Panthers edge Flames atop NHL Power Rankings

By Sportlogiq Staff (@Sportlogiq)

The jockeying for the top spot in our Power Rankings continues as we have a new No. 1 for a fifth consecutive week.

The Florida Panthers are back on top after posting a 3-0-1 week. Florida lost three straight to end the month of February but has since gone 5-0-1, good enough to regain top spot in our rankings. The Panthers rank third overall in points percentage but have the best goal and expected goal differential in the league. Don’t be surprised to see Florida make a serious push for the best record in the NHL as we approach the final six weeks of the season.

The Calgary Flames stay put in second place in our rankings. Even if you’re not a Flames fan, there’s a good chance you saw them play last week by sheer virtue of how often they played.

Calgary just wrapped up a stretch of five games in seven nights and came out of it in fine shape, winning three of those games. Their reward? A whole two days off before playing three games in four nights. Calgary’s schedule over the next couple of weeks isn’t the most difficult, with games against the Devils, Sabres, Canucks, Sharks, Coyotes, and Oilers. Despite ranking seventh in points percentage, our model believes the Flames will continue moving up the standings into a top-three spot in the NHL.

Despite losses to Arizona and Buffalo, the Toronto Maple Leafs move up two spots from eighth to sixth on our list. The Leafs finished last week with a 2-1-1 record. Toronto’s spot on our list is consistent with their rank in points percentage, tied for seventh with Calgary.

The Leafs rank second in the NHL in expected goal differential however, this does not take into account how well a team finishes on its chances – no problem for the Leafs – or