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LHH Power Rankings: "Who Cares? We're In!" Edition

After last night's euphoric playoffs-clinching win, we settle down and take stock of where this depleted team is.

By ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles
We're Number Nine!
We're Number Nine!
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Isles are coming off of back-to-back wins, against a similarly depleted Tampa team, and a team that locked up first place long ago but are not resting their goalie because he's chasing a record that totally matters. And yet it's the Isles who have injured goalies.

Anyway, this week, the hockey publications harp on the Isles' recent lethargy and injuries. And then there's ESPN's Burnside.

Weekly Roundup of Opinion Polls

Site Updated New Ranking Prior Ranking Comments
CBS 4/5/2016 13 13 The injuries have piled up for the Islanders at a most inopportune time. They'll have to hope Travis Hamonic can get back before what is sure to be a tough postseason matchup no matter where the Isles finish.
ESPN 4/4/2016 16 13 Speaking of not looking fearsome, the Islanders are lurching along and things would be more angst-ridden in Brooklyn if the Bruins weren't stinking so much. Maybe the Isles can blame the terrible ice at Barclays Center for their woes.
TSN 4/5/2016 14 13 The Isles have won four of five, but what kind of playoff team would they be if they weren’t going to lose a defenceman to injury? And so they have. Two, in fact.
THN 4/6/2016 7 17 Isles in the "Cream of the Crop" section. "With nine points in his past five games and 11 points in his past eight, John Tavares could not have chosen a better time to pick up his game."
SI 4/5/2016 15 17 They're beating the weak (Carolina, Columbus) and the crippled (Tampa Bay) but at this point of the season, the battered Isles will take the points where they can get them. Defenseman Travis Hamonic is out for the rest of the regular season and blueliner Calvin de Haan's status is questionable as of this writing. Too bad the Isles won't have home ice for the playoffs. After their 5-2 win over the Bolts on Monday, New York is on a 10-2-1 roll at Barclays.
Average 13 14.6 Missing two defensemen? Nah, it's godda be da ice!

Yes, the Isles would be worried if other teams were playing better. I think that goes for every damn team in the league, but what do I know? For the next two months (as I await the closing), I'm still literally living with my parents, which automatically makes my opinion and logic useless in the face of the worldwide leader's snark.

LHH Power Rankings

For games through 4/5/16.

(6) (4) (3) (2) (0)
Reg OT OT Reg LHH LHH
GP W W SO L L Pts Rating
1 Washington Capitals 79 44 7 6 5 17 320 121.7
2 Dallas Stars 80 40 6 4 7 23 290 116.7
3 St. Louis Blues 80 36 7 9 5 23 281 112.5
4 Pittsburgh Penguins 80 38 5 8 4 25 280 111.7
5 Chicago Blackhawks 80 36 10 3 5 26 275 110.3
6 Florida Panthers 80 38 1 10 6 25 274 110.1
7 New York Rangers 80 38 4 4 7 27 270 109.1
8 San Jose Sharks 80 36 5 7 3 29 263 108.7
9 New York Islanders 79 34 6 9 4 26 263 107.3
10 Los Angeles Kings 80 33 12 4 3 28 264 107.3
11 Anaheim Ducks 79 37 4 7 7 24 273 106.0
12 Tampa Bay Lightning 80 35 7 6 2 30 260 104.1
13 Philadelphia Flyers 78 26 10 11 5 26 239 102.7
14 Nashville Predators 80 35 1 6 12 26 256 101.7
15 Boston Bruins 80 32 5 5 7 31 241 101.2
16 Detroit Red Wings 79 29 9 7 6 28 243 99.9
17 Minnesota Wild 81 34 1 5 9 32 241 98.8
18 Colorado Avalanche 80 33 2 4 4 37 226 97.8
19 New Jersey Devils 80 26 9 8 2 35 220 96.3
20 Carolina Hurricanes 80 25 8 7 11 29 225 95.2
21 Buffalo Sabres 80 29 3 9 4 35 221 94.2
22 Montreal Canadiens 80 28 3 8 3 38 210 91.8
23 Winnipeg Jets 80 28 3 5 5 39 205 90.8
24 Ottawa Senators 80 24 6 12 3 35 210 90.5
25 Arizona Coyotes 80 29 5 2 6 38 212 89.7
26 Vancouver Canucks 79 22 4 8 9 36 190 87.0
27 Columbus Blue Jackets 79 24 1 10 4 40 186 86.0
28 Calgary Flames 80 22 9 5 4 40 191 85.8
29 Toronto Maple Leafs 79 20 2 12 5 40 174 84.7
30 Edmonton Oilers 80 20 7 5 5 43 173 80.5

The Isles jump two spots, mostly because any points gained against the first-place Capitals makes an impression in our calculations.

This year, the tanks don't look so big.

Meanwhile, the only team in a playoff position that is outside the top 16 in our power rankings is Minnesota (17th), and Boston (15th) is the only team in the top 16 that is currently on the outside looking in. All that means is that the Bruins could make a tepid claim that, if they were in the West, they might be in a playoff position right now.

But statistically speaking, it doesn't look like anyone's really getting hosed this year. Meanwhile, the lowest rated team this year is still in the 80s. Last year, we had teams in the 60s. That's what having a Connor McDavid in the draft does. This year, the tanks don't look as big.

Next post will be the last for the year, I think. I don't see the point in continuing this exercise through the playoffs, where half the teams (and even less than that as the rounds drag on) are adding data points. So next week, I'll throw in a few sweeping comments about what changes might be in store for next season.

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