11. Columbus Blue Jackets (38-25-12)
Total points: 80
Last week: No. 8
“The Blue Jackets are staring down one of the toughest closing stretches in the League, and it comes at the worst possible time. They have dropped four in a row (0-3-1) and five of six (1-4-1), their first real skid under coach Rick Bowness, and there is no soft landing ahead. Every one of their final seven opponents is either safely in a playoff spot and pushing for seeding or right in the middle of the race. Road games in Carolina, Detroit, Buffalo and Montreal, with Winnipeg, Boston and Washington visiting Columbus, doesn’t help. The Blue Jackets still hold the second wild card, but the margin is razor thin. The Flyers, Senators and Detroit Red Wings are all two points back with a game in hand. From here on out, anything less than matching those teams stride for stride will cost the Blue Jackets their spot.” — Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer
12. New York Islanders (42-29-5)
Total points: 68
Last week: No. 13
“The Islanders have hit a speed bump on their path to the playoffs with back-to-back regulation losses, and they have another back-to-back set Friday and Saturday with a home game against the Flyers before visiting Carolina. They received help Tuesday to remain third in the Metropolitan, and five of their remaining six regular-season games will be played at home. Three are against teams outside of playoff position (Philadelphia on Friday, Toronto on April 9 and Ottawa on April 11). New York is 21-13-2 at UBS Arena, and it will need to be at its best — a far cry from what we saw in an 8-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday. Even with the Maple Leafs all but out of the race, there is talent on the roster. The Flyers and Senators are still very much alive. Translation: There are no easy games and it’s on the Islanders to be better in their own end and find a way into the postseason.” — Brian Compton, managing editor
13. Edmonton Oilers (38-28-9)
Total points: 62
Last week: No. 15
“The Oilers control their own playoff fate with seven games remaining. They have four against Pacific Division opponents and three against teams holding playoff positions. Edmonton hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, then travel to face the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, the Sharks on Wednesday and Los Angeles Kings on April 11. The Oilers will close out the season by hosting the Avalanche on April 13 and Canucks on April 16. They have four games against non-playoff teams in Chicago, San Jose, Los Angeles and Vancouver. They’re on a four-game winning streak for the first time this season after a 3-0 victory against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, and two points behind the Ducks.” — Derek Van Diest, staff writer
14. Ottawa Senators (38-26-10)
Total points: 32
Last week: No. 11
“The Senators have hit a rough patch with three straight losses and there are questions about their defense and goaltending holding up. They’re also two points out of a wild-card spot in the East with eight games to play, so they are right in the mix. The problem is the next four games will be like trying to skate through a gauntlet. Ottawa faces Buffalo, Minnesota, Carolina and Tampa Bay in the next six days, including a back-to-back set against the Wild and Hurricanes this weekend. Survive that and the rest of the schedule looks promising with games against the Panthers, Islanders, Devils and Maple Leafs. The Panthers defeated the Senators 6-3 on Tuesday, an indication that this won’t be easy, but let’s see what the Senators look like after the next four games.” — Rosen
15. Philadelphia Flyers (37-25-12)
Total points: 28
Last week: Not ranked
“If the Flyers are able to reach the playoffs, they will have earned it with a stretch that sees them play six of their final eight games against teams holding a playoff spot, plus one at the Jets, who are one point out of the second wild card in the West — all in a span of 13 days. They have two sets of a back-to-back games, including at home against the Red Wings on Thursday and at the Islanders on Friday. And they close the season with a back to back against the Hurricanes and Canadiens. And with the Flyers having just 23 regulation wins, tied for the second-fewest in the Eastern Conference, they won’t be able to depend on any tiebreakers to help them.” — Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor
16. Utah Mammoth (38-30-6)
Total points: 25
Last week: No. 14
“The Mammoth are in good shape in the playoff race. They’re in the first wild-card spot, four points ahead of the Kings, who hold the second one. They visit Seattle on Thursday after a four-day break, which isn’t a bad thing heading into the last stretch of the season. They’ll face teams fighting for a playoff spot, including the Kraken, Predators and Jets. That should keep the Mammoth on their toes through mid-April. Five of those games will also be at Delta Center, where the Mammoth are 19-14-3 this season.” — Tracey Myers, staff writer
Dropped out from last week: Detroit Red Wings (No. 16)
Others receiving points: Vegas Golden Knights 20, Washington Capitals 8, Red Wings 8, Nashville Predators 2, Winnipeg Jets 1
HERE’S HOW WE RANKED ‘EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Vegas Golden Knights
JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Ottawa Senators
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Washington Capitals
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Edmonton Oilers
TOM GULITTI
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Detroit Red Wings; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
TRACEY MYERS
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
BILL PRICE
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Nashville Predators
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Buffalo Sabres; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Anaheim Ducks; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Columbus Blue Jackets; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Nashville Predators
DAN ROSEN
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Ottawa Senators
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Columbus Blue Jackets; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Edmonton Oilers
PAUL STRIZHEVSKY
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Detroit Red Wings
DEREK VAN DIEST
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Detroit Red Wings
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Winnipeg Jets
