NHL Power Rankings Heading Into Week 6 of 2016-17

NHL Power Rankings (Heading into Week 6) – New York Rangers continue to light the lamp, securing top spot once again. Edmonton starts to fall after a four-game losing streak. Winnipeg makes another big leap, while the Kings plummet after collecting a single point in four games.

Welcome back to our weekly NHL power rankings! We’ve added a slight twist to our countdown moving forward as we introduce a collaboration between Matt Duscharme and Ryan Ritchie.

Heading into week six, the New York Rangers still sit atop our NHL power rankings after continuing to score with frequency, now up to with 72 goals through 17 games. The Edmonton Oilers finally take their first tumble after two weeks at number five, this coming after a four-game losing streak. Columbus continues to climb the charts now with an 8-4-2 record and looks ready to be a top 10 team if they can continue their hot play over the next seven days. The Winnipeg Jets also continue to make massive leaps as they can continue to surge in the Central Division.

Looking at the biggest fallers, Buffalo finds themselves near the basement once again after a tough seven day stretch. But the most significant drop of all was the Los Angeles Kings. Just one week after Peter Budaj single-handedly carried them out of the bottom of the standings, they sunk like a rock once again.

Among the headlines over the last seven days, we’ve got both injuries and trade rumors to discuss.

On the injury front, Johnny Gaudreau, Steven Stamkos, Darren Helm, and Taylor Hall are all expected to miss a decent chunk of time. Most of the teams are fairly well equipped to handle such a significant loss, although the Flames will need a little extra help from guys like rookie Matthew Tkachuk.

A pair of trade rumors also emerged over the last seven days. It sounds as though Ottawa is willing to move netminder Andrew Hammond now with Mike Condon in the fold. This could be one of the easier deals to make in 2016-17. We also learned that Coyotes GM John Chayka is willing to trade impending UFA Martin Hanzal. Arizona is requesting a young center preferably in return (but listening to offers on all quality forwards). This might be a tougher deal to make as we’ve seen the recent history of what happens when you ask for something similar in return.

Nonetheless, we’re nearing the quarter-mark of the 2016-17 season. We have yet to see a single coach relieved of their duties or a major trade of significance. It’s a bit eerie compared to past years, but you’ve gotta think that expansion and close parity are combining factors. Don’t be surprised if the floodgates open once that first major deal comes across the wire. Will it be Marc-Andre Fleury, or maybe Jacob Trouba? who knows. We’ll have to wait and see.

Previous Ranking: 1 (-)

Team Record: (10-4-0)

Player of the Week: F J.T. Miller (3gp 2g 2a 4pts)

Special Teams

PP: 13-for-54 (24.1 percent) (3rd)
PK: 7-for-47 (85.1 percent) (8th)

The New York Rangers keep on rolling, and with that, manage to keep top spot in this week’s power rankings. They continue to score at a torid pace with 72 goals (4.24 goals-per-game) and show no signs of slowing. Of course, there’s no way to maintain the pace over the coiurse of 82 games, but this is exactly what the Rangers need to make a deep postseason run.

King Henrik received two of three starts the past week. Both Lundqvist and Raanta delivered solid outings. Henrik had two wins, a 1.50GAA, and a .959 save percentage over the last seven days, bringing him up to nine wins, a 2.24GAA, and .920 save percentage in 2016-17.

The Rangers offensive numbers are downright absurd after 17 games. They’ve got 15 players with eight or more points, two of which that have only played 10-11 games. J.T. Miller now leads the team with 17 points. Kevin Hayes ranks second with 16. Michael Grabner, Mats Zuccarello, and Mika Zibanejad are tied for third with 13. We have four-way tie for fourth with Jimmy Vesey, Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, and Ryan McDonagh all with 11 points. Tied for fifth is Brandon Pirri, Jesper Fast, and Brady Skjei with 10. Lastly, defenseman Nick Holden sits with eight points, while rookie Pavel Buchnevich has eight points (10 games).

Just to put those numbers in perspective. The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins only have four players with 10 or more points. In fact, only eight players have eight or more points (just barely over half of what the Rangers are producing). – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 2 (-)

Team Record: (10-4-2)

Player of the Week: F Sidney Crosby (3gp 2g 1a 3pts)

Special Teams

PP: 13-for-55 (23.6 percent) (T-5th)
PK: 12-for-63 (81.0 percent) (20th)

Despite taking an absolute beating on Wednesday night at the hands of Washington, Pittsburgh still remains near the top. Fact is, they’ve been borderline unstoppable since Matt Murray returned. So, that game against Washington might serve as a great wake-up call for a team that was likely feeling somewhat invisible.

The Pens turned to Marc-Andre Fleury last Thursday. And although he took the loss and allowed three goals, he turned in a solid outing stopping 40 shots. The problem was the guy at the other end; Devan Dubnyk. Minnesota’s starter has been among the NHL’s best over the past month or so. Murray got the nod on Saturday versus Toronto and delivered another top-notch performance stopping 35 of 36 shots for the win. Wednesday was a bit of a write-off for both goalies, so look for the pair to bounce back in their next starts.

Up front, Sidney Crosby continues to prove why he’s the best player in the world. He added three more points over the last seven days, bringing his season total up to 10 goals, three assists (13 points) in 10 games. Could Sid be in store for another 100+ point season, even after missing time with a concussion to open the year?

