NHL Power Rankings: Red Wings ride scorching hot power play into playoff position
Since Todd McLellan took over as coach on Dec. 28, the Detroit Red Wings have the best record in the NHL. As a result of this streak, powered by a red-hot power play, the Red Wings look poised to end an eight-year playoff drought.
Prior to the Red Wings' coaching change, they were one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, and all signs pointed to another postseason spent on the couch. Then Steve Yzerman made his move, and McLellan has injected new life into this roster, but that especially rings true on the man advantage.
With McLellan behind the bench, Detroit has converted on 39.1% of its power play opportunities, which is the best mark in the league over that stretch. Every one of those goals has been needed because the Red Wings' five-on-five play has been pedestrian. While that would be a concern in the playoffs, elite special teams might be good enough to push Detroit over that postseason hump given the state of the East wild card race.
The power play hasn't been the only area that has improved since McLellan took over. All of the team's biggest names -- Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat -- have all been producing at a nice clip.
Over the last 23 games, that quartet has combined for 42 goals and 59 assists. Twenty-one of those goals have come with the man advantage.
As the Red Wings claw their way up the Eastern Conference standings, here are the updated NHL Power Rankings.
All expected goals and goals saved above average data courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
| 1 | Nikolaj Ehlers is having perhaps the best season of his career, and he still doesn't get enough respect or ice time. Ehlers has 50 points in 49 games, which is very good, but it's incredible when you consider he plays just 15:48 per game. That's notably lower than the other top forwards on the team, but Ehlers makes the most of his ice-time. Only a few players in the NHL have racked up points at a higher rate than Ehlers this season. | -- | 41-14-3 | |
| 2 | Thanks to injury issues on Team Canada, Thomas Harley got some ice time in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and it was well-deserved. He's been terrific for the Stars with 31 points in 56 games and a plus-24 goal differential at five-on-five. The 23-year-old is an emerging star, and he will be leaned on heavily down the stretch as Miro Heiskanen recovers from injury. | -- | 37-19-2 | |
| 3 | Following his hat trick against the Oilers on Sunday, Alex Ovechkin needs just 13 more goals in the final 25 games of the regular season to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Ovechkin now has 29 goals in 41 games, which is an 82-game pace of 58 tallies. That would be the second-highest total of his entire career, which only makes Ovi's performance at 39 even more jaw-dropping. | -- | 38-12-8 | |
| 4 | Toronto's five-on-five metrics have been surprisingly pedestrian, especially given the results it's gotten this season. The Leafs have been able to overcome that in large part due to tremendous goaltending from Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. That duo has combined to save 23.2 goals above average. Neither goalie has much of a playoff resume, so that remains a bit of a question as the postseason approaches. | 3 | 36-20-2 | |
| 5 | The 4 Nations Face-Off exacted a heavy toll from the Panthers. Matthew Tkachuk suffered a lower-body injury in the tournament and will now be out for a significant amount of time. Florida still has a deep roster, but losing Tkachuk will put a dent in the team's shot to repeat as Cup champs. We'll see whether GM Bill Zito makes a big move ahead of the trade deadline to compensate for this loss. | -- | 35-21-3 | |
| 6 | Tampa has won five straight games, and Brandon Hagel has been one of the drivers of that success. Hagel has five goals and five assists in that span, and his exceptional season continues. The Lightning forward is now tracking for 93 points, which would be a new career high by a wide margin, and it's still hard to believe that the Blackhawks ever let him go. | 7 | 33-20-4 | |
| 7 | Mikko Rantanen's time as a Hurricane has not gotten off to a good start. He has one goal and two assists in eight games, and that's not what Carolina was hoping for when it acquired him from Colorado in a blockbuster deal. To be clear, I very seriously doubt Rantanen will continue to shoot 4.5% when his career average is 16.1%. That said, anyone questioning whether Rantanen could thrive away from MacKinnon has more ammo right now. | 1 | 33-21-4 | |
| 8 | Since Todd McLellan took over as coach on Dec. 28, the Red Wings have the best record in the NHL at 17-4-2. They've managed to do that despite a minus-1 goal differential at five-on-five, and that can be attributed to a scorching hot power play. With McLellan behind the bench, Detroit has converted on 39.1% of its power play opportunities, which is first in the league by almost six full points. | 1 | 30-22-6 | |
