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3/14 Penguins Power Rankings

Because every post could use a picture of faces getting mashed in a scrum.
Because every post could use a picture of faces getting mashed in a scrum.

Stolen from Japers' Rink because Hooks told me that I need to start earning my keep around here and he's right. Please keep in mind that all these media outlets publish their rankings on different days of the week (and Hockey Prospectus is only once a month). Also keep in mind that this ultimately means next to nothing next to actual playoff seeding and Stanley Cup victories.

Website Last Week This Week Comment
CBC 7 3 A six-game win streak has been buoyed by the fact that captain Sidney Crosby soon could be back in the lineup.
CBS 4 1 Players like Evgeni Malkin and James Neal get all of the attention (and for good reason) but let's give some credit to one of the more overlooked players on the team, Pascal Dupuis. An absolute bargain at a $1.5 million cap hit this season. He's going to score 20 goals, plays some of the toughest minutes on the team and is a top penalty killer for one of the top penalty killing teams in the league. An excellent complementary player, and a big part of their success this season.
ESPN 5 1 Make it nine wins in a row for the 2009 Stanley Cup champions -- without Crosby and Kris Letang. Holy moly, pull the goalie, the Penguinos have got Lord Stanley on their mind again. Not to mention the Atlantic Division title, which forever seemed a distant thought. But with the impressive New York Rangers coasting, it's now very much in play.
FOX 5 3 The Pens have won nine straight? No big deal. They won 12 straight last year. Evgeni Malkin is back atop the NHL scoring race, and we don’t expect him to vacate that spot. Does Sidney Crosby return for Thursday’s battle at Madison Square Garden?
The Hockey News 5 2 It's not just about where you currently sit in the standings, but a combination of that and how you're playing. The Pens have won nine in a row and are shockingly making a pitch for the East's No. 1 seed. Have allowed only 13 goals during their streak.
NHL 3 1 Of all the numbers that can make a case for Malkin to win the Hart Trophy, his faceoff numbers get overlooked. He's won 47 percent of draws, a career high, and taken 1,049 faceoffs after never taking more than 890 in a season.
Sports Illustrated 5 1 I can't wait for Thursday's game at Madison Square Garden. That goes whether or not Sidney Crosby returns from his concussion symptoms. The Pens are playing the best hockey of any team in the NHL, having won nine straight, and none have been fluky. Barring the unexpected, Evgeni Malkin will win the Hart Trophy. Marc-Andre Fleury has been tremendous. Even Matt Cooke is getting good press, as our Michael Farber explained last week. And just think: they've done all this without the player who is generally acknowledged as the best in the world.
TSN 5 2 With nine straight wins, the Penguins have climbed to number two. Imagine what awaits if, as expected, they get Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang back from concussions soon.
Hockey Prospectus 5
(Jan)
4
(Feb)
Next to the Red Wings, the Penguins have the biggest GVT contribution from their skaters (40.8). And this is without Sidney Crosby. They're flying a bit under the radar as well.

Aggregate rating last week: 4.78. This week: 2.00.