NHL power rankings: Golden Knights’ Eichel putting together a Hart-worthy season?

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) celebrates his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Wells Fargo Center.

Credit: © Eric Hartline

Oh look everyone! Hunter Crowther’s back! Yaaaaaaaaay! This will be good news if you don’t like Mike Gould or terrible news if you don’t like Hunter. Or maybe you just don’t like me and this news doesn’t change your feelings. Regardless, Hunter is back to power rank after his one-week suspension for daring to challenge me on my stance on the Winnipeg Jets, which I’m sure he won’t do agai- Oh for the love of…!

Hunter and I continue to navigate through the results so far this season with another week of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six 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) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 29-11-3, +34
Last Week: 2nd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Hunter: Every time a sports talk show has a betting segment, the usual suspects come up in the Hart Trophy conversation. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, etc. I’ve harped on this before, but Jack Eichel not getting any love for the season’s Most Valuable Player is astonishing. Eichel has 43 assists in 42 games, along with 11 goals, and on the first unit for both the power play and penalty kill. I know there’s a lot of great players on the Golden Knights, but it feels like we’re watching an apex season for Eichel.

Scott: We’ve got our midseason award picks here at Daily Faceoff coming up on Wednesday (stay tuned for that!), and I have Eichel in my top five at the moment. He’s really playing like what we expected from him back when he was gunning for the first overall pick against McDavid.

2. Washington Capitals

Record: 28-10-5, +43
Last Week: 1st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Hunter: The Capitals have only won four of their last seven games, but all three of those losses were in overtime or a shootout, so their recent string of play would be even more impressive if they scored a few more shootout goals. In the nine games Alex Ovechkin has played since returning from injury, he’s scored five times. Let’s pick a date for when he breaks The Great One’s record: I’m going to say April 10, at home against the Carolina Hurricanes. Place your bets.

Scott: Part of me wonders: let’s say Ovi just misses out on the record this season by one, two, three goals. Does the NHL give the Caps a lengthy homestand to start next season to ensure that he does it in Washington?

3. New Jersey Devils

Record: 26-15-4, +28
Last Week: 5th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Hunter: Coming off a four-game skid, the Devils won two of their three games last week and came away with points in all of them. But the only game I thought they really took control of was their Saturday win over the Lightning, as they were outplayed by the lowly Rangers and won a coin flip over the Kraken. Jack Hughes looked great this week; he’s got goals in back-to-back games after going scoreless in 9 of the previous 10.

4. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 26-13-3, +22
Last Week: 6th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Scott: For the record, if not for the fact that the Oilers haven’t played as many games as the Golden Knights, Capitals and Jets, they likely would have been my top team this week, as they fell just one point outside of the five-point rule to make it that high. They’ve won five of their last six games, and not only is Connor McDavid still great, Leon Draisaitl has elevated his game to (deservedly) be in the Hart and Selke conversations. Now, what does Edmonton do about Jeff Skinner…

Hunter: Since Nov. 23, Edmonton has gone 16-4-1. Overall, they lead the league in even-strength expected goals with 55.63 percent and scoring at least three goals in 14 straight contests. All this is coming with less than stellar goaltending from both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, who have a combined save percentage of under .900. Maybe that just means the goaltending is good enough, and they’re reliving the glory days of Grant Fuhr. Whatever it is, it feels like Edmonton is going to win every night.

5. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 29-12-3, +48
Last Week: 7th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Hunter: I saw what Scott and his ex wrote about the Jets last week, using terms like “fraudulent” and “not sorry.” I get it, I’m not good enough for you! You’re just crawling back to the past, Scott! Ahem, anyway … Surely whatever underlying metrics or whataboutism that’s followed the team through the first half of the season has tapered off, right? At some point, they are what they are: a team with a generational goalie who may be having the greatest season of his career, as well as five players on pace for more than 60 points, including two in the top 10 in scoring. If they can get one more defender ahead of the deadline, they would be my Stanley Cup pick.

Scott: With regards to their underlying metrics, no, they haven’t tapered off. At both ends of the ice, they show that this team is a good enough team to make the playoffs, but more at the fringe level that they have been for the past five years than what they appear to be this year. Hunter isn’t wrong about them having several key components that Cup contenders have, especially Hellebuyck, but history indicates that these kinds of high seed teams eventually hit a wall against a team that can drive play (see: the “unstoppable” Rangers against the Panthers last season). Unless they improve the roster or improve their play, I wouldn’t put a lot of faith in this team, especially when Hellebuyck hasn’t exactly stood on his head in the playoffs.

