The Atlantic Division has become the hottest topic of the season, and not just because of the Montreal Canadiens, either. Their closest rival, the Boston Bruins, made a statement this week when they became a defensive juggernaut, and they greatly helped them in the NHL Power Rankings. That 70s preseason pick that I had is looking extraordinarily bad, and that will remain the same if Tuukka Rask and the unusual defensive stalwart of Zdeno Chara (39 years old) and Brandon Carlo (18 years old) continue to crush offenses.
Winnipeg and Minnesota also made large jumps, and Columbus continues to rise after scoring eight goals on the Blues at home and sinking the Caps in OT. Fear Ohio.
1. Montreal Canadiens (28 points)
Previously 1 (23 points)
What is this? A losing streak? Losing in Chicago was not a complete shock, but their struggles against the Florida Panthers continued. After Aaron Ekblad’s splintered masterpiece, the Canadiens last their second straight and first home game of the season. They still have a point streak at home, however. Daniel Carr scored his first goal of the season on an Andrei Markov wrister last Thursday to help bury the Kings.
2. New York Rangers (26 points)
Previously 4 (20 points)
After Vancouver shocked New York, the Rangers have returned to their untouchable ways. They have now won eight of their last nine, including a huge 7-2 redemption at Vancouver. They have a huge test on Friday as they have to visit the Blue Jackets. J.T Miller had two goals in the win over the Canucks, and the Rangers have won in all 12 games in which Miller has recorded at least one point.
3. Washington Capitals (22 points)
Previously 7 (17 points)
Washington faltered in losses to Carolina and Columbus, but they had two massive wins sandwiching them. Jay Beagle carried the Capitals to an overtime win with two goals against Chicago, and Nicklas Backstrom was the driving force in the blowout win in Pittsburgh. He had five points (two goals and three assists) in that game.
4. Chicago Blackhawks (24 points)
Previously 5 (21 points)
Patrick Kane picked a good time to get fancy. His goal against the Canadiens in the second period held up as the game-winner, and it prevented a winless week. The Blackhawks lost in overtime to Washington before being shutout in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (22 points)
Previously 2 (20 points)
After easy wins against Edmonton and Toronto, the bottom fell out on national television. The Penguins took a 7-1 beating against Washington to fall into a tie for second in the Metropolitan Division…with the same Caps. Matt Murray entered concussion protocol in that game, but he is slated to start on Friday.
6. St. Louis Blues (21 points)
Previously 8 (17 points)
After giving up an eight-spot in Columbus, the Blues redeemed themselves with two straight wins, including one against San Jose, the team that eliminated them in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Jaden Schwartz scored four times this week, including twice in the win against the Sharks.
7. Minnesota Wild (19 points)
Previously 12 (13 points)
They have thrived on defense all year. In fact, their last two games ended with a 1-0 score. After being on the wrong end of the scoreboard against Calgary, Mikael Granlund scored the only goal with just 44 seconds left in regulation to finish the Bruins. In a battle between two of the top goaltenders to begin the season, Devan Dubnyk bested Tuukka Rask. His GAA is now a league-leading 1.48 and he now has four shutouts in 2016-2017.
8. San Jose Sharks (18 points)
Previously 9 (14 points)
San Jose’s lengthy road trip ends on Friday, and things have gone south since rolling through both Florida teams. They went 0-6 on the power play in their 3-2 loss to St. Louis. Logan Couture scored twice this week, including an empty net goal to sink the Panthers.
9. Tampa Bay Lightning (23 points)
Previously 6 (15 points)
Tampa Bay has won three straight on the road and four of five overall, but the good news ends there. Steven Stamkos will have to miss at least four months with a torn lateral meniscus. If there is hope, however, it is that the Lightning made the Eastern Conference Finals without him last year. Nikita Kucherov, like in the playoffs, has carried the offense. He has scored four times in the last three games, and he could be in for a massive season with Stamkos gone.
10. Edmonton Oilers (19 points)
Previously 3 (19 points)
This was not the week for the Oilers. After being one of the biggest surprises at the beginning of the season, they have now lost five straight games, all in regulation, and have now fallen to second in the Pacific Division. Darnell Nurse recorded his first point in eight games with a goal against the Kings.
