Apr 24, 2017
Penguins, Ducks top 7-Eleven Power Rankings
Pittsburgh is the consensus choice of TSN’s Ray Ferraro, Jeff O’Neill, Jamie McLennan, Craig Button and Darren Dreger as the NHL’s No. 1 playoff team with one spectacular, overtime-filled postseason round wrapped up.
The powerful Pittsburgh Penguins continue to earn the confidence of the 7-Eleven power rankings panel.
Pittsburgh is the consensus choice of TSN’s Ray Ferraro, Jeff O’Neill, Jamie McLennan, Craig Button and Darren Dreger as the NHL’s No. 1 playoff team with one spectacular, overtime-filled postseason round wrapped up.
The Penguins were also the choice as best team after week one of the playoffs.
Anaheim and St. Louis swap places, with the Ducks going from No. 4 to 2 and the Blues from No. 2 to 4. Nashville’s sweep of Chicago maintains the Predators’ standing as the No. 3 team, while Washington jumps two places to No. 5 after a series win over Toronto that featured five overtime games.
Canada’s two surviving teams check in at No. 6 (Edmonton) and No. 7 (Ottawa). In a rare show of unanimity, all five experts slotted Toronto at No. 9, ranking the Leafs as best of the first-round losers. Montreal is No. 10 and sweep victims Calgary ends its season at No. 16.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
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PLAYOFF RECORD4-1
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TEAM SV%.933
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LAST WEEK1
The defending Stanley Cup champions scored 21 goals in five games for a league-leading 4.2 per game. Last year? Twenty-one goals in five first-round games. Coincidence or a sign of things to come?
2. Anaheim Ducks
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PLAYOFF RECORD4-0
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TEAM SV%.935
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LAST WEEK4
Two victories over Calgary extends the Ducks’ NHL-record home winning streak against one team to 29. Add that to Anaheim’s season-ending 14-game point streak (11-0-3).
3. Nashville Predators
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PLAYOFF RECORD4-0
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TEAM SV%.976
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LAST WEEK3
The Predators allowed three goals in the first sweep in franchise history. Most telling? They didn’t flinch in Game 3 when Chicago took a 2-0 lead. They responded calmly with an OT win.
4. St. Louis Blues
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PLAYOFF RECORD4-1
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TEAM SV%.956
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LAST WEEK2
The Blues didn't outshoot the Wild in a single game, but they outscored Minnesota in four of five as Jake Allen recorded a .956 save percentage and 1.47 goals-against average.
5. Washington Capitals
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PLAYOFF RECORD4-2
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TEAM SV%.925
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LAST WEEK7
What to take from Washington’s narrowest of victories over Toronto: that the playoff-challenged Caps demonstrated steely nerves or that they face an uphill battle vs. Pittsburgh?
3. Edmonton Oilers
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PLAYOFF RECORD6-3
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TEAM SV%.913
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LAST WEEK6
The Oilers’ four-game winning streak ended in Game 3 vs. Anaheim as the Oilers reprised their Game 4 stinker vs. San Jose from the first round. Edmonton awaits the full playoff blossoming of scoring champion Connor McDavid.
7. Ottawa Senators
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PLAYOFF RECORD4-2
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TEAM SV%.921
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LAST WEEK9
The shocking emergence of Bobby Ryan, Derick Brassard and Clark MacArthur as playoff forces was the perfect complement to the contribution of foundation tandem Erik Karlsson and Craig Anderson.
8. New York Rangers
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PLAYOFF RECORD4-2
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TEAM SV%.947
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LAST WEEK11
The Rangers didn't score more than three goals in any game against Montreal, but Henrik Lundqvist emphatically signaled (.947 save percentage) his poor regular season is behind him.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs
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PLAYOFF RECORD2-4
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TEAM SV%.915
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LAST WEEK8
It is clearer than ever: This is Auston Matthews’ team. He scored goals in four consecutive games to finish a postseason that began with four goals in the opening game of the regular season.
10. Montreal Canadiens
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PLAYOFF RECORD2-4
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TEAM SV%.923
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LAST WEEK6
The Canadiens squandered a 2-1 series lead, losing three straight and scoring just four goals. Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk combined for zero goals in the series.
11. Boston Bruins
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PLAYOFF RECORD2-4
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TEAM SV%.920
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LAST WEEK10
Four one-goal losses aside, will this be remembered as the playoff 19-year-old Charlie McAvoy joined the team straight from Boston University and played more minutes than any Bruin but Zdeno Chara?
12. San Jose Sharks
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PLAYOFF RECORD2-4
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TEAM SV%.929
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LAST WEEK12
It has been boom or bust for last year’s Stanley Cup finalist over the past four playoff seasons: winning three series in 2016 and failing to win a single series in the other three years.
13. Minnesota Wild
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PLAYOFF RECORD1-4
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TEAM SV%.918
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LAST WEEK15
Bruce Boudreau, whose Wild outshot St. Louis 182-134, produced the quote of the first round after losing in five games: “They weren’t the better team, but they won four games.”
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
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PLAYOFF RECORD1-4
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LAST 10.887
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LAST WEEK16
The team that won 16 straight games during the regular season lost 10 of its last 12 games as Sergei Bobrovsky’s save percentage plummeted from .935 to .880.
15. Chicago Blackhawks
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PLAYOFF RECORD0-4
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LAST 10.895
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LAST WEEK14
The Hawks are only two years removed from winning the Cup, but losing in the first round for the second straight season has some wondering if Chicago can carry on with the $10.5-million twins - Kane and Toews.
16. Calgary Flames
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PLAYOFF RECORD0-4
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TEAM SV%.885
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LAST WEEK13
Sean Monahan delivered, scoring four of Calgary’s nine goals and assisting on a fifth; Brian Elliott (.899 save percentage) and $6.75-million man Johnny Hockey (zero goals) didn’t.