The Comeback Cats were out in full force last week. The Panthers spotted the Maple Leafs a 5-1 lead before storming back for a 7-6 win in overtime. In the very next game, Florida fell behind 3-1 to Buffalo and wound up winning 4-3 in regulation. This Panthers team is not only elite, but they are a ton of fun to watch. You can't turn the channel because no lead is safe against them.
2Colorado has won six games in a row, and no defenseman is putting the puck in the net quite like Cale Makar. The Avs' defensive phenom netted his 25th goal of the season last week, which is six more than the next defenseman. Makar is now in a two-horse race for the 2022 Norris Trophy.
3Rasmus Andersson has really solidified the Flames' blue line this season. His 40 assists and 44 points are career highs by wide margins, and he has been an effective distributor on the power play. Perhaps more important, Calgary has command of the game when Andersson is on the ice. At five-on-five, the Flames control 56.43% of the expected goals when Andersson is in the game.
4Ice crews are having to work overtime these days. It's not because the weather is warming up outside the arena. Auston Matthews is just that hot. On the season, Matthews has 58 goals and will crack 60 goals and 100 points with ease. He has always been an elite player, but he has found yet another gear, and he is a big reason to believe that things will be different for Toronto this postseason.
5Chris Kreider has taken his scoring to another level this season. He is on the verge of potting 50 goals in 2021-22, which will be 22 more than his career high of 28. If you're looking for the difference, I will direct you to the power play. In five-on-four situations, Kreider leads the NHL in expected goals (12.15) and goals (23).
6On the day of the trade deadline, Jake DeBrusk signed a contract extension with the Bruins, but reports indicate that he still wants to be dealt in the offseason. My advice to Boston would be finding a way to make it work. On a team with depth scoring issues, DeBrusk has 22 goals and is fifth on the squad with 11.25 expected goals at five-on-five. He is an effective player, and he is just 25 years old.
7The Bolts were able to halt a four-game losing streak by taking out some frustrations on the Sabres in a 5-0 win. That stretch was the first time in a while in which Tampa looked somewhat average, but a lighter schedule this week should help the team get back on track.
8After losing two consecutive games against divisional foes in the Predators and Blues, the Wild were able to stop the bleeding with a big win over the Kings. Minnesota fell behind 3-0 in the first period but flipped a switch and dominated from there for a 6-3 victory as the team tries to hold off St. Louis for home-ice advantage.
9Edmonton has put its mid-season funk in the rearview mirror. For a while, it seemed like the Oilers may not make the playoffs at all, but now they could very well lock up the No. 2 spot in the Pacific Division. That has a lot to do with Connor McDavid playing at his peak. Since Mar. 9, McDavid has 13 goals and 26 points while driving his team up the Western Conference standings.
10Jordan Staal has never really been known for his scoring touch, but he has gone through some very long goal droughts this season. That's why it has probably been refreshing for the Hurricanes to see Staal light the lamp five times in his last three games, including a hat trick in the team's win over the Ducks.
11Washington strung together a massive week that included wins over the Lightning, Penguins, and Bruins. The Capitals looked locked into the second wild card spot, but third place in the Metro Division is back in play with Pittsburgh slipping. That may seem insignificant, but it would mean the difference in playing the Panthers or one of the Hurricanes or Rangers in the first round.
12Matchbox Twenty is back in a big way. Robert Thomas has been on a tear for the Blues, who have now won five games in a row. Thomas has recorded 17 points in his last nine games and is now tied with Jordan Kyrou for the team lead in points with 65.
13The Penguins were able to put an end to their four-game skid with an overtime win over the Predators on Sunday. Pittsburgh needed to get two points with the Capitals suddenly right in their rearview mirror for third place in the Metro Division. Falling to the wild card spot and playing the Panthers in the first round is a pretty unappealing proposition for any team.
14After going 1-1 this past week, the Golden Knights have a pivotal road trip up to Western Canada this week. Games against the Canucks, Flames, and Oilers will go a long way to determining Vegas' playoff fate. The team can't really afford any more losing skids.
15With an overtime loss to the Maple Leafs and a last-minute loss to the Devils in regulation, the Stars missed a chance to pick up three points on the Predators and Golden Knights in the playoff race. Dallas was able to bounce back with a win over the Blackhawks, but now games against the Lightning and Wild loom large in the upcoming days.