Malkin also had a decent week adding a pair of points. He leads the team with eight goals, seven assists (15 points) in 16 games so far. Even Phil Kessel is still racking up points, although it’s the assists that continue to pile up. With four goals, 10 assists (14 points), Phil the Thrill is proving he’s more than a one-trick pony dishing out the helpers. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 3 (-)

Team Record: (11-4-2)

Player of the Week: F Marian Hossa (3gp 2g 1a 3pts)

Special Teams

PP: 12-for-66 (18.2 percent) (14th)
PK: 17-for-52 (67.3 percent) (30th)

Remaining in the same position as last week, Chicago is still a threat. Especially when Patrick Kane plays 110% every night. However last week Chicago only went 1-2-0 putting up five goals. However they allowed nine goals against. Marian Hossa was their best player last week scoring three points in three games.

This week Chicago pays visits to Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton. If Corey Crawford can return to form, as well as Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin, Chicago should be able to win all three. Hossa wasn’t the only standout in the three games from last week. Jonathan Toews and Gustav Forsling also put up two points each as well as being an even plus/minus rating.

While Crawford started all three games, Scott Darling took over two of them. And Darling’s numbers are much more impressive than Crawford’s. While Corey posted a 3.22 goals-against-average, Scott posted a 0.00 goals-against-average. And when Crawford posted a .875 save percentage, Darling’s was 1.000. So if Crawford can’t return to form next week. Chicago still has Scott Darling. Also expect Patrick Kane to start lighting it up on a nightly basis now that the season is more than a month in.

So far this season Patrick Kane leads the Hawks with 18 points in 17 games. Artem Anisimov sits second with 17 points in 16 games. And Artemi Panarin is in third with 16 points in 17 games. Marian Hossa currently has 15 points this season. And Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith are tied with 12 each (Keith leads Hawks defense). Brent Seabrook and Richard Panik are tied for 10 points in 17 games. Brian Campbell currently has seven points. Rookie Tyler Motte has six points in 13 games. While Marcus Kruger, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Nick Schmaltz and Gustav Forsling are all tied with four points this season for Chicago. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 2 (-2)

Team Record: (13-2-2)

Player of the Week: G Carey Price (2 wins 1.64GAA .932 save percentage)

Special Teams

PP: 12-for-51 (23.5 percent) (7th)
PK: 12-for-67 (82.1 percent) (17th)

In Montreal’s four games last week they posted a record of 2-1-1, losing to Chicago and as well as Florida in overtime. The Florida loss ruined the Canadiens perfect record at home. However, there were still some bright spots, for instance Alex Galchenyuk, Andrei Markov and Max Pacioretty combining for 15 points.

While Montreal has been on a tear since the start of the season, it’s only a matter of time before they are knocked back down to earth. And it started with the Florida overtime loss. This is why they drop two spots from last week’s ranking. However they have two easy games next week, one in Ottawa and the other in Carolina. And with Price expected to start, they’re also expected to win. But if Price doesn’t start anything is possible.

Last week Price put up another set of amazing numbers. During three games, he had a 1.64 goals-against-average and a .932 save percentage. Andrew Shaw has also been a solid player since being acquired from Chicago. Alex Radulov is also showing Montreal management that the 5 million spent to bring him over was well worth it, since he’s had a fantastic year as well.

Galchenyuk leads the Canadiens so far this season with 18 points in 17 games. Alex Radulov has put up 14 points in 16 games. Max Pacioretty and Shea Weber are tied for 13 points (Weber leads Canadiens defenseman). Andrei Markov has 12 points in 17 games. Fourth liner Paul Byron has 11 points in 17 games. Brendan Gallagher has 10 points so far. Phillip Danault has registered nine points this year for Montreal. Jeff Petry and Torrey Mitchell are both tied with seven points. Also Andrew Shaw, David Desharnais and Nathan Beaulieu are all tied with six points. Tomas Plekanec has only put up a surprising five points in 17 games this season. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 6 (+1)

Team Record: (10-4-2)

Player of the Week: F Nicklas Backstrom (4gp 3g 3a 6pts)

Special Teams

PP: 7-for-49 (14.3 percent) (21st)
PK: 8-for-48 (83.3 percent) (13th)

Washington continued their recent dominance on Wednesday night with a lopsided 7-1 win over the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. If they keep it up over the course of another week, we could be looking at a return to the top three.

So, how do the Caps rank 6th with Pittsburgh at 3rd? Fairly simple. The Pens have been on a hot streak as well since the return of Matt Murray. One minor blip on the radar isn’t enough to warrant significant change. If the Pens drop another game or two while the Caps keep rolling, we could see a switch heading into week seven.

Starter Braden Holtby had a solid week starting two of four games. He stopped 32 of 34 shots in a win versus Chicago and 25 of 27 shots in Tuesday’s night win. Braden now has eight wins, a 2.06GAA and .925 save percentage in 2016-17.

You’d think the scoring would be spread out in a 7-1 win. Not so much the case for the Caps. Instead, T.J. Oshie racked up two goals, two assists, while Nicklas Backstrom tallied two goals, three assists as the only multi-point producers. That massive night for the Swedish center brings his season total up to 15 points in 16 games.

