

Did move a couple of teams around uh based on tonight’s results and Pittsburgh moves up one spot from last week would have been more if they’ held that lead on Calgary uh they did not hold that lead against the Calgary Flames thusly uh they end up 23rd this

Week on the power ranking so they only move up one spot from last week uh they’re playing well enough like they get the win in Vancouver uh they got the loss in in Seattle right and uh tonight they they come up short against the Calgary Flames losing that game in the

Final minute and all so uh I I don’t think Pittsburgh makes the playoffs this year but I’m sure there’s still those that are holding out hope I I don’t know what they’re going to do I don’t know what Kyle DUIs is going to do getting towards deadline uh it will be

Interesting to see if tonight’s result against Calgary means he makes his mind up and goes okay this team isn’t going to get it together we need to we need to sell um number 22 dropping two spots from last week the Washington Capitals so again uh Washington and Pittsburgh right next to

Each other on the board uh it feels like that’s a Common Thread when I was doing the all-time Power Rankings it made sense that Washington and Pittsburgh were right next to each other um I’m going to mess around with some things this summer too and and look at like

Power Rankings from 1981 till now and see are Pittsburgh and Washington right next to each other my guess is they probably will be uh the Caps it feels like they have a little more hope than Pittsburgh they’re trending in the right direction whereas Pittsburgh is not uh

They they do need Philadelphia to lose some games or Tampa Bay to lose some games Tampa Bay does not look like a Jugger not right now at all so there’s hope there the door’s still open and oetkin has been heating up so who knows maybe they’ll get there all right number

21 this week staying in the same spot as last week so Seattle to me 21st works I believe they’re still seven points out of the playoffs right now they do have games in hand on teams they’re chasing but uh you know for Seattle the important thing right now is just

Deciding on what the the path forward is for next year I just don’t see them making the playoffs this year so we’ll see what Ron Francis does the trade deadline of course this coming Friday there will be a live stream on this channel I’m intending to start that at

Around 9:30 in the morning my time which is 2 and 1 half hours before the trade deadline we used to do it earlier than that we used to try to match the coverage of TSN and sportset but it it wasn’t great um just’s a lot of nothing

Going on so yeah Seattle stays at 21 we’ll see what they do on Friday uh number 20 dropping two spots from last week St Louis St Louis Blues uh the Blues in a a similar position to some of the others on the board here that their

Playoff hopes seem to be fading uh now they did get the win today over Minnesota which I think was indicative that Minnesota is starting to fall back to Earth again uh but yeah St Louis with a victory uh keeping their their hopes alive they need Nashville to stop

Winning though they they really just everybody in the west wants Nashville to just slow down a little bit uh but yeah so they dropped two spots uh number 19 moving up six spots from last week the New York Islanders uh the Islanders are back in the hunt they had

A couple of big wins this week uh played really well uh they they destroyed Boston today made it look relatively easy and uh Paul maray with the natural hat-trick kudos to him for that uh the New York Islanders move up to 19th on the board if they keep playing like they

Have been they’ll be in the top half maybe they end up catching one of those playoff spots it could happen um they do need need to finish ahead of anybody a tiebreaker won’t help them cuz for regulation wins they’re behind everybody else in the conference but that’s just

That’s what happens they got a lot of points in overtime and shootout losses so that’s what’s keeping their hopes alive right now all right number 18 dropping four spots from last week I feel bad for for for getting my hopes up with Minnesota only a little bit because I’ve talked about it in

Videos and so if you’re a wild fan and you’re thinking man that hockey guy he he got my hopes up and then this week happened why I I’m I’m right there with you last week U Minnesota moved up four spots to number 14 I’ve moved them back

Down to number 18 and we’ll see if that helps I I I don’t know how but we’ll see if it helps tomorrow they’re against San Jose so that should help but as Dallas found out tonight you you got to bring your aame even though it’s San Jose and

You got to watch because sometimes a goalie has a really big game so we’ll see what happens and I would guess it’s King into tomorrow night since Corona started tonight kaken and aolie that Minnesota fans know well so yeah we’ll see how it all turns out number 17 dropping one spot from last

