The first NHL Power Rankings would not be complete without mentioning the performance Auston Matthews had on Wednesday night. The Leafs still have some work to do to be to be taken seriously, but other teams made some solid first impressions during the first two days of the season. Yes, I am talking to you, Montreal!
Also, take note of the Bold Predictions section at the bottom of the article! Chances are I will get very few correct over the season (if any), but you never know!
1. Florida Panthers (2 points)
They honored Jose Fernandez, formerly #16 for the Miami Marlins, before the game, but there was more. Aleksander Barkov scored the overtime goal to defeat New Jersey on Thursday. So? Barkov wears #16. Illuminati confirmed!
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (2 points)
Things looked bleak in their home opener against Detroit, but dropping the gloves helped Tampa Bay defeat the Wings in the first round of last year’s playoffs. A similar scuffle in the second period helped TB on Thursday. They scored four times, including a nasty feed from Jonathan Drouin to Alex Killorn, in the third period to race by Detroit. Drouin also scored in the second period. A messy, but successful, first night for the Lightning.
3. St. Louis Blues (4 points)
Previously 6
The only team to play twice took advantage of their difficult schedule. Their first two opponents, Chicago and Minnesota, were division rivals from last year’s playoffs. Jake Allen has only seen 40 shots so far, but he has fared well with two wins. Ironically, two Edmonton outcasts scored for St. Louis against the Wild. Is this a breakout year for either Magnus Paajarvi or Nail Yakupov?
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (2 points)
Good for the Penguins for not having their Stanley Cup party crashed. On the other hand, Sidney Crosby is currently out with a concussion. Both Crosby and Pittsburgh should not be relying on an outstanding second half to get back to the postseason, so “The Kid” needs to get back on the ice soon.
5. Washington Capitals (1 point)
Previously 3
Getting a point from the Stanley Cup Champions is solid, but they will be forever scrutinized until they learn to defeat their rivals in the playoffs. Andre Burakovsky carried the Caps to their single point, scoring both goals, while Nicklas Backstrom assisted on each of them.
6. Dallas Stars (2 points)
Previously 7
Jamie Benn had a second assist on the first goal against Anaheim, but the new Stars stole the show on Thursday, notably Lauri Korpikoski and Adam Cracknell. Korpikoski, playing on his third team in as many seasons, executed the catch-and-release to perfection in the second period. Meanwhile, Cracknell made a slick backhand pass to Antoine Roussel for the go-ahead goal and added a tip-in goal later in the third period.
7. San Jose Sharks (2 points)
Previously 9
Not exactly as special a ceremony as the one in Pittsburgh, but San Jose did celebrate their first ever trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. It is something. You know who else is something? Martin Jones. After escalating his expectations following the 2016 playoffs, Jones, a former Kings backup, flustered Los Angeles with 21 saves on 22 shots. That included 58+ minutes of shutout hockey after an early goal from Tyler Toffoli. Combine Jones with Brent Burns, who scored the game-winning goal on Wednesday night, and you have a defensive unit that could return to the Stanley Cup Finals.
8. Montreal Canadiens (2 points)
Previously 16
There are plenty of reasons why the Montreal-Buffalo game was forgettable. Players dropped like flies, including Torrey Mitchell. Carey Price had been scratched with the flu, but he could have the luxury of a better backup this season. Al Montoya, who backed up Roberto Luongo and had a GAA of 2.18 in Florida last year, allowed just one goal on 31 shots in his Habs debut.
9. New York Rangers (2 points)
Previously 12
What a relief. They were swept in the New York-New York season series last year, and Henrik Lundqvist was winless in 10 match-ups against Jaroslav Halak. That drought ended on Thursday. Lundqvist had plenty of offensive help, and Chris Kreider used a breakaway goal and a backwards pass to Brandon Pirri to give the Rangers the win.
10. Nashville Predators (–)
Their season opener is a heavyweight battle against the Blackhawks, and P.K. Subban will make his debut for the Preds. This is likely one of the more anticipated home openers of the season.
11. Los Angeles Kings (0 points)
Previously 8
Losing to San Jose was a bad enough way to begin the season, but now they could be without Jonathan Quick for a while after he survived just one period on Wednesday. That week-to-week designation is a very bad sign. This suddenly opens a door for one of the Canadian teams in the Pacific Division.
12. Chicago Blackhawks (0 points)
Previously 5
Hilton Head Island (!) native Ryan Hartman and Richard Panik, who have a combined 27 career goals, were the only Blackhawks to find luck on Wednesday. Then the hated Blues blew by them in the third period. Now they need to turn their fortunes around against the Predators in a home-and-home. Going 0-3-0 against their own division to begin the season could always cause a panic attack in Chicago.
13. New York Islanders (0 points)
Previously 11
Losing to the Rangers every once in a while is not the end of the world. The main concern is where the Islanders can find consistent scoring behind John Tavares. Brock Nelson beat Henrik Lundqvist late in the third period on Thursday, but that might not be enough.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (–)
The Flyers get three roadies to begin the season as they hope to build off of a surprise playoff visit. Radko Gudas is suspended for the first six games of the season, and Michael Del Zotto is out for at least a month. Can Michal Neuvirth build off his outstanding playoff outburst?
15. Anaheim Ducks (0 points)
Previously 13
Andrew Cogliano was a bright spot in Anaheim’s loss to Dallas on Thursday, scoring both goals. Provided that he does not do that for every game in October, Anaheim needs production from other forwards to avoid duplicating last year’s horrible beginning to the season. Antoine Vermette was Anaheim’s most significant offensive addition from the offseason, and he scored 17 times with Arizona last season.
