Sixteen weeks have come and gone. The All-Star break begins this week and will give players and teams a chance to rest, regroup, and prepare for the final playoff push. Big moves will start being made the closer we get to the deadline as each team tries to find that one piece that will push them over the edge. Let’s take a look at how each team performed this last week and grade them accordingly.
Anaheim Ducks: D- (Previous grade: F)
It’s been a very long stretch for the Ducks, as wins have come very scarcely these last two months. They did go 2-0-1 this week though, which is arguably the best week they’ve had since early December. Playoff hopes are pretty much gone so the Ducks have to look for positives wherever they can find them.
Arizona Coyotes: D- (Previous grade: C-)
The Coyotes lost all three games this week. A massive blow to a team that’s trying desperately to sneak into the playoffs. Right now they’re on the outside looking in, their 49 points still five points shy of a wild card berth. They’re nearly twenty points behind a top three spot in the central division.
Boston Bruins: A- (Previous grade: A)
A 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes was the only blemish on the Bruins this week, going 3-1-0 in four games. They continue to grow their lead on the Atlantic division and the Eastern conference in general, sitting five points ahead of the second place Panthers. They’re tied with the Canucks for the league lead as well, trying to win their second straight President’s trophy.
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Buffalo Sabres: B (Previous grade: A)
The Sabres went 2-1-0 in their California road trip this week, beating the Sharks and struggling Kings, but losing to the Ducks 4-2. The Kings win was impressive, as they were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit and score four unanswered goals to win 5-3. They’re still well out of playoff position however, and it’ll take a monumental effort to improve that.
Calgary Flames: D- (Previous grade: B-)
The Flames won four in a row to pull themselves very close to a playoff spot, then proceeded to lose four in a row and find themselves back in a hole. They managed to end the losing streak at the end of the week with a 1-0 win over Chicago, but they still find themselves five points out of a wild card spot.
Carolina Hurricanes: A- (Previous grade: C)
The Canes went 3-0 this week, including a very impressive 3-2 win over the Bruins. Despite a shaky start, they’ve pulled themselves into second place in the Metro divisions and are only two points away from the leading Rangers. Given the momentum that the Canes have, and the struggles the Rangers have gone through recently, a third straight Metro division title doesn’t seem too far fetched for Carolina.
Chicago Blackhawks: F (Previous grade: D+)
The Hawks lost four straight this week and if that wasn’t bad enough, they only scored two total goals in all four games. They got shut out by the Canucks, Oilers, and Flames, while falling 6-2 to the Kraken. They did sign a couple vets to the team recently, which is a sign that they are actively trying to improve rather than tanking and taking draft capital.
Colorado Avalanche: A- (Previous grade: C)
The Avs have won three in a row, including both their games this week. They looked dominant against LA, cruising to a 5-1 victory as their offense continues to put up numbers time and time again. They’ve retaken the lead on the Central division, sitting one point ahead of Dallas and two points ahead of Winnipeg.
Columbus Blue Jackets: F (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Jackets went 1-2-1 this week. They managed to beat the Flames 5-2, but lost to the Kraken, Oilers, and Canucks. The Canucks loss in particular was brutal, as Columbus blew a 4-1 lead in the third period and went on to lose 5-4 in OT. That’s been the story of Columbus’ entire season, they’re competitive until they’re not and then everything falls apart.
Dallas Stars: B+ (Previous grade: C+)
It was a relatively successful week for the Stars, as they won all three of their games and got back into second place in their division. However, of those three wins, two required OT, and all three were only won by one goal. As well as the fact that while the Stars did score 14 goals in those three games, they also gave up eleven.
Detroit Red Wings: B+ (Previous grade: A-)
The Red Wings went 2-1-0 this week and have won three of their last four. They managed to make it look easy against the Knights and Flyers, while also giving the Stars just about all they could handle in a 5-4 loss. They’ve gotten hot at the right time, especially given their earlier skid. This is a team that’s seen adversity and knows what to expect now.
Edmonton Oilers: A+ (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Oilers have now won sixteen straight games. That’s tied for the second best winning streak in NHL history and is only one win away from the best winning streak in NHL history. They’re the hottest team in hockey by far right now, and given their disastrous start that led to a coaching change, it’s pretty dang impressive. This may finally be their year.
Florida Panthers: B (Previous grade: D-)
The Panthers rebounded from a four game losing streak with a four game winning streak. Their defense seems to have regrouped, not allowing over two goals their last four games. They allowed the Bruins to pull away during their slide, but if they keep winning games they should be able to close that gap.
Los Angeles Kings: F (Previous grade: D-)
What happened to LA? They seemed on top of the world for the first part of the season. Now they have just two wins in their last sixteen games. Cam Talbot has struggled immensely after a terrific start to the season. The goal scoring has completely disappeared. The teamwork that was winning them games seems completely gone. They’ve dropped out of the top 3 of the Pacific. It’s not over yet for LA but they need to figure it out quickly.
Minnesota Wild: C (Previous grade: A-)
The Wild had their streak ended by losing two straight this week. Playoffs are becoming a desperation more than a hope, as their time is quickly running out and they have a lot of ground to make up. The fact is, Minnesota still hasn’t really patched any of their glaring holes and that’s most likely going to sink them well before the postseason ever rolls around.
Montreal Canadiens: D+ (Previous grade: C)
Montreal only got one win this week, amassing a record of 1-1-1. I expect a big move from this team at the deadline as they look to fill the pieces they’re missing and continue on in the right direction of their rebuild. They need a solid netminder and a couple of players that can elevate their level of play into the truly elite.
