NHL Power Rankings: The New Jersey Devils own Western Canada

Credit: © Sergei Belski

Another week, another power rankings, with plenty of teams still moving drastically thanks to early season sample sizes. We see a team defend the top spot successfully for the first time this season, and we also see a lot of winning and losing streaks shoot teams up and down the rankings.

As I’ve done so far this season, I’ll be ranking teams not just on their results in the standings, but also with how they’ve looked in several stats as well. Otherwise I’d just copy and paste the standings, right? No fun in that. The rankings are an aggregate of six different stats: points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick. But, to ground the rankings a bit, no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead in the standings, regardless of the aggregate (a rule that finally comes into play a couple times this week).

1. New Jersey Devils

Record: 9-3-0 (.750%, 3rd)
5v5 Goal Differential: +10 (t-2nd)
5v5 xGF/60: 3.62 (1st)
5v5 xGA/60: 1.93 (1st)
PP xGF/60: 10.04 (2nd)
PK xGA/60: 6.26 (6th)
5v5 PDO: 97.9
Previous Week: 1st (0)

The Devils are the first team to top our power rankings for two straight weeks after a statement road trip out West to improve to six straight wins. The win over the Canucks wasn’t one to write home about, but they stunned the Oilers with two late goals and had a strong performance against the Flames. Vitek Vanecek seems to finally be giving this team solid goaltending, and he’ll need to with Mackenzie Blackwood out for the time being.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 8-3-1 (.708%, t-4th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +5 (t-10th)
5v5 xGF/60: 3.15 (5th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.12 (2nd)
PP xGF/60: 9.46 (7th)
PK xGA/60: 5.48 (2nd)
5v5 PDO: 99
Previous Week: 3rd (+1)

The Hurricanes almost had a perfect week, and that’s a huge reason why they leapfrog the Bruins to the No. 2 spot on the rankings. They started off the week with three wins over the Capitals, Lightning, and Sabres, only coughing it up on Sunday with a loss to the Leafs, a game they outplayed Toronto in. The Canes couldn’t capitalize on the tired team playing its third-string goalie in net.

3. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 11-2-0 (.846%, 1st)
5v5 Goal Differential: +10 (t-2nd)
5v5 xGF/60: 3.22 (4th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.2 (3rd)
PP xGF/60: 7.57 (15th)
PK xGA/60: 7.09 (10th)
5v5 PDO: 102
Previous Week: 5th (+2)

The Golden Knights also leapfrog the Bruins now that they lead the NHL in points after three straight wins last week and seven straight going back two weeks. It was against injury-riddled teams in the Capitals and Senators, and a weaker team in the Canadiens, but Vegas seems to be doing quite well under new coach Bruce Cassidy.

4. Boston Bruins

Record: 10-2-0 (.833%, 2nd)
5v5 Goal Differential: +9 (4th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.79 (t-13th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.25 (4th)
PP xGF/60: 9.93 (9th)
PK xGA/60: 5.77 (5th)
5v5 PDO: 98.8
Previous Week: 2nd (-2)

Speaking of Bruce Cassidy, his old team is doing just fine without him too. The Bruins took a seven-game winning streak into Saturday night, but then put in their worst performance of the season against the Maple Leafs, who outplayed them up until the final 10 minutes when they sat back to defend the 2-1 lead. That performance was quite reflective of the off-ice controversy surrounding the team as well, with Boston just recently signing controversial prospect Mitchell Miller despite the players, coaches, and even the NHL being against the decision, and then parting ways with him just two days later.

After a tough week three, the Dallas Stars jumped back up a few spots with a clean sweep of their games this week, all in dominant fashion. They held the Kings, Coyotes, and Oilers to two goals each, all without goaltender Jake Oettinger, and they got at least five goals of their own in those wins. Yes, one was against the Coyotes, but the Kings and Oilers are teams competing for playoff spots, so Dallas certainly deserves some credit there.

