The closer the Stanley Cup playoffs, the closer the Washington Capitals are to conquering their postseason demons. The regular season is still in full swing, though, so the Caps have lots of time left to prove why they’re not going to choke anew once the postseason rolls around.
Let’s now have a brief look at where the Caps stand in our weekly NHL power rankings. Meanwhile, get ready for the Caps’ next game against the New York Islanders with our preview here.
Ah, the Washington Capitals AKA the Golden State Warriors of the NHL. By taking down Minnesota on February 11, the Capitals became the fastest team to clinch 40 wins in a season in NHL history.
Even in their few losses, the Caps still manage to amaze. Take for example their 4-3 loss to Dallas on February 13, when they trailed 4-0 before scoring three quick goals in the third period. The Caps then bounced back by beating LA on Tuesday, 3-1, minus Braden Holtby.
2. Dallas Stars (37-15-6)
Previous Rank: 7
After a shaky 2-5 stretch heading into the midseason break, Dallas is now back to its dominant ways, as the Stars have won six of eight since the start of February. The high-scoring Stars, who average over three goals per game, have beaten top contenders Chicago and Washington as well as a fringe team in Nashville over their last five games.
3. Chicago Blackhawks (37-18-5)
Previous Rank: 2
Losing Marian Hossa temporarily to injury sure sucks for the Blackhawks, who recently ended a three-game skid with a 7-2 merciless pounding of Toronto on Monday. For the meantime, Chicago will have to count on other forwards to step up like Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Desjardins. As of this writing, Chicago is just one point back of Dallas for the top spot in the Central division.
4. Anaheim Ducks (29-19-8)
Previous Rank: 6
The Ducks’ resurgence continues, as Bruce Boudreau’s squad took down Edmonton on Tuesday, 5-3, to stretch Anaheim’s win streak to three games and notch its 10th victory in 12 games. The Ducks are about to end their seven-game road trip against beatable Vancouver before returning to California for a five-game home stand. Ryan Getzlaf has been the man for the Ducks, as the 10-year vet has 11 points in eight games since the All-Star break.
5. St. Louis Blues (33-17-9)
Previous Rank: 10
The Blues mean business. They made that very clear when they racked up three-straight wins against Florida, Tampa Bay, and division leader Dallas. The Blues’ defense has been huge over their last 10 games, allowing more than two goals just twice during that stretch. And with Jaden Schwartz back in the mix, the Blues are just going to get better moving forward. A tough test against control-savvy LA is on tap, though, this Thursday for St. Louis.
6. Los Angeles Kings (33-20-3)
Previous Rank: 5
There’s no shame for LA in losing to the Capitals. But the Kings, who lost to Washington on Wednesday 3-1, must be feeling more and more uneasy with their lead atop the Pacific division getting slimmer. The return of Jonathan Quick after a brief absence because of a lower-body injury should help steady the ship of LA, which is just 3-4 thus far this month.
7. New York Rangers (32-18-6)
Previous Rank: 4
Where would the Rangers be without Henrik Lundqvist? Probably out of the top three in the Eastern Conference. The King has allowed just nine goals to go along with a .942 SV% in his first six starts this month. The Rangers won five of those games, even blanking the Penguins on February 2, 3-0. As great as Lundqvist has been of late, the Rangers showed they can win games on offense by outscoring opponents so far this February, 21-14.
8. Florida Panthers (33-18-6)
Previous Rank: 3
Florida’s defense hasn’t been up to snuff of late, as the Panthers have allowed 21 goals over their last six games, which includes a 5-0 beatdown at the hands of Nashville on Saturday. They’re still up four points atop the Atlantic, but they’ll have to see their first-half form return soon with the Bruins creeping up on them.
9. Detroit Red Wings (29-19-9)
Previous Rank: —
It’s been four games since Dylan Larkin last recorded a point, but no worries. He’s just a rookie. Plus, veterans Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are playing like they’re eight years younger. Zetterberg and Datsyuk have combined for four goals and four assists in the Red Wings’ past three games. Still, the Red Wings need to be more consistent, having gone 4-4 in eight games.
10. Boston Bruins (31-20-6)
Previous Rank: —
The Bruins have been playing terrific hockey—5-2 in last seven— with Brad Marchand slipping into unconscious mode by scoring 13 goals in 15 games. The Bruins are netting 3.0 goals per game, which is offsetting their underwhelming defense that ranks just 23rd in the league with 2.8 goals allowed per outing. A tough back-to-back assignment against Nashville and Dallas to close out this week should further gauge how legit Boston is.
