Just days away from the calendar turning to December, another set of NHL Power Rankings are in order. We have some notable shuffling at the bookends this week, featuring a new No. 1 team. On the opposite end, the last two spots have new tenants as well. With that out of the way, here’s where things stand seven weeks in. Also as to why our own Carson Babbini is absent this week, he is currently fighting a case of Covid-19. Hopefully, he should be back next week.
Numbers in parentheses reference last week’s rankings and all stats are current as of 11/28
No.32: Ottawa Senators (-2)
Ottowa’s west coast road trip has been anything but good. Four consecutive losses in the last week giving up a minimum of four goals in that span. What is even more problematic is that the Senators have just one, count them, one win in the month of November. That now has the team in Canada’s capital city dead last in the league with nine points. Hard to spin this any other way, the Senators are an absolute train wreck at the moment. Waiving Matt Murray just exacerbates the situation.
No.31: New York Islanders (-4)
Amidst a teamwide Covid-19 outbreak, the Islanders have dropped their first three games at the brand new UBS Arena. Only Arizona has a worse offense in terms of goals per game than New York. In addition, their defense ranks middle of the road, sitting 18th in goals per game. Even worse is that they have a -7 goal differential in their last three, and just one goal. That was fourth-liner Andy Andreoff against the New York Rangers. A variety of reasons factor into this, but the Islanders are not the team they were last season.
No.30: Montreal Canadiens: (-2)
The biggest news for Montreal this week is the exodus of just about everyone in their front office on Sunday. Marc Bergevin most prominently of all, who had been the team’s GM for nearly a decade running. A fluke Stanley Cup Finals run likely saved his job for a little while longer, but this was bound to happen sooner or later. Bergevin has made more bad moves than good in his tenure, with the drafting of Logan Mailloux this year being chief among them. Au Revior, À la prochaine.
As for the recent play on the ice, they ended up beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Saturday. Before that, however, they suffered a pair of big losses to the Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres. On top of having a bottom-five offense and defense, a return to a standard NHL format has exposed huge problems for Le Canadiens. Whoever comes in to replace Bergevin has much to do.
No.29: Buffalo Sabres (-4)
The Sabres, have just about officially cooled off after their hot start. A win over Montreal was sandwiched by a 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins and an overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Despite ranking fifth to last in the NHL in goals against, Buffalo still manages to have a top 20 offense. Even if they rank sixth in the Atlantic, the argument could be made that the pair of division rivals behind him are the worst teams in the East. Just might be another one of those years in western New York.
No.28: Arizona Coyotes (+4)
The good news for Arizona, they won another game this week against the Los Angeles Kings. The bad news is that was their only win, as they lost their next two. The Coyotes still rank dead last in goal per game at 1.86 and third to last in goals against per game at 3.57. But if you are going to lose, you may as well do it in style, as the kachina primary uniforms are tremendous. Also, a number of other bad teams shuffle them up here.
No.27: Vancouver Canucks (-2)
Last week it was said Thatcher Demko could use a bit of help, that can be said even more about this week. In the last three games before facing the Boston Bruins, which he started in each game, the Boston College product gave up nine total goals. Also does not help things that Demko has also started a league-high 17 games before Sunday. The Canucks’ offense has been close to nonexistent as well, ranking fourth to last in goals per game. Guys like Elias Pettersson and Tanner Pearson need to step it up on offense, or it’s going to be a long year.
No.26: Chicago Blackhawks: (+3)
The Blackhawks after a horrendous start to the ’21-’22 season, have been able to string together some wins to end out November. Before their Sunday night matchup against the San Jose Sharks, Chicago was on a 6-2 stretch to close out the month. This is not to say they have turned a corner, as they still rank bottom 10 in most metrics. However, winning is preferable to the alternative.
No.25: Los Angeles Kings (-4)
The Kings before their phyric victory against Ottowa, the Kings had been on a five-game losing streak. Phyric is being used since Brendan Lemeuix is rightfully going to be suspended for channeling his inner Alexandre Burrows. Bitting Senators’ captain Brady Tkachuk in the win. Despite the team having some promising young talent, Los Angeles clearly needs more time to shape up its core.
No.24: Seattle Kraken (+7)
After a six-game losing streak, the Kraken have been red hot as of late. Not only have they won three of their last four, but they’ve also done so against some excellent competition. They have wins against the Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, and Florida Panthers, not too shabby. Jaden Schwartz ended up having four points in a 5-2 win over Washington as well. Being able to go toe to toe with the elites of the Eastern Conference has to be a huge confidence booster.
No.23: San Jose Sharks (+0)
The Sharks now sit a pair of games over .500 after a win in Chicago. A 3-1 week as a whole puts them as the five seed in the Pacific, but just two games out of guaranteed playoff spot. Timo Meier has been leading the way, in what could be a career year for the Swiss-born winger. Erik Karlsson has now also halved his point production from a season ago 15 games in. Not a world-beater, but San Jose has been solid as of late.
