NHL Power Rankings See Chicago Blackhawks Slide Down Amid Losing Streak

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CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 22: Patrick Kane /

As the Chicago Blackhawks continue to struggle, they also keep sliding down our NHL power rankings, brought to us this week by Blackhawk Up’s Matthew Morrow and Colin Likas

If you’re trying to forget about the struggles of the Chicago Blackhawks, who lost 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, this week’s NHL power rankings may not necessarily help.

However, you can read about the success (and failure) of other teams in addition to seeing how the Blackhawks’ struggles leave them ranked in the league. So there’s always that.

Let’s jump into this week’s ranks.

CALGARY, AB – JANUARY 22: Teammates of the Buffalo Sabres celebrate after winning an NHL game against the Calgary Flames on January 22, 2018 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images) /

31. Buffalo Sabres

Previous: No. 30

Buffalo earned an unlikely 2-1 overtime victory Monday against red-hot Calgary. This came two days after the Sabres suffered a 7-1 loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars. So … are the Blackhawks cosplaying as the Buffalo Sabres?

GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 22: Nick Cousins /

30. Arizona Coyotes

Previous: No. 31

Arizona has won two consecutive tilts, most recently topping the New York Islanders 3-2 on Monday. This squad is tied for the most games played in the league (49) and has a measly 11 regulation/overtime wins to show for it. This wasn’t part of the rebuilding plan, was it?

WINNIPEG, MB – JANUARY 21: Brandon Sutter /

29. Vancouver Canucks

Previous: No. 29

So here’s something weird. Going back to look at Vancouver’s recent games, I discovered the team website’s schedule had them being off for the first 19 days of 2018. Then I realized it wasn’t just the Canucks’ website doing this, as it looks like the NHL website system was having a bit of a freakout late last night. Shocker.

ST. PAUL, MN – JANUARY 22: The Ottawa Senators celebrate after scoring a goal against the Minnesota Wild during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on January 22, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /

28. Ottawa Senators

Previous: No. 28

The Senators are on a three-game losing streak and seem unlikely to pull out of their season-long spiral. Not helping matters is the recent schedule. After losses to Toronto on Saturday and Minnesota on Monday, the Sens must face the Blues tonight and Boston on Thursday.

MONTREAL, QC – JANUARY 20: Carey Price /

27. Montreal Canadiens

Previous: No. 26

Montreal could have a noticeably better record if it was more successful at the luckfest that is NHL overtime. The Habs have 11 wins at home this season, but also five defeats in extra time. Sixteen wins at home instead of 11 would tie for third in the Eastern Conference.

NEWARK, NJ – JANUARY 22: Andreas Athanasiou /

26. Detroit Red Wings

Previous: No. 24

After punting the Blackhawks recently, the Wings came up with a 3-0 triumph against the New Jersey Devils, who are still inexplicably good. That’s not how one would describe this Wings team, but coach Jeff Blashill has Detroit playing a bit better than a rebuild would suggest it should.

NASHVILLE, TN – JANUARY 20: The artwork on the top of the mask of Florida Panthers goalie James Reimer (34) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers, held on January 20, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

25. Florida Panthers

Previous: No. 25

It’ll be interesting to see what the Panthers do with their goaltending situation moving forward. Roberto Luongo has been injury-prone of late, and James Reimer is not the answer of the future. Is 28-year-old Harri Sateri their guy, or is he doing a Jeff Glass impersonation?

RALEIGH, NC – JANUARY 21: NHL referee Wes McCauley (4) discusses a call with Carolina Hurricanes Defenceman Justin Faulk (27) during a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on January 21, 2018. Vegas defeated Carolina 5-1. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

24. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous: No. 23

It’s not exactly news that Scott Darling is having a rough first season in Carolina. But giving up three goals on eight shots in 13 minutes against Vegas is just another level of bad. The Canes were likely hoping they could have moved on a bit more from Cam Ward by now.

EDMONTON, AB – JANUARY 20: Drake Caggiula /

23. Edmonton Oilers

Previous: No. 27

Edmonton is on a three-game winning streak, showing more signs of that team everyone thought could come out of the Western Conference this season. It’s just too little, too late in the grand scheme of things. The Oil will need to go on a Colorado-type run to even sniff the postseason picture.

GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 22: Anthony Beauvillier /

22. New York Islanders

Previous: No. 22

Losing to the Coyotes is just not a good look. The Islanders’ offense is a juggernaut, but the defense and goaltending leaves a lot to be desired. Averaging 3.47 goals per game should be enough to garner a squad more than 24 wins in 49 tries.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 21: Ryan McDonagh /

21. New York Rangers

Previous: No. 21

The Rangers are slinking around the Eastern Conference wild-card picture despite having lost two straight games. Pavel Buchnevich has come up big for the Rangers, tallying 30 of his 50 career NHL points this season. He could use some help from his teammates.

20. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous: No. 17

Tough sledding right now for the Blackhawks. They were summarily outplayed by Detroit and the New York Islanders before playing quite well against Tampa Bay. But it didn’t matter, as the Blackhawks couldn’t beat Andrei Vasilevskiy in net. Chicago needs to find wins, and quickly.

ANAHEIM, CA – JANUARY 21: Rickard Rakell /

19. Anaheim Ducks

Previous: No. 21

The Ducks are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, but like with the Oilers, a tough start may have done in Anaheim. Rickard Rakell is still leading this group in scoring, which ought to tell you how bad the Ducks’ injury problems have been.

SAN JOSE, CA – JANUARY 20: Pittsburgh Penguins timeout as the game winds down during the third period of the regular season game between the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins held January 20, 2018 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Allan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

18. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous: No. 18

The Pens are in a dogfight just to earn the right to defend the Stanley Cup. Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have combined for 154 points so far this season. That seems like a total that should help earn victories.

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 21: Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott (37) makes a first period save against the Washington Capitals on January 21, 2018, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

17. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous: No. 19

The Flyers have won their last three games and are 8-2-0 in their last 10. That’s allowed them to slide into the top Eastern Conference wild-card slot. Consistent goaltending from Brian Elliott is going to be key if the Flyers are going to contend the rest of the way.

16. Los Angeles Kings

Previous: No. 10

The Kings have had a rough stretch of games, going 3-6-1 in their last 10. Right now, Colorado has a game in hand, so the Avs held the second West wild-card spot going into the night even though both teams had 55 points (Colorado now has 57). In recent Kings news, Dustin Brown was fined $10,000 for his hit on Justin Schultz. More on that here.

ST. PAUL, MN – JANUARY 13: Minnesota Wild Center Mikko Koivu (9) skates with the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets on January 13, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. The Wild defeated the Jets 4-1.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

15. Minnesota Wild

Previous: No. 15

They’ve gone 6-2-2 in their last 10, and sit right between the aforementioned Kings and Avs. The Wild are coming off a win against one of the NHL’s best in the Tampa Bay Lightning, and one of the NHL’s worst in Ottawa, but things don’t get any easier. The near future sees the Wild face off against the likes of the Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues.

Labanc (62), Thornton (19), Pavelski (8) /

14. San Jose Sharks

Previous: No. 16

The Sharks are yet another team that has gone on a nice little run of late, going 6-2-2 in their last 10. They are sitting comfortably in a playoff position, led by the big four of Brent Burns, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski. Today marks a big test for them, as they take on one of the league’s best in the Winnipeg Jets.

13. Dallas Stars

Previous: No. 14

The Stars have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10, and currently hold the top wild-card spot in the West. They’re going to have to keep winning if they want to reach a comfortable position, as the entire Central Division is separated by a mere 13 points. You can read more into what they need to do to qualify for the playoffs, along with some other Western Conference bubble teams, here.

COLUMBUS, OH – DECEMBER 20: Mitch Marner /

12. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous: No.11

Toronto has had a brutal last 10 games, going 3-4-3. With that being said, they’re still in a playoff position. But they need to turn it around soon before they drop to a wild card. Upcoming games against the Rangers, Bruins , Blackhawks and Stars should really tell us what they’re made of.

NEWARK, NJ – JANUARY 13: Kyle Palmieri /

11. New Jersey Devils

Previous: No. 9

Their minor drop in ranking from last week to this week is attributed to their brutal stretch in the past 10, going 2-5-3. They’re still sitting in a playoff position, but similar to the Maple Leafs, they are in real danger of dropping to a wild card if they don’t shape things up soon. It will be interesting to see how rookies Nico Hischier and Will Butcher hold up down the stretch. That could largely determine where this team ends up at the end of the year.

