Power Rankings Roundup: Week 19

by EmilyB on Feb 15, 2012 2:00 PM EST in Power Ranking Roundups

Our weekly temperature-taking of the mainstream media's opinions on the Washington Capitals.

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	-	15	Pending.
	14	13	His absence is still showing us just how important and valuable Nicklas Backstrom is to the Capitals.
	18	14	The Caps just can't win on the road. If they don't figure it out, they won't make the playoffs.
	15	14	If the Caps get both Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom back, all of a sudden they’re a team nobody wants to face in the first round.
	14	14	Mike Knuble a healthy scratch for two straight games; expect him to be traded if the pattern continues
	15	15	Following a home tilt with the Sharks, the Caps embark on a four-game road swing with stops in Florida and Ottawa. They need to win those games to stay in the playoff chase.
	23	17	They're edging closer to Buffalo as the league's most disappointing team of the season. They just don't play with enough passion, and their penalty-killing has been lousy (25th in the league). True, injuries are a valid excuse with Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green still out. But nothing has gone all that well, no matter who's been in the lineup. Last week: 1-2-1
	24	24	Alex Ovechkin recently tweeted about missing Nicklas Backstrom, but it's no secret -- the Caps are 7-7-3 (with a minus-5 goal differential) since Backstrom got clocked by Rene Bourque on January 3. Key Injuries: C Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), D Mike Green (groin).

Click on logos for links to full power rankings.

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party time

by discuit on Feb 15, 2012 2:11 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Ev’ry day I’m shufflin’.

You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!

by EmilyB on Feb 15, 2012 3:14 PM EST up reply actions

....

by discuit on Feb 15, 2012 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

Wait, Fox Sports reports on hockey? Huh.

Warning: I started watching hockey in 2007. So, yeah.

by Laich Button on Feb 15, 2012 4:13 PM EST reply actions

if only it was as simple as they make it out to be.

We’ve got too many heroes. We need some monsters.
- The Jade Donkey

by Baildog on Feb 15, 2012 6:42 PM EST up reply actions

Adrian Dater is an ass. That is all.

Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.

by STLSpidey on Feb 15, 2012 4:24 PM EST reply actions

Could someone explain to me how TSN kept Chicago at the #10 spot, even though they haven’t won a game since Jan 20th (0-8-1 since then)?

"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011

by bagace on Feb 15, 2012 5:49 PM EST reply actions

Because when it comes down to it, Toews will put the team on his back and make sure they make the playoffs, just like he induced the Wild to beat Dallas in the final game last year, or how he eradicated smallpox.

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I believe in next year.

by red army line on Feb 15, 2012 9:13 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I think TSN has some wacky methodology based on team stats, player stats, fancy stats, and damn lies. Basically, have a great goalie and get a bunch of guys a few good stat-padding wins, and you will do well. If you have your top stats guys go down to injury, you plummet. It’s worth reading their description of their methodology to realize 1) it’s completely different than any other rankings because it’s just a weighted stats-based formula, 2) their description of the formula is laughably vague and they’re not give away their exact formula because they’re a bunch of deceptive sissy cowards.

by brooksengr on Feb 15, 2012 11:42 PM EST up reply actions