NHL teams
Emily Kaplan, ESPN 6y

Stanley Cup playoffs Power Rankings: Vegas at No. 1 heading into Round 2? You bet!

NHL, Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights

The first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs is in the rearview mirror, and although only one series went the distance (thank you, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs), the first two weeks brought us ample entertainment. As we saddle up for Round 2, the Power Rankings feature a new clubhouse leader -- a leader, we might add, that opened the season at 200-1 odds, according to the Westgate Sportsbook. For this week's rankings -- voted on, as always, by ESPN's panel of experts -- we offered the lowdown on where every team stands entering the second round.

How we rank: We use a panel of voters, and these rankings reflect which teams voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked teams are favored over lower-ranked teams. A run of wins doesn't guarantee a jump, and a couple of losses doesn't guarantee a fall.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Week 1 Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23 | Week 24 | Week 25 | Week 26 | Playoffs Round 1

1. Vegas Golden Knights

Round 1 Ranking: No. 6 

Marc-Andre Fleury was sensational in Round 1 (with a .977 save percentage and a 0.65 goals-against average). The 33-year-old looked rested after a season in which he started just 46 games. Now the rest of his team is rested too. After sweeping the first round, the Golden Knights have gone nine days in between games. 

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Round 1 Ranking: No. 2 

It's unlikely that Nikita Kucherov will win the Hart Trophy this season -- although in most years, with a less crowded field, he would have a very good case (given his 39 goals and 100 points). The winger has kept that momentum going through the first round, with five goals and five assists through just five games.

3. San Jose Sharks

Round 1 Ranking: No. 10 

Martin Jones has arrived, and if the Sharks make a run, the 28-year-old goalie is putting together a fine case for the Conn Smythe (.970 save percentage, 1.00 GAA). His next test is a Golden Knights team that rolls out four lines evenly and found a way to win despite struggling to score (1.75 goals per game) against the stingy Los Angeles Kings. 

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

Round 1 Ranking: No. 7 

Jake Guentzel's playoff performances are becoming the stuff of legend. His four goals in the Game 6 clincher means the 23-year-old now has 19 goals in 31 career postseason games. We're getting worried about the health of Evgeni Malkin, though, especially given that he will miss Game 1.

5. Winnipeg Jets

Round 1 Ranking: No. 3 

This postseason already has been one big coming-out party for the Jets -- and the city of Winnipeg, which celebrated its first playoff series win since 1987 (yes, 11 years before Patrik Laine was born). Winnipeg showed in its first-round series that it can win in a variety of ways. So, giddy-up -- the series against the Predators is going to be a fun one.

6. Nashville Predators

Round 1 Ranking: No. 1 

OK, so the Predators couldn't put away the pesky Colorado Avalanche as quickly as many predicted they would. This is still a team that boasts the best depth in the league. Consider: The third line alone (Nick Bonino, Colton Sissons and Austin Watson) combined for 19 points against Colorado.

7. Washington Capitals

Round 1 Ranking: No. 4 

Any potential goaltending controversy is firmly behind the Caps, as Braden Holtby emphatically reclaimed his throne (he has stopped 137 of 147 shots since coming on in relief during Game 2). Now, all the focus is on shaking Washington's playoff demons -- specifically the rival Penguins. 

8. Boston Bruins

Round 1 Ranking: No. 5 

After surviving a wild series against the Maple Leafs, the Bruins advance. Since the 2004-05 lockout, only two teams have won their first-round series in seven games and then went on to win the Stanley Cup. One of them was the 2011 Bruins. We're not totally down on Tuukka Rask just yet, but he'll need to play a lot better than he did in Game 7, when he looked a bit leaky.

^ Back to Top ^