NHL Power Rankings: Predators make big climb; Ducks keep surprising

By Adam GretzDec 13, 2021, 1:47 PM EST

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

In this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings we take a look at two of the bigger surprise teams in the league this season in the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators.

About halfway through the 2020-21 season we were looking at the Predators as a team that was on the verge of needing a major rebuild and maybe having some lean years ahead of them. They had won just 11 of their first 28 games, seemed to have hit their ceiling with the current core, and looked to be a team going nowhere.

Then Juuse Saros took over in goal and almost single handedly dragged them to a playoff spot.

They are positioning themselves for another playoff run this season and are currently on a five-game winning streak that has helped propel them up this weeks power rankings. Saros has been great once again, but they are also getting huge bounceback seasons from Mikael Granlund, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Johansen to help drive the offense.

Meanwhile, in Anaheim, the Ducks have at least one point in seven of their past eight games and maintain a playoff spot in the Pacific Division thanks to a huge year from John Gibson in goal and an unexpected breakout season from Troy Terry.

We take a look at all of that and more in this week’s rankings.

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To this week’s NHL Power Rankings!

1. Florida Panthers (LW: 1). They did lose a tough game to Colorado on Sunday but they still have the league’s best record by points percentage (.741) and did not really do anything to be overtaken from the top spot.

2. Carolina Hurricanes (LW: 10). Nice rebound week for them winning four games in a row before a tough loss in Vancouver on Sunday (without the services of Sebastian Aho).

3. Colorado Avalanche (LW: 7). If you are looking at their overall record and asking “Third? Really?” You are missing the fact they are 12-2-1 in their past 15 games and have by far the NHL’s best offense despite a significant injury list this season to their best players.

4. Minnesota Wild (LW: 3). The contender people are paying the least attention to right now.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (LW: 6). Setting the stage for another playoff run with their superstars healthy.

6. Washington Capitals (LW: 5). There are still not enough adjectives to describe what Alex Ovechkin is doing this season.

7. New York Rangers (LW: 2). Not a great week with two losses and a tight win against Buffalo (with the aid of a blown call that the NHL admitted to) but they are still in a really good position here.

[Related: Rangers have positioned themselves as contenders]

8. Toronto Maple Leafs (LW: 4). After being a great defensive team for the first quarter of the season they have allowed at least four goals in five consecutive games. Just a small little slump or something to keep an eye on?

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (LW: 14). Even with all of the injuries this season they enter the week on a 100-point pace for this season.

10. Nashville Predators (LW: 20). Is Juuse Saros going to drag this team to a playoff spot again?

11. Vegas Golden Knights (LW: 12). Once they got their top players back the wins started to return.

12. Boston Bruins (LW: 13). That recent problem of a lack of secondary scoring is still lurking.

13. Anaheim Ducks (LW: 18). Even when they lose recently they are still collecting points and being competitive. Troy Terry remains one of the most improbable success stories in the league this season. Where did this come from?

14. St. Louis Blues (LW: 17). The injuries are really piling up here but they are hanging in. Bet they are glad they held on to Vladimir Tarasenko.

15. Winnipeg Jets (LW: 15). Kyle Connor has turned into quite the offensive star for the Jets. Best non-goalie on the team.

16. Dallas Stars (LW: 11). They have lost three games in a row and have a really tough stretch of Central Division matchups ahead. Big week for them.

[Related: Stars announce Ben Bishop’s career is over]

17. Calgary Flames (LW: 8). They have lost four games in a row and are now set to have the next few games postponed.

18. Edmonton Oilers (LW: 9). All of the flaws and questions that have been there for years are starting to show again. That is not good. They need some major fixes in some major areas.

19. Detroit Red Wings (LW: 16). Is this a playoff team this season? Probably not. But nobody expected them to be. Staying in the race and being competitive will be a big step. Next season, though, the pressure might be on a little more.

20. San Jose Sharks (LW: 21). After being their Achilles heel for a few years goaltending is a big part of what is keeping this Sharks team in the playoff race this season.

21. Los Angeles Kings (LW: 26). Jonathan Quick‘s turnaround is not something I saw happening this season.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets (LW: 19). If they can get another goalie other than Elvis Merzlikins to contribute and get a healthy Patrik Laine back at some point maybe they can shock everybody. They are already exceeding expectations to a degree.

23. Vancouver Canucks (LW: 30). It might be too little, too late, but maybe Bruce Boudreau is what this team needed.

24. Philadelphia Flyers (LW: 25). Every year this team either has a crazy long winning streak or a crazy long losing streak that makes or breaks their season. This season it is the latter.

