So far this season, it has been Montreal, then everyone else. Their seven-win start to the season has already put them in the driver’s seat of a tough Atlantic Division. After starting the season in the top 5, Detroit and Chicago find themselves fifth in their respective divisions. Where do they rank in this weeks power rankings?
1. Montreal Canadians 7-0-0
Out of all the teams, the Canadians are the easiest to rank. Not only are they undefeated, they have done so in convincing fashion. They have scored 23 goals this season while only giving up seven. Four of their seven wins have also been away, proving that their streak isn’t just about home ice advantage. Carey Price only giving up one goal per game and has two shutouts in six starts.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2-1
They started the season at number one in the rankings, and if was not for the Canadians and their crazy hot streak they still would be. Steven Stamkos scored three goals in the past week, including a two goals against the red hot Dallas Stars. They do have a rough schedule ahead of them however, with games against Winnipeg, Chicago and St. Louis.
3. New York Rangers 5-2-1
They are still sit atop a weak Metropolitan Division, and they have been limiting teams to almost two goals per game. Their three-game losing streak does look bad, but a 4-0 victory against San Jose in their last outing showed they are an elite team. Their game against division rival Philadelphia will determine if they get to stay in the top five for another week.
4. Dallas Stars 6-1-0
The Stars catapult into the top five thanks to their four game win streak. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are, as expected, integral parts to the Stars success. Benn and Seguin both have 10 points in six games. The team took an east coast road trip and beat possible playoff contenders in Tampa Bay, Florida and Philadelphia last week. They are the hottest team in the NHL right now outside of Montreal.
5. Nashville Predators 6-1-0
Like their division rival Dallas Stars, the Predators jump into the top five after an impressive two weeks to start the season. Their win against Tampa Bay in a shootout has to be considered their standout game of the season so far. If it wasn't for a bizarre game against the Islanders where elite goaltender Pekka Rinne gave up a perplexing four goals, the Predators would be undefeated right now.
6. New York Islanders 4-1-1
The Islanders rode a four-game winning streak into a tie for the lead in the Metropolitan Division with the Rangers earlier this week. John Tavares has again come up huge for his team, two points against both San Jose and Nashville, which I considered to be benchmark games for the Islanders.
7. St Louis Blues 5-2-0
Their impressive victory against the Canucks allow them to move further into the top 10. The only thing that could’ve stopped the Blues impressive four game winning streak was the brick wall referred to as Carey Price. They play against two top five teams next week in the Islanders and Tampa Bay, so it will be interesting to see if they can finally knock off a top five caliber team.
8. Vancouver Canucks 3-2-2
The loss to Edmonton really hurts them, as they move down one spot from last week. The Sedin twins haven’t been themselves so far this season, and they will need to start producing if Vancouver is to stay in the top 10.
9. San Jose Sharks 4-3-0
They are still tied with Vancouver atop the Pacific standings, and they drop a spot in the rankings just like Vancouver. The good news is their long east coast road trip is over and they have a relatively easy schedule up ahead.
10. Washington Capitals 5-1-0
They jump nine spots to squeak into the top 10 thanks to their four game winning streak. Their win against the defending champion Blackhawks started the streak, and they will look to extend it during their west coast road trip. They also face the Penguins next week, which should be an interesting rivalry game.
11. Detroit Red Wings 3-3-0
After an impressive win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, it seemed like Detroit took the week off. They lost each of their three games by multiple goals, including giving Carolina five goals while on home ice. The Red Wings will finish their Canadian road trip before getting another crack at the Carolina Hurricanes.
12. Chicago Blackhawks 4-3-0
The defending champions suffered a great loss when it was revealed that Duncan Keith could miss up to two months. Their win against Columbus saves them from having a losing record, which only makes their situation worse. Their eight spot drop only shows how bad of a week it was for the Blackhawks.
13. Minnesota Wild 4-1-1
They drop out of the top 10 after a mediocre week. Losses to the struggling Kings and Ducks hurt them, as Zach Parise only managed one point in the two contests.
14. Winnipeg Jets 4-2-0
In a tough division like the Central, every divisional match up matters. Their loss to the Blues last week is why they right now sit outside the top 10 while the Blues are comfortably in it.
15. Philadelphia Flyers 3-2-1
Victories against the Blackhawks and Bruins help a team that came close to losing their first three games. Claude Giroux had a great week, scoring three goals for the Flyers.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins 3-4-0
Hot on the heels of the Flyers are the highflying Pittsburgh Penguins. Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby are still getting a feel for each other, but when they do, expect the Penguins to return to the top 10 where they belong.
17. Florida Panthers 3-3-1
I honestly wanted to put the Panthers higher on this list, but strong weeks by the Flyers and Penguins move them down four spots. They are still fourth in the division, and the young team continues to impress.
18. Ottawa Senators 3-2-2
Their loss to the Penguins allowed the Penguins right back into the middle of the playoff mix. They have a pretty easy week ahead of them, so they have to capitalize if they don't want to continue to fall down in the rankings.
19. Arizona Coyotes 3-3-1
After three straight losses, the Coyotes are barely still third in the weak Pacific Division. To make matters worse, they lost 4-1 to the Rangers in a game that could have gotten them the lead in the Pacific.
20. Anaheim Ducks 1-4-1
I gave the Ducks the benefit of the doubt last week when I gave them the tenth spot. A week later, and they are still bottom feeders in an easy Pacific Division. With a rough schedule ahead, it is unclear how quickly they will get out of their funk.
21. Boston Bruins 2-3-1
An impressive week has the Bruins moving up five spots. David Krejci has made his presence known, with four goals to go along with 11 points. This is a team that is on the rise, and could be in the top 15 as early as next week.
22. Calgary Flames 1-5-0
Their goaltending has let them down so far, but Jonas Hiller has experience and should be able to turn his season around. Next week, they have a tough east coast road trip that will test them.
23. Colorado Avalanche 2-3-1
Despite the rough start, the Avalanche are still the only team to beat the Dallas Stars. Their next two games against Columbus and Florida are winnable, and could get them back on the right track.
24. Los Angeles Kings 3-3-0
The Kings get a big jump this week after victories against Minnesota and Colorado. They play plenty of games next week, and could quickly move up or down the rankings.
25. New Jersey Devils 3-3-1
They picked up a surprising overtime victory against the Rangers, and overall had a very solid week. Their upcoming schedule includes winnable games against Ottawa, Buffalo and Columbus.
26. Edmonton Oilers 3-4-0
After their first four games resulted in losses, the Oilers responded with an impressive three game winning streak. I’m not quite a believer yet, but a victory over Washington would give them a push in the right direction.
27. Buffalo Sabres 2-4-0
Their offense could not get more than two goals last week, and are currently only getting 1.7 GPG. Evander Kane is still looking for his first goal this season.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs 1-3-2
Despite their bad record and low ranking, they have looked good at spots. They have a chance to move up if they can beat Montreal after they looked impressive against them in their season debut.
29. Carolina Hurricanes 2-4-0
Their shocking overtime victory against the Avalanche is a bit of an outlier for the way the season has gone for the Hurricanes. They have to play San Jose and Detroit next week, and it is hard to see a scenario where they win either of those games.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets 0-8-0
Giving up 37 goals in your first eight games means you are a bad hockey team. Losing your first seven games means your currently the worst team in the NHL.