After going 2 and 2 this week (which the LHH formula actually views as 1-2-1 as games not ended in regulation are counted as ties), the Isles maintained their 19th overall ranking, 7th in the Eastern Conference and 4th in the Metropolitan Division.
Around the rest of the league, Nashville finally passed Tampa Bay into the top spot, and the Central Division now owns 5 of the top 10 entries.
Here’s what the talking heads had to say about us:
Entry # 5 - Feb 17, 2019
Site | Updated | New Ranking | Prior Ranking | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Site | Updated | New Ranking | Prior Ranking | Comments |
Buffalo News | 2/16/2019 | 6 | 6 | Playoff site decision using both arenas is probably best compromise. |
The Hockey Guy | 2/16/2019 | 3 | 3 | There isn't a player on this roster that is not playing well. |
Brian Simmons | 2/15/2019 | 3 | 4 | |
ESPN | 2/14/2019 | 6 | 5 | What's so wrong about loving two goalies equally? Robin Lehner has gotten a bit more attention, but Thomas Greiss is only a slight step behind and has gone 4-0-1, saving 154 of 157 shots (.981 save percentage) in his past five games. |
SportsNet | 2/13/2019 | 4 | 4 | Trade Deadline Prediction: Trader upgrader… we’re guessing. Lou Lamoriello’s lips are sealed like the Ark of the Covenant, but the GM has to reward a group that has rocked the Metropolitan, doesn’t he? While his lack of a 2019 third- or fourth-round pick gives us reason to think he’d be hesitant to let go of a first or second as well, the Islanders should be in the mix for the high-end forwards that become available. |
NBC | 2/11/2019 | 7 | 7 | The Islanders are a perfect 9-0 in the second half of back-to-backs. |
CBS | 2/6/2019 | 6 | 6 | They're legitimate. They beat who they're supposed to and give the real ones a fight. Barry Trotz really got this defense up to par. |
NJ.com | 2/5/2019 | 5 | 5 | A 1-0 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning provided another example of how the Islanders can hang with the league's top teams. After being the NHL's worst defense in 2017-18, things have turned around dramatically on Long Island. |
Around the league:
Metro - 100.5
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | LHH | # | LW | L# |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | LHH | # | LW | L# |
1 | New York Islanders | 58 | 32 | 18 | 8 | 72 | 116.0 | 4 | 115.6 | 4 |
2 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 57 | 33 | 23 | 1 | 67 | 109.7 | 7 | 105.2 | 10 |
3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 58 | 29 | 26 | 3 | 61 | 107.6 | 10 | 112.3 | 7 |
WC1 | Carolina Hurricanes | 59 | 30 | 26 | 3 | 63 | 102.8 | 13 | 96.5 | 18 |
WC2 | Washington Capitals | 58 | 29 | 25 | 4 | 62 | 102.6 | 14 | 100.4 | 12 |
12 | Philadelphia Flyers | 58 | 25 | 30 | 3 | 53 | 90.0 | 22 | 88.0 | 26 |
14 | New York Rangers | 57 | 19 | 30 | 8 | 46 | 87.7 | 25 | 85.8 | 26 |
15 | New Jersey Devils | 58 | 21 | 33 | 4 | 46 | 87.6 | 26 | 88.7 | 25 |
The Capitals held on to the Metro’s top spot even though there were 0-1-1. That did cost them 3 spots in the overall rankings, though, and put the Metro as being the only division with no teams in the top 10.
New Jersey jumped back to second with a 2-1 record. The Flyers also went 2-1, but one of their wins was in OT.
The rest of the division held relatively steady. Carolina remained 5th in the division and 20th overall with their 1-1 week. Columbus won their only game, but remain in 6th in the division and 23rd overall. The Rags stayed in 7th in the Metro but dropped 1 place to 25th overall, while the Penguins crept up 1 spot to 26th.
