SportsTips’ NHL Power Rankings 2021: Week 14

SportsTips’ NHL Power Rankings 2021: Week 14
Tue 20th April 2021

We are up to week 14 now, and it is all heating up, the Avs and Golden Knights remained dominant this week, while both the Bruins and Rangers hit their strides. Have a read through below to see the latest and greatest from every team.

Our rankings are based upon a number of factors, including recent level of play, injuries, and quality wins.

1: Colorado Avalanche

Stanley Cup Odds: +400
Record: 30-9-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 1

The Avalanche retain their place atop the rankings this week, they only played 1 game since their 4-2 win against the Coyotes, beating the Blues 4-3 in St. Louis. It was the 4th straight win for the Avs, who now sit in second place on the West Division table, 2 points behind the Knights with 2 less games played than the Vegas side.

Over the next week they are set to play the Blues two more times, and begin a 2 match series against the Golden Knights, which will give us a good idea of who the strongest in the division is.

2: Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup Odds: +750
Record: 31-11-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 4

The Golden Knights jump up to 2nd place following their flawless performance over a busy week which saw them play 4 games in 6 days. They started the week by completing a series sweep over the Kings before heading to Anaheim where they swept the Ducks over 2 games.

Yesterday they returned to Vegas to welcome the Sharks, and despite going down 2-0 in the second term, they rallied to send the match to overtime thanks to back to back power play goals from the captain, Mark Stone.

The Knights edged out the Sharks in the subsequent shootout, picking up their 7th straight victory, earning them a move up the power rankings.

3: Tampa Bay Lightning

Stanley Cup Odds: +650
Record: 30-13-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 2

The Lightning had an up and down week, getting off to an average start with a 7-2 blowout against the Predators in the second game of their series.

They then split the points with the Panthers, winning one game, and losing the other, this is something that they have consistently done recently, of their last 6, 2 match series’, they have split the points each time.

With the second match of their set to play today, this statistic does not bode to well after their victory over the Canes yesterday, but after this game the Lightning enjoy some ideal fixtures, playing a bottom 4 side for 8 of their final 10 games.

4: Carolina Hurricanes

Stanley Cup Odds: +1100
Record: 29-10-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 5

The Canes enjoyed a solid week, playing 3 games, and picking up 5 points from a possible 6. The week started off with a clean sweep over 2 matches against the streaking Predators, winning 7-2 on aggregate.

After that successful home series, they then hit the road to face the Lightning, and after coming back from 2-0 down in the second term, lost the game in overtime, bringing their head to head record with the Lightning to 3-4.

The Canes sit atop the table, level on points with the Panthers, and just 1 point in front of the Lightning, however, they have played the fewest games in the division.

They are set to play 1 more game against the Lightning before continuing their road trip with 2 games against both the Panthers, and the Stars.

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5: Florida Panthers 

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
Record: 29-12-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 9

After going winless in the previous week, the Panthers earnt a jump back up the ranks this week for their string of solid performances.

Claiming 7 points from a possible 8, the Panthers picked up wins over the Stars, Lightning, and a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets on their return to Florida yesterday. 

Considering they have a season record which is on par with the Lightning and Hurricanes, it is quite a surprise to see the bookies value the Panthers at +2000 to lift the Stanley Cup. They have a tough run of fixtures up until the end of the season, so we will have a good idea of where they really sit in the coming weeks.

6: Washington Capitals

Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
Record: 29-13-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 6

The Caps remain in 6th place this week, and they were a win against the Sabres away from moving up higher. Despite their surprising loss to the bottom table, Sabres, it was still a solid week for the Caps, highlighted with a home, and away win against the Flyers, 12-4 on aggregate.

After their second convincing win over the Flyers, they were put in the unfortunate position of playing in back to back games against a Bruins side who were well rested, losing 6-3, but still sit on top of the East Division.

7: Toronto Maple Leafs

Stanley Cup Odds: +800
Record: 28-12-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 3

The Maple Leafs take a big fall from last week’s 3rd place, they recorded a season high, 4 straight losses with their shock defeat to the Canucks on Sunday. 

It was a bad start to the week for the Leafs when they had to play the Flames the day after their own defeat to the Canadiens, going on to lose 3-2 in overtime. They then welcomed the Jets to Toronto, and with no Auston Matthews in the lineup, convincingly lost 5-2.