25. Chicago Blackhawks (LW: 24). They are playing much better defensively since the coaching change. The offense is still a mess.

[Related: Fleury’s latest milestone strengthens Hall of Fame resume]

26. New York Islanders (LW: 28). This team is just absolutely desperate for offense.

27. Ottawa Senators (LW: 29). Absolutely wild stretch here with wins in four of their past five games, with three of those wins coming against Carolina, Colorado, and Tampa Bay.

28. New Jersey Devils (LW: 23). Really expected more from this team this season. Yeah, the Jack Hughes injury hurt. But things are not really much better since his return.

29. Seattle Kraken (LW: 22). Looked like they were going to maybe start turning things around and then a couple of ugly losses put them right back down near the bottom of the league.

30. Buffalo Sabres (LW: 27). How do you even begin to fix this? They have missed the playoffs for a decade and still look to be years — YEARS — away from getting back there.

31. Arizona Coyotes (LW: 32). They are simply doing what everybody expected them to do this season.

32. Montreal Canadiens (LW: 31). The most disappointing thing about this team is it tried to be good. This is just the result.

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

Florida Panthers in familiar territory, backs to the wall once again down 0-2 in Stanley Cup Final

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 12:42 AM EDT

Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sport

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Panthers need a miracle. Again.

Such is the story of Florida’s season, and it makes all the sense in the world that the plot has reappeared in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers needed a furious late-season push just to get into the playoffs as the lowest seed, then needed to win three consecutive elimination games to oust a record-setting Boston team in Round 1.

And now, another huge challenge awaits. Down 2-0 in the title series to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Panthers return to home ice on Thursday night looking to spark one more epic turnaround and get right back in the hunt for hockey’s biggest prize.

“Desperation and winning a game,” Florida veteran Marc Staal said. “We’ve approached every game in the playoffs the same way. We just try to take it – like everyone says – one at a time. But our backs are against the wall, obviously. We’re down by two. But we’re coming home. Love our team, love our resiliency. We’re going to go out and give our best effort and play our best game tomorrow and go from there.”

To say the odds are stacked high against the Panthers is a bit of an understatement.

– They’ve beaten Vegas in four of 12 all-time meetings between the franchises. And now they’ve got to beat them in four of the next five games to win the Cup.

– They’ve been outscored 10-2 in the last four periods against Vegas.

– Matthew Tkachuk has two more misconduct penalties (three) than he has points (one, a goal) in the series.

– Former Panthers Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have as many goals so far in the series (four) as all the current Panthers do in the series, combined.

– Vegas hasn’t dropped four out of five games since going 1-2-2 to start a six-game road swing that began in late January.

– Teams that start a Stanley Cup Final with two home wins have won the Cup 38 times in 41 past instances.

But by now, Florida’s penchant for pulling off the improbable is well-known. Almost expected, really.

“Of course, we’ve had three really tough series,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “Boston is a good example. We were down, we found a way, we started playing a little better, we found a way to come back and get out of there. Same thing here – we’ve just got to work a little harder, work a little smarter and find a way to win games.”

They’ve done it before.

There was the 6-0-1 stretch late in the season to hold off Pittsburgh for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The winning three elimination games against a Boston team that had the best regular season in NHL history in Round 1; Game 5 there was on the road in overtime, Game 6 required a rally late in the third period to erase a 5-4 deficit and Game 7 was another road OT victory. There was a four-overtime win at Carolina in the East final, setting the table for a sweep where the Panthers got four one-goal wins and allowed only six goals.

They’ve given up 12 goals in two games against Vegas. And it’s not all on Sergei Bobrovsky, either. Panthers coach Paul Maurice found it funny that it was considered a surprise to some that Bobrovsky – who carried Florida to the final round – will remain the starter for Game 3.

“He was outstanding in Game 1,” Maurice said. “And he was as good as our team was in Game 2.”

The message was simple: Everyone has to be better. The Panthers have a history of rising to those moments.

“We never lose doubt in this room,” Florida forward Ryan Lomberg said. “Obviously, they’re a good team. They got here for a reason. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s kind of the theme of our whole year is we make it tough. Whether we wanted it this way or not, it’s this way, so we’ve got to play the hand we’re dealt now.”

NOTES: Maurice said he expects D Radko Gudas, who left Game 2 injured, to play in Game 3. Forward Eetu Luostarinen will remain out. Maurice declined to offer specifics on Luostarinen’s injury, but quipped “he’s a good human.” … Thursday will be Florida’s first Stanley Cup Final game on home ice in FLA Live Arena. The Panthers’ 1996 final appearance was at a long-demolished arena in Miami.