Atlantic - 102.0
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | LHH | # | LW | L# |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | LHH | # | LW | L# |
1 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 59 | 40 | 14 | 5 | 85 | 128.3 | 1 | 126.2 | 1 |
2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 58 | 36 | 22 | 0 | 72 | 117.6 | 3 | 117.5 | 3 |
3 | Boston Bruins | 59 | 32 | 24 | 3 | 67 | 107.5 | 11 | 100.2 | 14 |
9 | Montreal Canadiens | 58 | 29 | 27 | 2 | 60 | 101.9 | 15 | 100.2 | 14 |
10 | Buffalo Sabres | 57 | 24 | 28 | 5 | 53 | 94.6 | 18 | 96.0 | 19 |
11 | Florida Panthers | 56 | 21 | 28 | 7 | 49 | 94.0 | 20 | 93.2 | 21 |
13 | Detroit Red Wings | 59 | 21 | 31 | 7 | 49 | 88.2 | 24 | 89.2 | 23 |
16 | Ottawa Senators | 58 | 22 | 36 | 0 | 44 | 84.1 | 31 | 81.7 | 31 |
The Atlantic continues to be a 3-team division, though Florida has managed to slip up to 9th overall in the East. The bottom 4 teams wallow at the bottom of the Eastern rankings, with Buffalo now the worst team in the NHL.
Western Conference
Central - 100.7
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | LHH | # | LW | L# |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | LHH | # | LW | L# |
1 | Nashville Predators | 61 | 33 | 26 | 2 | 68 | 110.8 | 6 | 114.7 | 6 |
2 | St. Louis Blues | 57 | 30 | 26 | 1 | 61 | 109.7 | 7 | 101.2 | 11 |
3 | Winnipeg Jets | 59 | 34 | 22 | 3 | 71 | 109.0 | 9 | 115.4 | 5 |
WC1 | Dallas Stars | 58 | 30 | 28 | 0 | 60 | 104.8 | 12 | 108.8 | 9 |
WC2 | Minnesota Wild | 58 | 26 | 29 | 3 | 55 | 95.1 | 17 | 100.4 | 12 |
11 | Colorado Avalanche | 58 | 23 | 34 | 1 | 47 | 88.8 | 23 | 92.3 | 22 |
12 | Chicago Blackhawks | 59 | 23 | 34 | 2 | 48 | 86.6 | 27 | 85.1 | 30 |
Nashville’s 3-0 week carried them to the top spot overall. Minnesota and Colorado had undefeated weeks which brought them into the top 10.
Pacific - 96.9
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | LHH | # | LW | L# |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | LHH | # | LW | L# |
1 | Calgary Flames | 58 | 35 | 19 | 4 | 74 | 119.2 | 2 | 118.8 | 2 |
2 | San Jose Sharks | 59 | 35 | 21 | 3 | 73 | 115.4 | 5 | 111.6 | 8 |
3 | Vegas Golden Knights | 60 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 63 | 98.8 | 16 | 99.4 | 16 |
9 | Arizona Coyotes | 58 | 24 | 31 | 3 | 51 | 94.1 | 19 | 93.8 | 20 |
10 | Vancouver Canucks | 60 | 23 | 31 | 6 | 52 | 92.6 | 21 | 98.6 | 17 |
13 | Los Angeles Kings | 58 | 21 | 33 | 4 | 46 | 85.2 | 28 | 86.4 | 28 |
14 | Anaheim Ducks | 58 | 19 | 34 | 5 | 43 | 84.9 | 29 | 89.1 | 24 |
15 | Edmonton Oilers | 58 | 21 | 34 | 3 | 45 | 84.7 | 30 | 87.4 | 27 |
The Kings took the biggest hit, their 0-3 record dropping them over 5 points and 11 spots. Arizona earned points in all 3 games this week (1-0-2) which was enough to sneak by Buffalo and out of 31st overall.
This week’s schedule:
Only 2 games, and against teams on opposite ends of the rankings:
Mon 1/22 - @ Arizona (30)
Thu 1/25 - @ Vegas (4)