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SportsTips’ NHL Power Rankings 2021: Week 5

We are 5 weeks down in the current NHL season, but already the new divisions are starting to take shape. Who is the best of the best this week?

SportsTips’ NHL Power Rankings 2021: Week 5
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Mon 15th February 2021

We are five weeks into the NHL season, and there were some significant jumps and fallings in the NHL Power Rankings this week. Edmonton, St. Louis, the Islanders and Pittsburgh saw the largest rise in the rankings, while Washington and Dallas saw the sharpest decline. Many teams were hurt by postponements caused by the Covid-19 protocols. This included Colorado, who dropped six spots in the rankings after playing just one game last week.

The top five stayed consistent though, as did much of the bottom five. There are an exciting group of games ahead this week, so no telling what Week 6 will look like.

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

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Stanley Cup Odds: +800
Record: 10-2-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 1

Tampa Bay is flying high right now. They went 3-1-0 last week, crushing Nashville in a pair of games before splitting a pair with Florida. The goaltenders allowed one goal in three of the four games and allowed eight total for the week. Tampa Bay is 6-1-0 in February allowing 12 total goals in those seven games.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has quickly established himself as the top netminder in the NHL this season. With one game remaining against Florida on Monday and a pair against Dallas this week, the Lightning should come away with at least two more victories.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

Stanley Cup Odds: +1000
Record: 11-3-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 2

Toronto opened with a 3-1 victory over Vancouver, then split a pair of games with Montréal. They are now 4-1 this month and have a fairly easy week ahead with three games against Ottawa before taking on Montréal on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and have the most points in the NHL this season. Goaltending has been spectacular behind Frederik Andersen. They have a +15 goal differential which is second best in the NHL, trailing only Tampa Bay.

3. Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup Odds: +750
Record: 10-2-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 3

Vegas remains in the No. 3 spot after going 3-1-0 last week. They are 5-1-0 for the month. The team shut out Colorado on Sunday, 1-0. They have allowed one goal or less in each of their last three games and have given up 11 goals in their six February games.

Vegas is a point ahead of St. Louis for the top spot in the West Division standings despite playing two fewer games. They have allowed 28 total goals in 13 games this season. Vegas has two games against Colorado this week.

4. Boston Bruins

Stanley Cup Odds: +900
Record: 10-2-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 4

Boston defeated the New York Rangers twice this week before losing to the Islanders on Saturday, 4-2. They allowed six total goals during the week. The loss to the Islanders snapped a five-game winning streak in the team is now 9-1-1 over their last 11 games.

The Bruins are four points ahead of Philadelphia for the top spot in the East Division. Their game against New Jersey on Monday was already postponed and they are scheduled to take on the Devils again on Thursday. Boston will have an opportunity to extend their lead when they host Philadelphia this Sunday.

5. Montréal Canadiens

Stanley Cup Odds: +1200
Record: 9-4-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 5

Montréal remains in the No. 5 slot despite a tough week that saw the team goal 1-2-0. They lost to Toronto on Wednesday, 4-2 before being shut out by Edmonton on Thursday, 3-0. They rebounded with a 2-1 victory over Toronto on Saturday.

Montréal has six days off before facing Toronto on Saturday and then will take on Ottawa on Sunday. The Canadiens are an impressive 6-0-2 on the road this season.

6. Florida Panthers 

Stanley Cup Odds: +2800
Record: 8-2-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 8

Florida split their four games during the week. They are now 3-2-1 in February. The Panthers have been a little inconsistent, especially between the pipes, but a .750 winning percentage should not be ignored. They move up two slots in the Power Rankings thanks in large part to a split with Tampa Bay.

The Lightning are one of the three hottest teams in the NHL, and earning a victory there deserved some recognition. They will get a chance to build on their reputation this week when they take on Tampa Bay and Carolina before traveling to Detroit for a pair of games.

7. St. Louis Blues

Stanley Cup Odds: +1800
Record: 9-4-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 13

St. Louis has had some struggles just getting on the ice, as they have had four games postponed this month. That has left them battling Arizona seven straight times. After losing three straight to the Coyotes, they rebounded with a pair of victories this weekend, including a 5-4 win on Saturday in overtime.

