The holidays are over and the new year is here. With the new year comes the All-Star game, the trade deadline, and of course the final playoff push. Some teams are in a relatively decent position to make that push, while others may as well give up now. Let’s take a look at how each team played this last week and grade their performance.
Anaheim Ducks: F (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Ducks find themselves right smack dab in the middle of another long losing streak. They’ve lost their last five games, but their poor performance goes further than that, having only three wins in their last fifteen games.
Arizona Coyotes: D- (Previous grade: B-)
The Desert Dogs lost three in a row this last week, which is detrimental to their playoff hopes. They’ll have to right the ship as soon as possible in order to get back on track and maintain their good position. They’ll have to start gearing up for that final push if they really want to make it.
Boston Bruins: C+ (Previous grade: B-)
The Bruins won two out of three games this week, but it’s that 6-5 loss to the Penguins that’s really bogging their grade down. They still lead their division, though the Panthers are now quickly on their heels. Bruins will have to start putting together something big if they want to stop the Panthers from taking their title.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NHL stories via Google! Follow Us
Buffalo Sabres: B- (Previous grade: D-)
The Sabres won both of their games this week, which is good as time is not on their side if they want any chance to end their playoff drought. The Sabres have not had a playoff berth since finishing as a seventh seed in the 2010-11 NHL season, when they were eliminated in the first round by the Flyers. They are currently six points out from ending that drought.
Calgary Flames: D (Previous grade: C)
The Flames are only two points out of a wildcard spot, but the realistic odds of them taking and holding onto that spot are fairly low. Weeks like this where they go 1-1, with their loss being to a low caliber team in the Blackhawks, certainly aren’t helping them at all.
Carolina Hurricanes: A- (Previous grade: Unchanged)
They lost to the Blues in a shootout at the end of the week, but it was still enough to secure them a point in their last six games. The Canes have looked off most of the season, but they’re gathering momentum at just the right time.
Chicago Blackhawks: F (Previous grade: F)
The Hawks ended a five game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Flames, but it wasn’t enough to save them from an F, and with Bedard out for a few weeks due to injury, there’s probably quite a few more F’s to come for this team.
Colorado Avalanche: B (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Avs went 2–1-0 this week, beating the Islanders and Stars in OT, but losing to the streaking Panthers 8-4. They gave up their division lead to the red hot Jets, but they still only sit three points behind. They might want to pick up the pace however, because at the rate Winnipeg is going they’re going to get left in the dust.
Columbus Blue Jackets: D (Previous grade: D-)
The Jackets went 1-1-1 this week, with their one win being a decent 3-2 shootout win over the Flyers. These one to two win weeks aren’t doing Columbus any favors though, not that they had any real hope of making the playoffs to begin with.
Dallas Stars: D (Previous grade: B-)
The Stars have lost three in a row and they’ve paid dearly for it. They’ve dropped to third place in the division, sitting seven points behind the Jets and four points behind the Avalanche. The Stars need to find some momentum and run with it before the division title gets too far out of their reach.
Detroit Red Wings: B (Previous grade: D-)
The Red Wings have found some much needed momentum with a three game winning streak this week. Whether it’ll be enough to let them permanently find their footing, or if they’ll slip right back into freefall mode, I don’t know, but for now they’ve managed to stop the bleeding.
Edmonton Oilers: A+ (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Oilers find themselves on a seven game winning streak for the second time this season, and have found wins over teams like the Rangers and the Kings which certainly helps their divisional positioning. They currently hold the second wild card spot, but are currently only five points behind the struggling Kings.
Florida Panthers: A+ (Previous grade: A-)
Another red hot team, the Panthers also find themselves on a seven game winning streak. While they still have a tendency to play down to competition, and maybe allow a bit too many goals, they’ve finally found a consistent stride in which they can separate themselves from other division rivals.
Los Angeles Kings: F (Previous grade: B-)
The Kings have lost five in a row and have found themselves on their first real slump this year. The defense and goaltending is still there, but the offense isn’t producing the way this team needs it to. I expect this team to turn it around, but they better do it quickly.
Minnesota Wild: D (Previous grade: B-)
The Wild 1-2-0 this week, with one of those losses being to the Flames and their only win coming over Columbus. The rate that this team takes penalties is their biggest flaw, because it plays right into their atrocious penalty kill. Even if they make the playoffs, that will most certainly be their Achilles Heel.
Montreal Canadiens: B- (Previous grade: D-)
The Habs had themselves a decent week, going 2-1-0 with one of those wins being a rather impressive 4-3 shootout win over the Rangers. Their loss came to division rivals the Lightning, but the Habs didn’t have super high playoff hopes to begin with.
