NHL

NHL Power Rankings: What’s wrong with the Blackhawks?

After last season’s wire-to-wire run to the Stanley Cup title, the Blackhawks were among the favorites to win the trophy again in 2014. After they started off well, there have been some bumps in the road this season. Though they should have no problem making the playoffs, they aren’t the dominant ‘Hawks from a season ago.

Last season, the Blackhawks didn’t have a single three-game losing streak. They already have had three, including a current four-game losing skid. Chicago had been a shutdown defensive team, but sits 15th in goals against. The penalty kill has been dreadful at 78.5 percent.

They wrapped up the division well in advance last season, winning by a hefty 17 points over the second-place Blues. The Blackhawks have played three more games than the Blues and Avalanche, both of whom will challenge for the top spot in the Central Division.

True, they still have Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews and a 32-10-13 record, but if they allowed five goals to the Flames in a 5-4 loss Tuesday, how can they expect to win a seven-game playoff series against the Blues or Ducks?

(Last week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Ducks (1): So much for defending home ice. After 24 games without a regulation home loss, the Ducks have lost two of three at Honda Center after a 4-2 loss to the Wild on Tuesday.

2. Blues (5): St. Louis, with eight players with 30 or more points, is tied for first in the Central Division and has three games in hand over the Blackhawks.

3. Penguins (3): With 74 points in 64 games, leading the next closest player by 10, can we just hand the Hart Trophy to Sidney Crosby already?

4. Bruins (6): Three games in four days? No problem for the Bruins, who went 3-0-0 with 18 goals (six in each game).

5. Blackhawks (2): Remarkably, they still do not have a win in overtime this season. They’re 0-6 after Tuesday’s loss to the Flames in the extra session.

6. Sharks (4): It seems no matter how well they play (7-3-0 in their past 10), the Sharks can’t gain any ground on the Ducks (8-2-0).

7. Lightning (8): Steven Stamkos’s recovery from a broken leg has hit a snag. He might not be back before the Olympic break after all.

8. Avalanche (7): Semyon Varlamov hasn’t let his off-ice issues interfere with his play: His 26 wins rank third in the league and his .925 save percentage also ranks in the top 10.

9. Wild (11): Zach Parise, who returned after a month-long absence due to an ankle injury, had a three-point night Tuesday to lead Minnesota to a big win against the Ducks.

10. Kings (10): Have been involved in shutouts their past three games, on the losing side of two of those, including the Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.

11. Maple Leafs (13): The Leafs stretched their home winning streak to four games with an impressive 3-2 win against the Lightning on Tuesday.

12. Rangers (12): Rick Nash has 11 goals in 11 games, confirming what everyone already knew: When he stays healthy, he’s one of the best goal scorers in the business.

13. Canadiens (9): Finally ended a five-game losing skid with a 3-0 blanking of the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Now comes a big test Thursday with the division-leading Bruins.

14. Canucks (16): A 4-2 loss to the last-place Oilers on Monday. One can only imagine what suspended coach John Tortorella would have said in his press conference.

15. Flyers (15): Claude Giroux is starting to heat up. Perhaps he’s auditioning for a spot with Team Canada in the Olympics in case Stamkos can’t make it.

16. Senators (14): Last season, they ranked second in goals against per game. This season, Ottawa has allowed 3.1 goals per game, good for 27th in the league.

17. Blue Jackets (17): Couldn’t keep the momentum rolling from eight straight wins, having lost three straight, but are still in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

18. Stars (19): Tyler Seguin scored two goals Monday ending a 12-game drought. If Dallas wants to make the playoffs, he can’t be held off the scoresheet for that long.

19. Capitals (22): Alex Ovechkin has three goals and three assists in the Capitals’ past two wins. They’ve scored 10 goals in two games after scoring a total of eight during a seven-game losing streak.

20. Coyotes (23): The Coyotes notched a power-play goal in Tuesday’s 3-0 win against the Kings, the 11th time in 12 games they scored a power-play goal.

21. Red Wings (21): No Jimmy Howard, Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterbeg. Which could also mean no playoffs for the first time in more than two decades.

22. Devils (18): A 7-3 thrashing by the rival Rangers at Yankee Stadium followed by a 3-0 shutout loss to the Blues – their sixth shutout of the season.

23. Jets (25): Winnipeg continued its recent success with a three-goal third period in a 3-1 win over the Blackhawks on Sunday.

24. Hurricanes (27): Carolina sits in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 57 points, just two points out of second place … and two points out of seventh place in the crowded division.

25. Predators (24): It took four games, but Michael Del Zotto picked up an assist in Tuesday’s 4-3 win against the Jets, his first point as a Predator after he was traded from the Rangers last week.

26. Islanders (20): Not like they were facing easy teams in the Penguins, Blues and Bruins, but the Islanders can’t afford to let an 0-2-1 losing streak continue. The next two are against the Rangers, with Wednesday’s contest at Yankee Stadium.

27. Flames (28): Calgary has allowed 10 goals in three games but has won them all. They all count the same in the standings.

28. Panthers (26): Tim Thomas’ return to Boston was spoiled Tuesday when he allowed six goals on 41 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Bruins.

29. Oilers (29): A win against the Sharks on Wednesday would give the Oilers their second three-game winning streak of the season. But the countdown to their eighth straight season of missing the playoffs has begun.

30. Sabres (30): Sure, it was a 5-4 overtime loss to the Capitals on Tuesday but … they scored FOUR goals!