It was only a matter of time before there were two automatic Hockey Hall of Famers in one family. The Vancouver Canucks have spent the past two decades with the Sedin twins on their roster, and both are now a part of the 1000-point club. After Henrik Sedin accomplished the milestone last season, Daniel Sedin joined him with a power play goal in a surprising victory over the Nashville Predators.
Vancouver honored Daniel in Saturday’s win over Toronto, and the Canucks moved up to the middle of the NHL Power Rankings. The Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators each made significant jumps of their own, while the Buffalo Sabres are now the worst team in the NHL. Like we have never heard that before.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning: 40 points
Previously 1 (36 points)
Tampa Bay made quick work of the Sharks and Islanders in their light week to hang on to the peak of the NHL in terms of points. They have a string of Central Division opponents, including a home match against the surging Jets, over the next two weeks. Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde each had two goals in game this week, and both of Gourde’s multi-goal games have come against the Islanders.
2. Los Angeles Kings: 39 points
Previously 8 (31 points)
November was one to forget for the Kings, but they ended it well and are on the verge of cruise control. They have won six straight games to separate themselves from Vegas and company, and a trip to metro New York awaits. One reason for LA’s success has been the top defense in the league. Jonathan Quick started all four games this week and allowed just six goals, but the recent defensive efforts from Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin, as well as some offensive pushes from Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, are also of note.
3. New Jersey Devils: 36 points
Previously 5 (32 points)
Even with a bad 5-0 loss to Arizona, the Devils came out of this week in good shape. A lot of that had to do with Cory Schneider, who might be bringing back his dominance from two seasons ago. He held both Colorado and Columbus to a goal each, including 41 saves to keep the Blue Jackets in check and leap frog them for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
4. Winnipeg Jets: 38 points
Previously 6 (34 points)
Before Tuesday’s blowout loss to Detroit, the Jets continued to roll through their opponents on offense. They scored a combined 12 goals in their two wins this week, and they were at one point tied with Tampa Bay for the most points in the NHL. Tuesday’s disaster ruined that glory, but the Jets are not messing around this year. Connor Hellebuyck picked up his first shut out of the season and seventh of his career in a 5-0 win over the Senators on Sunday, and five different players scored.
5. St. Louis Blues: 38 points
Previously 2 (35 points)
St. Louis failed against two California opponents before saving some of their week on the road. After getting one point in a low-scoring affair in Minnesota, the Blues came out on top with some clutch offense in Montreal. They still lost their division lead to the streaking Predators. Brayden Schenn had a career night on Tuesday, picking up his first St. Louis hat trick and the game-winning goal in a building where he was previously a hated opponent with Philadelphia.
6. Nashville Predators: 39 points
Previously 11 (33 points)
Almost out of nowhere, the Predators are now the Western Conference leaders. After allowing Daniel Sedin to hit a milestone, Nashville ripped off three straight wins in varying fashion, including a blowout victory in Dallas in which the Preds scored four times in the first period and only allowed two mercy goals. They took a combined 9-0 lead in their last two games, and Craig Smith scored both goals to kick off their early win over Boston.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs: 37 points
Previously 3 (33 points)
The Western Canada trip was not perfect, as the previously untouchable offense fell flat in Vancouver. The offense continued to struggle against Calgary in their return home, but they escaped in a shootout. Toronto may have some trouble keeping up with Tampa Bay as they have a heavy road schedule in December. William Nylander led the Leafs with a goal and two assists in Edmonton, but the Leafs used Kris Russell‘s own goal to win. Patrick Marleau was credited with the go-ahead goal, and he now has five game-winning goals for the season.
8. Columbus Blue Jackets: 35 points
Previously 4 (33 points)
Columbus has as many converted goals on the power play in their last 15 games as they did on November 2, which was the last time they had at least two power play goals in a game. In that game, they scored seven goals in Florida, but they could not convert on six chances in a 4-1 loss to New Jersey. They face them again at the Rock on Friday before their December schedule eases up. Artemi Panarin scored two goals in a light offensive week for Columbus, and his three-point night against the Ducks was his first multi-point night in 20 games.
9. Pittsburgh Penguins: 33 points
Previously 9 (29 points)
Perhaps Pittsburgh has been disappointing, but they got rewarded with a home-and-home against Buffalo. Tristan Jarry took full advantage of the light work, picking up his first NHL shutout on 34 shots on Friday. He then allowed just one goal on 33 shots the very next day.
10. Vegas Golden Knights: 35 points
Previously 7 (31 points)
The Knights are still looking like a respectable playoff contender, and their splits are about what most teams expect. Despite a 11-2 mark at home, Vegas is below .500 on the road. That is bad news with Nashville and Dallas up next on the road schedule. More history was made in Vegas, as the first shootout in T-Mobile Arena took place against the Ducks on Tuesday. Erik Haula had points in all three goals in that game, while Alex Tuch had the shootout winner to finish a week in which he had points in every game.