No.22: Dallas Stars (+2)
Believe it or not, the Stars are quietly one of the NHL’s hottest teams, sitting at 7-3 in their last 10. More recently, they’ve won their last three, two of which came against the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche. Roope Hintz is leading the way in the scoring department for Dallas in this stretch. He has four goals and two assists in his last five outings, good for the team lead. To see where they are now after starting out 4-6-2 is one of the better stories going right now in hockey.
No.21: Philadelphia Flyers (-5)
The Flyers have fallen off a cliff. They are now going to close out November going 2-8 in their last 10. Additionally losing six in a row, all of which to teams ahead of them here. Both netminders Carter Hart and Martin Jones have .500 records in regulation and a combined four overtime losses. A players-only meeting or two are likely needed here.
No.20: Nashville Predators (-3)
The Predators have been on a seesaw after a brutal stretch before this week. They went 2-2 in their last four outings, the two loses coming to the Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. In the month of November, they are a lousy 0-5 when they score two goals or less, a worrying trend. Also worrying is Roman Josi is the No. 2 goal scorer on the year with seven. Someone else has to step up and quick, Matt Duchene can only do so much.
No.19: Colorado Avalanche (+3)
The Avalanche continue to make amends for a 2-4 start to the season. They in this last week of play are 3-1 scoring 18 goals in the three wins. Nazem Kadri continues to be a force in the stat sheet for Colorado as well. He has six assists in this latest stretch to go along with a pair of goals. Additionally, some guy named Nathan MacKinnon is re-joining this lineup imminently after missing close to the last month.
No.18: Columbus Blue Jackets (+2)
Columbus remains warm over the last month, set to now finish November at a good 6-4 in their last 10, and 3-2 in their last five. Despite sitting sixth in goals per game, the Blue Jackets sit 23rd in goals against per, not helping matters. Another double-edged sword is their shot metrics to this point. Currently, Columbus is 10th to last in shots, but fourth in shooting percentage. They have players who can clearly put the puck in the back of the net, just not at the amount they would like. Look for a guy like Patrik Laine to hopefully step it up in that department.
No.17: New Jersey Devils (-3)
New Jersey played around .500 ball to close out the month. In November they will finish 2-2-1 in their last five, but 5-3-2 in their last 10. Most metrics available would lead you to believe the Devils are a middle-of-the-road team. However, they sit tied for 20th for points with 22. Andreas Johnsson continues to be a bright spot, however.
No.16: St. Louis Blues (-3)
The Blues still sit as a top 10 offense, scoring 3.33 a game but Jordan Binnington continues to be shakey in net. Now sitting 7-5-3 with a .913 save percentage and 2.80 goals against. Binnington is also 1-3-1 in his last five starts. Although the Blues sit 10th in points in the NHL, the goaltending would suggest they are not a top 10 unit. Hence their placement this week.
No.15: Pittsburgh Penguins (+5)
The Penguins’ core refuses to go away. Every year it feels like they’re done, but they are still relatively competitive as of late. Before a loss to Montreal, Pittsburgh was on a five-game winning streak, averaging a little over three goals a game. Jake Guentzel is also becoming the guy for the Pens. He currently is tied for the team lead in goals but leads in assists and total points. While the offensive metrics aren’t off the charts, Pittsburgh is still worth monitoring going into December.
No.14: Winnipeg Jets (-2)
The Jets finally snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Calgary, but those losses are going to cost them here. Connor Hellebuyck ended up losing three times in five nights, with 13 goals allowed. Not what we’ve come to expect from one of the NHL’s best. The Jets have otherwise been all or nothing in the goal department this year. With two goals or less, they are 0-5-4. Every single win they have this year has featured three goals or more. If that is the magic number, Winnipeg should adjust accordingly.
No.13: Boston Bruins (+5)
If not for a third-period comeback against Vancouver, this week would have been less than ideal for Boston. After they were shut out at home by the Calgary Flames, they throttled Buffalo before they lost to the Rangers on Thursday beat Vancouver on Sunday night. As of now, the Bruins sit middle of the road on both sides of the ice, but could reinforcements be on the way in the form of Tuukka Rask? The current free agent goaltender is expected to begin skating in a number of weeks and has been adamant that he will only play for Boston. Something to keep an eye on in the coming months if the netminding is still shakey for the Bruins.
No.12: Detroit Red Wings (+3)
Just a pair of games for Hockeytown’s squad, but both resulted in two points for Detroit. Although it is still early in the year, the Red Wings sitting at fourth in the Atlantic feels like an improvement. It may be incremental progress, but Steve Yzerman will have a competitive Red Wings squad sooner or later.
