Central Division Rankings of Power: January 7th, 2015

It’s a new year, an opportunity for some teams to keep on rolling, and for others to get a fresh start and turn things around.

Much like last season, the surprise story of the NHL resides in the Central. Last year, the Avalanche shocked the world of hockey. This year, the Nashville Predators have jumped to the top of the food chain, and are leading the Central in points.

Nashville Predators. 1. team. 151. The Predators don’t appear intent on going away anytime soon. They boast an NHL best 15-2-1 record on home-ice, and are an impressive 10-3-2 within the Central Division this season. Nashville has a reputation as a defensive minded team, but they are in the top-ten in the league in scoring this season, led by rookie sensation Filip Forsberg. Forsberg set a franchise record for points by a rookie in a season last night, with 38, and he still has over half a season to add to that total. Preds coach Peter Laviolette had this to say of Forsberg, “He can get himself out of trouble in the defensive zone with a little drag and a little push, and all of a sudden he’s got thirty yards of clear ice in front of him. That’s talent; that’s special.”. 26-9-4 (56 pts). Previous:

94. The Blackhawks are probably glad they will probably only see Semyon Varlamov twice more this season. Varlamov shut-out the Blackhawks with a 54 save performance on Tuesday night, and has stopped 222 of the last 229 shots the Hawks have thrown his way, good for nearly a 0.970 save-percentage. Although Varly appears to have the Hawks’ number, not many others can say the same. Chicago was on a 15-3-1 stretch entering their game against the Avalanche, and after a so-so start to the season, have a trajectory that makes them one of the favorites to win the cup, as per tradition. It also helps that they are never alone on the road, with a very vocal fan-base that has sprouted up all over the nation.. 26-12-2 (54 pts). Previous: . Chicago Blackhawks. 2. team

team. 99. Back-to-back hat-tricks for the Blues, and 13 goals in their last two games, bodes well for St. Louis. Perhaps they should be higher in the rankings after the outburst, but the two impressive performances follow a stretch where they only had 1 win in 6 games. TJ Oshie recorded a hat-trick in a 7-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, and then was outdone by his American buddy David Backes last night. Backes went and had himself a 4-goal game in a 6-0 beatdown of the Arizona Coyotes. Former Avs Paul Stastny and Kevin Shattenkirk both had 1G and 3A over the two-game stretch for the Blues.. 24-13-3 (51 pts). Previous: . St. Louis Blues. 3

107. The steady Jets remain right in the mix for a wild-card playoff birth, and are a hot streak away from jumping into the mix for the Central Division title. Captain Andrew Ladd is having himself a really terrific, under the radar season, with 15G and 17A through 40 games. Ladd also brings some really great leadership to the team, although Gabriel Landeskog showed him that his fighting skills could use some work. The Jets aren’t going to blow anyone away, but they play a good system, and know how to stay in every game. They also have been stellar on the road, with an 11-4-4 record away from Manitoba. I’m sure they’d like to be better than their current 8-7-3 mark on home-ice though, especially if they have aspirations of being more than a fringe playoff team.. 20-13-7 (47 pts). Previous: . Winnipeg Jets. 4. team

team. 103. The Avs have been a frustrating mix of flashes of magic that they saw so much of last season, coupled with deficiencies that have put them behind the eight-ball this season. I’ll give them a slight nudge in the power rankings this week though, mostly because Semyon Varlamov is capable of winning games all by himself. The Avalanche ‘big guns’ up front are in the midst of <a href=. 16-16-8 (40 pts). Previous: . Colorado Avalanche. 5

Dallas Stars. 6. team. 119. The Stars are finally starting to play how many thought they would at the start of the season. There are still goaltending and defensive issues in Dallas, with the Stars giving up the 3rd most goals per game in the NHL. Only Buffalo and Edmonton bleed more on the backend. Fortunately, Dallas averages the 4th most goals per game in the league, led by superstar forward Tyler Seguin. Much like the Avalanche, Dallas dug themselves into a hole in the first third of the season, but they are trending upward. I still don’t trust their ability to keep the puck out of their own net, which is why their hot play of late doesn’t translate into a sizeable surge in the power rankings. Not yet.. 18-15-6 (42 pts). Previous:

team. 98. And I’m freeeeee….. free fallin’. Tom Petty can’t save the Wild right now, and as an Avs fan, I’m going to be petty about it. The Mild are a dismal 2-4-4 in their last ten games, and are falling toward the basement of the Central Division. The Avalanche are a single point behind the Wild as of today. Minnesota spent big bucks to bring in Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, and talked a big game about taking that next step toward the elite ranks of the NHL. The way they are playing right now is rank alright… Stinky. One bright spot has been the play of former DU standout Jason Zucker, who has 14 goals on the season.. 18-15-5 (41 pts). Previous: . Minnesota Wild. 7

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