6. Florida Panthers

Record: 6-5-1 (.542%, t-16th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +6 (t-6th)
5v5 xGF/60: 3.33 (2nd)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.31 (t-5th)
PP xGF/60: 9.96 (3rd)
PK xGA/60: 6.93 (8th)
5v5 PDO: 99.1
Previous Week: 4th (-2)

The Panthers drop a couple spots after a mediocre week, going 2-2 on a Western road trip that probably should have gone better for them, especially with a loss to the Coyotes to start off the week. They also suffered an even worse loss in Los Angeles, losing Matthew Tkachuk for two games to a suspension, but at the very least, they survived the first of those two games with a 5-3 win over the Ducks.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 7-4-2 (.615%, t-10th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +2 (t-13th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.79 (t-13th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.48 (11th)
PP xGF/60: 9.43 (8th)
PK xGA/60: 5.86 (4th)
5v5 PDO: 100.2
Previous Week: 11th (+4)

See everyone, the Leafs are fine! Okay, they’re now short both of their goalies for the next little bit, and running with Erik Kallgren and Keith Petruzzelli as their tandem for the time being, but they are back in the win column with three straight this week. They had their two best games of the season to start the week against the Flyers and Bruins and then weathered the storm against the Hurricanes for a 3-1 win despite being a tired team playing a rested (and also strong) opponent.

8. Seattle Kraken

Record: 7-4-2 (.615%, t-10th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +6 (t-6th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.67 (17th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.46 (t-7th)
PP xGF/60: 5.5 (30th)
PK xGA/60: 5.43 (1st)
5v5 PDO: 101
Previous Week: 8th (0)

The Kraken are another team riding a winning streak into this week’s power rankings, with four in a row after wins over the Flames, Wild, and the Penguins (twice). The fact that the Kraken have lost the expected goals battle in all four games isn’t the best sign, but they’ve managed to get by thanks to some elite goaltending from… *checks notes* Martin Jones???

9. Calgary Flames

Record: 5-4-1 (.550%, 18th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +2 (t-13th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.69 (16th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.68 (t-17th)
PP xGF/60: 9.93 (4th)
PK xGA/60: 5.77 (3rd)
5v5 PDO: 98.8
Previous Week: 6th (-3)

It isn’t quite as telling in the team’s record, as dropping four in a row has put them near .500 to start the season, but the Flames are still fine for the time being. If there’s any cause for concern, it’s that they had 32.33% and 41.04% of the expected goals in their two most recent games to the Predators and Devils, so if that trend continues, it’s not a good sign for the Flames. But they seem to be keeping their head above water so far, especially with big offseason addition Jonathan Huberdeau off to a less-than-ideal start to his Flames tenure.

10. New York Islanders

Record: 7-5-0 (.583%, t-12th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +8 (5th)
5v5 xGF/60: 3.03 (6th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.98 (t-27th)
PP xGF/60: 7.28 (19th)
PK xGA/60: 6.97 (9th)
5v5 PDO: 102.5
Previous Week: 18th (+8)

The Islanders made a living out of elite defensive play in their three recent playoff runs from 2019 to 2021, so naturally they’ve exceeded expectations this season because of their elite offense covering up their subpar defensive play. They saw a five-game win streak come to an end with a 3-0 loss to the Red Wings on Saturday, but the Isles still played a strong game, much like their wins over Chicago and St. Louis this week.

11. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 6-4-1 (.591%, 11th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +6 (t-6th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.65 (18th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.64 (t-15th)
PP xGF/60: 7.19 (20th)
PK xGA/60: 7.42 (13th)
5v5 PDO: 101.7
Previous Week: 16th (+5)

We may finally have life in the Mile High city! While the Maple Leafs may have grabbed all the headlines as the underperforming top team to start the season, the Avs have been one of the ones to actually be concerned about, not just with their record, but their play as well. They responded with a couple of big wins in Finland over the Blue Jackets, although we’ll have to give them another week to see if they’re truly back or if that’s just the effects of playing Columbus.

12. New York Rangers

Record: 6-4-3 (.577%, t-16th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -5 (t-25th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.85 (9th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.46 (t-7th)
PP xGF/60: 11 (1st)
PK xGA/60: 9.09 (27th)
5v5 PDO: 97.2
Previous Week: 10th (-2)

Ah regression, you work in mysterious but hilarious ways. Despite the fact that the Rangers have been playing much better than they did last season, they’ve underperformed a bit on the scoreboard this year. They still find themselves in a playoff spot because they manage to salvage points, this week taking care of the Flyers in overtime before losing to the Bruins in regulation and the Wings in overtime.

13. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 7-6-1 (.536%, 19th)
5v5 Goal Differential: 0 (t-17th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.82 (t-10th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.47 (10th)
PP xGF/60: 7.35 (18th)
PK xGA/60: 7.13 (11th)
5v5 PDO: 98.9
Previous Week: 12th (-1)

It was another solid week for the Kings, going 2-1-1 as they start to climb out of a mediocre first couple of weeks of the season. Not only that, but they looked good in all four games as well, which is an even bigger reason why they’ve stayed in the top half of these rankings. No one wants to lose to Chicago, even in overtime, but the Kings carried the play, and they were the better team in both wins this week over the Blues and Panthers.

14. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 7-5-0 (.583%, t-12th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +6 (t-6th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.62 (19th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.68 (t-17th)
PP xGF/60: 5.41 (31st)
PK xGA/60: 7.56 (14th)
5v5 PDO: 102.1
Previous Week: 20th (+6)

The Sabres continue to keep the hope of making the playoffs alive, going 2-2 on the week, although they’ve still been posting middling numbers in those games, especially against the playoff teams. While Rasmus Dahlin has cooled off a bit from his hot start, Tage Thompson has taken over as the player on fire with six goals and 12 points in his last five games.

15. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 7-3-2 (.667%, 7th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -2 (t-22nd)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.1 (28th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.78 (22nd)
PP xGF/60: 7.62 (14th)
PK xGA/60: 6.71 (7th)
5v5 PDO: 101.3
Previous Week: 15th (0)

And here we have it, the first team to be the beneficiary of the five-point rule in the power rankings this season, as the Wings keep their 15th spot for another week by forcing the Penguins to drop five spots from the aggregate due to their six point gap. They do so because of three straight wins over the Caps, Islanders, and Rangers, although Detroit got outplayed in all three, with consistent possession continuing to be this team’s biggest struggle early on.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 4-6-2 (.417%, 25th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +5 (t-10th)
5v5 xGF/60: 3.27 (3rd)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.5 (12th)
PP xGF/60: 9.11 (10th)
PK xGA/60: 8.21 (20th)
5v5 PDO: 100.8
Previous Week: 9th (-7)

A bad start for the Penguins gets even worse for them, as they now find themselves in a seven-game losing streak after three more this week to the Bruins, Sabres, and Kraken. The Bruins defeat in particular was an ugly one, as the Pens saw a 5-2 lead evaporate to lose 6-5 in overtime. If it’s any consolation, they should have been 11th based on their play driving metrics if not for the five-point rule not allowing them to pass the Red Wings right now.

17. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 7-4-1 (.625%, 9th)
5v5 Goal Differential: 0 (t-17th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.74 (15th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.72 (20th)
PP xGF/60: 7.83 (13th)
PK xGA/60: 10.38 (31st)
5v5 PDO: 100
Previous Week: 22nd (+5)

Speaking of underperforming Cup contenders, the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to play like the team we’ve seen so far: a skilled playoff team able to pull off some wins while struggling to consistently outplay their opponents, something we haven’t seen from this team in a long time. They looked good in their win over the Sabres, but they struggled mightily against the the Hurricanes and were even outplayed in their win over the Sens, although they were without Victor Hedman for both of those games. They do move up five spots because of an improved record, but we expect a lot more from the Bolts.

18. Minnesota Wild

Record: 5-5-1 (.500%, t-20th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -10 (28th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.41 (24th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.31 (t-5th)
PP xGF/60: 9.79 (6th)
PK xGA/60: 8.73 (24th)
5v5 PDO: 96.5
Previous Week: 19th (+1)

It was a quick week for the Wild, playing just two games and splitting them, with a win over the Canadiens before dropping a 4-0 loss to the Kraken. Marc-Andre Fleury’s start continues to be inconsistent, with a .971 save percentage against the Habs before posting an .888 against the Kraken, and it’s playing a big role in the team’s mediocre start to the season, but they also need some more scoring from their depth players.

19. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 7-5-0 (.583%, t-12th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -1 (t-19th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.82 (t-10th)
5v5 xGA/60: 3.09 (29th)
PP xGF/60: 8.26 (12th)
PK xGA/60: 9.3 (28th)
5v5 PDO: 100.1
Previous Week: 14th (-5)

Much like four straight wins shot the Oilers up last week’s power rankings, two straight losses this week shoot them right back down. They looked good against the Preds to extend their win streak to five, but a couple of late goals cost them against the Devils, and they just got outclassed in a 6-2 blowout loss to the Stars. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can only outscore this team’s problems so much, especially when new addition Jack Campbell has been underperforming, and the defense in front of him hasn’t been much better.

20. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 7-3-1 (.682%, 6th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -1 (t-19th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.53 (22nd)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.98 (t-27th)
PP xGF/60: 6.94 (22nd)
PK xGA/60: 8.26 (21st)
5v5 PDO: 100.2
Previous Week: 25th (+5)

The Jets have been one of the teams in the early going that have struggled to get out of the basement of these rankings despite their record, as they just haven’t had the analytics to back it up. This week was a sign of improvement, as they got a 3-2 win over the Canadiens and a 4-0 win over Chicago while also outplaying them, although only playing two games this week keeps the Jets from jumping up these rankings even more. That said, I’d maybe like to see them do this against more competitive teams before I start to think this team is changing for the better.

21. Ottawa Senators

Record: 4-7-0 (.364%, 28th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +5 (t-10th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.99 (7th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.76 (21st)
PP xGF/60: 6.89 (23rd)
PK xGA/60: 7.87 (17th)
5v5 PDO: 101.7
Previous Week: 13th (-8)

The five-point rule strikes again, dropping the Sens from 18th to 21st after losing their last five games to drop them to 30th in the league standings, and more importantly in this case, seven points behind the Jets. Three losses last week piled onto that: to the Lightning, Golden Knights, and Flyers. Some good news is that the Sens finally got Cam Talbot back from injury. He’s been really good so far in his two games.

22. San Jose Sharks

Record: 3-8-3 (.321%, 31st)
5v5 Goal Differential: -12 (t-29th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.55 (t-20th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.6 (t-13th)
PP xGF/60: 8.58 (11th)
PK xGA/60: 7.71 (16th)
5v5 PDO: 97
Previous Week: 28th (+6)

It’s hard to believe a team that didn’t win this week could move up the rankings as much as the Sharks have, but that’s the Erik Karlsson redemption tour for you. The Sharks actually won the expected goals battle in all three games this week (albeit two were against the Ducks), with Karlsson playing a huge role in that, including a hat trick in one game, logging more than 30 minutes in the other two, and eight points overall in three games.

23. Washington Capitals

Record: 5-6-2 (.462%, 22nd)
5v5 Goal Differential: +1 (t-15th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.28 (t-25th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.6 (t-13th)
PP xGF/60: 6.99 (21st)
PK xGA/60: 8.99 (26th)
5v5 PDO: 101.2
Previous Week: 17th (-6)

Those injuries seem to have finally caught up with the Caps, as they lost all four games last week. The Hurricanes and Golden Knights were a tough way to start the week while down several stars, but the Red Wings and Coyotes are probably games you would like to have if you’re looking to weather the storm. They still haven’t gotten John Carlson back, while T.J. Oshie is out indefinitely and Connor Brown is most likely done for the season, but they did claim Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers from the Maple Leafs to add a bit of depth up front.

24. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 3-6-3 (.375%, 27th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -2 (t-22nd)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.48 (23rd)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.64 (t-15th)
PP xGF/60: 7.39 (16th)
PK xGA/60: 8.47 (23rd)
5v5 PDO: 100.1
Previous Week: 29th (+5)

Things aren’t quite as apocalyptic for the Canucks as they were to start the year, but they are still far from okay. They won a barn-burner 8-5 game over the Ducks, but the Ducks seem to be an easy target for most teams this season, while the Canucks got outplayed in losses to the Devils and Preds, so it’s still not really a week to write home about.

25. Nashville Predators

Record: 5-6-1 (.458%, t-23rd)
5v5 Goal Differential: -2 (t-22nd)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.82 (t-10th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.71 (19th)
PP xGF/60: 6.45 (25th)
PK xGA/60: 10.14 (30th)
5v5 PDO: 99.7
Previous Week: 27th (+2)

The Predators took the Western Canada road trip this week and came out winning two of their three games, something I’m sure they’ll take after their struggles early on. They couldn’t quite keep up with McDavid and Draisaitl in Edmonton, and the game against Vancouver was a gimme, but they played by far their best game of the season against a really strong Calgary team, so maybe the Preds are starting to see some improvement.

26. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 6-3-2 (.636%, 8th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -1 (t-19th)
5v5 xGF/60: 1.99 (30th)
5v5 xGA/60: 3.27 (31st)
PP xGF/60: 6.14 (27th)
PK xGA/60: 7.88 (18th)
5v5 PDO: 101.6
Previous Week: 23rd (-3)

The Flyers managed to go .500 this week, but yet again, they still haven’t won an expected goal battle in a game this season, and they either need to start doing that or bank some more points to rely on that five-point rule to jump up these rankings. It doesn’t help that they played their two worst games of the season on back-to-back nights against the Rangers and Leafs, but the Flyers did sneak out a win against a struggling Sens team thanks to another dominant performance from Carter Hart, who now has the most 5-on-5 goals saved above expected by almost five with 16.76.

27. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 5-5-2 (.500%, t-20th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -5 (t-25th)
5v5 xGF/60: 1.93 (31st)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.82 (23rd)
PP xGF/60: 5.36 (32nd)
PK xGA/60: 7.32 (12th)
5v5 PDO: 100.4
Previous Week: 24th (-3)

That strong start for Chicago is well in the rearview mirror at this point, as it went 1-2 last week, with its lone win coming in overtime, and also struggled to get even 40 percent of the expected goals in any of its games last week. The Hawks’ offense is starting to match their struggles with creating scoring chances as well, with just three goals in their three games this week.

28. St. Louis Blues

Record: 3-6-0 (.333%, 30th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -12 (t-29th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.55 (t-20th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.84 (25th)
PP xGF/60: 7.36 (17th)
PK xGA/60: 8.35 (22nd)
5v5 PDO: 95.4
Previous Week: 21st (-7)

The Blues only played two games last week, and that’s either a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, it means fewer games for them to add to their now six-game losing streak, but on the other hand, another game or two would give them a chance to finally snap this streak. They dropped both games last week, losing 5-1 to the Kings and 5-2 to Islanders, neither one was pretty, and the latter was topped off with some more infamous Jordan Binnington shenanigans.

29. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 5-6-1 (.458, t-23rd)
5v5 Goal Differential: +1 (t-15th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.28 (t-25th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.83 (24th)
PP xGF/60: 6.23 (26th)
PK xGA/60: 10.75 (32nd)
5v5 PDO: 100.5
Previous Week: 26th (-3)

It wasn’t a great week for a Habs team looking to surprise hockey fans, as they dropped all three games to the Wild, Jets, and Golden Knights and got outplayed in all three games. They’re about to lose some forward depth this week too, as Josh Anderson will miss the next two games with a suspension, and Evgenii Dadonov is out on injured reserve for the time being.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 3-9-0 (.250%, 32nd)
5v5 Goal Differential: -18 (32nd)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.15 (27th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.93 (26th)
PP xGF/60: 6.67 (24th)
PK xGA/60: 8.87 (25th)
5v5 PDO: 96
Previous Week: 32nd (+2)

How does a team jump up two spots without winning a game last week? By simply not being as bad as the other two teams in this fight for the spot as the worst team in the league. The Blue Jackets just got two games in last week, as they travelled out to Finland just to get their butts kicked by the Avalanche, and while they didn’t play great, they managed to not play as badly as the two teams below.

31. Arizona Coyotes

Record: 4-6-1 (.409%, 26th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -17 (31st)
5v5 xGF/60: 1.74 (32nd)
5v5 xGA/60: 3.15 (30th)
PP xGF/60: 5.62 (29th)
PK xGA/60: 8.13 (19th)
5v5 PDO: 97.4
Previous Week: 30th (-1)

The Coyotes keep themselves out of the last spot in these rankings once again, mostly because their scoring chance suppression on the penalty kill is good enough to drag them out of that spot. When they lose, it’s still ugly, as seen in the 7-2 loss against the Stars, but they managed to squeeze out a couple of wins last week, including their first win at Mullet Arena with a 3-1 result over the Panthers.

32. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 4-8-1 (.346%, 29th)
5v5 Goal Differential: -8 (27th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.05 (29th)
5v5 xGA/60: 3.47 (32nd)
PP xGF/60: 6.09 (28th)
PK xGA/60: 10.05 (29th)
5v5 PDO: 100.9
Previous Week: 31st (-1)

The Ducks won as many games this week as they did in the three weeks prior, but in a weird twist of fate, they find themselves in last for the first time. Well, ranking in the bottom six in every category certainly doesn’t help, and they hurt their chances even more based on the fact that they still haven’t won a game in regulation this year. To make matters worse, they likely won’t get any extra development from Jamie Drysdale, who will miss most of, if not all of the season.

_____

POINTSBET IS LIVE IN ONTARIO. PLAY NOW!

Think you know sports? PointsBet Canada is live in Ontario!