This is the 14th edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for 2019-20 and the second since the announcement of the season restart. With the round of 16 about to begin, we've limited the rankings to the teams still competing.
In this edition, we'll look at each club's most impressive player since play resumed on Aug. 1.
1. Philadelphia Flyers
Previous rank: 6
Scott Laughton has continued to develop offensively after potting a career-high 13 regular-season goals. The 6-foot-1 forward led the Flyers with three goals and five points in round-robin play despite logging just over 14 minutes per contest.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 8
The Golden Knights went 3-0-0 in round-robin action without Max Pacioretty, largely due to defenseman Shea Theodore's brilliant play. The 24-year-old rearguard recorded two goals and two assists while averaging 24:02 of ice time. He also led the club with 11 shots on goal and paced Vegas' blue-liners with a 62.37% Corsi For rate at five-on-five.
3. Colorado Avalanche
Previous rank: 3
Nathan MacKinnon hasn't shown any rust following the league's long hiatus. The Hart Trophy candidate notched three points in three games and led all forwards while averaging 22:17 of ice time per contest. MacKinnon also set the tone physically with six hits, and Colorado owned a 63.49% share of expected goals with the star forward on the ice at five-on-five.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
Previous rank: 4
Brayden Point picked up the slack with Lightning captain Steven Stamkos out. The 23-year-old pivot shared the team lead with three points in three games, and he was dominant during faceoffs while winning 65.85% of his draws.
5. Boston Bruins
Previous rank: 1
The mighty Bruins are struggling to find their game since returning to action, dropping all three round-robin games while scoring only four goals. Two of those tallies came from 6-foot grinder Chris Wagner, who also led the team with 12 hits and played a penalty-kill role. The Bruins will be in fine form if they receive that type of depth play once their big guns get rolling.
6. Carolina Hurricanes
Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 10
With 23-year-old Sebastian Aho leading the attack, the Hurricanes' young stars were on full display in their sweep of the New York Rangers. Aho netted three goals, and he ranks second in postseason scoring with an impressive eight points in three games.
7. St. Louis Blues
Previous rank: 2
The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner is picking up where he left off last postseason. The Blues weren't at their best during the round robin, but Ryan O'Reilly was the team's offensive leader with three points, and he remains one of the league's best defensive forwards.
8. Washington Capitals
Previous rank: 7
The Capitals are counting on Braden Holtby to return to his old form this postseason. His regular season was lackluster, and backup Ilya Samsonov isn't with the team. However, Holtby looked sharp during the round robin, posting a .925 save percentage and a 1.98 goals-against average.
9. Dallas Stars
Previous rank: 9
Miro Heiskanen doesn't get enough attention despite being one of the league's best young defensemen. It's time to start recognizing the 21-year-old Finn as a future Norris Trophy candidate. He led the Stars offensively with four points in three games during the round robin while also playing big minutes and doing an excellent job limiting his opponents' chances.
10. Columbus Blue Jackets
Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous rank: 15
If the Blue Jackets go on a deep run, it'll be because of their defense and goaltending. While Seth Jones and Zach Werenski were sensational at slowing down the high-powered Toronto Maple Leafs' attack, Joonas Korpisalo gets the nod here after posting a .956 save percentage and a qualifying-round best 4.43 goals saved above average over four games.
11. New York Islanders
Previous rank: 13
Semyon Varlamov helped provide stability for the Islanders while sharing the crease with Thomas Greiss during the regular season, and the Russian goaltender was the biggest reason New York dispatched the Florida Panthers in four games during the qualifying round. Varlamov allowed only seven goals throughout the series while authoring a .932 save percentage.
12. Vancouver Canucks
Previous rank: 17
Jacob Markstrom was solid in net for the Canucks over four games as they eliminated the Minnesota Wild, but Quinn Hughes has been Vancouver's best player since the restart. The 20-year-old Calder Trophy finalist led his club with five assists and six points in the series while averaging a team-leading over 24 minutes of ice time per game.