16Roman Josi is having a season for the ages in Nashville. In the Preds' win over the Senators, Josi scored a goal to break Paul Kariya's franchise record for points in a season. As things currently stand, Josi has 87 points with 10 games remaining. Based on the way he's been lighting up the stat sheet this year, 100 points is not off the table for Josi.
17The Kings just had the type of week they could not afford. They went 0-3-0 and blew a three-goal lead in a loss to the Wild. There is a lot of talk about the Predators, Stars, and Golden Knights battling it out for playoff spots, but Los Angeles needs to be in that discussion as well. If Vegas climbs into that third spot in the Pacific Division, the Kings could be on the outside looking in.
18Your NHL leader in goals saved above average at five-on-five is not Igor Shesterkin, Jacob Markstrom, or Juuse Saros. That distinction goes to Thatcher Demko with 25.30. I'm curious to see how much Vezina Trophy love he gets with the Canucks out the outskirts of the playoff race for much of the season.
19Losses in extra time have really cost the Jets some valuable points this season. Winnipeg's overtime defeat against the Avalanche was the 11th such loss of the season, which is tied for second most in the NHL. If the Jets had won a handful of those games, they would be in the thick of the playoff race.
20The Isles have had major issues finding the back of the net this season, but Ilya Sorokin has given them a chance to win every night anyway. Sorokin is second in the league with 22.61 goals saved above average at five-on-five. His season shouldn't be overshadowed by the Islanders' struggles.
21After a very promising first season in Columbus last year, Jack Roslovic has had a rough go of it in 2021-22. Perhaps the most discouraging part of it is that Roslovic's current shooting percentage is almost identical to last season's. That means his scoring struggles aren't simply a result of bad luck. Roslovic did score a hat trick in a win over the Red Wings, so perhaps that helps him close the year on a high note.
22Dylan Larkin has returned to his scoring ways with three goals in his last four games. That puts him at 31 on the year, and he only needs two more in 10 games to set a new career high. Larkin has taken a step forward this season, and he should command a large number when he becomes eligible for a contract extension this summer.
23On Feb. 9, Cole Caufield had just one goal on the season. Now, he is two goals away from 20 in his rookie season. That is an incredible turnaround, and Montreal might have something special with him and Nick Suzuki leading the way up front.
24Since coming to Philadelphia as a major piece in the Claude Giroux trade, Owen Tippett might be settling in with his new team. Tippett has two goals in his last four games, and the Flyers hope they will see a lot more of that in the coming years.
25The Kraken are one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL by a number of metrics, but you only need to look at their individual goal totals. Jared McCann is the only player with 20 goals (25), and the next closest is Jordan Eberle, who needs two more to reach that benchmark.
26Tim Stützle got called out by the Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher for essentially playing possum on the ice. I can't say whether Stützle is actually embellishing his injuries, but I'm siding with him because Gallagher immediately resorted to the, "Think about the kids," line of attack.
27The Blackhawks' losing streak has now hit seven games. The team is clearly a long way off from contending for a Stanley Cup again, and that brings up questions about whether Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews would be willing to stick around with one year left on their contracts after this season.
28The Sabres' schedule has been brutal lately. They have played the Hurricanes twice, Panthers twice, and Lightning once. Buffalo won just one of those games, but even in the losses, they were able to put a scare into the Panthers and Hurricanes. This team has been fairly competitive down the stretch, so maybe it can parlay that into a step forward next season.
29The Ducks have a big decision to make as it pertains to John Gibson this offseason. Gibson is under contract at $6.4 million per year through the 2026-27 season, and he has not been himself this year. His -11.17 goals saved above average at five-on-five is the fifth worst in the NHL. Will Anaheim count on a bounce back year in 2022-23 or will they move Gibson, who could generate a nice return in a trade?
30The Sharks have one point in their last six games, and depth scoring has been a massive issue all season. Timo Meier (31), Tomas Hertl (28), and Logan Couture (23) all have more than 20 goals, but the next highest scorer on the team is Jonathan Dahlen with 12 goals.
31Jack Hughes' season was cut short due to a knee injury he suffered against the Islanders. That's a shame because Hughes was really rolling down the stretch. Prior to that game against the Islanders, Hughes had seven goals in his last six games.
32It's been a while, but the Coyotes have finally found their way back to the basement of these power rankings. Getting outscored 16-3 while going 0-3-0 will do that to a team. At least there are only 10 games left, Arizona.