Nashville Predators: C (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Predators went 1-2-0 this week. They’re still getting points, but not at a very fast rate and because of that they’ve found themselves on the outside of the playoff picture, having been leapfrogged by the Blues. They’re not out of it by any means, only being one point behind St Louis and LA, but they need to have more consistency if they want to get into a playoff spot and maintain it.
New Jersey Devils: D- (Previous grade: D+)
The Devils got a much needed lifeline in a 6-5 OT win against Vegas, but they’ve yet to do anything with it, as they went on to lose their next two. While they have been plagued by injuries recently, they would be in a better position if they had played up to their potential earlier in the season. Now they’re in desperation mode, with playoffs slipping through their fingertips.
New York Islanders: F (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Islanders ended their four game losing streak with a 3-2 OT win over the Stars, only to go on and lose their next three. Despite this skid, the Islanders still find themselves in fourth place in the Metro division, only four points behind the third place Flyers. If they can manage to find some momentum, playoffs aren’t that out of reach for this currently struggling team.
New York Rangers: D- (Previous grade: D+)
The Islanders aren’t the only New York team struggling. Once the powerhouse of the East, the Rangers now find themselves barely holding on to first place in the Metro, as wins come fewer and farther between. One look into their recent history will tell you that they’ve been struggling to score goals. Not a good look for a team that was hoping to avoid another first round exit.
Ottawa Senators: D+ (Previous grade: C-)
The Senators went 1-1-1 this week, with their one win being over Montreal. Playoffs are pretty much a pipe dream at this point in time, but they can use the deadline and the remainder of the season to fill the gaps and improve on their strengths. This team has talent, it just needs to find a way to put everything together in order to compete at the highest level.
Philadelphia Flyers: F (Previous grade: C)
The Flyers have lost five in a row. Carter Hart has taken an indefinite leave of absence. He might not ever return depending on how these next few weeks go. The Flyers are going to have to rely on Samuel Ersson and Cal Petersen to carry them into the next stage and they might not be able to do it. This team has shown a lot of promise, but this may be too much for the inexperienced squad to overcome.
Pittsburgh Penguins: D (Previous grade: C)
The Pens went 1-1-1 this week, and have lost three of their last four. There’s only so much the core can do to carry this squad as they just don’t have much in terms of support. It may be time to take a look at this team at the deadline and start tearing it down to build something new.
San Jose Sharks: D+ (Previous grade: F)
The Sharks went 2-1-0 this week, and have actually won three of their last four. It’s merely a consolation prize given the state of this team, though you have to think the wins over Anaheim and LA felt pretty good. Hopefully San Jose makes a big move at the deadline, rather than just hoping for draft capital to save them.
Seattle Kraken: D+ (Previous grade: F)
After their thirteen game point streak came to an end the Kraken lost four in a row and were in danger of losing all the ground they gained. They had a decent bounce back week though, going 2-0-1. Getting points in all three games was huge for Seattle, but wins over Chicago and Columbus doesn’t necessarily mean they’re back in good form.
St Louis Blues: A- (Previous grade: D+)
The Blues have won five in a row and pulled themselves back into playoff position with a 4-3 OT win over LA. They can hopefully start winning more games in regulation, as 4 of their five wins in the streak have come in OT. A win’s a win though, and St Louis needed a streak like this in order to stay in the playoff race and be taken seriously as a team.
Tampa Bay Lightning: A- (Previous grade: B)
A three game winning streak this week has propelled Tampa back into the top three of the Atlantic. They’re fighting tooth and nail for playoff positioning, especially with Detroit right on their heels, but Tampa’s Cup experience has seen them pull it together and get hot at the right time once again. Somehow this scrappy team manages to stave off burnout time and time again.
Toronto Maple Leafs: A- (Previous grade: D+)
Toronto is currently on a much needed three game winning streak. They’ve lost their top three positioning, but have maintained a wild card spot. They have no issue putting the puck in the net, but they struggle immensely keeping it out of their own. With a lack of a truly elite goalie, and a defense that’s wildly inconsistent, it’s hard to see Toronto going very far in the postseason.
Vancouver Canucks: B+ (Previous grade: B)
Wins come more often than not for Vancouver, as they continue to extend their lead on the Pacific. They’re tied with the Bruins for the league lead of 71 points and that’s very much a surprise. Anyone could see that Vancouver was primed to return to the playoffs, but for them to be this good consistently all year has been a bit ahead of schedule. It’ll be exciting to see how they continue going forward.
Vegas Golden Knights: B (Previous grade: A)
The Knights went 2-1-1 this week, which is pretty good and most importantly gets them points. They’re in second place in the division right now, but the Oilers are hot on their trail and have all the momentum on their side. Vegas needs to establish that they’re still the champs for a reason and get back that aura they had at the start of the season. Hopefully with Adin Hill back they can do just that.
Washington Capitals: F (Previous grade: C)
Morale can’t get much lower for Washington. After holding a playoff spot for a while, they’ve now continued to sink lower and lower in the standings with each passing week, now having lost four in a row. With their captain injured it’s a question as to who will step up and lead this team out of this slump, if anyone even can.
Winnipeg Jets: D- (Previous grade: A+)
They had to come back to the world of the mortals eventually. They’ve lost three in a row, and given how tight the top three of the Central is, they’ve sunk back to third place. A quick bounce back though and they can be right back on top. They have the talent and the skill to shrug this off and get right back to their winning ways in no time flat.
