NHL Power Rankings: Race for eighth

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All eyes are on the battle for the eighth and final playoff spots in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. The New York Rangers sit in eighth in the East with 89 points; two more than the ninth place Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams have played 79 games and each is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games. The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks seem to be in the driver's seat in the West with 92 points; one more than the Calgary Flames who have won two straight. Chicago has two games in hand. Here are this week's Sportsnet.ca Power Rankings:
TW	LW	Team	Our Take
1	1		The Canucks claim the President’s Trophy for being the No. 1 team in the regular season and then suffer a defeat to the Oilers, who rank 30th. Go figure!
2	2		Alex Ovechkin seems to be finding his offensive wings at just the right time as the Caps win two straight and are moving into the playoffs confident they are a better defensive team than they were a year ago.
3	5		The Sharks make a bold statement by pumping four straight goals home after falling behind 2-0 to the Anaheim Ducks Saturday. Patrick Marleau scored two to raise his season total to 37.
4	6		The Red Wings clinch their ninth Central Division championship in the past 10 years with a 4-2 win over Minnesota. Pavel Datsyuk returned to the lineup for the first time since March 17 with one assist.
5	4		The Penguins hit the 100-point mark for the fourth time in five seasons; a remarkable feat when you consider the injury problems the team has endured this season.
6	3		Suddenly home is not so sweet for the Flyers who have dropped six straight at the Wells Fargo Center. They are 2-5-5 in their last 12 games at home.
7	7		Michael Ryder escapes the coach’s doghouse, at least temporarily, with a penalty shot game-winner against Atlanta.
8	8		Despite losing in overtime to the Red Wings, the Predators are looking more and more like a team that is ready to do business when the playoffs open, largely because goalie Pekka Rinne remains one of the best in the business.
9	10		With Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams sidelined with injuries, the Kings band together and win three of four games.
10	9		The Coyotes wrapped up a six-game homestand with an overtime loss to Colorado Friday., A 3-2-1 mark in those games keeps them right in the thick of things in the West.
11	14		Vinny Lecavalier suffered an eye injury shortly after scoring his 21st goal of the season in a 2-0 win over Chicago.
12	13		Corey Perry has tossed his hat into the ring for both the Rocket Richard and Hart Trophies, as he climbs to third in NHL scoring with a league-high 47 goals to go with 93 points.
13	11		John Tortorella’s scrappy Rangers cling to the final playoff spot in the East with a 3-2 shootout win over the Flyers Sunday afternoon. A year ago the Rangers playoff hopes were dashed with a shootout loss to Philadelphia.
14	12		After being skunked by Tampa Bay, the Blackhawks continue to hold down the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. The two games they have in hand on Calgary are huge.
15	15		Backup Jhonas Enroth continues to fill in admirably for injured Ryan Miller running his record to 7-2-2 with an overtime victory against Carolina.
16	16		The stumbling Canadiens put the final nail in the coffin of the New Jersey Devils. That said, the Habs do not look like a playoff-ready team with goal-scoring a major concern.
17	18		The Flames continue to hang tough in the Western Conference playoff race thanks in a huge part to goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff who works his magic against Colorado Sunday night. Jarome Iginla becomes the 16th player to register 1,000 points playing for one organization.
18	17		The Stars fall to 1-5-3 in their last nine games losing to the Kings Sunday. Much like the Canadiens, the Stars’ top scorers have gone silent.
19	19		The Hurricanes dropped a critical game to Buffalo on Sunday.
20	20		Sudedenly Nazem Kadri is starting to look like an NHLer as the Maple Leafs keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 win over Ottawa.
21	21		The Blues earn points in five of their past six games as the organization looks forward to the future with no hope for the playoffs this year.
22	22		Carson McMillan, the Wild’s seventh round draft pick in 2007, scores his first NHL goal in his first NHL game in a 4-2 loss to Detroit.
23	24		First half scoring sensation Dustin Byfuglien finally hits the 20-goal mark, albeit in a losing cause to the Boston Bruins.
24	25		The Blue Jackets continue to stumble toward the finish line with three straight losses. You’d have to think big changes are in store for this underachieving organization.
25	23		The dream dies. Now we watch closely as the Devils figure out what they’ll do moving forward, probably without coach Jacques Lemaire.
26	27		With points in six of their last 10 games you have to like some of the kids the Senators have put on display even if their solid play takes them further away from the potential first overall draft choice.
27	26		John Tavares, 20, inches closer to the 30-goal mark with his 28th in a loss to Carolina.
28	28		Make that eight straight losses for the Panthers who are pretty much mailing games in at this late stage of the year. GM Dale Tallon has his work cut out for him with this group.
29	29		The Avalanche shut down Paul Stastny for the remainder of the year because of a stress fracture in his right leg.
30	30		There hasn’t been a lot to smile about this season other than the fact the Oilers have some good young players, but Saturday’s 4-1 win over the No. 1 team in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks was a thriller.

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