NHL Power Rankings Week 5: Rangers rise, Canucks are terrible
Previous: . Dallas Stars. 16. team. 119. . (4-5-3)
The Dallas Stars have been one of the NHL’s most disappointing teams. However, they have the talent necessary to fight back from their slow start. In order for this to happen, the Stars have to get healthy and they have to play better. Expected by many to contend for the Stanley Cup, Dallas has been undone by injuries and their lack of depth. They are relying way too much on Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and John Klingberg to produce. If they can get healthy, they could still live up to their Stanley Cup hype. As bad as the Stars have been, they’re currently in the second wild card spot and they’re slowly getting healthy.
67. . (6-6-0). Previous: . Los Angeles Kings. 15. team
Peter Budaj has been a huge surprise for the Los Angeles Kings. He has effectively replaced Jonathan Quick with a .912 save percentage and a 2.06 GAA. Of course, the defense has helped him out quite a bit. But the Kings system is designed to be goaltender friendly. If they can keep suppressing shots and their offense can keep scoring, maybe the demise of Los Angeles was written prematurely. The Kings have a tough road trip coming. At the end of it, for better or for worse, fans should know more about the Kings’ playoff chances.