Hunter: I’ll only counter with: at some point, these Hall of Fame netminders go on one of “those” runs, whether it’s Henrik Lundqvist in 2014, or Carey Price in 2021, or Dominik Hasek in 1999. Maybe I’m relying too hard on anecdotal evidence, or maybe those teams were better than this Jets one, but at some point, he’s gotta drag them to the dance, he’s just gotta!

Scott: Hellebuyck does have one of those runs from 2018 back when the Jets were actually elite, but I do agree that he might have one magic run in him.

6. Minnesota Wild

Record: 27-13-4, +10
Last Week: 3rd (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Hunter: Don’t you love when the Deserve To Win O’Meter says that 65.6 percent of the time, you would have won, but instead, you lose 6-1? That’s what the Wild experienced this week — or Wild fans, at least — after a tough defeat against the Avalanche. They scraped together wins against the Blues and Sharks but lost 4-1 to the Golden Knights in their third game in four nights. Wednesday’s contest against the Oilers should be a good test for a rested Wild group that’s trying to maintain its spot in the Western Conference in the new year.

Scott: The Wild have certainly taken a step back, but that’s also been without their three best defensemen in Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin, and one of the top Hart candidates this season in Kirill Kaprizov. A lot of teams would struggle with these quality players out of the lineup.

7. Dallas Stars

Record: 27-14-1, +32
Last Week: 9th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Hunter: The Senators snapped the Stars’ seven-game winning streak, and bless their hearts, but everything is gravy and grits in the Lonestar State. Jake Oettinger still hasn’t lost a game since Dec. 27, and savvy veterans like Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn, 33 and 35, respectively, are still producing at a high level. They still have nearly $10 million in money to play with with Tyler Seguin out. I’m wondering if they go all-in on offense or beef up their defensive depth.

Scott: They’ve also seen a bit more life out of some of their struggling stars in Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. This team could be scary come playoff time.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 27-15-2, +11
Last Week: 4th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Hunter: If you told me we would reach the 2025 portion of the calendar and the Leafs were first place in the Atlantic Division, I’d say “Wow, Craig Berube must be doing a fantastic job, Auston Matthews must be scoring by the bunches, and Morgan Rielly is having a career year.” But none of that is happening, and something feels off about this group. They’d won six of their last seven before dropping the last two. But there’s a dullness as of late, a lack of urgency. Little things that get bailed out by great goaltending or all-world talent. Maybe I’ve watched this team and this group for too long, and the natural skepticism that comes with living in Toronto and listening to Toronto sports radio has saturated my world view. But something ain’t right.

Scott: I’d just like to point out that my 4th-place ranking is entirely due to my five-point rule, I had them much lower at ninth initially. Everything about this team is waving red flags. Their ability to generate and prevent chances is that of a fringe playoff team, and if their current play holds, this will be the first time in the Matthews era that the Leafs have had an expected goal share below 50%. They’ve also been given a lot of praise for how many one-goal games they’ve won, but that’s not a sign that they’re “built for playoff hockey,” that just means they’ve gotten the bounces when the game is tied and will probably regress at some point (likely the playoffs). Their goaltending has covered up a lot of their mistakes, the core four has played well when healthy, and that’s about all there is to this team right now.

That said, it’s very on-brand that this Leafs team is somehow the closest to winning the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference than any other one in the Matthews era.

9. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 26-15-3, +24
Last Week: 10th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Scott: The Canes continue to find themselves mired in inconsistency, as in their last 20 games, they’re 10-8-2. Their underlying play during this stretch hasn’t been bad, but it also isn’t what we expect from a Rod Brind’Amour coached team. That said, they’re also dealing with bad shooting and save percentages during this span, so I’d expect their play to pick up in the second half of the season.

10. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 24-11-5, +22
Last Week: 8th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Hunter: When Drew Doughty broke his ankle in the preseason, I thought the Kings were as good as dead. But now midway through the regular season, it’s been mighty impressive watching them replace Doughty’s production. For context, he scored 15 goals and 50 points last season. This year, the Kings’ defense has scored 18 goals and 64 assists for 82 points, led by Brandt Clarke, Vladislav Gavrikov, Michael Anderson and Jordan Spence. To have four defenders be on pace for at least 30 points is no small feat, and credit to Jim Hiller and the coaching staff for mining that defensive production internally.

Scott: Not only did they lose Doughty to an injury, they also lost Matt Roy to free agency and replaced him with *checks notes* Joel Edmundson. They’ve really had to overcome a lot to become arguably the best defensive team in the league.

11. Florida Panthers

Record: 25-15-3, +11
Last Week: 11th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: The Panthers have been staggering along this season, and some slack is deserved considering they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions. It also eases me a bit when they have that game every now and then where they remind you that they’re the defending Cup champions and are capable of that level. As long as they don’t lull themselves to sleep come playoff time, I’m not too concerned about them.

12. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 26-17-1, +9
Last Week: 12th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Scott: After how chaotic the first chunk of the Avs season was, it’s funny how much more boring they’ve become. Not on the ice of course, as Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar are more than worth the watch. But from a talking point perspective, there isn’t really any drama. They’ve just been winning, largely because Mackenzie Blackwood is more than good enough to get them there.

Hunter: Just wait until we eventually realize the team won’t pay Mikko Rantanen and they scramble to make some sort of Peter Pockington-type of trade that’s the stuff of legendary bar conversation for years to come. Or, they comfortably re-sign him, and carry on, as usual.

Scott: A star winger unsure about their future with the team and approaching free agency? Marner for Rantanen, who says no?

13. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 23-15-3, +38
Last Week: 13th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Hunter: Every time I think the Lightning are out, they pull themselves back in. They became the first club in the league this season with four 20-goal scorers, and they’re at the exact halfway point with 41 games played. So much attention in the division goes to the Leafs, the defending champs in the Panthers, the struggling Bruins and the Wild Card chasers in Detroit and Ottawa, that we might be overlooking the one team that may actually be the best.

Scott: Even if they aren’t the best, this is certainly a second wind from the early 2020 teams.

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 18-19-8, -34
Last Week: 17th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Hunter: My relationship with the Penguins is like my relationship with Nutella: there are days and weeks where I think it’s fantastic and I can’t get enough, then there’s stretches where it’s awful and I want nothing to do with it. Right now, it’s the former. I was skeptical going into the season, thinking they’d be out of it by February, but they had really good stretches and strung together some wins. Sunday’s loss to the Lightning was a heartbreaker, outplaying them for 56 minutes then allowing a late Nikita Kucherov goal to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 20-17-6, -2
Last Week: 18th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Scott: The Blue Jackets have now won eight of their last 11 games, and they now find themselves holding down the final Wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference (albeit with three teams with a game in hand only 1-2 points behind them). It’ll be interesting to see how they handle being without Sean Monahan for a bit of time, but what an opportunity it will be for Adam Fantilli to play on the top line and possibly showcase some of the potential that got him drafted third overall.

Hunter: The Blue Jackets have nearly $20 million in cap space. No one is going to confuse them with a Stanley Cup contender, but if they continue to win games and stay competitive in the Wildcard race, what’s the harm in making a move or two and try and make the playoffs for the first time since 2020?

16. Boston Bruins

Record: 21-19-5, -26
Last Week: 14th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Scott: This Bruins season feels like an excellent representation of the Bruins for the past 10 years. Every year finally felt like the season that they would frickin’ die, but somehow they found a way to persevere. This season, it feels like every game will be the one that really starts the slide that sees them fall out of the playoffs for good. They did lose six in a row before their overtime win over the Panthers, and despite holding the first Wildcard spot in the East, the Blue Jackets, Senators, Red Wings and Canadiens all jump them in points percentage. Never count them out, but this really feels like our year!… for everyone not in Boston.

17. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 19-13-10, -6
Last Week: 15th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Scott: I didn’t realize that the Canucks had lost nine of 11 games before playing the Leafs on Saturday. I know things have been bad, but I didn’t realize it was quite this bad. It really goes to show the current state of the Western Conference playoff race for that final Wildcard spot (because let’s be honest, the top seven are basically locked in already) that the Canucks have been this bad and they still have that last spot… for now.