St. Louis has jumped near the top of the West standings and with one more game against Arizona before taking on San Jose for a pair, the Blues should have opponents singing a sour note.

8. Carolina Hurricanes

Stanley Cup Odds: +1600
Record: 9-3-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 11

The loss of star goaltender Petr Mrazek spelled doom for the Hurricanes, especially after James Reimer allowed five goals in back-to-back games. However, he led the team to a 3-1-0 record this week and Carolina is now 4-2-0 in February. The team is tied for second in the extremely competitive Central Division and they have a +10 goal differential despite missing their top netminder.

Carolina starts a five-game homestand on Monday when they take on Columbus. They then battle Florida before welcoming Chicago for a pair of games. The Hurricanes are 3-0-0 at home, and this could be a banner week for them to stake their claim to the top spot in the standings.

9. Edmonton Oilers

Stanley Cup Odds: +2800
Record: 9-7-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 19

Edmonton is on a roll, winning all three of their contests this week. They not only won each of them, but got outstanding goaltending, allowing three total goals during the week. Mike Smith returned and shut out Montréal on Thursday. The combination of Smith and Mikko Koskinen may just be enough to help this team battle Montréal for the second spot in the division.

They face Winnipeg and Calgary each two times this week. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to star. With how well they are playing they had the biggest rise in the Power Rankings, moving up 10 slots.

10. Philadelphia Flyers

Stanley Cup Odds: +1600
Record: 8-3-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 7

Philadelphia was only able to get in one game this week, defeating Washington last Sunday, 7-4. They then had four straight postponements and only have two games scheduled this week, Thursday against the Rangers before taking on Boston on Sunday.

Being dormant as they have cost them three spots in the rankings. It also didn’t help that they are just 1-1-1 in their three games this month.

11. Colorado Avalanche

Stanley Cup Odds: +750
Record: 7-4-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 6

Colorado was also hurt in the rankings by the dormant blues. Their first three games of the week were postponed, then they were shut out by Vegas on Sunday, 1-0. They will get a chance to make up some ground as they take on the Golden Knights three straight times, including two more times this week.

Philipp Grubauer is having a ridiculously good season for the Avalanche. While they dropped in the rankings, it must be acknowledged that oddsmakers still love them as they are tied for the best odds to win the Stanley Cup.

12. Chicago Blackhawks

Stanley Cup Odds: +6600
Record: 7-5-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 16

Chicago had an outstanding week, going 3-1-0. They are a team who loves the nail biter, as all four of their games were decided by a single goal and five of their last six games have been one goal contests.

The Blackhawks have an opportunity to make a move early on in the week when they take on Detroit twice before traveling to Carolina for a pair of games. Chicago is 4-1-1 in February. Patrick Kane has been on a tear of late, recording 11 points in his last five games.

13. Winnipeg Jets

Stanley Cup Odds: +3500
Record: 8-5-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 12

Winnipeg moves down one spot in the Power Rankings, thanks to a 1-2-0 week. The team lost to Calgary on Tuesday, but then split a pair of games with Ottawa at home. That deserves at least a little admonition and led to a one spot demotion.

The Jets have a golden opportunity to move back up the rankings as they travel to Edmonton for two games before moving on to Vancouver for two. Winnipeg is currently fourth in the North Division, but that could change by the end of this week.

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

Stanley Cup Odds: +2500
Record: 7-5-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 22

Pittsburgh won both of their games last week, helping them make an eight spot jump in the Power Rankings. They defeated the Islanders in a shootout on Thursday, 4-3, before defeating Washington on Sunday, 6-3.

The two victories moved Pittsburgh into a three-way tie for the third spot in the East Division. The Penguins have quite a week ahead of them as they have four games against the two teams they are tied with in the standings.