On a positive note, Russian sniper Alex Ovechkin finally broke out of his scoring slump on Wednesday. He now has eight goals on the year and has some catching up to do if he wants to close the gap on rookie Patrik Laine. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 8 (+2)

Team Record: (10-6-1)

Player of the Week: F Nikita Kucherov (4gp 4g 2a 6pts)

Special Teams

PP: 16-for-67 (23.9 percent) (4th)
PK: 8-for-51 (84.3 percent) (9th)

During Tampa’s last four games they posted a 3-1-0 record. Their offense is firing on all cylinders. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos both scored six points in only three games. They also combined as a plus nine. And Andrei Vasilevskiy has been lights out. Posting a .985 save percentage in two games along with a 0.50 goals-against-average.

Keep in mind Stamkos was hurt last game he played, but don’t let that discourage you. Tampa has so much scoring depth that they can still finish atop the league without him – as they demonstrated last year. Nikita Kucherov has turned into one of the most prolific scorers in the NHL behind only a very few. Along with Tyler Johnson and Vladislav Namestnikov. Also Victor Hedman is in the top five for defense. And not to mention Tampa Bay has a solid one-two punch with Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Next week, Tampa plays a total of three games. They’ll be making stops in Buffalo, Philadelphia and Nashville. All games Tampa should be able to win, which would lead to them jumping up in the rankings again as well as the standings. Even though Stamkos is now injured, Johnson should jump up into that first line center position beside Kucherov. And expect Vasilevskiy to start more games, since this is supposed to be the season where he becomes the new number one.

Speaking of Kucherov, he currently leads the Bolts with 21 points in 16 games. While Steven Stamkos sits second with 20 points in 17 games. Victor Hedman leads the defenseman with 13 points in 17 games. And Valtteri Filppula currently has 10 points in 16 games. Tyler Johnson has nine points so far. While Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Killorn are tied with eight points a piece. Anton Stralman has seven points in 15 games so far this year. And Ondrej Palat has six points in 17 games. Brayden Point, Jonathan Drouin, Cedric Paquette and Brian Boyle are all tied at five points (Drouin’s coming in 10 games however due to injury). Braydon Coburn currently has four points in 17 games this year for Tampa Bay. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 5 (-3)

Team Record: (9-7-1)

Player of the Week: F Connor McDavid (3gp 0g 2a 2pts)

Special Teams

PP: 8-for-49 (16.3 percent) (19th)
PK: 6-for-48 (87.5 percent) (4th)

After dropping four straight games (three over the last week), the Oilers now have a record of 9-7-1. We predicted in our last rankings that Edmonton would begin to dip and eventually finish in the last division spot or Wild-Card area, but we didn’t expect it so soon. That being said, another nice win streak gets this team back in the hunt atop the Western Conference.

This could be a make or break time of the year for Edmonton. In the past, the Oilers have struggled mightily when it comes to facing adversity. Usually, it’s about getting through injuries, but this time around, it’s about figuring out how to put it all together for a full 60 minutes. Certain players seemingly take a night off here and there, or sometimes the team just comes out flat. Whatever the reason may be, this young squad needs to find some consistency. Even if it isn’t pretty, you can keep yourselves in games and squeeze out a point or two with a sub-par effort just by having a consistent work ethic.

Coach Todd McLellan continues to tinker with his lines in an effort to get these guys going, but to no avail so far. He has the right idea trying to spread out the scoring. After all, that’s how many teams succeed in today’s NHL. But if you’re not getting secondary scoring, maybe you mix things up further, add a little fire power to your top-six unit. I’d love to see lines that maybe look a little something like this:

Benoit Pouliot – Connor McDavid – Jesse Puljujarvi
Milan Lucic – Leon Draisaitl – Jordan Eberle
Patrick Maroon – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Zack Kassian
Anton Lander – Mark Letestu – Tyler Pitlick

– Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 9 (-)

Team Record: (10-5-1)

Player of the Week: G Craig Anderson (2 wins 1.59GAA .955 save percentage)

Special Teams

PP: 4-for-45 (8.9 percent) (30th)
PK: 6-for-48 (87.5 percent) (T-4th)

Ottawa remains in the same position as last week, mostly due to their consistent play. While Craig Anderson has been dealing with personal issues, Mike Condon has been able to come in when needed and give the Sens some much needed wins. In three games last week, Ottawa posted a record of 2-0-1. Scoring six goals and only allowing five.

Last week Ottawa’s best player was unquestionably Craig Anderson who posted a 2-0-1 record. With a .955 save percentage and a 1.59 goals-against-average. Their second best player of the week has to be Erik Karlsson as he scored four points in three games. Mark Stone, Kyle Turris and Jean-Gabriel Pageau all scored two points. And had a combined plus four rating.

Craig Anderson may not play every game of the week again. Due to having to leave the team for family issues when needed. Leaving the net to Mike Condon, who has been a solid goalie for Ottawa since being aquired from Pittsburgh. While Erik Karlsson continues to lead the team as well as Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan. Newcomer Derick Brassard has fallen off the radar, so expect him to rebound this week.

And as mentioned above Erik Karlsson leads the Sens with 14 points so far in 16 games. Kyle Turris sits second with 10 in 16 games as well. Rookie Ryan Dzingel has nine points so far this season. Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman are both tied with seven points. While Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard are also tied with six points this season. Tom Pyatt is the single Sen with five points this year. And Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Dion Phaneuf each share four points a piece. While Marc Methot, Chris Kelly and Chris Wideman are also tied with three points each. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 7 (-3)

Team Record: (8-6-3)

Player of the Week:  F Vladimir Tarasenko (3gp 1g 5a 6pts)

Special Teams

PP: 13-for-59 (22.0 percent) (10th)
PK: 7-for-68 (89.7 percent) (2nd)

St. Louis has fallen this week in the rankings by three positions. They finished the week off, 1-2-0. Losing big time to Columbus by a score of 8-4. However St. Louis still managed to score 9 goals while letting in 12.

