May 1, 2017

7-Eleven Power Rankings: Pens trending towards the Final?

No NHL team has repeated as a Stanley Cup finalist since Pittsburgh and Detroit did it in 2008 and 2009. Pittsburgh has all the markings of a team that could end that trend - and the Penguins’ dominant run has them No. 1 in the 7-Eleven power rankings.

Pittsburgh Penguins , The Canadian Press

No NHL team has repeated as a Stanley Cup finalist since Pittsburgh and Detroit did it in 2008 and 2009.

Pittsburgh has all the markings of a team that could end that trend – and the Penguins’ dominant run in the playoffs has them No. 1 in the 7-Eleven power rankings.

Pittsburgh beat Washington 6-2 Saturday to go 6-1 in the playoffs and earn top billing from the TSN expert panel of Ray Ferraro, Jeff O’Neill, Jamie McLennan, Craig Button and Darren Dreger.

The Penguins have been No. 1 in all three playoff rankings, steamrolling past Columbus and Washington, in the process recording a playoff-high four wins by a margin of at least two goals.

Nashville, also 6-1 in the playoffs, are ranked No. 2.

Notwithstanding a 6-3 loss in Game 3 vs. Anaheim, the Oilers made the most significant jump of the week, going from No. 6 to No. 3. Similarly, Ottawa went from No. 7 to No. 4.

Meanwhile, Washington has gone from the No. 1-ranked team at season’s end to No. 7 three weeks into the playoffs.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

PLAYOFF RECORD

6-1
TEAM SV%

.936
LAST WEEK

1

The Penguins are averaging four-plus goals per game led by Jake Guentzel. He has a playoff-leading seven goals; combined with a season-ending five-game goal streak, Guentzel has 12 goals in his last 12 games.

2. Nashville Predators

PLAYOFF RECORD

6-1
TEAM SV%

.950
LAST WEEK

3

Predators’ blueliners have scored goals in four straight games – and a total of seven goals in seven playoff games – and Pekka Rinne has a playoff-leading .950 save percentage. The defence never rests in Nashville.

3. Edmonton Oilers

PLAYOFF RECORD

6-3
TEAM SV%

.913
LAST WEEK

6

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.

4. Ottawa Senators

PLAYOFF RECORD

6-2
TEAM SV%

.923
LAST WEEK

7

Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s four-goal performance for the ages in Game 2 overshadowed a fourth win in five overtime games for the Sens this playoff season and an eighth straight game decided by one goal. These Sens are nothing if not resilient.

5. Anaheim Ducks

PLAYOFF RECORD

5-2
TEAM SV%

.914
LAST WEEK

2

Anaheim got through a playoff game without giving up a power-play goal for the first time and Ryan Getzlaf went into beast mode in Game 3 vs. Edmonton as the Ducks regained the webbed footing they demonstrated in the first round.

6. St. Louis Blues

PLAYOFF RECORD

5-3
TEAM SV%

.938
LAST WEEK

4

An unhealthy reliance on goalie Jake Allen is revealing itself for the Blues, who have been outshot in seven of eight playoff games. Allen’s save percentages in the first four games of the playoffs: .966; in the last four games: .906.

6. Washington Capitals

PLAYOFF RECORD

6-5
TEAM SV%

.902
LAST WEEK

7

Washington led the NHL with 35 wins by at least two goals during the regular season, but it took the Capitals 11 games in the playoffs to finally win by that margin. The Caps need two more wins to get to the third round.

8. New York Rangers

PLAYOFF RECORD

4-4
TEAM SV%

.933
LAST WEEK

8

The Rangers trail Ottawa 2-0 but can take a measure of comfort from the fact they led for 49:28 in those two games; Ottawa led for just 4:11. The problem: Gotham gave up three goals in the final five minutes of Games 1 and 2.