Sunday’s match looked like the perfect opportunity to bounce back against the depleted Canucks, but even with Matthews back in the team, they lost 3-2 in overtime.

8: Minnesota Wild

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
Record: 28-13-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 11

The Wild climb up the rankings following an impressive week which saw them win 4 games in 6 days, while scoring an average of 4.5 goals a game, conceding just 2.

After their back to back defeats to the Blues in St. Louis last week, the Wild made a statement by beating the Sharks and Coyotes twice. They comfortably remain in 3rd place on the West table, 5 points from 2nd, and a massive 14 points from the Coyotes in 4th.

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9: New York Islanders

Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
Record: 28-13-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 7 

The Islanders move down to 9th after an uncharacteristically poor week which saw them swept by the Bruins over 2 games, 7-1 on aggregate, and then scrape their way to a 1-0 win over the struggling Flyers in overtime.

With just 1 win from their last 5 games on the road, the Islanders will be more than ready to head back to New York where they are slated to play 4 of the next 6. 

With just 105 goals conceded after 45 games, defensively, the Islanders are the strongest side in the division, but they have been let down on the offense recently, with just 13 goals scored from their last 8 games played (1.625 per game). 

10: Pittsburgh Penguins

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
Record: 28-14-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 8

The Penguins had a similar week to the Islanders, winning just 1 of 3 games played, which sees them claim the 10th place on the power rankings.

It got off to a bad start when they lost in a shootout to the Flyers, it was their first shootout defeat of the campaign (3-1), and came against a side who were 1-4 at the time.

They bounced back with a win, albeit an unconvincing one, against the Sabres on Saturday, but went on to lose the next match with them 4-2.

With their next 5 games set to be played in Pittsburgh, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a big move up the rankings next week.

11: Edmonton Oilers

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
Record: 27-15-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 12

After a week-long hiatus following a painful 5-0 shutout loss to the Flames, the Oilers returned to playing on Saturday against the Jets, and the break seemed to work wonders as they went on to win 3-0, their 5th shutout of the campaign.

They backed up the win with another strong showing against the Canadiens yesterday, rallying from 1-0 down midway through the final period by scoring 4 unanswered goals in an 8 minute window.

With 2 assists in the previous game, Connor McDavid led the charge yesterday, scoring a goal, and assisting 2 more for his league leading, 74th point of the season.

12 : Winnipeg Jets

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
Record: 27-15-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 10 

The Jets were a game away from a very solid week, having beaten the Senators, and the Maple Leafs away from home, the Jets returned to Winnipeg to host the Oilers, but were kept goalless for just the second time all season, losing 3-0. 

It was an unideal start to their difficult 5 match homestand which will see them tested as they play the Oilers twice more, as well as 2 games with the Maple Leafs.

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13: Boston Bruins

Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
Record: 25-12-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 20 

The Bruins were back to their best this week, putting on performances that show why the bookies back them at +1400 to win the Cup.

They seem to have improved since the deadline, with new signing, Taylor Hall, picking up his first point in a Bruins Jersey on Sunday, and young goalie, Jeremy Swayman, continuing to deliver in net.

Through a tough week of fixtures, the Bruins managed a flawless run, winning all 4 games, including a clean sweep over the Islanders across 2 games, 7-1 on aggregate.

After playing the last 5 games at home, they will now hit the road for 5 straight, starting with 3 games against the Sabres who the Bruins are yet to lose to from 3 games this season.

14: New York Rangers 

Stanley Cup Odds: +7500
Record: 23-16-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 16 

The Rangers enjoyed a perfect week, winning all 4 games they played, earning them a jump up the rankings, and they probably could have gone higher, however, all 4 games were played against the Devils, the last two of which were not the most convincing performances.

Regardless, they boast the best record over the last 10 games in the East Division, and their 4 straight wins is a season best, they now find themselves just 4 points from the Bruins in the much desired playoff position.

15: Nashville Predators 

Stanley Cup Odds: +6000
Record: 25-21-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 15

The Predators deservedly stay in 15th place following their 4 game week which saw them walk away with 2 wins. They got off to the best possible start with an emphatic 7-2 win against the Lightning before travelling to Carolina to be swept by the in form Canes over 2 games. 