| 9 | Jack Hughes took some (perhaps undue) heat for his 4 Nations performance, but Devils fans aren't complaining. Hughes has been red hot for New Jersey with eight goals and four assists in his last nine games. With the Devils well on their way to the playoffs, I'm excited to see what Hughes does once they get there. He was only 21 in his first postseason appearance, and he posted 11 points in 12 games. | 2 | 32-21-6 | |
| 10 | The Wild need as many hands on deck as they can get with Kirill Kaprizov out of the lineup. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Mats Zuccarello hasn't been able to find a groove without Kaprizov. He hasn't scored a goal since Jan. 25, and he hasn't notched a single point in his last nine games. | 4 | 34-20-4 | |
| 11 | Ross Colton got off to a ridiculously hot start with 10 goals in 15 games. He was thriving in the bumper role on Colorado's power play, but Colton has been ice cold for a while now. Colton hasn't scored since Jan. 9, and he has just one assist in his last 16 games. Perhaps due to his struggles, Colton's ice-time has decreased dramatically, and a once promising depth player has hit a deep rut. | 3 | 33-24-2 | |
| 12 | Edmonton has now lost four straight games while allowing a combined 22 goals. As is always the case, there are some legitimate concerns about the Oilers' goaltending. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have combined to allow 5.46 goals above average, and neither one has a save percentage above .900. That's the clear Achilles heel on this team. | 8 | 34-20-4 | |
| 13 | The Golden Knights remain atop the Pacific Division standings, but they have been stuck in neutral in 2025. Since Jan. 1, Vegas has gone 9-9-3, which is tied for the 19th best record in that span. The team's underlying numbers have been relatively strong in that time, but a 6.75% shooting percentage at five-on-five has tanked the actual results. Watch for the Golden Knights to catch fire down the stretch. | 3 | 34-18-6 | |
| 14 | Kevin Fiala has officially broken out of his slump. Fiala has seven goals in his last six games, which has helped Los Angeles maintain a top-three spot in the Pacific Division. There are still very real concerns about how the Kings' offense will fare in the postseason, but getting Fiala rolling is a big step in the right direction. Adding a scorer before the trade deadline would also help. | 8 | 31-17-7 | |
| 15 | Matthew isn't the only Tkachuk brother feeling the effects of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Brady Tkachuk is also banged up, and that couldn't come at a worse time for the Senators, who have lost four straight games while dealing with injuries to other key forwards. Ottawa is within reach of ending its seven-year playoff drought, but the injury bug has bitten at a bad time. | 5 | 29-24-4 | |
| 16 | The Blue Jackets simply refuse to go away. They scored a huge 6-4 win over the Stars on Tuesday night, and Kirill Marchenko led the way with three points. He and Werenski have been driving much of the team's success all season, but it seems like former No. 5 overall pick Kent Johnson is starting to come around too. Johnson already has a new career high with 19 goals, and he's two points away from a career high in that category as well. | 4 | 28-22-8 | |
| 17 | I have to shoutout MacKenzie Weegar here because he's been the Flames' best player. Weegar is a key cog in the offensive machine with six goals and 26 assists, but his five-on-five impacts are terrific. Weegar owns a plus-11 goal differential at five-on-five to go along with his 51.4% expected goals share. He's flown under the radar, but Calgary would be nowhere near the race without him. | 1 | 28-21-8 | |
| 18 | JT Miller is gone, but the Elias Pettersson problem remains. Pettersson hasn't scored in 11 games, and the most troubling part is that he hasn't even been putting shots on net. In his last five games, Pettersson has recorded three shots. That's no way to break out of a slump. Pettersson is a former 100-point scorer with elite skill, so to see him struggling this badly is completely befuddling. | 3 | 26-20-11 | |
| 19 | There was a lot of Adam Fox slander flying around after the 4 Nations tournament, and that will not fly here. Fox has been one of the only good things about this disappointing Rangers team. With Fox on the ice at five-on-five, New York has a plus-11 goal differential and a 56.1% expected goals share. Without him, those numbers fall off a cliff to minus-16 and a 43.9% expected goals share. | -- | 29-25-4 | |