16. Winnipeg Jets (2 points)
Previously 17
They ripped off the most impressive comeback of the new season so far, erasing a 4-1 deficit in the third period. Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler then worked their magic in overtime to shut the Hurricanes down. I probably should not leave out Patrik Laine’s first career goal, which was a laser beam that brought the Jets to within one in the third period.
17. Buffalo Sabres (0 points)
Previously 15
Want a list? Jack Eichel, Evander Kane, Kyle Okposo, and Dmitry Kulikov. They are all injured at the moment. Not good. A team with playoff aspirations may be going down the tubes after just one game. That might be accelerated if Robin Lehner continues to disappoint.
18. Edmonton Oilers (2 points)
Previously 22
Wednesday was about as impressive a night as the Rogers Place crowd could expect. New captain Connor McDavid scored twice, including a penalty shot, and added an assist in the first period as the Oilers manhandled the Flames in their new home. They hope to pull off the home-and-home sweep on Friday, but playing on the road has been a major burden over the years. They had just 12 wins away from Rexall Place last year. Is that trend going to continue?
19. Ottawa Senators (2 points)
Previously 21
They somehow withstood the invincible Auston Matthews in the first game of the NHL season long enough to tie the game up in the third period and win in overtime. Kyle Turris accounted for both clutch goals. Even without the flashiness, the Sens still seem to have the upper hand in Ontario.
20. Calgary Flames (0 points)
Previously 19
Premiere games in new arenas tend to be trouble for road teams. Heck, the Washington Nationals won their first game at Nationals Park in 2008, and that team was horrible! Add the fact they were taking on a riled up Connor McDavid, and the Flames had no chance. Mikael Backlund had two assists on Wednesday, and he figures to factor into Calgary’s offense a lot this season.
21. Detroit Red Wings (0 points)
Previously 20
They looked impressive for the first two periods against the Lightning, but the wheels fell off quickly (no pun intended). Petr Mrazek seemed to have the the starting goaltender spot sealed last season, but the danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 26 years will not bode well for Red Wing fans. Allowing three goals in one period will not cut it.
22. New Jersey Devils (1 point)
Previously 23
At least for one game, the New Jersey offense is still miserable. They scored just once against Florida. P.A. Parenteau, who had just been mysteriously waived from the Islanders, provided that lone goal on a tip-in. Had he not touched the puck, defenseman Yohann Auvitu would have had a goal in his first NHL game. The Frenchman had been playing in Finland since 2008 before signing with New Jersey.
23. Boston Bruins (2 points)
Previously 25
Did Auston Matthews have the best game of the season? Probably, but he did not have the most points in a game. Brad Marchand had five points (two goals and three assists), in Boston’s offensive explosion against the Blue Jackets. David Backes and David Pastrnak also scored twice to complete the scoring.
24. Minnesota Wild (0 points)
Previously 18
Devan Dubnyk let a Nail Yakupov shot slip past his glove on Thursday, and that was the difference of the game. A missed opportunity for a team that needs to get all the points they can grab against the difficult Central Division. Not the way Bruce Boudreau wanted to start his career in Minnesota.
25. Carolina Hurricanes (1 point)
Previously 24
Wishful optimism: They went two for four on the Power Play against Winnipeg, and they are tied for the highest Power Play percentage for teams with more than one opportunity. Inevitable pessimism: They blew a three-goal lead in the third period. Lee Stempniak had a goal and an assist in his Carolina debut.
26. Arizona Coyotes (–)
Everyone envies the Coyotes these days. They do not play their first game until Saturday, which is home against Philadelphia. They get more rest than 27 teams to begin the season. Now they need to take advantage of…well…the advantage.
27. Colorado Avalanche (–)
Colorado also gets to rest until Saturday, but they must take on Dallas. Not the best way to begin the Jared Bednar era. Nathan McKinnon got some attention his his overtime goal in the World Cup of Hockey, and now he has the chance to carry the Avalanche to the playoffs. Or not.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (1 point)
Auston Matthews became the first player in NHL history to score FOUR goals in his NHL debut. It takes someone special to pull that off, but his team is not special. Only the Leafs could ruin a phenom’s historic game, or so it seems. Someone needs to help Matthews if this team wants to get anywhere near the playoffs this season.
29. Vancouver Canucks (–)
They hit the ice at 7 p.m. PST on Saturday. After winning in Calgary on Opening Night last year, they fell off the map, especially in the Scotiabank Saddledome. They were outscored 12-5 in the second and third games in Calgary, but they get to be home in the first matchup. Loui Eriksson is hoping to give the All-Swede line a boost, and he should be encouraged that Vancouver does not visit the Dome until December 23.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (0 points)
There was hope. Then there was not. Alexander Wennburg and Seth Jones each had a goal and an assist to help Columbus jumpstart against the Bruins. Then the B’s ripped off five straight goals to spoil opening night in Nationwide Arena. NHL Network deemed this game as a “must-win”, even though it was just one of 82.
Going with that “logic”, their season is over. In reality, they should pray for a turnaround since they have failed to get off to good starts in past years.
Bold Predictions:
Connor McDavid with the hat trick against Buffalo on Sunday
Colorado defeats Washington, 3-0, on Tuesday
New York Rangers defeat Detroit in overtime on Wednesday: on a J.T. Miller goal with less than 10 seconds remaining