Power Rankings Roundup: Week 19

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).

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