Week Tampa Bay uh the lightning are are are curiosity to me they get two points tonight it wasn’t pretty and they lost the game against Buffalo they’re not playing great hockey they’re not blowing out teams they should be uh they’re leaving that door open where they could potentially find

Themselves on the outside looking at the playoffs as well it’s not likely I’m not saying it’s likely or it’s going to happen but they’re they’re not exactly playing their level of hockey what we normally expect from them just imagine if they’re the number two wild card and they play Florida in the first

Round that could happen that could absolutely happen be absolutely Bonkers if it did too but yeah Tampa Bay right now they don’t look like a team that’s ready for a first round upset of a Florida Panthers team but once the playoffs start anything can happen all right number 16 dropping three spots

From last week the Philadelphia Flyers so the Flyers get the win tonight against Ottawa which is important because they they need to start winning some games here uh they’ve won I think they’re 64 and one in their last 11 which is okay but there’s teams playing better than

That underneath them in the standings and since they are behind Tampa Bay in points they’re the one that everybody’s targeting not Tampa Bay so Philadelphia needs to keep winning some games here and make sure that they stay ahead of the teams behind them in the standings I

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again I do want Philadelphia to make the playoffs I think it’s fun when Philly makes the playoffs um and and I think this is a wildly unpredictable team it’s a very hardworking team that’s been playing playoff hockey all year as well

So we’ll see how that all turns out number 15 moving up two spots from last week they’re on a nice little winning streak too Calgary uh the Flames that was an impressive comeback victory tonight against Pittsburgh we’ll see whether or not they can get any closer

To a playoff spot again they need these guys to start slowing down on the whole winning thing but I do believe it’s a five-game winning streak for Calgary they’re one of those one of the most streaky teams this season um so with Calgary do we expect the losing streak

Because it feels like every winning streak is followed by losing streak like they don’t win one lose one it’s just five wins five losses five wins it just it feels like uh if Calgary could could somehow maintain that momentum they could very well find themselves on the

Right side of the playoff ledger so let me know your thoughts do you think they got a chance number 14 moving up one spot from last week I thought they had a good week La so the kings move up one spot from last week uh authoritative victory in

Vancouver too the other night um that was a really impressive win for the LA Kings and we’ll see if they can build upon that and and you know get some more victories to solidify their spot above the playoff line as well because there have been times where it’s kind of touch

And go but whether or not they’re going to make it plus if they look above them in the standings Vegas is right there Vegas has not been playing like Vegas lately and so maybe La jumps into that spot and hey we could get Edmonton in LA in the first round that hasn’t happened

Since last year and the year before that so you’re welcome all right uh number 13 dropping three spots from last week definitely not looking like themselves right now either Vegas yeah Vegas drops three spots and honestly I I thought about dropping them further right now like they just have not looked like

Themselves lately I did that video on teams that struggled in the month of February and um the the struggle is carried over into March uh they did have the The Comeback against Boston which ultimately fell short uh tonight there was no comeback against the Buffalo Sabers who of course wearing their their wonderful

Um Buffalo uh goat head jerseys the black ones uh look great in Victory but Vegas didn’t look great in defeat so we’ll see how far this drop goes because if they have another week like this one uh they could e easily be as low as 16th

Or 17th at this time next week uh number 12 dropping six spots from last week any time I drop them I usually get some flak from Bruins fans uh because while the Bruins are X spot in the standings X spot in the standings what’s interesting is uh those spots in the

Standings you’ve got to maintain them Boston is not doing what they need to to maintain them they’ve won three of their last 11 games I cannot justify Boston in the top row and that game tonight against the Islanders if I had a trash can to kick I probably would uh that’s a

Letter Kenny reference but yeah um for for Boston it it’s looking rough and all I can think in my mind is this is a team that’s had to do a first round exit if they can’t figure this out over the next 6 weeks they’re had to do a first round

Exit and I know people will point out well hey wouldn’t they play Toronto I I don’t think this team would beat Toronto right now Toronto’s ahead of them on the power rankings I just I don’t see it uh I I don’t know how to fix this because I