Union and Blue

For instance Jake Allen’s numbers were terrible, in 2 games he had a .861 save percentage with a 3.55 goals-against-average. Carter Hutton didn’t fair out that much better. In his two appearances he was a .848 with 4.52 goals-against-average. Both of these goalies are capable of better so expect a turnaround week. There was one bright spot last week and that was Vladimir Tarasenko scoring six points in those three games.

Next week St. Louis plays Boston, Nashville and San Jose. Three tough contests, but three games to get them back into elite form. Which is exactly what Jake Allen needs since he always thrives under pressure. Kevin Shattenkirk, David Perron, Robby Fabbri and Vladimir Tarasenko will also rise to the challenge. Jaden Schwartz and Jori Lehtera are also waiting to break out, so next week should be good for St. Louis and their respective fans.

Tarasenko currently leads the Blues in scoring with 18 points in 17 games. Kevin Shattenkirk leads St. Louis’ defenseman with 14 points. Alex Steen sits third with 10 points in 17 games played. Paul Stastny and David Perron are both tied with nine points each. While Colton Parayko, Robby Fabbri and Alex Pietrangelo are tied with seven points. Jaden Schwartz is the lone Blues player with six on the season. Scottie Upshall currently has five in 14 games. And Nail Yakupov, Dmitrij Jaskin and Patrik Berglund are tied with four points. And Jori Lehtera has three points on the season through 13 games while being a +1. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 14 (+3)

Team Record: (8-4-2)

Player of the Week: F Cam Atkinson (3gp 1g 4a 5pts)

Special Teams

PP: 12-for-39 (30.8 percent) (1st)
PK: 7-for-44 (84.1 percent) (10th)

Before delving into the Blue Jackets recent success, we do have one criticism for Columbus over the last week. They fell to 84.1 percent on the penalty kill after allowing four goals over the last three games. That being said, give CLB some credit. Like I mentioned last week, their light schedule to start the year was the only reason they were in the basement.

It was a rough week for starter Sergei Bobrovsky. He gave up four goals on five shots last Thursday in Boston, leading to a 5-2 loss. Two nights later versus St. Louis, Goalie Bob surrendered four goals on 37 shots. Luckily his teammates gave him plenty of goal support in a 8-4 win. He was looking a little more like himself on Tuesday stopping 21 of 22 shots for the win against a tough Capitals team.

We had concerns about Seth Jones heading to the IR. Leave it to rookie Zach Werenski to step up in his abscence. His minutes are up and he’s continuing to exceed expectations. With two goals over the last three games, Zach is up to 13 points in 14 games.

A few forwards were vying for player of the week honors. Cam Atkinson racked up four of his six points in the 8-4 thrashing of the Blues. He had four helpers vs. STL and scored on Tuesday against Washington. Those five points bring Cam up to 13 points in 14 games. Nick Foligno continues to show shades of 2014-15 racking up four points over his last three games. He’s on a tear this year with six goals, 10 assists (16 points) in 14 games. Lastly, free agent signing Sam Gagner potted three goals over the last week bringing his season total to six goals, two assists (eight points) in 13 games. Not bad for a guy averaging a little under 14 minutes/game. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 13 (+1)

Team Record: (8-8-1)

Player of the Week: F Henrik Zetterberg (3gp 1g 2a 3pts)

Special Teams

PP: 11-for-63 (17.5 percent) (15th)
PK: 12-for-52 (76.9 percent) (27th)

Detroit moves up one position this week in the power rankings. Despite finishing the week off 1-2-0 the Wings are trending upwards. Henrik Zetterberg and Ryan Sproul have been Detroit’s best players in the last three games.

With only one game played in the last three, Ryan Sproul managed to put up two points and was an even player. Henrik Zetterberg on the other hand scored three points as well as being an even player. Jimmy Howard had a 1-1-0 record with a 3.63 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage. Petr Mrazek appeared in one game and was a 0-1-0. His save percentage was worse, but his goals-against-average was better. At .882 percent and 3.03 goals-against.

Once Mrazek gets back into form that seen him become a regular last season, expect a huge rise from Detroit next week. Next week they play Washington and Calgary. Two games they can win if their goalies play up to par. Their offence has been outstanding receiving all sorts of scoring from new guys Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen. Mike Green also seems to be returning to form that made him one of the deadliest defenseman at one point. Dylan Larkin is also expected to break out anytime now this season.

Henrik Zetterberg, Mike Green and Gustav Nyquist currently lead the club with 11 points each in 17 games played. Frans Nielsen so far has eight points along with Thomas Vanek. Darren Helm is the lone Red Wing with seven points. While Tomas Tatar, Luke Glendening and Dylan Larkin are all tied at six. Andreas Athanasiou has five points so far this year with Detroit in 13 games. And Ryan Sproul, Justin Abdelkader, Brendan Smith and Jonathan Ericsson all have four points on the year. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 21 (+8)

Team Record: (9-7-2)

Player of the Week: F Nikolaj Ehlers (4gp 1g 4a 5pts)

Special Teams

PP: 11-for-67 (16.4 percent) (18th)
PK: 11-for-63 (82.5 percent) (16th)

Winnipeg moves up eight slots this week. After posting a 3-0-1 record. So out of a possible eight points, Winnipeg notched 7. Winnipeg isn’t the only one on fire in Manitoba as Patrik Laine currently sits first in the NHL with 12 goals.

