The Central Division continues its dominance in these rankings. Four Central Division teams are in the top 10, and only one is outside the top 20. Also in the West, Calgary made a giant move upwards thanks to their six game winning streak.
1. Dallas Stars: 23-7-2
With 3.4 GPG, the Dallas Stars continue to be the best offense in the NHL. Although not talked about much, Patrick Sharp has quietly put together a nice beginning to the season. With 10 goals and 22 points through 31 games, Sharp is on track to have another 50 point season. Jason Spezza is another Star that is being overlooked on a team that has so much offensive firepower. His 11 goals and 20 points are comparable to Sharp’s, and the two could form one of the better second lines in the league come playoff time.
2. Washington Capitals: 22-6-2
While its true the Capitals have been scoring 3.0 GPG, its been the defense recently that has stepped up. In the month of December, they have given up more than two goals only once. John Carlson leads the team with 24:33 minutes per game, and has been in the middle of everything the Capitals are doing.
3. Montreal Canadiens: 20-10-3
Their 20th win of the season is one of the few bright spots in what has been a putrid December so far for the Canadiens. The offense has managed more than two goals in only one game, and they are missing Carey Price in net. To make matters worse, they will have to play division leaders Los Angeles, Dallas and Washington before December is through.
4. New York Rangers: 19-10-4
The Rangers have been having a similar kind of a December that the Canadiens are having. With only two wins in seven games, the Rangers have found multiple ways to lose in December. They have lost 2-1 in a shootout, and have also given up seven goals in one game. The Rangers need their defense to play consistently in order for them to continue to be a top five team.
5. Chicago Blackhawks: 17-11-4
Patrick Kane’s point streak may be done, but he continues to be the catalyst for the Blackhawks return to the top of the rankings. He continues to lead the league with 46 points and is heading towards a 100 point season if he can maintain this level of play.
6. St. Louis Blues: 19-10-4
The Blues defense has been inconsistent in December, giving up three or more goals in five of their eight December games. They have the best penalty kill in the league, so the talent is there to make this team a top five defense.
7. New York Islanders: 18-10-5
The Islanders are rapidly closing the gap between them and the Capitals and Rangers. They have beaten multiple divisional rivals in the Rangers, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Columbus, just in December alone.
8. Detroit Red Wings: 16-9-6
The Red Wings are such a dangerous playoff team, that they do not need a high seed in order to make a deep playoff rush. They are currently second in the Atlantic, and are a team nobody wants to face come playoff time.
9. Minnesota Wild: 17-7-6
Thanks in large part to Ryan Suter’s dominance; the Wild’s defense is currently eighth best in the league. Suter’s 28 MPG and positive +/- show what a dominant top liner Suter is.
10. Los Angeles Kings: 20-9-2
The Kings round out the top 10 again by keeping their stranglehold on the weak Pacific Division. Their six game winning streak may be over, but they picked up that allusive 20th win of the season against Montreal.
11. Nashville Predators: 15-11-6
Losing three out of your last four games will get you kicked out of these power rankings. Nashville’s next five opponents are Minnesota, Montreal, Detroit and the Rangers, all of which are top 10 teams. If the Predators want back into the top 10, they got to beat these top 10 teams.
12. Boston Bruins: 17-9-4
The Bruins have won the last three games Rask has been in net, with him only giving up two goals in those three games. With Dennis Seidenberg in the line up, the defense is starting to get back on the right track.
13. Ottawa Senators: 16-11-5
Erik Karlsson continues to prove why he is one of the premier offensive minded defenders in the NHL. With 34 points in 31 games, he could potentially become one of the few defenders in NHL history to put up more than 80 points in a season.
14. Tampa Bay Lightning: 16-13-3
The Lightning have been having a resurgence in December. The only games that they have lost have been to division leading teams. On December 18th, they will get the chance to get revenge on one of those division leaders when they play the Capitals.
15. New Jersey Devils: 16-12-4
The inconsistent Devils have not had a winning or losing streak longer than one game in December. While they continue to sit at the middle of the Metropolitan Division, they could easily fall down if the Penguins or Flyers get hot.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins: 15-12-3
Its close to halfway through the season, and the Penguins still haven’t found their offense. Sidney Crosby only has 19 points in 29 games, which is well below his standards.
17. Florida Panthers: 16-12-4
The Florida offense has managed 10 goals in their last three games. Perhaps this is a sign that the offense is in resurgence after cooling off in previous weeks.
18. Philadelphia Flyers: 14-12-6
Claude Giroux has nine points and three goals in December alone. With the rest of the December schedule looking pretty easy, expect Giroux’s hot streak to continue.
19. Colorado Avalanche: 16-16-1
The Avalanche have won three straight games against Central division opponents. Semyon Varlamov only let up three goals in those three games, and has been lights out in December.
20. Calgary Flames: 15-14-2
The Flames have still not lost a game in December, beating the likes of the Stars and Rangers. This seven game winning streak has put them one point away from San Jose for second in the weak Pacific Division, and they are beginning to look like the promising team that went to the second round of the playoffs a year ago.
21. San Jose Sharks: 16-14-1
They picked up a surprising victory against Montreal, but their losing streak has already taken its toll. The gap between them and the bottom of the Pacific Division is gone, and Martin Jones has been exposed in December.
22. Arizona Coyotes: 14-15-2
With only one win in December, the once promising Coyotes are now trending in the wrong direction.
23. Winnipeg Jets: 14-15-2
The Jets are having a hard time getting out of the bottom of the rough Central Division. In December, they have losses to division rivals Chicago and St. Louis, who continue to get farther and farther away from them in the standings.
24. Vancouver Canucks: 11-14-8
When the Vancouver Canucks were an elite team not so long ago, they had a physical defense that would intimidate opponents before they got onto the ice. These last two games, where the Canucks have given up 10 goals, have shown this team is not the same team it was only a couple of years ago.
25. Anaheim Ducks: 11-14-5
They still haven’t managed to get out of their slow start and still haven’t gotten to a 2 GPG.
26. Edmonton Oilers: 14-16-2
While their six-game winning streak may be over, December has been a success story for the Edmonton Oilers. Superstar winger Taylor Hall has six goals and 10 points, just in December.
27. Carolina Hurricanes: 12-14-5
Jeff Skinner's hat trick in the loss against the Flyers is really a good summary of how the season has gone for the Hurricanes. Individual players may have impressive performances and that leads to impressive victories over impressive opponents, but not having depth around those stars mean that they cannot consistently win.
28. Buffalo Sabres: 14-16-3
Despite major offseason forward acquisitions, the Buffalo Sabres are still only the 27th ranked offense. I could make another Evander Kane joke, but I feel that I would beating a dead horse.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs: 10-13-7
They have won two of their last three games, so that is a plus for the team with the fewest wins in the NHL.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets: 12-19-3
A return to the bottom spot is not that surprising for the Blue Jackets. The team is in the bottom five in offense and defense. Their five game losing streak since losing Sergei Bobrovsky further shows that they don't have the depth necessary to survive losing one of their stars.