Flyers trade Pride-night boycott defenseman Provorov in 3-team deal

Associated PressJun 6, 2023, 10:12 PM EDT

Dennis Schneidler/USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers have traded Ivan Provorov, sending away the defenseman who boycotted the team’s Pride night as part of a three-team trade that included the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings.

The seventh overall pick of the 2015 draft, the 26-year-old Provorov lands in Columbus and is set to enter the fifth season of a $40.5 million, six-year contract. He was the centerpiece Tuesday of the first major move under new Flyers’ leadership.

There were plenty of moving parts in the three-team deal.

— Philadelphia traded Provorov and forward Hayden Hodgson to Los Angeles in exchange for goalie Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, defenseman Helge Grans and the Kings’ 2024 second-round pick. The Kings lost in the first round of the playoffs.

— Columbus acquired defenseman Kevin Connauton from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick (22nd overall) and a conditional second-round pick in either the 2024 or 2025 NHL Draft. Columbus acquired Provorov from Los Angeles in exchange for Connauton.

The Flyers already hold the No. 7 pick in this season’s draft and now also have the 23rd pick as they start accumulating key assets for long-range success in what is expected to be a deep draft.

Flyers general manager Danny Briere had said no player was untouchable after the Flyers missed the playoffs for the third straight season and went to work with the Stanley Cup Final still underway. The Flyers named broadcaster Keith Jones team president last month and he is still working the Final for TNT. But it’s clear the overdue rebuild is underway for a franchise that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in 48 years.

“We felt that the picks and the direction that we wanted to go in, it was really enticing, very exciting,” Briere said. “We have a chance to really start building the team the way we wanted. The right way.”

Briere said the Flyers are “open for business” this summer and that included potentially listening to offers for No. 1 goalie Carter Hart. Coach John Tortorella, Briere and Jones have all tempered offseason expectations for any fan looking for a quick fix. The trio all insist the Flyers have a cohesive plan for the future.

Provorov had 65 goals and 217 points in 532 career games with the Flyers. The Russian was widely criticized in January when he cited his Russian Orthodox religion as the reason he did not participate in pregame warmups when the Flyers wore Pride-themed jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape.

“I respect everybody’s choices,” Provorov said after the game. “My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.”

Now, he’s traded during Pride month.

Briere said the backlash over Pride night had nothing to do with trading Provorov.

The Blue Jackets, who missed the playoffs this season, were ready to take a flier on a defenseman seemingly with many productive years ahead.

“Improving our blue line has been a priority for us and acquiring Ivan gives us an established left-shot defenseman who is still a young player with his best seasons in front of him,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “He immediately improves our group on defense as he is durable, has great skill, skates well, is an excellent passer with an accurate shot and can effectively play at both ends of the ice.”

Provorov said at the end of the season he wasn’t necessarily happy the Flyers planned to rebuild but understood the decision. Briere declined to say if Provorov wanted out of Philadelphia.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the most positive news you can hear, but there’s a bright future here, and there’s a lot of great players that can keep growing,” Provorov said in April. “Obviously, it depends on how quick everybody gets better and how quickly the team game gets better. I think that’s what determines the length of the rebuild.”

Turns out, the potential success out of the haul the Flyers got for Provorov just may determine the length of the rebuild.

Golden Knights take 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final with 7-2 win over Panthers

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 11:49 PM EDT

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

LAS VEGAS — No team in over 25 years has been more dominant than the Vegas Golden Knights through the first two games of a Stanley Cup Final.

They have outscored the Florida Panthers by eight goals, including a 7-2 victory in Game 2 that put the Knights two wins from the first championship in the franchise’s short six-year history.

It will take a rare rally for the Panthers to come back as the series shifts to Florida for Game 3 on Thursday. Teams that took a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final are 31-3 in the expansion era, but the Panthers opened the playoffs by storming back from 3-1 down to beat the heavily favored Boston Bruins.

Florida will have to significantly up its level of play to beat a Vegas team that won by three goals on Saturday and then five in this game. The last team to win the first two games of a Cup Final by more than eight combined goals was the 1996 Colorado Avalanche – who outscored the Panthers by nine.

“I think our depth has been a strength all year,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It is the biggest reason we are still here, why we beat Winnipeg, Edmonton, Dallas. I just feel that we have the best team from player one through 20.”

Jonathan Marchessault scored twice for the Knights and started an early blitz that chased Sergei Bobrovsky, the NHL’s hottest postseason goalie.

