A step forward, but not enough for the Blackhawks in this week’s power rankings

In this week’s power rankings, there is finally some separation in the Eastern Conference, while a logjam of teams is competing for a wild-card spot in the Pacific. 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 (1-1-2)

The Chicago Blackhawks gave their fans all the free hockey they could handle as the team went to a shootout in three of the four games this week. They opened the week with a game featuring birthday boy Oliver Moore. The 21-year-old recorded a fight, an assist, and the game-winning shootout goal in Carolina. The next night of their back-to-back, Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov silenced the crowd with a shootout winner of his own.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers had two of their best players recently return from injury: Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk. They overpowered the Blackhawks, dominating in a 5-1 victory. Finally, the Blackhawks travelled to Minnesota and took a 3-0 lead before blowing it and falling in yet another shootout. These are the type of losses that a fatigued fan base has come to see over the past four years of this rebuild.

Power Rankings

32 - Vancouver Canucks (17-31-5) (-)
31 - St. Louis Blues (19-25-9) (-)
30 - Calgary Flames (21-25-6) (-3)
29 - New York Rangers (22-25-6) (-)
28 - Chicago Blackhawks (21-23-9) (-)
27 - Winnipeg Jets (21-24-7) (+3)
26 - Nashville Predators (24-23-5) (-1)
25 - Ottawa Senators (24-21-7) (-3)
24 - Columbus Blue Jackets (24-20-7) (-)
23 - Toronto Maple Leafs (24-20-9) (-9)
22 - Washington Capitals (25-22-7) (-5)
21 - New Jersey Devils (27-24-2) (-1)
20 - Philadelphia Flyers (24-18-9) (-2)
19 - Seattle Kraken (24-19-9) (+7)
18 - Los Angeles Kings (22-16-13) (+5)
17 - San Jose Sharks (27-21-3) (+2)

16 - Anaheim Ducks (28-22-3) (+5)
15 - Florida Panthers (28-21-3) (+1)
14 - Edmonton Oilers (27-19-8) (-1)
13 - New York Islanders (28-19-5) (-3)
12 - Utah Mammoth (28-21-4) (+3)
11 - Vegas Golden Knights (25-14-13) (-3)
10 - Pittsburgh Penguins (26-14-11) (+2)
9 - Montreal Canadiens (29-17-7) (-2)
8 - Boston Bruins (31-20-3) (+1)
7 - Buffalo Sabres (30-17-5) (+4)
6 - Detroit Red Wings (32-17-5) (-1)
5 - Minnesota Wild (30-14-10) (-1)
4 - Dallas Stars (30-14-9) (+2)
3 - Carolina Hurricanes (32-15-5) (-)
2 - Tampa Bay Lightning (33-14-4) (-)
1 - Colorado Avalanche (35-6-9) (-)

Three Atlantic Teams are Hot

The Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Montreal Canadiens have all separated themselves from the rest of the pack with 65 points. They currently hold a six-point lead over the Panthers, who have also been playing well of late. After a tough first month and a half of the season, the surprising Buffalo Sabres have been playing some of the best hockey in the league and sit in third in the division. If they can maintain this pace, then a playoff experience for the Sabres would be electric for Buffalo.

Pacific Race Remains Close

The top six teams in the Pacific division remain separated by six points. The Vegas Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings lead the league with 13 overtime losses, which could come back to haunt both teams at some point. The Edmonton Oilers hope to have solved their lengthy goaltending woes with the tandem of Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry. The Anaheim Ducks remain streaky by following their nine-game losing streak with a seven-game winning streak. The San Jose Sharks continue to play strong hockey, but questions remain about their depth behind Macklin Celebrini and whether it is enough to push them into the playoffs. And finally, the Seattle Kraken continue to tread water and remain in the race, but it will be interesting to see what teams separate themselves in the coming months.

Looking Ahead

The Blackhawks have four games remaining before they shut it down for the Olympic break. They are currently sending the fewest players to Italy for the tournament, with Teuvo Teravainen as their lone representative. But before they take their break, they need to gain some victories and can begin against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (1/29). The Blackhawks return to the United Center against the Columbus Blue Jackets (1/30) and the Sharks (2/2). Finally, they travel to face the Blue Jackets (2/4) before taking their three-week break.