The 7-Eleven Power Rankings: Against all odds, 'Golden Misfits' legitimate Cup contenders

The logic-defying Vegas Golden Knights have gone from being postseason long shots to genuine playoff contenders. They’re now approaching ‘sure thing’ territory with a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Vegas centre William Karlsson says he and his teammates are the ‘Golden Misfits’ - a team comprised of mostly depth players deemed expendable by their former teams. Led by Marc-Andre Fleury’s four playoff shutouts, the Golden Knights advanced to the Western Conference final Sunday with a 3-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks and, believe it or not, are now just eight wins away from capturing a Cup – in their inaugural NHL season.

Head coach Gerard Gallant and general manager George McPhee have concocted a winning formula with just the right player chemistry and instilled confidence in their charges from the get-go.

Vegas, who finished behind both the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets in the final standings (fifth place overall), went 2-1 against both the Jets and Predators during the regular season and are the No. 1 playoff team in TSN’s 7-Eleven Power Rankings for the third straight week, according to consensus rankings formulated by the TSN Power Ranking panel of Ray Ferraro, Jeff O’Neill, Jamie McLennan, Craig Button and Darren Dreger.

With solid work from centre Brayden Point following his line’s lacklustre effort in Game 1, the Tampa Bay Lightning make the biggest leap of the week - moving up six spots - to No. 2 after eliminating the Boston Bruins in five games. The Bolts reached the Eastern Conference final for the fourth time in the last five times they’ve made the playoffs and now await the winner of the Washington Capitals-Pittsburgh Penguins series.

The No. 3 Jets slip one place from a week ago but this young, deep and fast-skating squad is just one win away from reaching the Western Conference final for the first time in the city’s history.

The Jets’ first line of Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor combined for eight points Saturday in Game 5 against the No.5-ranked Predators, who fall one spot from last week. Nashville defenceman P.K. Subban, however, all but guaranteed after Saturday’s 6-2 loss that he and his teammates will be back in Nashville for Game 7 on Thursday. Game 6 goes Monday night in Winnipeg.

The Capitals move up two spots to No. 4 from No. 6 a week ago after beating the No.6-ranked Penguins 6-3 Saturday to take a 3-2 series lead. Alex Ovechkin and company will attempt to oust the defending two-time Cup champions, who were No. 5 last week, from the postseason Monday night in Pittsburgh.

Tuukka Rask and his Bruin teammates fall four spots to No. 7 this week after his subpar playoff effort in net (.903 save percentage, 2.88 GAA) and a lack of even-strength scoring from Boston’s skaters in their last three games against Tampa. The Bruins won three of four games against the Lightning during the regular season but couldn’t get the job done in the postseason.

The Sharks, who were shut out by the Golden Knights twice in their second-round series, drop one spot this week to finish last at No. 8, according to our panel.