18. Calgary Flames

Record: 20-14-7, -13
Last Week: 16th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Scott: Not to discredit some of the performances from this Flames team, like the resurgence of Jonathan Huberdeau, but this team really is just Dustin Wolf carrying them to victory when he’s in net. He’s been stellar in the crease for a Flames team that hasn’t scored that much and will probably struggle even more to score with Connor Zary out.

Hunter: I know the Calder Trophy always goes to the top draft pick that scores 50 or 60 points, but it feels like we should be giving Wolf way more credit. We say it all the time: no position affects the game more than goalie, and Wolf’s .916 SV% in 22 appearances has singlehandedly put the Flames in a race in January. The last goalie to win the Calder Trophy was Steve Mason in 2009. His save percentage that year? .916.

19. New York Islanders

Record: 17-18-7, -15
Last Week: 23rd (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Scott: Don’t look now, but the Islanders have won three games in a row and are creeping back into the playoff race. It’s been a weird season, especially with Ilya Sorokin’s struggles and all the injuries to key players that they’ve had to deal with, but it does feel like this team is more of a fringe playoff team than a lottery team. That said, the elite defensive play that they had last season under Patrick Roy has faltered to just a good defense, so without that fastball, I can’t say I’m too confident in the Isles’ chances to do anything.

20. New York Rangers

Record: 20-20-2, -9
Last Week: 26th (+6)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Scott: The Rangers appeared to have finally put some Flex Tape on whatever problem they were dealing with, at least to the point where they aren’t drowning anymore. They’ve won four of their last six games, and the two losses have come to the Caps and the Stars. That said, they have 4-5 points to gain and 5-6 places to overtake to get back in the playoffs, so they need a bit more than just “we’ve stopped the bleeding” if they want to rejoin the playoff race.

21. Ottawa Senators

Record: 21-18-3, +2
Last Week: 19th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Scott: This Sens team still has a couple problems, but I have to give them credit for their excellent defending this season. That hasn’t entirely shown in recent weeks, but that’s also due to the injury to Linus Ullmark, as they’ve been a middling 3-4-1 due to a few tough performances in net. The team in front of their goalies has been one of the best defensive teams in the league, and while they aren’t generating chances under the hood, they do have the talent in Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson and Josh Norris to actually stick around in the playoff race. I don’t normally have a soft spot for the Sens, but I wouldn’t be disappointed to see them make the playoffs.

22. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 20-18-4, -12
Last Week: 24th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Hunter: I have a lot of Red Wing fans in my life, be it my family, my future in-laws, my friends, etc. I can tell you right now: the group chats are cooking. The hope is building. They’ve won seven straight. The hiring of Todd McLellan might already be Steve Yzerman’s greatest move in Detroit. Why shouldn’t Red Wing fans be excited? Oh, that’s right: this isn’t sustainable, and they don’t have the goaltending or talent pool or blueline depth to make the playoffs. But hey, I’d be happy to be proven wrong.

Scott: I also have a lot of Red Wings fans in my family, so they’ll always have a special place in my heart, and it’s good to see them make some noise again. But I agree with Hunter, there’s still a lot of flaws with this team.

23. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 20-18-4, -14
Last Week: 22nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Hunter: Just like the Red Wings, the Canadiens have been on a hot streak and are one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the last few weeks. With a 9-2-1 record since Dec. 17, you’re happy for a club that’s been in a perpetual rebuild for the last handful of years. But also like Detroit, it’s not sustainable and it won’t guide them into the post-season. That being said, let’s just be happy Patrik Laine is finding his groove, and both Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki are having career years.

Scott: I caught a bit of flak for being so dismissive of the Habs’ recent run last week, so I’ll give credit where it’s due: there is some legitimacy to this stretch of play. They aren’t an amazing team by any means, but they are actually winning the expected goals battle more often than not and are playing at the level of a fringe playoff team – which is exactly what they are right now.

24. Utah Hockey Club

Record: 18-17-7, -8
Last Week: 20th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: Maybe Mike was right to break up with this team. Every time Utah gets my hopes up, they go on a run like this current stretch of eight losses in 10 games to let me down again. Now, they find themselves five points out of a playoff spot with no games in hand, and will need to turn things around again if they want to hang around this season, because there is a lot to like about this team outside of the inconsistencies. That said, it will be a struggle with Dylan Guenther out indefinitely.