11. New York Islanders: 35 points
Previously 10 (32 points)
The defense is not known for being a stalwart, but they clearly looked bad this week. They started off by losing to a very beatable Ottawa team and finished with a blowout loss in Tampa Bay. The lone win came in a high-scoring shootout in South Florida. Despite not scoring in the game, Mathew Barzal saved a late what would have been a late Florida overtime goal and scored the shootout winner on his first career attempt to sink the Panthers.
12. Washington Capitals: 35 points
Previously 12 (29 points)
This is the Caps team that we were expecting to see. They have won six of their last seven games and throttled the Sharks and Blackhawks to pull within a point of the Devils. Tom Wilson had a big night with the Nicklas Backstrom–Alex Ovechkin line, scoring twice and assisting on each of the Backstrom and Ovechkin goals against Chicago on Wednesday. Ovi, meanwhile, has eight goals and four assists in Washington’s last six wins, including a goal and three helpers in the NBC game.
13. Dallas Stars: 33 points
Previously 17 (27 points)
They were throttled on Tuesday to end their five-game winning streak, but they did sweep the home-and-home against Chicago. Hot runs from Nashville and Winnipeg has kept the Stars in the middle of the Central Division. Mattias Janmark scored twice in Chicago, including the overtime goal to start the Blackhawks’ slide.
14. San Jose Sharks: 30 points
Previously 14 (28 points)
Not exactly the kind of finish the Sharks were hoping to see to end their road trip. After San Jose’s string of defensive success continued in South Florida, the Sharks were no match to Tampa Bay and Washington. The Eastern Conference has not been kind to San Jose in November/December, and that will have to change with Carolina and Ottawa coming to the SAP Center. Aaron Dell continued his hot play with 39 saves on 40 shots in Florida, and that was enough to hold San Jose’s challenged-filled lead in tact on a night when Joe Pavelski picked up his 300th NHL goal.
15. New York Rangers: 32 points
Previously 16 (28 points)
Two games in a calendar week did not stop the Rangers from continuing their long conquest from bottom to top. After a blowout victory against the Hurricanes, the Rangers had a huge win over the rival Penguins. Michael Grabner might be on his way toward a better season than his 27-goal mark last year. He is already nearly halfway toward that mark after tallying a hat trick against Carolina.
16. Vancouver Canucks: 32 points
Previously 19 (26 points)
Plenty of accolades on this one. Brock Boeser was named the NHL Rookie of the month for November, but that was nothing compared to what happened in Nashville. Daniel Sedin became the second Sedin brother to pick up 1000 NHL points after Henrik did it last season. Of course, Daniel probably only cares about the Canucks winning all three of their games this week, as the Canucks continues to raise eyebrows. Jacob Markstrom picked up his first NHL shutout (!!!) in a 30-save effort over Carolina, but Bo Horvat is expected to miss six weeks with a foot injury.
17. Chicago Blackhawks: 29 points
Previously 13 (27 points)
Chicago has also had power play issues, but its effects in the standings are more direct. The 29th power play unit in the NHL has lost five straight games to move into a tie with Minnesota for second-to-last in the Central Division. This includes going 1-21 on the man advantage during the skid. Jonathan Toews has a three-game point streak, but both of his two goals were late in the game and did not affect the final outcome.
18. Anaheim Ducks: 30 points
Previously 18 (26 points)
Even with the recent trade, the Ducks have not found the win column very consistently. Before the win on Wednesday against the scuffling Senators, Anaheim had just one win in their last eight games, although three of those losses came via the shootout. On Wednesday, Adam Henrique scored two of Anaheim’s three goals, while Ryan Miller picked up his 40th career shutout and first with the Ducks. Amazingly, half of his starts have required a shootout.
19. Calgary Flames: 30 points
Previously 15 (27 points)
The Pacific Division just got really competitive outside of the Kings, and a lot of that has to do with Calgary’s inability to convert on an easy home schedule. They lost to Edmonton for the sixth straight time before Mike Smith had another lousy outing to help Philadelphia snap their 10-game losing streak. Despite his recent struggles, Smith did have one strong outing in the Saddledome, shutting out the Coyotes on 28 shots while Mark Jankowski had his first NHL multi-goal game on the other end.
20. Minnesota Wild: 29 points
Previously 20 (25 points)
Minnesota kept pace with the fading Blackhawks by taking advantage of their tough home schedule. They took care of Vegas, which has looked slightly less dominant at home, before a huge overtime victory against the Blues. The dreaded California road trip is now happening, and they already lost to Los Angeles. Devan Dubnyk was outstanding on Saturday, holding the Blues to one goal on 42 shots before Matt Dumba finished a thrilling back-and-forth duel in overtime.
21. Montreal Canadiens: 29 points
Previously 26 (25 points)
There must be something with the Red Wings for the Habs these days. They pulled off…get this…16 goals in their home-and-home! They are also the only team in the NHL to score 10 in a game twice over the past two seasons, but this week’s beatdown was better for two reasons. First, Detroit is better than last season’s Avalanche, the team Montreal reached double digits against. Secondly, they did not get a single point from Max Pacioretty on Saturday. Paul Byron led the way with his first NHL hat trick, and Alex Galchenyuk racked up four assists.
