Power Play: NHL Weekly Recap
Now that we are in week seven of the regular season, we have five teams that have really emerged from the rest.
Top Five Teams per ESPN Power Rankings:
New York Islanders, 14-6-0
The Islanders had a home sweet of the Penguins to gain their hard earned number one spot. After winning eight of their last ten games, the Islanders are on a roll and it doesn’t seem like anyone can stop them.
St. Louis Blues, 14-6-1
Right behind the Islanders are the Blues with impressive road wins against Ottawa and Winnipeg over the weekend. The Blues are first in the league for goals against and third for power plays. On Tuesday, they lost in a shoot out against the Senators after previously beating them over the weekend.
Pittsburgh Penguins, 13-4-2
While the Pens were able to pull off a great win in Montreal and another great win against the Bruins in overtime, the two losses to the Islanders dropped the Pens down in the rankings to third. Tonight’s matchup against the Maple Leafs is a must win for the Pens to stay at the top of the list.
Anaheim Ducks, 13-4-5
The Ducks were able to hold off the Calgary Flames in a close win on Tuesday night to improve their record to 13-4-5. Their next big test will be on Black Friday when the Blackhawks come to town. They’ve moved up in the rankings and a win against the Blackhawks will definitely help as well.
Montreal Canadiens, 16-6-1
The Canadiens have suffered some losses recently that dropped them down four places in the power rankings. After a 5-0 loss to the Rangers and another loss to the Pens, Montreal couldn’t keep their number one spot. However, the wins over the Blues and Bruins in the past week helps them to round out the top five.