15. Calgary Flames

Stanley Cup Odds: +3500
Record: 7-6-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 20

Calgary went 2-1-0 during the week, and got spectacular goaltending. Jacob Markstrom is doing a fantastic job, allowing six total goals. That is pretty darn good considering that they had two of those games against the highflying Canucks.

They continue with a pair against Vancouver before a home and home series against Edmonton over the weekend. The Flames moved up five spots in the rankings, but need to be more consistent if they are going to make a significant rise.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets

Stanley Cup Odds: +6600
Record: 7-5-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 15

Columbus went 2-1-1 during the week and are now 3-2-1 in February. Columbus starts out with a tough game against Carolina on Monday, then has Nashville at home for two. They are one of four teams that are tied for second place in the Central Division standings, but have played four more games than both Carolina and Florida.

They really need a perfect week to solidify a playoff position. Inconsistent goaltending has been a serious problem, as the team has allowed 53 goals in 16 games.

17. New York Islanders

Stanley Cup Odds: +3000
Record:  6-4-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 24

New York had a solid week, going 2-0-1 which helped them move up seven spots in the rankings. They had a huge 4-2 victory over Boston on Sunday, snapping the Bruins five-game winning streak. Early on New York was getting solid goaltending but could not score. Then they opted to up the tempo and were scoring goals but giving up plenty of them.

Now they are getting the best of both worlds and are 3-0-1 this month. New York has scored 13 goals while allowing nine. They have two against Buffalo and two against Pittsburgh this week.

18. Washington Capitals

Stanley Cup Odds: +2500
Record: 6-4-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 9

Washington had a tough week, which led to them dropping nine spots in the Power Rankings. They gave up three goals in the third period in a 7-4 loss to Philadelphia last Sunday, then lost to Pittsburgh this past Sunday, 6-3.

They had three postponements in between there. Things do not get easier for Washington as they have single games against Pittsburgh and Buffalo before facing the New York Rangers for a pair.

19. Dallas Stars

Stanley Cup Odds: +2500
Record: 5-3-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 10

After starting out the season on fire, Dallas is in a major rut. They lost all four games last week, extending their losing streak to five straight games. Three of those losses came in overtime or a shootout. What that means is that the Stars are just one or two breaks away from a six-game winning streak right now.

This was considered when dropping them only nine spots in the Power Rankings. They are getting solid goaltending but it has been inconsistent. Joe Pavelski has slowed down from his early-season tear but is still averaging 1.5 points per game.

20. Minnesota Wild

Stanley Cup Odds: +3500
Record: 6-5-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 14

Minnesota opened February with a 2-1 loss to Colorado and have not played since. Six straight postponements, including four last week hurt this team as they dropped six spots in the rankings.

They have an opportunity for three wins this week as they take on Los Angeles on Tuesday before facing Anaheim for a pair. The team should be plenty well rested, but it will be interesting to see how they respond to the long layoff.

21. Arizona Coyotes

Stanley Cup Odds: +6600
Record: 6-6-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 21

Arizona started off the week with a victory over St. Louis in a shootout, 4-3. After two postponements, they were then swept by the Blues, finishing the week 1-1-1. The .500 week Them right where they were and last week’s rankings.

They will face the Blues for the seventh straight time on Monday before welcoming Los Angeles for a pair of games. Arizona is in the midst of a nine-game homestand, so this is the time for them to make a splash.

22. Anaheim Ducks

Stanley Cup Odds: +8000
Record: 6-6-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 17

Anaheim lost to Vegas on Tuesday, 5-4 before shutting out the Golden Knights on Thursday, 1-0. It has been John Gibson that has led this team, as they go totally the direction of how well their netminder performs.

Anaheim is at San Jose on Monday before traveling to take on the Minnesota Wild on Thursday and Saturday. Tied for third in the West, this is the time for the Ducks to start soaring.

23. New Jersey Devils

Stanley Cup Odds: +8000
Record: 4-3-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 23

New Jersey is another team that has seen a large number of postponements. In fact, with both of their games last week postponed and Monday’s contest against Boston postponed, the Devils will not take to the ice for 15 days. They travel to New York to take on the Rangers on Tuesday before traveling to Boston on Thursday. New Jersey then has Buffalo at home on Saturday.