However, they didn’t let the defeats burden them, heading back to Nashville, the Preds welcomed the Blackhawks yesterday for the first of 3 games, and won by a convincing 5-2.

The Preds have experienced somewhat of a resurgence in the latter half of the season, and they are looking like a real chance to maintain their playoff position .

16: St Louis Blues 

Stanley Cup Odds: +4900
Record: 19-18-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 13

It looked like the Blues were back to their best when they were sitting on 3 straight wins, but they slipped back to losing ways this week, failing to pick up a point from 2 games.

While they lost both games, they kept the scoreline very tight, losing 4-3 to the Avalanche, and 3-2 to the Coyotes, this has been a common occurrence for the St. Louis side recently, with 5 of their last 6 defeats coming by a 1 goal margin.

They now face a very tough run of fixtures, starting with 2 games at home to the Avalanche, followed by 4 games versus the Wild, both home and away.

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17: Dallas Stars

Stanley Cup Odds: +3400
Record: 18-14-12
Last Week’s Ranking: 18

The Stars earnt another slight jump up the rankings this week, they had a busy run of games, and came out with a solid 3 wins from 4, winning the most recent in a shootout against Red Wings yesterday.

A 3 win streak could have put them higher on the rankings, however, the wins came against the Blue Jackets, and the Red Wings, who they are set to play for the next 3 games. 

It is important that the Stars pick up maximum points over these games, because after that the majority of their games are against the division’s strongest sides.

18: Montreal Canadiens

Stanley Cup Odds: +2200
Record: 19-15-9
Last Week’s Ranking: 14

The Canadiens had a week to forget, losing 3 of the 4 games they played, starting with a 4-1 defeat on home soil to the Flames. They came out in the second match and redeemed themselves with a 2-1 win, but the effects of fatigue got to them as they hosted the Senators the next day, losing 4-0.

They capped the week off with a 4-1 loss to the Oilers, once again highlighting their problems when on the offense, with just 15 goals over their last 9 games it is no surprise that the Canadiens have the worst record over the last 10 games in the North.

19: Chicago Blackhawks

Stanley Cup Odds: +7500
Record: 21-20-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 17

The Blackhawks maintained pace with the rest of the Central Division this week, but only walked away with 1 win from 3 games.

They wrapped up a 5 match roadtrip with their game against the Predators yesterday, losing by a convincing 5-2 to the in form Nashville side.

The Blackhawks now head back to Chicago where they will play the next 5 games, and they will need to be at their best as they face a tough run of fixtures. 

20: Philadelphia Flyers

Stanley Cup Odds: +10000
Record: 20-18-7
Last Week’s Ranking: 19

The Flyers’ suffering continued this week as they lost 3 of the 4 games they played, only managing to scrape together a single win thanks to a shootout against the Penguins. 

Their 3-4-3 record over the last 10 games is the second worst in the division, and has seen them fall down the table to a point where playoffs now look out of reach, however, they still have 4 games to play against the Devils which could turn their prospects around if they can run well.

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21: Arizona Coyotes

Stanley Cup Odds: +4900
Record: 20-21-5
Last Week’s Ranking: 21

The Coyotes maintain the 21st spot this week, mostly due to the lack of strong performances from the teams below them, as the Coyotes only 1 game from 3.

It came in the form of a 3-2 win over the Blues, and was just enough for the Coyotes to remain in a playoff position, but they need to be good from here with just 1 point separating them and the Blues.

22: Los Angeles Kings

Stanley Cup Odds: +15000
Record: 16-20-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 22

No change for the Kings this week, we didn’t get to see enough from them with just the single game played against the Knights.

With just 2 wins from the last 8 games, the Kings have been nothing short of average, fortunately for them, all the teams on the bottom half of the West Division have been running similarly. 

23: Calgary Flames

Stanley Cup Odds: +10000
Record: 19-23-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 26

The Flames jump up to 23rd this week, the result of 2 strong performances at the start of the week against the Maple Leafs and Canadiens away from home.

They were sitting on 3 straight wins, and were playing very strong hockey, but in the 2 games since they have not looked as good, dropping points to the Canadiens in the second game of their series, followed by a home defeat to the Senators yesterday.

