Bedard and Nazar power Blackhawks offense in this week's power rankings

In this week’s power rankings, the Stanley Cup contenders continue to grind away during the dog days of the regular season. These power rankings are determined mainly by a team's win-loss record, but also by their recent performance, injuries, and the strength of the week's schedule. For example, if teams have similar records or point totals, they will receive a higher ranking based on who they played and the margins of victory. Teams will also be ranked higher or lower depending on how they have played over their last 10 games.

The Past Week (1-1-1)

The Blackhawks began the week by facing off against the Utah Mammoth for the last time this season. Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, it was their last time playing the Mammoth, as they had defeated them in every game. They took care of business in overtime as Connor Bedard buried a rebound off a shot from Alex Vlasic. The Blackhawks outscored the Mammoth 13-5 in the season series while only giving up two or fewer goals in the four games.

The Vegas Golden Knights awaited the Blackhawks in their next game, as Vegas scored three goals in under four minutes in the first period to put the game out of reach. Vegas goaltender Adin Hill went on to shut out the Blackhawks by stopping all 21 shots. Recent seasons have shown a recurring issue: despite having the talent to do so, the Blackhawks are not consistently reaching the compete level required to contend on a nightly basis.

Finally, Nick Foligno made his quick return to the United Center as the Blackhawks paid tribute with a standing ovation. Similar to the game against Vegas, the Wild scored three first-period goals. However, this time the Blackhawks youth would fight back and send the game to overtime. Mats Zuccarello would eventually score the game winner, but it was good to see the team fight back to earn a point. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar continued to drive the offense, both turning in another two‑point performance.

Power Rankings

32 - Vancouver Canucks (21-38-8) (-)
31 - Calgary Flames (26-34-7) (-)
30 - Chicago Blackhawks (25-30-12) (-)
29 - New York Rangers (28-31-8) (-)
28 - Winnipeg Jets (28-28-11) (-2)
27 - St. Louis Blues (27-30-10) (-)
26 - Florida Panthers (33-31-3) (-7)
25 - Toronto Maple Leafs (29-28-12) (+3)
24 - Nashville Predators (30-28-9) (+1)
23 - New Jersey Devils (34-31-2) (+1)
22 - San Jose Sharks (32-28-6) (+1)
21 - Seattle Kraken (31-27-9) (-)
20 - Los Angeles Kings (28-24-15) (+2)
19 - Vegas Golden Knights (31-23-14) (-1)
18 - Washington Capitals (33-27-8) (-1)
17 - Philadelphia Flyers (31-23-12) (+3)

16 - Utah Mammoth (35-27-6) (-1)
15 - Edmonton Oilers (34-26-9) (+1)
14 - Anaheim Ducks (37-27-3) (-3)
13 - Ottawa Senators (34-23-9) (+1)
12 - Boston Bruins (37-23-8) (+1)
11 - Columbus Blue Jackets (35-21-11) (+1)
10 - Detroit Red Wings (37-23-8) (-)
9 - Pittsburgh Penguins (34-18-15) (-)
8 - New York Islanders (39-24-5) (-)
7 - Tampa Bay Lightning (41-21-4) (-)
6 - Montreal Canadiens (37-20-10) (-)
5 - Minnesota Wild (39-18-12) (-1)
4 - Carolina Hurricanes (42-19-6) (-1)
3 - Buffalo Sabres (42-20-6) (+2)
2 - Dallas Stars (42-15-10) (-)
1 - Colorado Avalanche (44-13-9) (-)

Top Teams Maintaining Positions

As the old sports adage goes, the last thing you want is to peak too early. Many of the top teams are taking that to heart, as a majority of them have gone around .500 in their last ten games. The two current exceptions are the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres. The Stars are doing their best to catch the Avalanche to avoid playing the Wild in the first round of the playoffs. The Sabres are aiming to quiet the doubters once and for all by securing their first postseason appearance since the 2010–2011 campaign.

Many fans are calling for the return of the 1-8 playoff seeds, and the Avalanche, Stars, and Wild are proving their points. The Stars and Wild would be the second- and third-seeds, respectively, and are currently looking to play each other in the first round. As a result, at least two of the top three teams in the Western Conference will be eliminated before the Conference Finals series. I, for one, would prefer an Avalanche–Stars showdown over watching the Oilers, who look poised to benefit from a much easier route.

Looking Ahead

The Blackhawks continue to face off against their division rivals this week, beginning on the road in Minnesota (3/19). The Blackhawks are 0-0-3 against the Wild this year, taking every game into overtime or a shootout. In the second half of the back-to-back, the Blackhawks travel home to Chicago to play the Avalanche (3/20). Nashville then comes to town to wrap up the season series (3/22). Finally, they will take a Metropolitan road trip, beginning with the Islanders (3/24).