13. Calgary Flames
Previous rank: 19
There was some debate about who should start Game 1 for the Flames against the Winnipeg Jets, but there's no doubt who should occupy Calgary's crease now. Cam Talbot was excellent in the qualifying round, surrendering only six goals over four games while posting a .945 save percentage and helping to eliminate the Jets with a 31-save shutout in Game 4.
14. Montreal Canadiens
Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous rank: 24
Speaking of netminders, the Canadiens needed their franchise player to excel if they wanted to shock the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that's exactly what happened. Carey Price finished the series with a .947 save percentage, shutting out his dynamic opposition in the Game 4 clincher and allowing two-plus goals only once over the three previous contests.
15. Arizona Coyotes
Previous rank: 22
The Coyotes managed to squeeze past the Nashville Predators despite being outplayed all series. They moved on largely thanks to Darcy Kuemper and his dazzling .933 save percentage.
16. Chicago Blackhawks
Previous rank: 23
Jonathan Toews is playing like a man on a mission this postseason. "Captain Serious" has been disproving doubters throughout the 2019-20 campaign, and the Blackhawks' leader remains the club's best player since play resumed. He helped Chicago upset the Edmonton Oilers with a team-leading four goals and seven points over four games.
The sports world is paying tribute to civil rights era hero and longtime Georgia Democrat Rep. John Lewis, who died at age 80 on Friday. Lewis announced in December that he was fighting Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
"Last night, our city and country lost one of its heroes and most important civil rights icons who was highly regarded for his nearly six decades of social activism and getting into 'good trouble,'" a statement from the NBA's Atlanta Hawks read, referring to Lewis' frequent insistence that people had a moral obligation to confront injustice.
The team added that Lewis' "legacy will forever be remember throughout the city's peaceful protests to fight racial inequality in the 1960s, and our nation will be forever indebted to him for his lifelong dedication to public service."
Here is a selection of other tributes from athletes and teams from around the sports world:
Basketball
Rest. In. Paradise John Lewis. #CivilRightsICON✊🏾 THANK YOU!! 🙏🏾
Tonight we lost a force in the movement who’s voice served as a guide for so many us. Rest in Power John Lewis ✊🏾 #GoodTroublepic.twitter.com/Re14tvxM3A
Thank you for fighting to create a better America for me and my family. I wish I had the chance to get to know you and learn from you! #RIPJohnLewishttps://t.co/WUJp1guPnA
“..when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind — an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time; whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now." - B. Obama
RIP LEGEND
— Douglas Baldwin Jr 🧢 (@DougBaldwinJr) July 18, 2020
Rest in Heaven, sir! Thank you for all that you stood for, the waves you made and the progress that you worked so tirelessly for. We will continue to push forward #goodtroublehttps://t.co/fqN9UULB7m
Thank you for your courage, your sacrifice and your leadership. Rest In Paradise #JohnLewis May we continue to honor your legacy and be a voice for the voiceless. pic.twitter.com/cpXHbaVssH
One of the highlights of my career. Thank you for showing the world how to raise “good trouble” and fight for civil rights. Rest in power John Lewis. pic.twitter.com/cjZ5QRBgpS
— Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) July 18, 2020
Hockey
The Capitals mourn the passing of civil rights icon and American hero, Congressman John Lewis.
His life’s work leaves a legacy for us all to follow.
RIP John Robert Lewis – a civil rights leader whose ongoing activism to eradicate racism will be greatly missed in the United States and around the world. #GoodTroublepic.twitter.com/m3Mcas2c1D
Arguably the most charismatic sports figure to ever grace the silver screen, Creed (Carl Weathers) is the perfect opposite to Rocky Balboa's underdog character. The flamboyant, arrogant boxer, who was loosely based on a combination of fighters including Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, embraces his larger-than-life status while drawing heat and remaining likable at the same time.
9. Randy 'The Ram' Robinson
"The Wrestler" (2008)
Darren Aronofsky's dark dive into the independent circuits of professional wrestling was a masterpiece that reached Oscar-worthy success thanks to Mickey Rourke's incredible portrayal of fading grappler Robinson. "The Ram" represents everything that is wrong with fame and fortune when his continued journey toward reliving his glory years ends up costing him more important things in life. Rourke, who actually wrestled in the film, received a Best Actor nomination for his work.
