2013 Power Rankings: Week 3

A crazy week in the NHL is done, and without any hesitation, here are the updated power rankings coming out of week number three.

1/2/1. Chicago Blackhawks . . . 10-0-2
Chicago remains undefeated in regulation after picking up 3 more wins last week. One of those wins was against the Sharks, who were last week's rankings leader. The red-hot Corey Crawford picked up his first shutout of the season on Sunday.

6/9/2. New Jersey Devils . . . 8-1-3
The Devils are riding a 5 game winning streak that's seen them beat a few division rivals, the offensive powerhouse Lightning, and the previously conference-leading Penguins in back-to-back games. David Clarkson is out to prove last year's 30 goals wasn't a fluke. Thomas Vanek is the only player who's lit the lamp more than him this season.

12/8/3. Anaheim Ducks . . . 8-2-1
With points in 7 of their last 8 games, the Ducks are showing that they can compete with any team in the league. Over that stretch, they've picked up 3 out of a possible 4 points against San Jose, as well as beaten St. Louis and the defending cup champs. Rookie goalie Viktor Fasth is a perfect 5-0 so far. Teemu Selanne doesn't age.

5/7/4. Boston Bruins . . . 8-1-1
Boston's been solid since their shaky game against Buffalo. Due to a cancelled game, they only played 2 games last week, but picked up wins in both. Their powerplay hasn't been very good at all, but their penalty kill, operating at 92.9%, is tied with Chicago for best in the league.

19/10/5. Vancouver Canucks . . . 7-2-2
The Canucks continue their rapid ascent back to the top. They're also riding a 5 game winning streak and have one of the top three goalie tandems in the league right now. If these guys can get their special teams going, they may be on their way to a third straight President's trophy.

2/1/6. San Jose Sharks . . . 7-2-2
After winning their first 7 games, the Sharks have lost their last 4, only collecting 2 points in that span. Marleau's once incredible offensive dominance has slowed to a halt. However, the defense and goaltending have been superb. This team still has the pieces to remain a top contender in the conference.

10/6/7. Pittsburgh Penguins . . . 8-5-0
Pittsburgh's huge 5 game winning streak came to an end over the weekend with 2 losses to New Jersey. Expect this talented group to get back on track with a much lighter schedule over the next couple weeks.

20/14/8. Detroit Red Wings . . . 7-4-1
Detroit is stabilizing themselves after a slow start. They won 3 of their 4 games last week. Their special teams have been awful, yet they've been sustained by their consistent 5 on 5 play. Zetterberg and Datsyuk have taken charge offensively, combining for 10 goals and each averaging more than a point per game.

3/4/9. St. Louis Blues . . . 6-4-1
Keeping the puck out of the net has quickly become a problem for St. Louis, and as a result, they've dropped 4 straight games, managing only 1 point. However, this is a balanced team that's been deadly on the powerplay. 36.6% this season.

24/18/10. Toronto Maple Leafs . . . 7-5-0
Toronto's won 5 of their last 7 games and are currently enjoying a 3 game win streak. Their last game was a huge 6-0 win over the division rival Canadiens. Phil Kessel looks to finally be getting going, and the goalies are doing a good job of holding down the fort.

17/12/11. New York Rangers . . . 6-5-0
The Rangers won 2 out of 3 last week, and are slowly beginning to look like the Eastern Conference finalists of last season. Depth contributions have been key, and Lundqvist is returning to form in net. The biggest problem for this team has been the powerplay. 29th in the league won't cut it for much longer.

4/3/12. Tampa Bay Lightning . . . 6-5-0
Four regulation losses has certainly slowed these guys down, yet they still lead their division. Their top forward lines have been producing goals at an alarming rate. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the lowest they're ranked all season.

9/11/13. Ottawa Senators . . . 6-4-2
In 3 games last week, Ottawa collected 3 points and remains near the top of the conference standings. They've only scored 7 goals in their last 5 games though. Exceptional goaltending and strong special teams are what's keeping this team afloat.

8/5/14. Montreal Canadiens . . . 6-4-1
Montreal lost all 3 of their games last week, all of them against division rivals. They've showed their flashes of brilliance this season, but are slipping from a good team to an average team. Perhaps upcoming games outside their division will turn things around for the Canadiens.

11/24/15. Dallas Stars . . . 6-5-1
The Stars' offense still hasn't gotten it going yet, but the team did win all 3 of their games last week. Jamie Benn's been a huge contributor since he re-signed with the team, and Jaromir Jagr leads the team in points at age 40.

