The Wild West continues to see new leaders emerge every week. The Los Angeles Kings rise to the top 10 this week due to their incredible hot streak that has seen them climb from the bottom of the Pacific division, to the top. The Dallas Stars, who did not even make the playoffs last year, are dominating the West at this point, leading the grueling Central Division for a second consecutive week. In the East, the three-headed monster in the Canadiens, Rangers and Lightning continue to be the juggernauts everybody is trying to catch.
1. Montreal Canadiens 13-2-1
By now, everyone realizes that the Canadiens are the team off to the quickest start. They are 4-0-1 since the Carey Price injury, showing that they are a complete team and not just dependent on their Vezina winning goalie. They lead the league in GPG, thanks to nine players already reaching double-digit point numbers.
2. Dallas Stars 12-3-0
Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are the most dominating duo in the league. If they keep performing at the rate they are going, they will each have 50 goal seasons. They are two of the top three point getters in the league, only behind Patrick Kane. In the last two games, Kari Lehtonen has only allowed one goal and is inching towards that starting goalie spot.
3. New York Rangers 10-2-2
Besides the Canadiens, they have been the most consistent team throughout the early season. They haven’t given up more than two goals in regulation since the Montreal game on October 15th, almost a month ago. This team is the hardest to score against in the league, and that will help them out a lot come playoff time.
4. St Louis Blues 10-3-1
The skaters on the Blues might be the best in the league. Even though starter Brian Elliott has been awful this year, the team is fifth in GAA. Alexander Steen has eight goals, which puts him in a tie for fifth in the league. Vladimir Tarasenko, just like Steen, has been playing at a point per game level and is continuing where he left off last year.
5. Washington Capitals 10-3-0
Alexander Ovechkin has been having another great year. His eight goals make him tied for fifth in the league, and he is in a tie for eighth with 15 points. His next goal will make him the highest scoring Russian born player in NHL history. The Capitals only losses in the last ten games have come against division rivals Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers. They have a chance to improve their division record when they travel to Philadelphia.
6. Tampa Bay Lightning 7-7-2
They haven’t been at the top of their game, dropping to third in the division. A four game losing streak was bad enough, but the team lost two more times last week. They have only been scoring 2.4 GPG, and effort they will need to better if they want to contend for the Stanley Cup.
7. Pittsburgh Penguins 9-5-0
The Penguins were riding a six game winning streak heading into their losing effort against Calgary. Surprisingly, it has been the defense that has left them in games. They have allowed only 2 goals a game, and Marc Andre Fleury has a 1.93 GAA.
8. Minnesota Wild 8-3-2
Devan Dubnyk put up an impressive shut out against the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning. They have the Dallas Stars in house on Saturday so they will get a big opportunity to jump up in the rankings if they win.
9. Nashville Predators 8-3-2
Nashville has consistently been a top ten team this year. Their victory over the Wild definitely helped their case this week, as does the fact that Pekka Rinne has been having a sensational year.
10. Los Angeles Kings 9-5-0
I left them for dead after their terrible beginning, but they have risen from the ashes and are leading a weak Pacific Division. Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli are both having sensational seasons, with Toffoli placing in the top five in goals with nine.
11. Chicago Blackhawks 8-6-1
Good teams find ways to win, and that is exactly what the Blackhawks have been doing since Duncan Keith went down with an injury. They are only 15th in GPG and 14th in GAA, yet find themselves in the playoff picture playing in the almost impossible Central Division. Patrick Kane is heading straight to a Hart Trophy, with 10 goals and 23 points.
12. New York Islanders 7-5-3
Jaroslav Halak may have the worst offensive support in the league. Despite having a 1.87 GAA, his record is only 4-3-1. Expect that to improve, since the Islanders do have weapons on offense. John Tavares has been dealing with an illness, and is looking continue his PPG level performance.
13. Winnipeg Jets 8-5-2
Blake Wheeler continues his strong early season play with six goals and 17 points. The team is facing a tough road trip ahead of them, playing against Minnesota, Dallas, Nashville and St. Louis, all of which rank in the top 10 in the ranking.
14. Vancouver Canucks 6-4-5
They haven’t been the same team since their four game losing streak. They are hoping that a match up against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets can break their current losing streak and get them back on track.
15. Detroit Red Wings 7-6-1
Big victories against division rivals Tampa Bay and Ottawa allowed the Red Wings to stay in the top 15. They need to be more consistent, and they have a chance against the Capitals to break their current losing streak.
16. Ottawa Senators 7-4-3
The last three games the Senators played all went into overtime. In those three games, they managed to beat the Canadiens but still lost to the lowly Hurricanes. They will need to be more consistent against the below average teams in order to move up in these rankings.
17. Boston Bruins 7-6-1
They looked like they were back on track, before falling to Dallas, Washington and Montreal in the same week. Their schedule gets easier and they will get chances to catch up to the leaders of the Atlantic Division.
18. New Jersey Devils 8-5-1
Since starting out with four losses, the Devils have gone 8-2-0. Cory Schneider is a sleeper for Vezina, with an impressive 2.15 GAA and a .923 SV%.
19. San Jose Sharks 7-7-0
The Sharks just continue to lose ground. Their 5-2 loss against Columbus sends them tumbling down these rankings.
20. Anaheim Ducks 5-7-2
The favorites to win the Pacific Division finally have a winning streaking going for them. They have winnable games against Arizona and Edmonton coming up, so it will be interesting to see how quickly the team we all expected to win the Pacific Division will climb back into the top.
21. Philadelphia Flyers 5-6-3
Good news for the Flyers is their terrible losing streak is officially over thanks to a victory over the Jets. The team still has issues though, such as Jakub Voracek not scoring goals.
22. Arizona Coyotes 6-6-1
22nd does seem harsh for the Coyotes, but they have only won one game in their last four. Max Domi has a chance to win the Calder Trophy, scoring five goals and notching 11 points.
23. Florida Panthers 5-6-3
The fast start that the Panthers were off to is now over. After five straight losses, the Panthers are falling to the bottom of the NHL.
24. Calgary Flames 5-9-1
Finally, after a terrible start to their season there is a glimmer of hope for a team with such high expectations. They have won three of their last four games and Johnny Hockey has been notching plenty of points, moving up to fourth in the NHL.
25. Colorado Avalanche 4-9-1
I’m still in denial. There is no way a team this talented can suck this badly. They keep on giving you that one win that reminds you why you fell in love with them to begin with, such as beating Tampa Bay, before ripping your heart out again, filling you with disappointment. They have a seven game road trip ahead of them, and this could be the end of the line of me sticking my neck out for the team playing the worst hockey in the league.
26. Carolina Hurricanes 6-8-0
Eric Staal is putting up good numbers in a bad situation, but he alone cannot stop this offense from floundering on his own. Remember when Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner used to be top liners, whatever happened to that?
27. Buffalo Sabres 6-8-0
Chad Johnson right now has below a .90 SV% and the Sabres have no idea who their starting goaltender is again. It must be November.
28. Edmonton Oilers 5-10-0
Taylor Hall continues to perform well on an awful team. His six goals and 16 points are among the best in the NHL, and he is the only Oiler to play more than eight games to have a positive +/-.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs 2-8-4
Another team I want to like, but are giving me no options but to bury them in the rankings. Jonathan Bernier is a talented goaltender, but right now is trying to find his first win of the season.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets 4-11-0
The Columbus Blue Jacket doubled their wins last week with a couple wins. Sergei Bobrovsky is turning around his season, which could mean trouble for his upcoming opponents.