| 20 | The Isles have now lost five of their last six games in regulation, and while that won't completely nix their playoff chances, the final nail is halfway in the coffin. All eyes now turn to Brock Nelson, who figures to be one of the hotter commodities on the NHL trade market with playoff teams looking to upgrade their No. 2 center spot. The 33-year-old can still bring some offense with 17 goals in 57 games. | 5 | 25-25-7 | |
| 21 | If an overtime loss to the Ducks on Saturday wasn't enough of a kick in the teeth, blowing a 3-0 lead to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday ensured the Bruins will need extensive dental work. Boston is still in the playoff race thanks to a mediocre middle in the East, but even if it does get there, winning a round seems like a longshot. What is the vision for the Bruins right now? | 1 | 27-24-8 | |
| 22 | Cole Caufield is really starting to realize his scoring potential at the NHL level. His 27 goals in 58 games puts him on pace for 38 tallies this season, and his totals have risen every single year of his career. At 24 years old, Caufield is just starting to ascend toward his prime, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him hit 50 goals one season in the very near future. | 5 | 27-26-5 | |
| 23 | Owen Tippett's raw production may be taking minor step back from last year, but he has had a noticeably positive impact on the game at five-on-five. Tippett's 54.9% expected goals share is one of the best on the Flyers, and he's one of only a handful of players with a positive goal differential (plus-1). Tippett may not be a bona fide first-liner in his career, but he'll be a valuable middle-six piece for a long time. | -- | 26-26-7 | |
| 24 | There was a lot of optimism around Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen coming into the season because it seemed like he could be the permanent answer in goal for the Sabres. Instead, Luukkonen has posted some of the worst numbers in the league. His 6.68 goals allowed above average rank 78th, and his .793 high-danger save percentage ranks 62nd. | 1 | 24-27-5 | |
| 25 | The lack of development in Anaheim has been frustrating at times, but defenseman Jackson LaCombe does seem to be coming around. He has nine goals and 28 points in 50 games, and his five-on-five numbers are quite good when compared to most of his teammates. LaCombe might be emerging as a long-term solution on the Ducks' blue line. | 1 | 25-25-7 | |
| 26 | The Blues are reportedly shopping Brayden Schenn, and if they could move him prior to the trade deadline, that would be a nice bit of business from GM Doug Armstrong. Schenn, 33, has three more years left on his contract at $6.5 million per season. Moving Schenn would clear up significant cap space and allow the franchise get younger as the rebuild and/or retool continues. | 2 | 27-26-6 | |
| 27 | Matias Maccelli has been a healthy scratch for Utah lately, and he might be on the trade block. If he is, playoff contenders should jump at the chance to acquire him for what should be a reasonable cost. Maccelli's production has fallen off, but the 24-year-old still has some nice playmaking ability. He just posted 40 assists and 57 points last year, and his underlying five-on-five impacts are good. | -- | 26-24-9 | |
| 28 | Jared McCann has been the primary goal-scorer on the Kraken for a couple years now, but that hasn't been the case lately. McCann has just one goal in his last 12 games as Seattle has struggled to create offense consistently. Seattle simply doesn't have enough scoring for its top offensive weapon to go cold for this long. | -- | 25-31-4 | |
| 29 | Just when you thought things couldn't get worse for the Penguins, they have returned from the 4 Nations break to allow 19 goals in three games. The defense is bad. The goaltending is worse. The greatness of Sidney Crosby might be the only thing motivating Pens fans to watch this product right now. | -- | 23-28-9 | |
| 30 | Steven Stamkos hasn't recorded a point in nine games, and he has just 33 points in 56 games. The 35-year-old has never scored at a lower rate in his lengthy career, which makes the rest of his $32 million contract look rather troublesome. It has been a disastrous season in Nashville, and not even Stamkos is immune. | -- | 20-30-7 | |
| 31 | The Blackhawks lost to Utah on Tuesday night, and shot attempts were 93-39 in favor of the Utahns. It's hard to express just how terrible this Chicago team is, and it's already been rebuilding for a handful of years now. In his postgame press conference, Seth Jones showed some fire, but he may not be around much longer. It's ugly in the Windy City. | -- | 17-34-7 | |
| 32 | William Eklund has a nice little five-game point streak going, which is nice to see. Eklund can get lost in the shuffle with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith in the mix, but 22-year-old was the No. 7 overall pick in 2022. He's struggled to get his footing in a terrible environment, but things might be starting to click for the young forward. | -- | 15-36-8 |
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