Nashville Predators: C+ (Previous grade: D)
The Preds went 2-1-0 this week, but their one loss was an embarrassing one to the Flames. This team needs to do a better job of proving itself against lower competition, otherwise even if they make the playoffs, they’re not going to go very far.
New Jersey Devils: B+ (Previous grade: A-)
The Devils went 2-1-0 this week, beating the Capitals and the Blackhawks, but losing to the powerhouse Canucks. On paper, the Devils should be a powerhouse themselves, but they have not been playing as such so far.
New York Islanders: C- (Previous grade: D)
The Islanders only won one game this week, and it was a 5-1 victory over the Coyotes. The Islanders have been a bit a bit of an underdog story this year, but that’s all in danger of coming apart if they can’t find a way to start separating themselves from the other teams in the playoff hunt.
New York Rangers: D (Previous grade: B-)
A rougher week for the Rangers as they lost to their divisional rivals the Hurricanes, and again to the Canadiens. They did pull one win this week though, and they lead they built over the division has given them a nice cushion to fall on, but it won’t last forever.
Ottawa Senators: F (Previous grade: B-)
The playoff hopes once again take a massive hit as Ottawa lost all three games this week. A disappointing season to say the least, Ottawa will have to use these next couple months and their draft picks to try and figure out what went wrong.
Philadelphia Flyers: D- (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Flyers ended a three game losing streak with a win over the Flames to end the week. It’s far from righting the ship that’s been shaking the last couple of weeks, but it’s better than ending the week on a negative note.
Pittsburgh Penguins: C+ (Previous grade: A)
The Pens only won one game last week but it was a 6-5 win over the Bruins so they get a bonus for that. The Pens clearly want to compete for a playoff spot, but it’s hard to see any justification for them being a Cup contender even if they can make it into the post season.
San Jose Sharks: F (Previous grade: Unchanged)
In case the Sharks couldn’t get any lower they had to go ahead and break this season’s longest losing streak (Which was nine games) by losing eleven games in a row. They haven’t won a game since December 12, which was also the last time they got a point.
Seattle Kraken: A+ (Previous grade: A)
The Kraken are one of the hottest teams in hockey right now. They’ve won six in a row, but have points in their last ten. They’ve skyrocketed themselves from the bottom of the league into playoff contention on the back of goalie phenom Joey Daccord. This was what we knew this team was capable of, but were afraid they wouldn’t show.
St. Louis Blues: C+ (Previous grade: D)
The Blues went 2-1-0 this week, but it doesn’t do much to help their playoff positioning unless they can keep up that sort of play. Unfortunately even that seems unlikely as even when this team does win, they have to grind it out. Two impressive wins over the Canucks and Hurricanes is a good way to start though.
Tampa Bay Lightning: D (Previous grade: D+)
The Bolts got a decent win over the Wild this week, but dropped their other two games to the Bruins and Jets. They’ve not only struggled to collect any sort of consistent momentum, they’re struggling to maintain their position in the division. Playoffs are starting to slip away.
Toronto Maple Leafs: A- (Previous grade: F)
The Leafs had a terrific bounce back week, winning three in a row. The issues are still there, but as long as they can keep winning games they have a very decent chance to make it in the postseason and try to make something happen. Crazier things have happened afterall.
Vancouver Canucks: C (Previous grade: C+)
The Canucks went 2-1 this week, maintaining the number one spot in the division. They’re not blowing away anyone with, or gathering any long winning streaks, but they’re staying consistent enough to maintain position. Will it be enough to make a splash in the postseason though?
Vegas Golden Knights: D+ (Previous grade: D-)
They ended the week with a very solid win over the Islanders, but their other two games were a 4-1 loss to the Panthers and a 3-0 loss to the Kraken in the Winter Classic. They should probably be pretty happy with their win over the Kings earlier, because it’s helped them stay in second place.
Washington Capitals: D- (Previous grade: F)
The Capitals have fallen apart and are struggling to gather back up the pieces. A 4-3 win over the struggling Kings to end the week helped slow the bleeding, but they’ve dropped out of playoff positioning and aren’t slowing the fall very much.
Winnipeg Jets: A+ (Previous grade: A-)
The Jets are red hot and show no signs of slowing down. They’ve stormed past the Stars and the Avs to take first place in the division. They didn’t only take first place, they’ve actually started to build a decent lead. Their current play could spell trouble for any other team they come up against.
