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NHL Power Rankings: Chicago Blackhawks In Top 20 Amid Bye Week

By Tim Martens
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 14: Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) battles for position in front of Detroit Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings on January 14, 2018 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 14: Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) battles for position in front of Detroit Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings on January 14, 2018 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Chicago Blackhawks looked awful in a 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, the last game before their winter break. Where do they rank this week in our NHL power rankings?

The NHL season is half over, and the playoff picture is not even close to being clear yet. In the Western Conference, all but three teams (Edmonton, Vancouver, Arizona) are in the playoffs or within two points of a playoff spot at this point in the season. In the Eastern Conference, there are five teams within three points of each other, all fighting for two wild card spots.

It doesn’t seem like we will have a clear picture of who is in and out for quite a while, but, at the very least, the bottom and top of the league are starting to become pretty clear. Let’s take a look at where we have every team ranked this week in our NHL power rankings, including the Chicago Blackhawks.

SAN JOSE, CA – JANUARY 13: Arizona Coyotes celebrate a goal during the third period of the regular season game between the San Jose Sharks and the Arizona Coyotes held January 13, 2018 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. Final score: Sharks 6, Coyotes 5 (OT). (Photo by Allan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – JANUARY 13: Arizona Coyotes celebrate a goal during the third period of the regular season game between the San Jose Sharks and the Arizona Coyotes held January 13, 2018 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. Final score: Sharks 6, Coyotes 5 (OT). (Photo by Allan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

31. Arizona Coyotes

Previous: No. 30

Worst record in the league. Worst goal differential in the league. Not a lot much else needs to be said about the lowly Coyotes.

30. Buffalo Sabres

Previous: No. 31

The Sabres finally got a win on Thursday after five straight losses, but there is nothing to be excited about in Buffalo. If the play on the ice wasn’t bad enough, now there is talk of problems in the locker room. Not an easy year for our 30th-ranked team.

29. Vancouver Canucks

Previous: No. 29

With only 42 points in 45 games this year, the Canucks can only be really looking forward to one thing the rest of this year: the draft lottery.

28. Ottawa Senators

Previous: No. 27

After being a goal way from playing in the Stanley Cup Final a season ago, Ottawa is a putrid minus-32 in goal differential this year. Erik Karlsson may be the best defenseman in the game, but he alone cannot carry this team.

27. Edmonton Oilers

Previous: No. 28

Three Canadian teams in a row, Edmonton finds itself above Vancouver and Ottawa simply because it won two games this past week. But its 43 points in 46 games this year is not what anyone could have been expecting as they were a hot pick for the team to come out of the West this year.

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