No.11: Anaheim Ducks (-2)
After their big win streak was snapped, the Ducks have hit some treacherous waters. The only win in their last five outings came against Ottowa on Friday. The Ducks felt due for some losses after such a great run, but weathering a rough stretch here could go a long way. If anything just to develop a culture with guys like Troy Terry and Boston University legend Trevor Zegras.
No.10: Vegas Golden Knights (+1)
Vegas has seemingly plateaued for now but are in a much better spot than what they were earlier in the year. This is despite Robin Lehner taking a step back, already logging 17 starts to this point. This Golden Knights team still has a ton of talent and should get to where they need to be sooner rather than later though. Don’t forget as well, they could potentially have a top line of Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and Jack Eichel down the road. That of course if the latter doesn’t have any setbacks from his recent neck surgery.
No.9: Tampa Bay Lightning (-2)
The back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions just keep on keeping on. Although Tampa lost to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, they were riding a pair of shutout wins going into that matchup. The only major concern with Tampa 20 games in is the usage rate of Andrei Vasilevskiy. As of now, he is on pace to start a career-high 70 games. Not that he can’t handle that workload, just that the risk of burning him out looms large. Especially if Tampa Bay wants the elusive Stanley Cup three-peat. The only reason they fall here is some other impressive squads, nothing on them per se. Tampa is still as good as advertised.
No.8: New York Rangers (+2)
The Rags capped off a big week with a huge win in Boston for the Thanksgiving Showdown. New York just trails four teams as of now in points heading into November. Some of that could be schedule-related, but they can control only what they can. A trouble spot for the Blue Shirts however is putting guys in the box. They sit as one of 13 teams logging 9.5 or more penalty minutes a game. Not all, but a majority of those teams are far from contenders, teams like the Canadiens and Islanders for example. In fairness, so are the Lightning, who sit one spot back of the Rangers here.
No.7: Calgary Flames (-1)
The NHL’s top defense still resides in Calgary, Alberta as November comes to a close. In this last week after shutting out Boston, the Flames played just two games in the ensuing week. They ended up going 1-1 against Winnipeg and Chicago. You can’t fault them for having one less game to play, however, Calgary does fall here, albeit by just a couple of spots.
No.6: Minnesota Wild (+2)
The big problem for Minnesota around 20 games has been keeping the puck out of their own net. This week, that has been remedied for now. Over the last three games for the Wild, they’ve let up just five goals in their last three games. Those being against Tampa, Winnipeg, and New Jersey, not a bad three-game sample size. Now toping the Central Divison with the second-best record in the West, Minnesota may have a contender if the defense can hold.
No.5: Toronto Maple Leafs (+1)
The Maple Leafs continue their winning ways, picking up a trio of big wins in the last week. This is all despite John Tavares being the lone player at the 20 point plateau, and averaging 2.77 goals a game as a team. As has been the case just about all year, it has been about defense in Toronto. Currently, the defense led by Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin has given up 2.17 a game, good for third-best in the NHL. The penalty kill also ranks seventh in the league, stopping opposing power plays at just under an 85.5 percent clip.
No.4: Edmonton Oilers (+0)
The Oilers stand firm at the No. 4 spot despite a loss to Dallas earlier in the week. The duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have both been phenomenal this year, the latter leading the league in points currently. With Mike Smith on the mend plus having a setback in recovery, the defense and netminding hasn’t been completely dreadful. Even if they are averaging three goals against in the last week, the offense can pick up the slack. Evan Bouchard has stepped up as well on the back end.
No.3: Florida Panthers (-1)
The Panthers fall a spot due to a pair of losses to Seattle and Washington. The former of which beat Florida by a score of 4-1 in what was a Chris Driedger revenge game. The Panthers now are on a two-game losing streak after winning their last four. Not much cause for concern, however. They still rank as a top-five offense and defense as we enter December. Additionally, they have five players currently over 15 points. That list includes Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aleksander Barkov.
No.2: Carolina Hurricanes (-1)
The Hurricanes drop here for the same reasons as Florida. Despite that, they are still undeniably a top-three team in hockey at the moment. While the Seattle loss could be put in the ‘bad’ category, the Washington loss on Sunday is more forgivable. In between those two outings was a 6-3 routing of Philidelphia as well. Carolina still has the best defense in the Eastern Conference, as well as a league-wide top 10 offense. No reason for panic in Raliegh whatsoever.
No.1: Washington Capitals (+2)
After picking up wins over both Florida and Carolina in the last three days, Washington leapfrogging to No. 1 feels appropriate. The Caps sit at an NHL best 8-1-1 in their last 10 at the end of November. After moving to No. 4 on the all-time goals list, Alex Ovechkin in the last week has scored four goals this week. That includes a hat trick against Carolina on Sunday. Currently, only Washington and Florida rank top five in both goals for and against per game. A top 10 penalty kill doesn’t hurt Washington much either.
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