Don’t think it’s a small issue I think there’s issues with the blue line I think there’s issues with the forward group uh definitely down the middle I I don’t think this can be fixed by Friday I think there’s there’s there’s going to be an interesting trade deadline in that

There aren’t any Earth movers who are available there’s nobody who’s like a huge name that’s going to change everything at the trade deadline so uh Boston may have to figure it out from from within uh number 11 dropping three spots from last week Dallas so now my teams are right

Next to each other again um my my my favorite teams and uh it’s it’s in the second row Dallas uh they they yeah I know they have points and all that I I wasn’t that impressed with them this week that game against Colorado I thought just showed Colorado’s better

Than Dallas right now and yeah I I felt like overall Dallas’s week was kind of mediocre so they they drop a few spots this week down to number 11 um I I know that Dallas fans it’s funny because every fan seems to get mad at me when I drop them on the power

Rankings uh but then again that’s just I guess that’s that’s part of of how all this works isn’t it kind of makes you think no it doesn’t uh number 10 moving up nine spots nine nine nine spots yeah uh nine spots from last week is Nashville uh they they took apart the

Colorado Avalanche tonight they did uh they’ve won isn’t that like nine in a row they’ve won now like they’ve won a ridiculous amount of games and Nashville I I wouldn’t want to play them in the first round I I if if Vancouver plays Nashville in the first round round with

The way Nashville is playing right now I wouldn’t like Vancouver’s odds um and and if it’s if it’s Edmonton if it’s Vegas if it’s whoever I I again I think Nashville is going to be really really dangerous uh the rest of the way uh Soros has his game together and they’re just they’re

Playing really well as a team there isn’t any one player that you can just shut down on nationville gold there we’ve got them all right rounding out this row number nine dropping four spots from last week the Vancouver knucks uh the kucks four five and one in their

Last 10 games and tomorrow night they’re in Anaheim they they need to win that game and they they need to have not just a win they need to win that game like four nothing or 5 to one they need to have a Vancouver game they’ve been blowing leads they’ve looked like they

Don’t have the confidence they had earlier in the year and sometimes they look tired and and then you know again you have dog days during the season teams go through these rough patches Vancouver though needs to snap out of it because again the playoffs are on the

Horizon they’re going to be here before we know it and Vancouver is not playing their sharpest game right now that game against La I praised LA and said they played really well I would also say Vancouver made it relatively easy for them to do so the other night so uh

Vancouver I’m hoping is back in the top row next week uh number eight moving up three spots from last week Colorado the ABS are back in the top row uh the ABS had an up and down week absolutely they did lose that game against Nashville Nashville number 10 Colorado number eight they’re right

Close to one another so I I did reward uh Nashville I did not bust down Colorado uh Colorado had that really impressive win over Dallas so I felt like Eight’s the right spot for them and we’ll see if they bounce back from that loss against Nashville Colorado’s

Definitely been in some D been going through some of the doldrums themselves a lot of the teams at the top of the standings have and this week week I finally made big moves where I wanted to last week and I thought H we’ll see if it changes it hasn’t hasn’t changed but

Colorado’s in the top row uh number seven moving up five spots from last week I’m sure their fans will be like well where are we did he forget us no the Winnipeg Jets uh the Jets move up to number seven this week I thought the Jets played quite well I’ve been very

Impressed with their game their offense is clicking hu’s doing quite well um I I really don’t have any complaints about the Winnipeg Jets right now they’re back in the top row so kudos to them for getting back in the top row and yeah again I I think they’ve just played

Really really well so number seven uh number six moving up one spot from last week and I’ll explain this one I have no problem with explaining how Detroit moves up first off the loss against Florida Today Florida is playing ridiculous so Detroit getting caught up in that Florida’s been ridiculous

They’ve been doing that to basically almost every team they’ve played where by the time you’re like halfway through the third you’re like this game’s over how is this game so over uh but yeah so I I didn’t punish Detroit for that and Detroit’s been playing really really

Well and even today in that game against Florida they just had a break early in that game who knows we might have had a different result so I I think Detroit is a legitimate playoff team they’re playing some of the best hockey if you look at team records from I think it’s