COLUMBUS, OH – JANUARY 12: Zach Werenski /

10. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous: No. 12

They have gone 4-5-1 in their last 10, and currently still sit in a playoff spot. Their next game is against the West-leading Vegas Golden Knights. That should be a good measuring stick for a team that has been so close to making a run for so many years. Side note: We REALLY miss Artemi Panarin in Chicago, but I’m glad to see him tearing it up in blue and white, leading the team in points.

DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 31: Gabriel Landeskog /

9. Colorado Avalanche

Previous: No. 13

What? Yeah, you’re probably just as surprised as we are. The Avalanche have gone 10-0-0 in their last 10 and worked their way out from the bottom of the Central Division and into a West wild-card spot. The departure of Matt Duchene and the career year in the making by Nathan MacKinnon are both potential reasons for their recent success, and it remains to be seen how long they can keep this up. The upcoming road trip should give us a pretty good idea.

ST. LOUIS, MO – JANUARY 9: Vladimir Tarasenko /

8. St. Louis Blues

Previous: No. 8

Going 5-4-1 in their last 10 is not bad, but not outstanding either. In a Central Division that is so close points-wise, they’re going to need to go on a serious run pretty soon. A recent 5-2 home loss to the bottom-dwelling Arizona Coyotes is cause for concern, and it will be interesting to see how well they rebound.

CALGARY, AB – DECEMBER 31: Teammates of the Calgary Flames stand during the national anthem in an NHL game on December 31, 2017 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images) /

7. Calgary Flames

Previous: No. 7

Going 7-1-2 in their past 10 has skyrocketed them into playoff position. Upcoming games against Tampa, Los Angeles, Vegas and Chicago should give fans a pretty good idea of just how legit this team is, and where it is likely to finish in the standings.

6. Washington Capitals

Previous: No. 5

The Washington Capitals are pretty convincingly leading the Metropolitan Division, and they sit at third overall in their conference. They’ve gone 6-2-2 in their last 10, but are 0-2-1 in their last three. Upcoming games against the Flyers, Penguins and Golden Knights will be a good test for them. If they can win two of those three, that might jumpstart them to a longer run.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous: No. 1

Although they once looked unbeatable, the Tampa Bay Lightning had lost three in a row going into Monday night’s game against Chicago, and had gone 4-5-1 in their past 10. Regardless of their tough stretch of late, many still consider the Lightning to be one of the top teams in the NHL, and a serious Cup contender. To no on’es surprise, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos are the team leaders in points. Kucherov specifically is on pace to surpass his career high in points.

4. Nashville Predators

Previous: No. 6

Don’t you just love that picture? P.K. Subban is great in so many ways. Nashville is second in a tough Central Division, and the Preds have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10, including a current five-game win streak. An upcoming game against the Lightning should be a good measuring stick for the team that came oh so close to winning it all last year.

3. Boston Bruins

Previous: No. 3

The Bruins have gone 7-0-3 in their last 10, and are currently riding a three-game win streak. After a couple mostly irrelevant years, the Bruins seem to be back, lead by the astonishing play of rookies Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen. They have two games remaining until the All-Star break, against the Devils and Senators.

ST. PAUL, MN – JANUARY 13: Winnipeg Jets Left Wing Mathieu Perreault (85) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal in the 3rd period during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets on January 13, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. The Wild defeated the Jets 4-1.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Winnipeg Jets

Previous: No. 4

With how loud that building is in the postseason, I would LOVE to see the Jets make a long playoff run. They currently sit atop of the ever-changing and overly competitive Central Division, and need to keep winning to stay there. They have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10, winning two in a row.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous: No. 2

I’m curious as to when the hockey world is going to consider this team the real deal, rather than just a “good story.” The second-best team in the NHL, points-wise, has gone 6-2-2 in its past 10, and seems to fear no one. They don’t have a particularly tough schedule coming up, so look for them to keep piling on the points.

What do you think about the Blackhawks’ spot in this week’s NHL power rankings? Let us know in the comments below.

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