11. New Jersey Devils (21 points)
Previously 14 (15 points)
They have become one of the bigger surprises in the NHL through five weeks. How they are winning so much is not as surprising. Corey Schneider and Keith Kinkaid have combined for a 2.1 GAA this season, the third lowest mark in the NHL. Defense was New Jersey’s strong point last season, too. John Moore, Kyle Quincey, and Yohann Auvitu have been stellar in their own end this season, with all of them having a +/- of at least three. Those stats could continue to rise if the momentum the Devils have carried in their recent five-game winning streak remains intact.
12. Ottawa Senators (21 points)
Previously 11 (16 points)
Things are going poorly off the ice. The potential for an outdoor game next year is beginning to slip away, and Eugene Melnyk is getting plenty of criticism for it. On the ice, the Sens are keeping pace with Tampa Bay and Boston in an attempt to catch the Habs. Mark Stone scored twice this week, including the game-winning goal with six seconds left in regulation to drop the Kings on Friday.
13. Boston Bruins (20 points)
Previously 16 (14 points)
Columbus (at home), Arizona, and Colorado do not make the greatest schedule in the world, but the Bruins took full advantage. To make things even more promising, they went 3-1-0 without much production from David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, who have already combined for 30 points this season. Another David, as in Krejci, may have finally broken out of his early season slump. After recording three assists against the Jackets and Coyotes, he scored the only goal off Semyon Varlamov and assisted the empty netter. That Tuukka Rask guy? He has two shutouts and 123 saves on 127 shots in his last five starts, and one of those goals was that ugly Colin Miller own goal against the Jackets.
14. Anaheim Ducks (21 points)
Previously 15 (15 points)
It’s only November, but the Ducks are already on top of the Pacific Division. Before two straight wins at home against Edmonton and New Jersey, they got a huge game for Jakob Silfverberg in a 4-2 win over Carolina. He was a factor in all four goals (two goals and two assists), and Jonathan Bernier shut the door late in that game for his first of two wins this week. Anaheim also traded Michael Sgarbossa to Florida for Logan Shaw.
15. Florida Panthers (17 points)
Previously 11 (13 points)
Want an apocalyptic ending? Aaron Ekblad, who had just two goals and no assists heading into Tuesday, went into Montreal and score the overtime winner on a stick-shattering slap shot. Yes, it was also on Carey Price, and he was clearly fooled by the changeup of hockey. Ekblad joined teenager Denis Malgin as the two Panthers to score in overtime this week, with Ekblad’s ending Montreal’s unbeaten run at the Bell Centre and extending Florida’s five-game winning streak against the Canadiens. He also scored in the loss to Toronto on Thursday.
16. Winnipeg Jets (20 points)
Previously 18 (13 points)
Until falling in Philadelphia, the Jets had points in their last five games. The biggest of those games came on Tuesday, when they shutout the Blackhawks and moved into third place in the Central Division. Patrik Laine scored his league-leading 12th goal in that game, and Conor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots for his first shutout of the season.
17. Philadelphia Flyers (19 points)
Previously 13 (14 points)
Friday was another bad day for the defense. They allowed six goals to the surprisingly explosive Maple Leafs, and they are now dead last in goals per game. Fortunately, they have only allowed two goals in their last three games, and they have five points during that span. Defenseman Mark Streit has been has productive on the blue line this season, and his second period goal against Winnipeg gave him his fourth goal and 11th point for the season.
18. Detroit Red Wings (17 points)
Previously 17 (15 points)
This week was a nutshell of where the Wings stand in the Atlantic Division. They are certainly not in Montreal territory (they were crushed 5-0), and they are also not much of a threat to Tampa Bay either. At least they beat the Canucks. Jimmy Howard had another excellent night on Friday, making 36 saves on 37 shots against Vancouver. Even after his nightmare against the Canadiens, his GAA is still at an excellent 1.80.
19. Dallas Stars (19 points)
Previously 21 (11 points)
The Stars got points in all of their games to stay within striking distance in the Central Division, and Tyler Seguin was the main reason why. Despite not scoring, he tallied seven assists in the last five games, including three in an overtime loss in Vancouver. He is second in the NHL in points with 21.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (20 points)
Previously 22 (14 points)
After losing their first two games at home, Columbus has now won six straight games at the Nationwide Arena. This includes an eight-goal outburst on the Blues a week after scoring 10 times over Montreal. Sam Gagner has been a pleasant surprise this season. With six goals in 2016-2017, including three this week, he is tied for the team lead in goals scored.