Nikolaj Ehlers was Winnipeg’s hottest player during those four games, registering five points. Blake Wheeler, Nic Petan, Mark Scheifele and Toby Enstrom were all tied with three points. Connor Hellebuyck appeared in all games posting a 1.30 goals-against-average and a .951 save percentage. The only weak spot so far has been Winnipeg’s defence since Dustin Byfuglien, Josh Morrissey and Tyler Myers haven’t lived up to expectations so far this season.

With Patrik Laine leading the Jets and the NHL in goals, he’s going to be a solid player all year. He’s also gonna help Winnipeg climb the rankings more once their defence gets better. They already have an amazing top nine of up front and two solid goaltenders. So it’s just a matter of time for the Jets. Mark Scheifele also leads the league in points. And has been a star since returning from the World Cup. Expect him to continue this trend.

So far through 18 games played, Scheifele has 21 points. Patrik Laine sits second with 17. Nikolaj Ehlers is in third with 16 points in 18 games. Blake Wheeler currently has 13 points for the Jets. Dustin Byfuglien is the highest scoring defenseman for Winnipeg with nine points in 18 games. Adam Lowry and Toby Enstrom are both tied with six for the club. Marko Dano, Tyler Myers and Nic Petan all have five each. Kyle Connor, Andrew Copp and Joel Armia are tied with four points each. And Josh Morrissey has three points so far in 18 games. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 10 (-4)

Team Record: (8-6-1)

Player of the Week: F Eric Staal (3gp 1g 4a 5pts)

Special Teams

PP: 6-for-44 (13.6 percent) (23rd)
PK: 6-for-48 (87.5 percent) (T-4th)

Minnesota falls four spots in this weeks rankings when last week they went 2-2-0 against fairly weaker teams. Out of a possible eight points, Minnesota only managed to tally up four. One good sign is that the pickup of Eric Staal has seemed to pay off great for the Wild.

During Minnesota’s four games last week, Staal managed to put up five points and was a plus four. Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle both had three points and were a combined plus six. Devin Dubnyk appeared in three of the contests and finished with a record of 1-2-0. He also had a .942 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against-average. Darcy Kuemper appeared in the other game and getting the win. While doing so he posted a 0.972 save percentage with a 0.94 goals-against-average.

If Minnesota’s goal-tending can continue their solid play and the offence continues to score. They will again rise in the power rankings once their defence becomes more tightened up. Minnesota’s next three games are in Boston, Colorado and Dallas. All tough teams, but as stated earlier, if their defence tightens they should manage to accumulate a couple points.

Eric Staal was definitely a solid pickup since he currently leads the team in points. Through 15 games, Staal has 13 points. Ryan Suter leads all defenseman for Minnesota with 12 in 15. Charlie Coyle has 10 points so far in 15 games. Nino Niederreither and Mikael Granlund are both tied with eight points each. While Jason Zucker has seven points so far in 15 games as well. Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Jason Pominville are all tied with six, (Parise’s coming in nine games however). Chris Stewart, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Dumba are tied with five a piece. While Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon are also tied with four so far this year. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 12 (-3)

Team Record: (6-5-3)

Player of the Week: F Jakob Silfverberg (3gp 2g 3a 5pts)

Special Teams

PP: 13-for-58 (22.4 percent) (9th)
PK: 9-for-62 (85.5 percent) (7th)

The Ducks had a decent week going 2-1 over three games. They took a tough 5-0 loss versus Nashville, but bounced back nicely against the Oilers. We expect many more of those weekly records moving forward now that Anaheim has their core roster back together. Given the circumstances of being without Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm to start the year, the Ducks actually did a really good job keeping themselves in the hunt. They’re 2-1-1 with Lindholm in the lineup and 5-2-1 since Rakell’s return.

It wasn’t the prettiest week between the pipes for Ducks goaltender. Luckily, they received plenty of goal support. Backup Jonathan Bernier allowed three goals on 39 shots versus Carolina last Thursday. Two nights later, John Gibson surrendered four goals on 18 shots in the loss to Nashville. The American netminder bounced back on Tuesday against Edmonton closing the door on 33 of 34 shots for the win. Gibson now has a stat line of six wins, 2.55GAA, and a.909 save percentage. Look for those numbers to improve as the season moves on.

Jakob Silfverberg took home player of the week honors based on a single performance. He racked up two goals, two assists in the big win against Carolina, which was nearly half his total production on the early season. Honorable mentions go to Ryan Kesler who scored three goals over the last seven days. He’s now up seven goals, six assists (13 points) in 17 games. Even Nick Ritchie looks to be turning a corner after scoring a pair of goals over past week. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 18 (+2)

Team Record: (10-6-0)

Player of the Week: F David Krejci (3gp 1g 4a 5pts)

Special Teams

PP: 7-for-52 (13.5 percent) (24th)
PK: 10-for-61 (83.6 percent) (12th)

Boston went undefeated last week winning all three of their games. Obtaining all six possible points. In those three games, Boston scored nine goals. And only allowing three against. They currently possess a 10-6-0 record. David Krejci was amazing the last three games as well as Ryan Spooner and David Backes.

