Blackhawks bounce back with key players set to return in this week's power rankings

In this week’s power rankings, the Tampa Bay Lightning have won eight straight, while the Winnipeg Jets' free fall continues as they have been winless in their last 10 games. These power rankings are determined mostly 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 (3-0-0)

The Blackhawks won all three games last week, defeating the Stars for the second time this year and besting the Capitals and Golden Knights in overtime. Ilya Mikheyev took control of the game against Dallas and scored two goals, while Artyom Levshunov continues to gain confidence by also scoring. They scored three shootout goals against the Capitals, as the latter is now 0-5 in shootouts. Finally, they scored a late goal to force overtime against Vegas as Tyler Bertuzzi completed the hat trick, scoring the game-winning goal.

The veteran players have stepped up over the last week as the Blackhawks continue to live without Connor Bedard. As noted on multiple occasions, Tyler Bertuzzi has continued to play well and score clutch goals. It may have been overlooked, but the return of Nick Foligno to the active roster has been crucial for the leadership both on and off the ice. The team has responded with cleaner, more intense play since he returned from his hand injury. Even Teuvo Teravainen has also scored three goals in the last four games, as he is now starting to shoot the puck.

Power Rankings

32 - Winnipeg Jets (15-21-5)
31 - Vancouver Canucks (16-21-5)
30 - Calgary Flames (18-20-4)
29 - Chicago Blackhawks (17-18-7)
28 - Columbus Blue Jackets (18-17-7)
27 - St. Louis Blues (17-18-8)
26 - Anaheim Ducks (21-19-3)
25 - Nashville Predators (19-19-4)
24 - Utah Mammoth (20-20-3)
23 - New Jersey Devils (22-19-2)
22 - Boston Bruins (22-19-2)
21 - Ottawa Senators (20-16-5)
20 - San Jose Sharks (21-18-3)
19 - Los Angeles Kings (18-14-9)
18 - New York Rangers (20-18-6)
17 - Toronto Maple Leafs (20-15-7)

16 - Florida Panthers (22-17-3)
15 - Vegas Golden Knights (18-11-12)
14 - Seattle Kraken (20-14-7)
13 - Washington Capitals (22-15-6)
12 - Buffalo Sabres (22-15-4)
11 - Edmonton Oilers (21-16-6)
10 - Pittsburgh Penguins (20-12-9)
9 - New York Islanders (24-15-4)
8 - Philadelphia Flyers (22-12-7)
7 - Montreal Canadiens (23-13-6)
6 - Detroit Red Wings (25-15-4)
5 - Carolina Hurricanes (26-14-3)
4 - Minnesota Wild (25-11-8)
3 - Dallas Stars (25-10-8)
2 - Tampa Bay Lightning (26-13-3)
1 - Colorado Avalanche (31-4-7)

Top Central Teams Struggle

For the first time all season, the Avalanche, Stars, and Wild have all hit losing streaks, albeit short ones for Colorado and Minnesota. The Stars have dropped six in a row, and two of those losses were to the Blackhawks. The defense/goaltending appears to be their issue, as they have allowed four or more goals in all six games. The Wild have lost five of their last eight, and the Avalanche dropped two straight games in regulation to bring their season total of regulation losses to a whopping four games.

Parody Remains a Constant in the East

Every single team in the Eastern Conference remains above the .500 mark. Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh are the latest teams to be riding winning streaks. The Lightning have vaulted to the top of the Atlantic Division with their latest eight-game winning streak. These division and wild card races will be fantastic to watch down the stretch in March and April.

Looking Ahead

The Blackhawks get back on the ice tonight at home against the Blues (1/7). They follow up by wrapping up the season series against the Capitals (1/9) and then travel to Nashville to play the Predators (1/10), who have looked much better as of late. This stretch concludes with the start of a lengthy homestand, beginning against the Oilers (1/12). The Blackhawks have some winnable games, and they will hopefully have Connor Bedard back in the lineup at some point this week.