22. Boston Bruins: 28 points
Previously 23 (26 points)
Boston did a little bit of everything this week. Following a huge win over the Lightning, the Bruins shut out the scuffling Flyers before nearly coming back from a 4-0 hole in Nashville. With Tuukka Rask shutting out Philly for his 39th career goose egg and Anton Khudobin getting pulled in Bridgestone Arena, it is safe to assume Rask has his starting job back.
23. Carolina Hurricanes: 27 points
Previously 22 (25 points)
The bottom two teams in the division, Philadelphia and Carolina, have combined for 12 extra time losses, but the Hurricanes converted on their one OT opportunity this week in what was low-key the best game of the season. Saturday’s game was filled with brawls and numerous overtime opportunities, and Noah Hanifin tipped in the winning goal with just two seconds remaining before a shootout. It was the 47th Carolina shot on James Reimer and finished a battle in which there were 86 total shots on goal.
24. Colorado Avalanche: 26 points
Previously 21 (26 points)
Is this where the fun ends? Colorado’s decent start has fizzles out, as their recent three-game skids put them in last place in the Central Division. With two match-ups with the Lightning coming up, things could get dicey for a team that needs every bit of confidence to stay out of the basement. Nathan MacKinnon kept the Avs within striking distance on Tuesday with both Colorado goals.
25. Ottawa Senators: 24 points
Previously 16 (22 points)
Things are really going south, and not just the team being in California. Since returning from Sweden, the Senators have lost nine of their last 10, with the only win coming in a thrilling 6-5 win in Brooklyn. Thomas Chabot potted his first NHL goal in that game, while the second of Ryan Dzingel‘s two goals would be the regulation winner.
26. Detroit Red Wings: 27 points
Previously 25 (25 points)
Detroit is only alive at this moment because of the weak Atlantic Division, and those two losses to Montreal add the emphasis on “only alive.” They did redeem themselves with a blowout victory over the previously unstoppable Jets. Gustav Nyquist scored twice in that win, including one in which Josh Morrissey shoved him into Connor Hellebuyck.
27. Philadelphia Flyers: 27 points
Previously 27 (23 points)
Perhaps the Flyers are not dead yet. Despite losing 10 straight games, they have looked great on the Western Canada road trip, holding the Flames and Oilers to two goals each. Brian Elliott has particularly been outstanding, and he held the Flames to two goals on 45 shots for the win in his return to the Saddledome.
28. Edmonton Oilers: 24 points
Previously 28 (22 points)
As much as the Oilers can have bragging rights in Alberta, that cannot make up for the fact that just two teams have fewer points in the NHL. Scoring seven times on a provincial rival does not evaporate a divisional gap. Jesse Puljujarvi picked up his first NHL multi-goal game in the 7-5 slugfest in Calgary.
29. Florida Panthers: 24 points
Previously 29 (22 points)
It is concerning that the cheapest tickets for Florida’s home game against Winnipeg, one of the hottest teams in the NHL, are down to $5. That will continues to raise questions regarding Florida’s worthiness, but their inability to come through in the clutch may prevent them from gaining any ground in the Atlantic Division…or gaining any attention from the fans. Keith Yandle had a big night for Florida on Monday, tallying three assists to help Florida salvage one point against a tough Islanders offense.
30. Arizona Coyotes: 19 points
Previously 31 (16 points)
Having the second worst offense and defense in the NHL is not ideal, but it is an improvement from the beginning of the season. As a reward, the Coyotes have moved up in the NHL Power Rankings. They still have a ways to go to hurt their chances at the first overall pick. Arizona dominated the Devils in the desert on Saturday, with Scott Wedgewood picking up his first Coyotes shutout on 27 shots. He also had 42 saves in an overtime loss to Vegas on Sunday.
31. Buffalo Sabres: 18 points
Previously 30 (16 points)
Is scoring zero goals in the span of a week bad? The Sabres offense hit rock bottom to close out November and start up December. They temporarily ended their skid with a tight win in Colorado, but their horrible play has effectively thrown them to the bottom of the rankings for the foreseeable future. Jake McCabe scored his first goal of the season late in the second period to continue a back-and-forth battle in the Rockies.
BOLD PREDICTIONS:
Last week:
Nathan MacKinnon tallies a hat trick. He fell one goal short against the Sabres.
Buffalo scores at least five goals on Pittsburgh and wins. I probably should have mentioned which game of the home-and-home I was talking about. Either way, the Sabres offense was terrible again, so it does not matter.
Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby combine for six points against the Rangers on Tuesday. Only Kessel got on the board with a second period goal.
This week:
Artem Anisimov scores at least twice on Sunday against Arizona.
Braden Holtby/Philipp Grubauer holds the Islanders, the top offense in the NHL, to two goals or less on Monday.
Vegas blitzes Carolina with six goals on Tuesday.
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