NHL POWER RANKINGS

What The Puck?!

Written by Chase Howard

1st Branch

Contenders

As we are roughly a third of the way through this shortened season seemed time to do what the pucks inaugural power rankings.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs - Auston Matthews paces the NHL with 16 goals. Mitch Marner is tied for third in points with 23. The Leafs lead the league in points, wins, and scoring chances and have the league's third-best powerplay. This team looks like it might finally be ready for a deep run; leaf fans beware.

Source: Editor in Leaf | Photo from Nick Turchiaro

2. Boston Bruins - The Bruins are tied for first in the league in point percentage and have yet to lose at home. They're as tough to play as ever, having the second-ranked penalty kill, first in face-off percentage (57.8%), and aren't afraid to throw the body. Despite Chara's departure, it's the same bad Bruins in Beantown led by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning - The reigning champs could have easily been the top spot on this list (as could the Bruins) as they lead the league in goal differential at a staggering +22 (2nd is the Leafs with 15). According to hockey reference, the Lightning also leads the league in SRS (simple rating system) and draws the most penalty minutes per game.

4. Las Vegas Golden Knights - Their penalty kill is tied for third in the league, and goaltending is likely the primary cause as Marc Andre Fleury, who has started the past five games (three wins), has managed a 931 SV%, 1.81 GAA, with a shutout.

5. Montreal Canadiens - Speaking of goaltending, Carey Price and Jake Allen have combined to allow no more than three goals in 12 straight games. The Canadiens have scored a staggering seven short-handed goals already this season; nobody else has more than three. Their power play is not getting the memo, though, as it's 2 for 22 in their last eight games, and if that keeps up their position in these rankings will not.

6. Carolina Hurricanes - The Hurricanes are better than you think. Carolina is tied for fourth in goal differential (with Montreal) and is pacing the league in 5 on 5 corsi percentage. The Hurricanes also sit third in goal for per game and SRS.

7. Colorado Avalanche - We all know they can score but did you know they have the league's best penalty kill at almost 89% and have gone 28 for 30 in their last nine games? The Avs have also struck first in ten of their 13 games this season and are second in SRS.

8. Florida Panthers - The Panthers are sneaky good as they are tied for tops the league in win %, they just beat Tampa in two of three games and have not lost on the road in regulation.

2nd Branch

Wildcards and Dark Horses

9. New York Islanders - The Islanders seem to be starting a nice streak, winning three in a row while allowing only three goals against in total. They have the fourth-best goals against per game and lead the league in shutouts

10. Chicago Blackhawks - The Hawks have also won three in a row, and they lead the league in powerplay goals. Patrick Kane has at least two points in five of the last ten games and shows no sign of slowing down.

11. St Louis Blues - The Blues have been one of the best road teams in the NHL (6-2) while going a perfect nine of nine on the PK in the last three games.

12. Edmonton Oilers - The Oilers lead the league in Goals with 63 for, and yep look at that, they still have Conner McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, so ya they can win on any night.

13. Winnipeg Jets - Winnipeg sits fourth in goals for, and that may go up as center Mark Schelfie has 12 points in the last eight games, most of which don't include the recently acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois.

14. Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers lead the lead in shooting percentage (14.9) despite a second-lowest count of only 308 shots and played Thursday for the first time since Feb 7th due to Covid.

15. Washington Capitals - The Caps sit second in shooting percentage at five-on-five and have the league's fourth-ranked power play, very surprising that a team with Alexander Ovechkin can score.

16. Dallas Stars - The Stars power play is shining, leading the league with 33.3 %. However, they have lost five straight and narrowly avoided my temptation to put them lower

17. Calgary Flames - This team is quite average and sits at or near the middle in most statistically significant categories. They do need to improve on their high danger scoring chances allowed as they have allowed the eighth-most.

18. New Jersey Devils - New Jersey is tied for the lead in save percentage, and this is no surprise with Mackenzie Blackwood going 3-0-1 with a 1.92 GAA and .948 save percentage in four starts this season.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets - The Blue Jackets are fourth in goals against and tied for the fifth worse differential in the league at -13. They need to flip the switch, and quick.

20. Pittsburgh Penguins - What are the Penguins, offensive juggernaut? A responsible veteran team? I'm not sure they know. Hopefully, new GM Jim Rutherford can figure it out.

21. Los Angeles Kings - Captain Anze Kopitar is tied for fourth in assists with fourteen, but other than him, quickly name three players on the Kings you want on your team.

22. Arizona Coyotes - Somebody has to get the last spot in the Honda west so why not this scrappy bunch.

3rd Branch

Hopeful or Hapless

23. Minnesota Wild - If I were a Wild fan I'd be hopeful as they play tough hockey and in a division with a pretty open fourth playoff spot. It's the two teams above they have to worry about.

24. Vancouver Canucks - The Canucks are second in goals with 61 but sit first with 72 goals-against. Optimists may say exciting, while pessimists will say volatile. Based on their spot in the standings, I'd go with the latter.

25. Anaheim Ducks - The Ducks are second in shutouts and need more of them. They sit tied for last in goals per game.

26. Nashville Predators - The Predators have become the prey with the third-worst goal differential in the league with -16. Pekka Rinne's possible swan song has turned into an ugly duckling.

27. San Jose Sharks - Gone are the days of playoff disappointments, but I think the playoffs will be missed for a little bit around here. Not to overdo the bird euphemisms, but Karlsson's contract is currently an albatross for this organization.

28. Buffalo Sabres - Wasn't the Sabres offence supposed to be solid this year? Has anybody seen Taylor Hall or Jeff Skinner?

29. New York Rangers - The Rangers generate the second most opponent penalty minutes, now to improve their powerplay, currently fifth-worst in the league.

30. Detroit Red Wings - Still weird to see after years of perennial playoff pursuits, but this team is pretty hapless

31. Ottawa Senators - The senators have a -30 goal differential, "good" for worst in the league. Well there's always next year

Quick Hits

• Connor McDavid scored his 500th-career point this week, doing it in 369 games (same as Sidney Crosby). He is the eighth-fastest player to reach this mark, and it looks like the 2015 first overall pick has panned out as expected while possibly playing his best hockey yet.

• Meanwhile, the 2016 first overall pick Auston Mathews is not too shabby himself, up to 16 goals in his last 17 which leads the league. Is it crazy to think somebody could get 50 genos in a 56 game season? Did I mention he has five game-winners?

• Alex Galchenyuk earned some quality air miles this week as he was traded twice, first from Ottawa to Carolina with Cedric Paquette for Ryan Dinzgel and then again to the Maple Leafs for Egor Korshkov and David Warsofsky; this is now his sixth NHL organization. Mike Sillinger leads the NHL all-time with 12 stops, so this is probably Galchenyuk's best shot at etching his name into the history books as he's halfway home.