8. Reggie 'Reg' Dunlop
"Slap Shot" (1977)
Silver Screen Collection / Moviepix / Getty
Already in his 50s when "Slap Shot" was released, Paul Newman's Reg has a bit of a Gordie Howe feel to him as a passionate on-ice leader who's seen and done it all but continues to ply his trade because hockey is truly his first love. As always, that trademark Newman cool is present both during the games and at the local bar.
Fair warning, however: Some of Reg's banter hasn't aged well.
7. Crash Davis
"Bull Durham" (1988)
Warning: Video contains coarse language
Davis (Kevin Costner) is a veteran catcher who is recruited to teach young hurler "Nuke" LaLoosh how to be a professional while also attempting to break a minor-league home-run record that most people don't know or care about. Davis may be rough around the edges in "Bull Durham," but his adoration for baseball and ability to deliver memorable speeches make him one of the most legendary sports characters in film history.
6. Happy Gilmore
"Happy Gilmore" (1996)
It's the perfect fish-out-of-water story: An impulsive wannabe hockey player takes on the golf world after discovering an uncanny ability to drive the ball hundreds of yards thanks to his graceless slap shot technique. As Happy, Adam Sandler is at his man-child best, yelling, punching, and cursing as he runs roughshod over the stodgy denizens of the pro tour.
5. Jesus Shuttlesworth
"He Got Game" (1998)
Casting a non-actor - then-Milwaukee Bucks star Ray Allen - to play a lead role in a drama carried plenty of risk, but Spike Lee's gambit paid off. Allen does just enough to bring teenage basketball prodigy Jesus Shuttlesworth to life, then wisely clears out of the paint to let Denzel Washington do the heavy lifting.
With Allen becoming a Hall of Famer, the Jesus Shuttlesworth character has remained in the public consciousness for well over two decades.
4. 'Steamin' Willie Beamen
"Any Given Sunday" (1999)
Warning: Video contains coarse language
Throughout the 1990s, Jamie Foxx was best known for sketch comedy show "In Living Color" and sitcom "The Jamie Foxx Show." Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday," which digs deeper into the seedy underbelly of professional football, helped bridge the gap from Foxx's comedic work to his Best Actor Oscar for "Ray" in 2005.
Much of Willie Beamen's story holds up today: football's pigeonholing and treatment of Black quarterbacks; acclimatizing to a rapid rise in celebrity status; and balancing on-field and off-field priorities. Beamen feels like an amalgam of many real-life QBs who came before and after - one-of-a-kind personalities and talents like Jim McMahon, Michael Vick, Baker Mayfield, and Lamar Jackson.
3. Shooter McGavin
"Happy Gilmore" (1996)
McGavin (Christopher McDonald) is everything you want from a comedic sports movie villain. For one, he sees all competitors as his inferiors - oftentimes making him both a sore loser and sore winner. Shooter also positions himself as a gatekeeper for his sport, sneering at those who upset golf's established hierarchies and traditions.
That makes him the perfect foil to Sandler's Happy, a blue-collar rube with a penchant for emotional outbursts. Of course, it doesn't take very long for Happy to turn the tables; by the end of "Happy Gilmore," Shooter has completely lost his moral high-ground, allowing Happy to seize victory.
2. Dottie Hinson
"A League of Their Own" (1992)
Runner-up on our list is Hinson (Geena Davis), the dairy farmer-turned-catcher in "A League of Their Own." After joining the All-American Girls Professional Baseball Team while her husband is away at war, Hinson becomes an immediate sensation thanks to her marvelous on-field play and leadership in this sisterhood classic that was preserved as part of the United States National Film Registry in 2012.
The greatest underdog in sports film history tops our list, and rightfully so. The iconic "Rocky" franchise has spawned eight films over five decades, and the one constant has been Balboa, a nobody boxer who made the most out of the ultimate opportunity. Just when it seems Rocky is faced with an impossible challenge, the "Italian Stallion" finds a way to overcome the odds. Balboa never quits and has proven over the past 42 years that anything is possible, especially through hard work and perseverance.