David Backes is finally finding his footing with Boston having himself a very solid season so far. In Boston’s last three games, Krejci has scored five points as well as being a plus five. Backes and Spooner both put up three points each with a combined plus nine rating. Tuukka Rask is probably one of the hottest goalies so far this season. And in the last three games he showed that. He won all three, recording one shutout and has a .957 save percentage. To go along with those amazing numbers, Rask also had a 1.00 goals-against-average.

While filled with a lot of first years, Boston has done very well. That’s mostly due to previously mentioned David Backes, Ryan Spooner, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask. They make visits to St. Louis, Winnipeg and Minnesota in the next three. Boston has added some key pieces this off-season which have seemed to pay off. And Tuukka Rask just seems to keep getting better every season.

Brad Marchand currently leads the team with 16 points in 16 games. David Pastrnak has 14 points in 14 games. David Krejci has 10 points so far on the year. Ryan Spooner and David Backes are both tied seven points a piece. Dominic Moore has six points in 16 games. Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, Austin Czarnik, Tim Shaller, John-Michael Liles, Patrice Bergeron and Brandon Carlo are all tied at four points. While Riley Nash has three points so far. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 15 (-2)

Team Record: (7-6-0)

Player of the Week: G Martin Jones (2 wins 1.50GAA .940 save percentage)

Special Teams

PP: 9-for-47 (19.1 percent) (T-12th)
PK: 4-for-38 (89.5 percent) (3rd)

The Sharks continued their road trip this past week. They picked up a pair of wins in the state of Florida versus the Panthers and Lightning before dropping their final game in Raleigh against the Hurricanes. San Jose looked great through those first two games, but being shut out by Cam Ward and the Hurricanes is a tad alarming. To be fair, Aaron Dell provided another solid outing, but goal support continues to be an issue in 2016-17. So far, the Sharks rank 24th with 37 goals in 17 games, an average 2.31 goals per game.

Luckily for San Jose, goaltending continues to be a strong point. Following another strong week for Martin Jones, he now has eight wins, a 2.20GAA, and .913 save percentage. Once the Sharks starting finding the back of the net with a little more frequency, it wouldn’t be surprising to watch Jones sneak his way into Vezina Trophy nominations.

The Sharks best skater over the last seven days comes as no surprise. Brent Burns continues to be a force on the blue line for San Jose and the production just keeps rolling. With another pair of points, Burns now has 14 points in 16 games. That 75-point mark in 2015-16 might actually be replicated or exceeded by the time April rolls around. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 19 (+1)

Team Record: (8-7-1)

Player of the Week: G Roberto Luongo (2 wins 2.37GAA .914 save percentage)

Special Teams

PP: 9-for-57 (15.8 percent) (20th)
PK: 9-for-48 (81.3 percent) (T-18th)

Florida also moves up another position from last weeks ranking. Winning two out of their three games last week. Scoring nine goals while only allowing the same amount. Out of a possible six points, Florida managed to get four. The play of Mike Matheson as well as the combination of Roberto Luongo and James Riemer has paid dividends.

With an 8-7-1 record on the season, Florida is only three points out of a wild card spot. And how their offence has been so far from their new additions, they are more than likely to continue their upward trajection. Once their star players start clicking on a nightly basis. Especially when Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad return.

Aleksander Barkov has been one of Florida’s hottest players in the last four games scoring three points. Their coldest has been Colton Sceviour who only has one point in the last five. Roberto Luongo however during the past three games has a two wins. As well as a .914 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against-average. Mike Matheson has also been a very outstanding player, as this is going to be his first full season as an NHLer. Jonathan Marchessault has easily been the best signing the Panthers made in the 2016 off-season as he’s running the team.

As stated above, Marchessault is currently leading the team with 14 points in 16 games. Vincent Trochek has 10 in 16. And Colton Sceviour has nine points so far this season. Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle are both tied with eight a piece. While Mike Matheson, Denis Malgin and Jason Demers are all tied with seven. Jaromir Jagr and Reilly Smith both have six points each. Also Alex Petrovic has five points in 16 games as well as being a plus one. New captain Derek MacKenzie has four points. And Mark Pysyk as well as Jussi Jokinen are both tied with three. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 17 (-2)

Team Record: (6-6-2)

Player of the Week: D Michael Del Zotto (3gp 1g 2a 3pts)

Special Teams

PP: 17-for-62 (27.4 percent) (2nd)
PK: 11-for-52 (78.8 percent) (25th)

Goaltending continues to be an issue for the Philadelphia Flyers. Both netminders posted a GAA above 3.00 and save percentage .870 or below over the past week. Steve Mason has three wins in 12 appearances with a 3.24 GAA and .884 save percentage in 2016-17. Michal Neuvirth has four wins in nine appearances with a 3.54GAA and .859 save percentage. Both of these guys will need to be a lot better if the Flyers hope to secure a playoff spot.

Philadelphia would be wise to test the goalie market. After all, both Mason and Neuvirth are pending UFAs and neither look to be the answer for the future. Mid as well package one up to acquire an elite starter, which means targeting Ben Bishop or Marc-Andre Fleury. Yes, I know, I said it. Flyers and Penguins made a deal like that for Fleury? Perhaps it’s a little farfetched, but if the Maple Leafs can ship their captain to Ottawa, anything is possible.

A few skaters had a decent week. Michael Del Zotto and Wayne Simmonds led the way in scoring with three points. Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl finished tied for second with two points. Raffl is an interesting case. He rejoined the team to make his season debut back on November 3rd. He went three games without a point before missing the contest versus Toronto. Since returning, Michael Raffl notched his first two points of the year with an assist against Minnesota and a goal versus Ottawa.

