Power Rankings: Week 17

In this week’s Power Rankings, we look at unsung heroes for all 30 teams.

1. Philadelphia Flyers… LW: 1
Andrej Meszaros leads the NHL in plus/minus (+28) and was a solid off-season pickup by GM Paul Holmgren.
2. Vancouver Canucks… LW: 2
Jeff Tambellini never lived up to expectations on Long Island, but he’s been a sneaky addition to Vancouver’s depth.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning… LW: 3
Is it me or is Nate Thompson having a nice year for Tampa? He had 10 points all of last year, but has 17 already. Plus he does a little bit of everything.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins… LW: 5
Residing in Kris Letang’s shadow, Alex Goligoski quietly has 26 points and a +21 rating.
5. Dallas Stars… LW: 4
Trevor Daley has made some forget about how average their defense is (talent wise). His solid start earned him an extension earlier this month.

6. Boston Bruins… LW: 8
Rookie Brad Marchand has fit in well on Boston’s second and/or third line; he leads the NHL with four shorthanded goals.
7. Detroit Red Wings… LW: 10
Darren Helm does a lot of the little things for the Red Wings, allowing the big guns to do their thing. He has 21 points and a +9 rating.
8. Nashville Predators… LW: 7
When Pekka Rinne went down, Anders Lindback rose to the occasion. The 22-year-old has 10 wins in 16 starts this season.
9. Washington Capitals… LW: 6
Defenseman John Carlson has been a key cog on the back end for Washington. More known for his offense, Carlson has actually been more valuable in the defensive end this year.
10. New York Rangers… LW: 11
Brian Boyle has stepped up time and time again this year, scoring 18 goals with key players missing time to injury.
11. Chicago Blackhawks… LW: 9
Power forward Troy Brouwer is on pace to surpass his 22-goal output from a year ago.
12. Montreal Canadiens… LW: 12
Signed for almost the league minimum late in the summer, Jeff Halpern’s versatility has been a welcome addition in Montreal.
13. San Jose Sharks… LW: 13
I hate to say an All-Star is an ‘unsung hero’, but Dan Boyle’s contributions (specifically 27-plus minutes of ice-time) haven’t been spoken of much.
14. Anaheim Ducks… LW: 14
While Toni Lydman is on pace for a career high in points, it’s his defensive play that is proving to be valuable to Anaheim. He has 124 blocked shots and a +24 rating.
15. Carolina Hurricanes… LW: 16
I don’t think Brandon Sutter is producing as much as some would like, but he’s facing the best that Carolina’s opponents have to offer on a nightly basis (with a +12 rating, no less).
16. Los Angeles Kings… LW: 18
L.A. is 16-9-0 with Willie Mitchell in the lineup, 11-13-1 without. He’s been solid for the Kings thus far.
17. Phoenix Coyotes… LW: 15
Taylor Pyatt has proven to be a great fit under Dave Tippett. Pyatt has five game-winners this season.
18. Minnesota Wild… LW: 17
Cal Clutterbuck has become a better all-around player for Minnesota and is on pace for 380 hits.
19. Calgary Flames… LW: 20
Tim Jackman was a nice find by GM Darryl Sutter in the off-season and continues to improve with the Flames.
20. Buffalo Sabres… LW: 19
When healthy, Drew Stafford has been a consistent producer for the Sabres.
21. Colorado Avalanche… LW: 21
David Jones is someone that really lies in the weeds, but scores some big goals for the Avs.
22. Atlanta Thrashers… LW: 24
Atlanta struggled more times than not in January, and Jim Slater’s concussion on New Year’s Eve could be a factor. His 61.5 faceoff percentage and good defensive play has to be missed.
23. Columbus Blue Jackets… LW: 22
When Columbus was rolling early on, Mathieu Garon was rock-solid in net. Though he’s struggled since, Garon’s three shutouts were huge for the Jackets.
24. Florida Panthers… LW: 25
Three of Marty Reasoner’s 10 goals have been game-winners, but his two-way play has been a great addition to the Panthers this year.
25. St. Louis Blues… LW: 23
Eric Brewer has been one of the few Blues defensemen to stay healthy, and is on the plus side of the plus/minus for the first time since 2000/01.
26. New Jersey Devils… LW: 26
Since no Devil was worthy of a selection in my opinion, interim coach Jacques Lemaire has the team playing a lot better hockey in the last three weeks (6-1-1).
27. New York Islanders… LW: 27
Youngster Andrew MacDonald has raised some eyebrows, chipping in with 17 points and 10 power play assists in 34 games.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs… LW: 28
Not many viable options for Toronto (obviously), so I’ll go with Nikolai Kulemin. The guy has been clutch in both ends.
29. Edmonton Oilers… LW: 30
Before going down to injury, Ryan Whitney was excellent for Edmonton by logging a ton of minutes and racking up the assists.
30. Ottawa Senators… LW: 29
It’s really hard to find one for Ottawa, so I guess Chris Kelly – who’s on pace for a career-high in goals – will have to do.

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