They now face the Canadiens for the next 3 games straight, and the importance of these games can not be understated, as the Canadiens sit 6 points ahead of the Flames in a playoff position.

24: Vancouver Canucks

Stanley Cup Odds: +15000
Record: 17-18-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 27

The Canadiens finally made their return on Sunday after a nearly month-long hiatus due to a Coronavirus outbreak.

The squad was depleted, and not given much chance to win against the Maple Leafs, but they shocked everyone when they beat them 3-2 in overtime in a match that would be very important to both the players and fans alike.

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25: Ottawa Senators

Stanley Cup Odds: +25000
Record: 16-26-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 31

The Senators get a well earnt move northward up the rankings after some impressive performances which included sharing the points with the Jets over 2 games, as well as wins over the Canadiens, and most recently, the Flames away from home.

They have been let down by their abysmal defending this season, with 166 goals conceded over 46 games, no team in the league has allowed more this campaign.

26: Buffalo Sabres

Stanley Cup Odds: N.A
Record: 12-26-7
Last Week’s Ranking: 29

The Sabres also deserve a move up the rankings this week, they are consistently improving lately, and even boast 12 points from a possible 20 over the last 10 games, the joint 4th best in the division.

While they are still far from a good team, the Sabres have picked up some good results, recording wins against 2 of the divisions’ best this week in the Penguins and the Capitals.

27: San Jose Sharks

Stanley Cup Odds: +15000
Record: 18-22-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 23

The Sharks hot streak is well and truly over now, and they now find themselves receiving another southbound move after going winless for another week.

After taking a second loss to the Ducks on home turf, the Sharks hit the road for 4 admittedly hard games against the Wild and the Golden Knights, so far losing all 3 with one match with the Knights left to play. 

In a moment far more important than the score line, Patrick Marleau played game number 1768 yesterday, breaking Gordie Howes’ NHL record for games played.

28: Detroit Red Wings

Stanley Cup Odds: +25000
Record: 16-24-7
Last Week’s Ranking: 24

For the first time since the start of the season the Red Wings are not sitting on the bottom of the Central Division, however, they are tied on points with the bottom place, Blue Jackets.

The week wasn’t all that unsuccessful though, as the Red Wings notched a win over the Blackhawks, and managed to snag a point after sending their game yesterday to overtime against the Stars. 

They are set to play the next 3 games straight against the Stars, but they will need to be better than they were in the first game as they were outshot almost 2 to 1 by the Stars.

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29: Anaheim Ducks

Stanley Cup Odds: +25000
Record: 14-25-7
Last Week’s Ranking: 28

The Ducks got the week off to a good start when they closed out their 2 game series with another win over the Sharks, winning 8-1 on aggregate over the 2 games.

They then welcomed the Knights to Anaheim for a 2 game series which they had no business winning, and that is exactly what happened as the Knights cruised to victory in both matches.

In a fitting matchup, the Ducks will play 5 of their next 6 games against the Kings, who currently sit 3 points above them on the West table, this series will likely decide who takes home the wooden spoon this season. 

30: New Jersey Devils

Stanley Cup Odds: +25000
Record: 14-24-6
Last Week’s Ranking: 30

The Devils put on the worst series performance of the season this week, losing to their bitter rivals, the Rangers, over 4 games straight, scoring just 6 goals while conceding 18. 

It was the 6th straight defeat for the Devils, and their 1-8-1 record over the last 10 games is the joint worst in the NHL, matched only by the Blue Jackets.  

31: Columbus Blue Jackets

Stanley Cup Odds: +25000
Record: 15-23-9
Last Week’s Ranking: 25

The Blue Jackets plummet to 31st following a miserable string of performances which saw them lose to the Stars 9-2 on aggregate over 2 games, and then head to Florida to lose to the Panthers 4-2.

Such are their failures recently, that they have seen themselves slip down to the bottom of the table in place of the Red Wings, who nobody thought would leave the spot. 

With games against the Panthers, Canes, and Lightning still to play, it is hard to imagine that the Blue Jackets situation improves too drastically in the coming weeks.

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Connor is a passionate writer and sporting fanatic, with a focus on all things soccer, NBA, and NHL. Happy to chew your ear off about his beloved Tottenham Hotspur, or talk odds on the latest ball game. Connor always delivers the latest in breaking news, matchday analysis and predictions.