On the flip side, Matt Read seems to have hit a wall. After tallying seven points in his first 12 games, he’s since gone pointless over his last five contests. This could be an interesting player to watch in 2016-17 as it seems he may be on Las Vegas’ radar. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 22 (+2)

Team Record: (6-6-3)

Player of the Week: G Pekka Rinne (2 wins 0.50GAA .980 save percentage)

Special Teams

PP: 13-for-55 (23.6 percent) (T-5th)
PK: 9-for-48 (81.3 percent) (T-18th)

Also moving up two spots on the power rankings. Nashville has been catching their stride lately as a team. With P.K Subban now fully comfortable with his new team. The rest of Nashville has been able to gel with him nicely (and vice versa). Pekka Rinne has also been outstanding in the two games he’s played so far out of the three.

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Nashville won two of the three games notching four of a possible six points. Their only loss came Tuesday night verses the Maple Leafs. During that span Nashville has scored 10 goals, while only allowing three against. James Neal has scored four goals in all the three games on the week. Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson both have three points each. In the two games Pekka Rinne played, he won both. While posting a 0.50 goals-against-average and a .980 save percentage.

With 67 games left in the season, P.K Subban, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok will get much better. Since Subban is on a more offensive team, he could very well reach an all-time high in points (previous high is 60). Filip Forsberg is also another player who can shift things on a dime. And if Pekka Rinne can keep up the solid play, Nashville will once again become a playoff threat.

So far this season, Filip Forsberg and James Neal lead the team with 11 points each in 15 games. Viktor Arvidsson has 10 points in the same amount of games. While Roman Josi, P.K Subban and Ryan Johansen are tied with eight points each. Mike Ribeiro and Mike Fisher are also tied with seven each. Colin Wilson has six points so far throughout the season. While Ryan Ellis, Craig Smith and Matt Irwin all have five points. Calle Jarnkrok and Mattias Ekholm are also tied with four points in 15 games each. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 23 (+2)

Team Record: (6-6-5)

Player of the Week: F Patrick Eaves (4gp 4g 1a 5pts)

Special Teams

PP: 11-for-65 (16.9 percent) (17th)
PK: 14-for-61 (77.0 percent) (26th)

Dallas has been on a roll offensively. They’ve scored 12 goals in the last four games, while putting up a 2-1-1 record. Managing five points out of a possible eight. Unfortunately letting up 11 goals in the process. Kari Lehtonen has also been solid this past week with a .913 save percentage and a 2.98 goals-against-average.

Tyler Seguin has been on absolute fire. He’s got four assists in the last six games. Antoine Roussel has three goals and three assists for six points in the last four games. Patrick Eaves and Jamie Benn both have five points each. Free agent signee, Lauri Korpikoski has three goals in the last four games, making him look like a good decision by the Stars management staff. Despite playing only one game in the last four, Antti Niemi has posted incredible numbers. In that one game Niemi has a .939 save percentage and a 1.98 goals-against-average. Expect Niemi to get the next couple of starts with these impressive stats.

Tyler Seguin is on pace to be a serious contender for the Art Ross Trophy, same with Jamie Benn. Both of those two are easily the best duo in the NHL when their playing 100%. And with crucial scoring coming from Dallas’ depth players, their in a good position to keep improving.

Tyler Seguin holds the team lead with 20 points in 17 games played. Second closest is Jamie Benn with 14 in 17 games. Patrick Eaves has 13 points in 16 games played. While Antoine Roussel has 12 points so far this season. John Klingberg leads the defence with nine points. Devin Shore currently has seven points on the season. And Lauri Korpikoski has six so far. Jason Spezza, Dan Hamhuis and Radek Faksa all have five points a piece. While Johnny Oduya, Brett Ritchie, Jordie Benn and Stephen Johns are all tied with four. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 24 (+2)

Team Record: (7-10-1)

Player of the Week: G Chad Johnson (2 wins 0.50GAA .979 save percentage)

Special Teams

PP: 6-for-62 (9.7 percent) (28th)
PK: 17-for-68 (75.0 percent) (29th)

Despite the Flames being a bit of a mess right now, goalie Chad Johnson was a major difference maker of the last week. In fact, it’s become clear that Brian Elliott squandered his opportunity to be the starter in Calgary. Instead, the Flames turn to a tandem system where they ride the hot hand. And right now, the hot hand is Chad Johnson. He’s now up to four wins, a 2.25GAA and .915 save percentage in 2016-17.

There’s not a whole lot to discuss statistically over the last seven days for skaters. So, instead, let’s talk about the recent news of Johnny Gaudreau. Fans in Calgary and upset, and rightfully so. This little tap-slash phenomena is a result of rule changes. As it usually occurs, one change tends to have unexpected reprecussions. Such was the case when we eliminated the clutching and grabbing.

Something needs to be done, but the question is what? Stick more language in the rule book in an attempt to eliminate the tap-slash? Aren’t we playing with fire – who knows what transpires from that. Or, do we find a happy medium that allows some of that clutching/grabbing back in the game? I’m not sure what the solution is at this point, but you can bet this will be a topic discussed by GMs over the next handful of months.