Marchessault also had an assist to finish with three points. His 12 postseason goals set a Golden Knights record, with all of them coming after the first round. The only player with more following the opening round was Pavel Bure, who scored 13 for Vancouver in 1994.

“They want to set the tone with being undisciplined like Game 1 and we set the tone back,” Marchessault said. “It was scoring that first goal there. But we’re still pretty far from our goal here.”

Brett Howden scored twice for the Knights, who also got goals from Alec Martinez, Nicolas Roy and Michael Amadio. Six players had at least two points for Vegas, all 18 Knights skaters were on the ice for even-strength goals and their nine goal scorers through the first two games are a Stanley Cup Final record. The Knights’ seven goals tied a franchise mark for a playoff game.

It was too much for Bobrovsky, who was removed 7:10 into the second period down 4-0. It was the fifth time in 12 games the Knights have chased the opposing goalie.

Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, carried Florida through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Coming into the Stanley Cup Final, he had won 11 of his past 12 starts with a 1.95 goals-against average and .942 save percentage during that stretch. But he’s given up eight goals in 87 minutes against Vegas, compiling a 5.52 GAA and .826 save percentage in the series.

“We can be a little better in front of our goaltender,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “I got him out to keep him rested.”

Matthew Tkachuk and Anton Lundell scored for Florida.

Adin Hill continued his stellar play in net with 29 saves for the Knights. Hill once again brought his feistiness as well as his A-game. He stopped Carter Verhaeghe on a breakaway in the first, and later that period hit Tkachuk, who was in his net, with his blocker and then slashed him with his stick.

“He’s been unreal for us,” Vegas forward William Carrier said. “He’s been unbelievable.”

A group of four fans behind one of the nets wore sweaters that spelled out his last name, and Hill has often received the loudest cheers from Knights fans, reminiscent of when Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for Vegas in its first three seasons.

“It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey,” Hill said. “I’m just enjoying it, cherishing every day. It’s been awesome to be part of the journey with this team.”

The Knights were dominant early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Marchessault and Martinez. It was Vegas’ third game in a row with a power-play goal, its first such stretch since Christmas week.

The Panthers lost their biggest, toughest defenseman early in the game when Radko Gudas was injured on a hit by Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev. Gudas left 6:39 in and did not return.

That was one of several big hits by Barbashev, the Golden Knights’ biggest trade-deadline acquisition, a Stanley Cup champion with St. Louis in 2019. Barbashev broke the sternum of Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard during the playoffs last year, also on a clean hit.

Vegas had its own scare late in the second period when Jack Eichel was nailed in the right shoulder by Tkachuk. Eichel returned in the third and set up Marchessault’s second goal for his second assist of the game.

“We did a good job managing momentum tonight,” Eichel said. “And we got some timely goals.”

Ducks hire former Leafs, Islanders assistant Greg Cronin as head coach

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 2:18 PM EDT

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Anaheim Ducks have hired veteran NHL assistant and AHL head coach Greg Cronin to be their new head coach.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek announced the decision to hire the 60-year-old Cronin, who will be a first-time NHL head coach.

Cronin has 12 years of experience as an NHL assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs and in two stints with the New York Islanders. The Massachusetts native has been the head coach of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles since 2018, and he spent six years as a collegiate head coach at Northeastern.

Verbeek called Cronin “the ideal fit” to take over a young, rebuilding team.

“I felt we needed a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players,” Verbeek said. “Greg has done all that and more.”

Cronin replaces Dallas Eakins, whose contract wasn’t renewed in April after the Ducks finished their fourth consecutive losing season of his tenure. Anaheim finished in last place in the overall NHL standings at 23-47-12.

The Ducks never finished higher than sixth in the Pacific Division during Eakins’ four years in charge. They’ve missed the playoffs in a franchise-record five straight seasons, and Anaheim was the NHL’s worst defensive team of the 21st century by several measures during the just-completed season.

Cronin takes over a struggling team that is still loaded with young talent, including the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft and a wealth of farm prospects seemingly ready to break into the NHL. Anaheim has a solid long-term base with playmaking center Trevor Zegras, two-time All-Star Troy Terry and promising forward Mason McTavish.

Cronin has never led an NHL bench, but he interviewed for the Boston Bruins’ vacancy a year ago.

He becomes only the Ducks’ fourth permanent head coach since Henry and Susan Samueli bought the franchise from Disney in 2005, joining Randy Carlyle, Bruce Boudreau and Eakins.

To this week’s NHL Power Rankings!

[Related: Rangers have positioned themselves as contenders]

[Related: Stars announce Ben Bishop’s career is over]

[Related: Fleury’s latest milestone strengthens Hall of Fame resume]

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