"Major League" (1989) and "Major League II" (1994)
Former All-Star catcher Taylor (Tom Berenger) - who began the first "Major League" film in the Mexican League because of his wonky knees - is the heart and soul of the Cleveland Indians. He is a leader to the rookies, stands up to defiant veterans, and is responsible for one of the most epic gotcha moments in sports movie history. He's so knowledgeable and well-liked that he winds up as a big-league manager later in the series.
19. Gordon Bombay
"The Mighty Ducks" (1992), "D2: The Mighty Ducks" (1994), and "D3: The Mighty Ducks" (1996)
The 1990s were a low point for the fictional United States criminal justice system. Consider the case of Bombay (Emilio Estevez), whose punishment for drunk driving is ... coaching youth hockey. It doesn't take long for the hardened, win-at-all-costs lawyer to adopt a softer, more sensitive tact, and his tutelage helps push the Mighty Ducks to a championship (and a pair of middling sequels).
18. Ivan Drago
"Rocky IV" (1985) and "Creed II" (2018)
If there's one thing Drago (Dolph Lundgren) proved in Rocky IV, it's that actions speak louder than words. The freakishly strong Russian antagonist to Rocky Balboa sends shivers down your spine with famous one-liners such as, "If he dies, he dies," and, "I must break you," which account for most of what the hulking heavyweight says throughout his first appearance in the franchise.
17. Forrest Gump
"Forrest Gump" (1994)
Gump (Tom Hanks), who overcomes countless challenges to help reshape history, is one of the greatest multi-sport stars to ever grace a screen. First, he uses his blazing speed to become a star kick-returner at Alabama. Then, while recovering from a gunshot wound in the military, he learns how to play table tennis and eventually becomes one of the greatest players on the planet. He caps off his athletic dominance in the film by running across the United States for three straight years, inspiring others to follow his lead.
16. Becky 'Icebox' O'Shea
"Little Giants" (1994)
In her film debut, Shawna Waldron plays O'Shea, a scary-good youth football player who's cut from the team by her uncle even though she's the best player on the field, simply because she's a girl. "Icebox" and her dad wind up getting even as they help lead a team of other rejects to success, all while attempting to break the barriers of inclusivity in organized sports.
15. Ricky 'Wild Thing' Vaughn
"Major League" (1989) and "Major League II" (1994)
Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) plays a convict turned pitcher who overcomes issues with his eyes to control his wild arm. Vaughn's 100-mph heater, cool demeanor, and memorable haircut make him a standout among standouts on the fictitious Indians.
14. The Hanson Brothers
"Slap Shot" (1977)
Warning: Video contains coarse language
The Hansons - Jack (David Hanson), Steve (Steve Carlson), and Jeff (Jeff Carlson) - represent hockey's id. The trio's unrestrained impulse to check, trip, slash, and spear adds a dose of chaos to "Slap Shot." Though there isn't a whole lot of depth to the characters, their collective personality really comes through on the ice.
13. Sydney Deane
"White Men Can't Jump" (1992)
Warning: Video contains coarse language
Deane (Wesley Snipes) is the brasher, more conventionally cool counterpart to on-court rival and teammate Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson). The lone strike against the hilarious performance is that Snipes was apparently terrible at basketball, whereas Harrelson can actually hoop.
12. Jeffrey 'The Dude' Lebowski
"The Big Lebowski" (1998)
Warning: Video contains coarse language
You might be asking yourself whether "The Big Lebowski" really qualifies as a sports movie. First of all, that's just, like, your opinion, man. Also, there are a heckuva lot of bowling scenes, including "The Dude's" (Jeff Bridges) famous hallucinogenic-induced dance number.
Ironically, though much of the film is set at a bowling alley, "The Dude" is never actually seen bowling.
11. Ricky Bobby
"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (2006)
Of all the sports-centered comedies Will Ferrell has starred in, "Talladega Nights" remains the cream of the crop. As titular NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby, Ferrell unfurls a steady stream of instantly quotable one-liners while nailing the physical comedy with his doughy, man-child body.
At No. 11 on our list, Bobby would undoubtedly be disappointed in his placement. After all, "if you're not first, you're last."