25. St. Louis Blues

Record: 20-20-4, -8
Last Week: 21st (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Scott: It’s safe to say that the new coach bump has calmed down in St. Louis now. Sure, an 11-8-3 record under Jim Montgomery is still better than what they had been to start the season, but it doesn’t signify a significant turnaround with this Blues squad. They’re four points out of a playoff spot, but they have played two more games than the Canucks, and even if they squeak in, I don’t anticipate that they’d be a tough out for whoever gets the top seed in the West.

26. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 18-20-5, -19
Last Week: 25th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: The Flyers had that brief glimmer of hope that they’d stick around in the playoff race, but that seems to have faded in recent weeks. Not only have they lost six of their last nine games, but all six losses have come to teams that are either in the playoffs or in the bubble, and all three wins have come against lottery contending teams in the Ducks and Sharks. I feel like that’s a good indication as to where this team is at, so it’s probably best to just sell this trade deadline and hope you get a top pick.

Hunter: Hey, at least they layeth the smacketh down on the Ducks and sent Cutter Gauthier home packing. But you’re right, it’s time for Daniel Briere to test the market and start mapping out the future.

27. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 18-20-5, -27
Last Week: 27th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Hunter: Not a great week for the Ducks, as they lost in overtime to the Flames then dropped two stinkers to the Blues and Flyers, the latter being Gauthier’s return to Philadelphia. The Flyers may have had the last laugh, beating Anaheim 6-0, but Gauthier had the, uh, he had the other last laugh, scoring twice against the Hurricanes Sunday, including the OT-winner. Take the positives when you can get ‘em.

28. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 16-22-5, -14
Last Week: 29th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott: The Sabres find themselves in a similar territory as the Rangers, reaching the point where they aren’t embarrassingly bad and the talk of the town anymore, but they also aren’t exactly going on a run to inspire confidence. After that three-game winning streak to bounce back from the 13-game losing streak, they’re back to struggling with four losses in their past six games.

29. Nashville Predators

Record: 13-22-7, -31
Last Week: 28th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Scott: I know the Predators have been really bad all season, but I still get surprised when I look at the standings and see that they haven’t at least pulled away from the Sharks and Blackhawks.They have those occasional moments where they look like the team that Barry Trotz spent a boatload of money on in the summer, but they’re taking more steps backward than forward. Consider me intrigued to see what they do at the deadline with how tough it is to map out where they go from here.

Hunter: Maybe they can trade both Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Schenn to a contending team that’s in need of some playoff depth? Maybe there’s a team in the Greater Toronto Area they could go to? Maybe ther- alright, that’s enough. But it does feel like Nashville will soon be Open For Business©.

30. Seattle Kraken

Record: 18-23-3, -16
Last Week: 30th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Hunter: Friend of the Daily Faceoff Power Rankings Steve “Dangle” Glynn had a tweet over the weekend that blew my mind, highlighting how the Kraken are a few games over .500 when Joey Daccord starts in net, but when Philipp Grubauer plays, it’s basically a 67 percent chance you lose. I don’t think Seattle is a playoff team to begin with, but if they had a competent backup, they could at least be higher on the DFO Power Rankings.

Scott: Considering that the Kraken aren’t even a playoff team with Daccord carrying them, it’s probably for the best that they hang on to Grubauer to improve their draft chances.

31. San Jose Sharks

Record: 13-26-6, -44
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Hunter: Yes yes, the Sharks are fun to watch, and Macklin Celebrini is Real Deal Holyfield, but they are an awful team and they’re going to be even worse once general manager Mike Grier trades away pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and leading scorer Mikael Granlund, or fellow pending UFA and minute-crunching defender Cody Ceci. Heck, what do you think you could fetch for Jake Walman, who has another year left on his current deal? It’s the Nissan Sales Event here in the Bay Area!

32. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 14-27-2, -36
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Hunter: I watched the Blackhawks’ Saturday night loss to the Oilers and thought it was a perfect microcosm to what Chicago’s season has been like: a great start, letting the opponent climb back into it, overwhelmed in the third period, unable to generate enough for a comeback. Connor Bedard’s nine-game point streak came to an end, but he’s still on pace for 72 points. Just imagine how good he’d be if he played in an NHL-caliber lineup?
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