14/21/16. Carolina Hurricanes . . . 5-4-1
5 out of a possible 6 points last week for the team that averages the most shots per game in the league. They've improved their special teams and are scoring goals at an acceptable rate. If the Hurricanes can improve defensively, they'll be in the playoff hunt right down to the end of the season.

29/19/17. Phoenix Coyotes . . . 5-5-2
The Coyotes have shut out San Jose and Dallas so far this month, and have been much better than the first week. As long as they have good balance and can keep the puck out of their net, expect this team to win a lot of low-scoring games.

21/20/18. Nashville Predators . . . 5-3-4
Nashville played well last week, but weren't able to crack the mighty Blackhawks. However, they did blow St. Louis out 6-1 and shutout the Kings. The Predators have been finding ways to get points, but with a league-worst 1.83 goals per game, that may not last unless they can bury the biscuit more frequently.

13/13/19. New York Islanders . . . 4-6-1
The Islanders started off strong but have since lost 4 in a row. They only have 1 win at home and the schedule doesn't get any easier there. The good news is they have a strong offensive group and the addition of Lubomir Visnovsky on defense should help at both ends of the ice.

18/17/20. Edmonton Oilers . . . 5-4-3
Edmonton snapped a 5 game losing streak with a win over Columbus on Sunday. They did pick up points in 3 of the 5 losses, but these guys need to start ending more games in regulation if they hope to make the playoffs. The biggest problem for the Oilers has been depth scoring which has been non-existent past their top 6 offensive contributors.

25/25/21. Philadelphia Flyers . . . 5-6-1
Philly's gotten points in 4 of their 5 games in February thus far, and have put together some good team efforts. Their offensive output has increased slightly, but still has a ways to go to match the kind of force it's been the past couple seasons.

16/16/22. Minnesota Wild . . . 5-5-1 
Minnesota ended a 3 game losing streak on Saturday with an overtime win against Nashville. The offense has  slowed down considerably for this team. They haven't played well 5 on 5, however, their penalty kill is among the best in the league.

7/22/23. Winnipeg Jets . . . 5-5-1
The Jets have been losing more than they've been winning lately, but they did manage to pick up 2 wins in 3 games last week. They still haven't figured out their penalty kill, and Tobias Enstrom is still the leading scorer for this team.

15/15/24. Colorado Avalanche . . . 4-6-0
Only 2 games on the schedule for the Avalanche last week, and they lost them both. Their powerplay has dropped to dead last in the league. Good news is they have one of the easier schedules for the remainder of the month of February.

26/28/25. Calgary Flames . . . 3-4-2
They looked good in their 2 wins last week but then got wiped by Vancouver 5-1. They have one of the best powerplays in the league and are 1 of only 2 teams that is undefeated when outshot. The other is Chicago.

22/23/26. Buffalo Sabres . . . 5-7-1
The Sabres won 2 out of 4 last week and continue to struggle defensively. If it weren't for Vanek's 11 goals in 12 games, Buffalo would be in terrible shape. There's a lot to fix, but I still believe this team can contend for a playoff spot.

27/30/27. Washington Capitals . . . 3-8-1
The offense hasn't been too bad for the Caps, and Ovechkin's gotten himself going a bit. Only 1 win last week, but it was a big one. The team finally exploded for 5 goals on Saturday, and Braden Holtby picked up his first shutout of the season.

23/27/28. Los Angeles Kings . . . 3-5-2
The defending cup champs only won 1 of their 3 games last week and Jonathan Quick continues to struggle in net. A number of under-achieving forwards are putting the Kings out of the playoff race early. They're only 1 goal above last place in terms of goal scoring.

30/29/29. Florida Panthers . . . 4-6-1
Florida was on a 4 game point streak up until a 5-0 loss to Washington on Saturday. Things were improving for Florida, but not much. After that loss to Washington, they're dead last in the league in goals against per game and are the worst team 5 on 5.

28/26/30. Columbus Blue Jackets . . . 3-7-2
Only 1 point in 3 losing efforts for the Jackets last week. Goals have been extremely hard to come by for Columbus. At -15, Columbus has the worst goal differential in the league.


So that's it for week three. Disagree with my list? Think your team is ranked too low? Leave a comment and let me know why. Be sure to check back in next week and see the updated rankings.