Middle of December till now Detroit’s right near the top so Detroit’s been playing really really well and absolutely should be a playoff team they and Nashville are the two teams right now in terms of you know lower seeds that I I don’t think I would necessarily

Want to play if I was a top seed in the NHL uh number five moving up four spots from last week so they move up four spots and it it is a reflection of the fact that teams are dropping and Edmonton is still finding ways to get victories uh tomorrow night we’ve got

Edmonton at home against Pittsburgh that should be a fun game that should be that should be a really fun game Edmonton should win that because Pittsburgh is going to be on the second half of back to backs Edmonson should be able to jump on them there uh the Oilers now ahead of

Vegas in the overall standings and with the way Vancouver’s been playing I mean the odds of them catching Vancouver are are quite long but it’s still it’s a goal that they can set themselves for um and for for McDavid I expect like six or seven assists tomorrow just keep getting

All the assists he’s collecting apples should be called Johnny apple seed Connor apple seed nah it’s not going to work forget it but yeah evon’s back in the top five and again it’s in part because some of the teams were in the top row just did not have great weeks I

Thought Edmonton had a good week uh number four same spot as last week so no change at for Toronto Maple leafes uh Toronto had a good week uh I I do like that bruzi is producing um I I do like their blue line I know there’s a

Lot of people that don’t I don’t think their blue line is as bad and and I don’t think it deserves to be maligned as much as it is I get it I do but their their goal tending has been good wall at a really good return uh tonight Sam sonov played really well

Against the New York Rangers so yeah the Toronto Maple Leafs are legit and right now it looks like they should be able to push their way maybe maybe they pass Boston before The Season’s done maybe that’s where we’re headed with this but we’ll see uh number three on the board

Dropping one spot from last week Carolina uh so Carolina with the loss they had today I felt like that was a reflection of how well Winnipeg’s playing so Winnipeg moves up it does drop Carolina down because I do feel like the team that I’ve got it to is

Playing just a little bit better than they are right now it’s really really close though between the two and Carolina not being able to hold that lead today kind of had to bust them down didn’t I like I I see comments you like oh these teams are playing well why

Would they drop just means other teams are playing better it does not mean that teams aren’t playing well uh one of the biggest headaches I have with the power rankings board is I would say the teams in the top 24 you can make an argument that any of them are playing relatively

Well right now and for Carolina the loss today drops them down to three we’ll see what they do next week number two moving up one spot from last week the New York Rangers so the Rangers move up one spot they’re number two and that’s the highest the Rangers have been

In some time so they’re right on the verge of maybe being number one overall uh the Rangers are ridiculous that game against Toronto tonight honestly wouldn’t that be a great Conference Final like if we had an original six Conference Final where you had the Rangers against Toronto I I think that

Would be one of the most enjoyable series I can imagine um I’m not saying it’s going to happen but I’m just saying that if I was if I was doing fantasy booking to use a wrestling term Rangers in Toronto would be a fantastic match up

That would be a lot of fun um I don’t know who would end up winning that in the end but it would be a lot of fun to watch all right and number one on the board same spot as they’ve been three weeks running three Florida somebody’s got to beat

Florida somebody’s got to beat Florida and authoritatively beat Florida because right now with Reinhardt with kachuck bosski is playing really well fors Ling’s fantastic and on and on and on BAGI um barov like I I can just name off like all the members of the Florida

Panthers because I think all of them are playing well mour is playing some of the best hockey he has this year and so Florida maintains their spot at number one the Florida Panthers are number one again on the power rankings and I I think they have legitimately become the

Best team in the league but we shall see how things turn in the next couple of weeks next six weeks and remember once the playoffs start the power rankings are gone cuz Power Rankings don’t matter come playoff time because when you have a matchup between any two teams in the playoffs any two

Teams either one can win absolutely so we’ll see what happens when playoff time arrives but from now until then Power Rankings so let me know your thoughts in the comment section below as always don’t forget to hit like And subscribe in the event that you’ve not done so

Already thank you guys so much for all your support I will talk to you again soon

Here are this week’s power rankings.

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