New Jersey should be out of sync so it will be interesting to see how they perform in this contest. It may take them a couple of periods before they start clicking.

24. New York Rangers

Stanley Cup Odds: +4000
Record: 4-6-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 18

New York had a tough week. They lost each of their first three games, going 0-2-1, before their game against Philadelphia was postponed. That helped drop the team six places in the rankings. The Rangers started out the month great, winning their first two games, but things are going in the wrong direction.

This is a sad turn of events, as the team should have been enjoying a seven-game homestand but will have only one game left, Tuesday when they welcome New Jersey. The team then travels to Philadelphia on Thursday before going to Washington for a pair on Saturday and Sunday.

25. Buffalo Sabres

Stanley Cup Odds: +8000
Record: 4-4-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 27

This is honestly sounding like a broken record, but Buffalo had both of their games postponed last week. They face the New York Islanders on both Monday and Tuesday, bringing them to the ice for the first time in two weeks. They then travel to Washington on Thursday before going on to New Jersey on Saturday.

Like New Jersey, it will be difficult to determine how this team responds after such a long layoff.

26. Nashville Predators 

Stanley Cup Odds: +6600
Record: 6-9-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 26

Nashville has seen plenty of ice time this month and it has not been good. The team went 1-3-0 last week, swept by Tampa Bay before splitting a pair of games with Detroit. They are 2-5-0 in February.

The combination of Pekka Rinne and Juuros Saros has been mediocre at best. With two games against both Dallas and Columbus this week, it may be now or never for the Predators.

27. Vancouver Canucks

Stanley Cup Odds: +6600
Record: 7-11-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 25

After a brutal first week to start February, Vancouver played much better this past week. The team did go 1-2-0, but they only allowed seven total goals and earned a much-needed victory over Calgary on Saturday, 3-1.

Still, two losses out of three games is not a great week, costing the team two spots in the Power Rankings. They take on Calgary two more times this week before welcoming Winnipeg for the first of a four-game homestand.

28. Los Angeles Kings

Stanley Cup Odds: +10,000
Record: 4-6-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 29

Los Angeles lost their first two contests of the week, falling to Vegas, 4-3, before losing to San Jose in a shootout, 4-3. They then defeated the Sharks on Thursday, 6-2, before seeing their game against Minnesota postponed on Saturday.

They will attempt to get in the contest against the Wild on Tuesday before heading to Arizona for a pair of games. It is still early in the season, but Los Angeles may want to start looking at next year.

29. San Jose Sharks

Stanley Cup Odds: +10,000
Record: 5-7-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 28

San Jose opened with a shootout victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday, then fell to the Kings on Thursday, 6-2. They lost to Vegas on Saturday 3-1. This could be another tough week for the Sharks who welcome Anaheim to town on Monday before moving on to St. Louis on Thursday and Saturday.

Credit needs to be given to San Jose, however, as 12 of their first 13 games have been played on the road and they add two more road contests this week.

30. Detroit Red Wings

Stanley Cup Odds: +50,000
Record: 4-10-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 30

It was a good week for the Red Wings by their standards, going 2-2-0. They split with Florida and with Nashville. This week they start a six-game homestand with two against Chicago and two against Florida.

While it has not been a great start for Detroit, they trail the four teams tied for second place by just eight points. With Chicago and Florida being two of those teams, this could be a golden opportunity to make a move in the standings.

31. Ottawa Senators

Stanley Cup Odds: +50,000
Record: 3-12-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 31

Ottawa was swept by Edmonton to start the week, then lost to Winnipeg on Thursday, 5-1. However, they rebounded with a 2-1 victory over the Jets on Thursday. The Senators are 2-5-0 in February, but things could get ugly this week.

They have three games in Toronto before welcoming Montréal on Sunday. The contest against the Canadiens starts a five-game homestand.

The 2021 NHL is well underway now! If you want to catch up with all the latest information, make sure you visit our NHL hub page.

*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of Bet365.

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