21. Los Angeles Kings (17 points)
Previously 20 (14 points)
The Kings lost four straight on the road, but they returned home and smothered the fading Oilers on Thursday. Jeff Carter failed to score during the losing streak, but he gave the Kings the lead for good with a shorthanded goal against Edmonton.
22. Nashville Predators (17 points)
Previously 23 (11 points)
The SMASH came for Smashville. They have now ripped off three straight wins at Bridgestone Arena, and all of them had excellent nights from Pekka Rinne. Unfortunately, Rinne rested in Toronto due to a lower body injury, and Toronto smothered the Preds in Canada. Nonetheless, Rinne allowed just two goals on 75 shots in the three home wins last week, including a 5-0 shutout against the Ducks.
23. Toronto Maple Leafs (17 points)
Previously 28 (13 points)
James van Riemsdyk will be remembered for recording his second career hat trick on Tuesday, but the entire line, which also included Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak, was untouchable. Each player had at least three points in that game, and Bozak had four assists. That same line had eight combined points in last Thursday’s win over Vancouver. Suddenly, the Nazem Kadri/Auston Matthews/William Nylander line looks like a second line.
24. New York Islanders (13 points)
Previously 18 (12 points)
The wheels are really falling off now. With six losses in seven games, three of them coming in extra time, the Isles are now dead last in the Eastern Conference. Getting shut out at home to Tampa Bay really set the fans off on Monday. Brock Nelson took a backboard rebound into the net in the overtime loss to Florida, but Dennis Seidenberg went on the IR after that game with a broken jaw.
25. Buffalo Sabres (14 points)
Previously 24 (13 points)
This week was not meant to be. They were swept in the home-and-home against New Jersey, though they salvaged a point by going to overtime at home, and they let the Blues get away from them in the third period on Tuesday. After no clear cellar dweller had been determined in the Atlantic Division through the first 30 days, the Sabres now own that dubious mark. After beginning the season with five power play goals, Matt Moulson recorded his first even strength goal in the loss in Newark.
26. Calgary Flames (15 points)
Previously 25 (11 points)
They took a huge step forward and had a massive setback. They won on consecutive nights on just three goals, but Minnesota’s constant slashing really killed the Flames. Johnny Gaudreau is likely out six weeks with a broken finger, and the struggling offense will need to keep the team afloat until 2017 without its star. Also, Chad Johnson might be taking the starting goalie spot away from Brian Elliott.
27. Carolina Hurricanes (14 points)
Previously 28 (10 points)
Welcome to the NHL, Sebastian Aho! Carolina’s second round pick in 2015 scored his first two NHL goals in a blowout victory over the Capitals. He also had four great opportunities to score against San Jose on Tuesday, but Aaron Dell was sharp. However, Cam Ward was, too. He saved all 22 Shark shots to record his 24th career shutout and move the Hurricanes out of the Metropolitan Division basement.
28. Vancouver Canucks (15 points)
Previously 29 (9 points)
Since snapping their losing streak, the Canucks have alternated wins and losses, with their last two wins coming in overtime. Markus Granlund sunk the Stars with the overtime winner on Sunday, and he is now tied for second on the team with five goals. Daniel Sedin scored on Thursday to force overtime and take over first in that category.
29. Colorado Avalanche (14 points)
Previously 27 (8 points)
Another team that has gone back and forth in the win column this week, and one of those wins came in outstanding fashion. Nikolaj Ehlers scored on his own net in overtime on Friday in what could be the craziest way to finish a game. Rene Bourque was credited with the goal, and he has scored four times in the last five games.
30. Arizona Coyotes (12 points)
Previously 30 (10 points)
Not a good week for the worst team in the NHL. They were winless for the week, but they did get two points in two overtime losses. To make matters worse, Brad Richardson was carted off the ice against Vancouver with multiple fractures in his right leg. Off the ice, the Coyotes made a deal agreement with a new stadium that will be located in Tempe beginning in 2019.
Bold Predictions:
Last week:
Artem Anisimov gets three points against Washington on Friday. He sat out this game…
Colorado hits the four-goal mark against Boston. Not a single goal. I guess a Tuukka Rask shutout would have been more expected.
Dan Girardi has two goals and two assists for the week (Considering how hot the offense is, I am hoping that it extends to the blue line this week). He only got one point this week (a goal against the Oilers), but that did not stop the Rangers from winning all their games this week.
This week:
Jeff Carter gets the hat trick against New Jersey on Saturday.
Both Alberta teams score at least four goals on Monday.
Anaheim crushes the Islanders 7-0 on Tuesday.