No one is catching the Tampa Bay Lightning, who deserve every morsel of attention they get, but a pair of other Eastern Conference teams are resembling Stanley Cup Final material as the playoffs draw closer.
The Boston Bruins might be the scariest force in the NHL outside of Tampa Bay, as evident by their 9-0-1 run without leading scorer David Pastrnak, as well as resurgent play from Tuukka Rask in net. And their rival Toronto Maple Leafs aren't far behind. Fresh off a 6-2 rout of the Western Conference-leading Calgary Flames, the Leafs not only have Frederik Andersen on a roll but have also found their rhythm on offense -- a unit that's second only to the Lightning in total goals scored.
It's why both Boston and Toronto are on the move in the top five of this week's NHL Power Rankings. Neither Calgary or the San Jose Sharks, the teams they're leapfrogging, should be written off. The Flames remain one of hockey's most balanced teams and the Sharks are loaded with talent, making the top five stiff competition. Yet, both the Bruins and Maple Leafs have the benefit of having a hot goalie play entering the second week of March, and that's imperative come postseason time.
The Edmonton Oilers, meanwhile, make the biggest leap -- albeit to No. 22 -- in our pecking order thanks to the star power of Leon Draisaitl opposite Connor McDavid. However, they're offering too little, too late in terms of the playoff picture.
Check out the entire rundown right here:
