from Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times,

... here are my final 2014 Stanley Cup playoff power rankings:

1. Kings — The new gold standard of the salary-cap era NHL. The Kings have won two of the last three Cups and are an amazing 8-1 in series without home-ice advantage in the last three years.

2. Blackhawks — Couldn’t put the hammer down. Subpar defensively. Could barely roll three effective lines let alone four — and still came within inches of winning another Stanley Cup.

3. Sharks — They’ll spend all summer wondering how they let a 3-0 series lead dissipate against the Kings in the first round.

4. Ducks — This team has talent — and issues. The No. 1 team in the West, they lost a 3-2 series lead vs. the Kings and were embarrassed in Game 7 at home — falling behind 5-0 in a 6-2 loss.

read on