Calgary will need to hope other forwards can step up in Johnny Hockey’s absence. You could argue the two guys who need to have the biggest impact are Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk. Surprise, surprise. That’s exactly what the pair did on Wednesday night versus Arizona. A little more of that and Calgary should be able to keep their heads above water without their star forward. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 28 (+5)

Team Record: (7-6-3)

Player of the Week: F Mitch Marner (3gp 2g 3a 5pts)

Special Teams

PP: 10-for-43 (23.3 percent) (8th)
PK: 8-for-48 (83.3 percent) (T-13th)

The Leafs have been on fire the past three games. Winning two out of the three and scoring 13 goals in the meantime, while allowing nine against. Frederik Andersen has also been standing on his head as of late. Which means if the Leafs can keep up this play, they’ll be trending upwards for a while.

James Van Riemsdyk, Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak have exploded for five points in a piece in the last three games, as well as being a combined plus six. Morgan Rielly has also found his groove over the last three scoring four points. Frederik Andersen has been lights out during those three contests. Posting a .922 save percentage with a 3.00 goals-against-average. Martin Marincin has also been a solid player, scoring three points and being a plus four. Auston Matthews and William Nylander have been on a slump as of late, and continued it in the past three. They had a combined point total of only two points.

Auston Matthews is still in his rookie year, so slumps are bound to happen. But it’s only a matter of time however when he fully explodes. Nylander on the other hand is going through the same issues. But he was able to break his nine game streak with a goal against Nashville on Tuesday.

Mitch Marner and James Van Riemsdyk currently hold the team lead in points with 15 in 16 games. Tyler Bozak sits second with 14 points. William Nylander is fourth with 13 points. Auston Matthews is in fifth with 12 points. Nazem Kadri has 11 points. Morgan Rielly has 10 points in 16 games. Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev both have seven points in 16 games each. Leo Komarov has 5 points as well as being an even ranked played, while everyone else is in the minus category. Martin Marincin has 4 points. And Zach Hyman, Connor Brown along with Matt Hunwick each have three points. Hunwick’s come in only eight games however. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 25 (+1)

Team Record: (7-8-0)

Player of the Week: F Rene Bourque (3gp 3g 0a 3pts)

Special Teams

PP: 9-for-53 (17.0 percent) (16th)
PK: 12-for-60 (80.0 percent) (22nd)

Moving up one position from last week, Colorado has seen a slight increase in overall team success. Scoring a total of seven goals in their last three games, while only allowing five against. Colorado also won two of those three games. Getting four points out of a possible six.

Free agent signee Rene Bourque has been the Avs best player over those last three games. Scoring three goals for three points. As well as being a plus one player. Varlamov has also been very solid winning two of the three games. During that span he’s posted a .958 save percentage with a 1.33 goals-against-average. With Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene having a combined total of one point in the last three. Expect them to start producing more often, they’re too skilled not to. Gabriel Landeskog has two over the last three.

When Matt Duchene, Jarome Iginla, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon start producing like we know they can, and Semyon Varlamov keeping up this solid play. Colorado will have no problem climbing the standings as well as the power rankings. Colorado’s defense has also been very instrumental in their success. Cause out of there top 8 scorers over the last three games, three of them play the blue line.

Matt Duchene currently leads the team with 11 points in 13 games. Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog are both tied with eight each. While Patrick Wiercioch and Erik Johnson tie the defensive team lead with seven a piece. Rene Bourque and Tyson Barrie have each scored six points. Mikhail Grigorenko is the lone Avalanche player with five points in 15 games. Carl Soderberg as well as Joe Colborne both have four in 15. While Francois Beauchemin, Blake Comeau, Mikko Rantanen, Jarome Iginla and Fedor Tyutin are all tied at three points each. – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 20 (-5)

Team Record: (5-7-4)

Player of the Week: F Matt Moulson (3gp 2g 1a 3pts)

Special Teams

PP: 10-for-48 (20.8 percent) (11th)
PK: 10-for-58 (82.8 percent) (15th)

Winless in the last five games, Buffalo has dropped 5 spots since last week. Their offense has become definitely stagnant. Only scoring four goals in the last three games. While allowing ten against. Their defense hasn’t helped the Sabres much either, if at all.

With Tyler Ennis, Jack Eichel and Nicolas Deslauriers still injured. Buffalo has had to resort to players like Nicholas Baptiste, William Carrier and Evan Rodrigues to fill those slots. Looking to Lehner, despite the teams lack luster performances of late, he still possesses a .921 save percentage and also a 2.41 goals-against-average on the season. So it’s easy to say, Lehner is definitely keeping Buffalo competitive. But they just can’t seem to score on a consistent basis. Kyle Okposo has shown why he was a great offseason addition as he now leads the team in points.

Once Buffalo receives their elite scoring back in the lineup, expect them to bounce back quickly. Since the goaltending has been solid all season. Although the defense hasn’t been as of late. During the last three games this past week. Buffalo didn’t win a single game. And out of a possible 6 points, Buffalo only managed to get one from a shootout loss.

With Kyle Okposo leading the team in points (5g, 5a, 10pts, 15gp) Ryan O’Reilly sits second with 9 points in 13 games. Rasmus Ristolainen and Matt Moulson are both tied at third with eight points a piece. Brian Gionta and Sam Reinhart are also tied at seven points each. Johan Larsson has six points on the season. Marcus Foligno has five in 16 games. Zemgus Girgensons and Cody Franson each have four points in 16 games. Jake McCabe is the lone player with three points. While Nicholas Baptiste, Derek Grant and Tyler Ennis all have two points (Baptiste in 11 games, Ennis in 12). – Matt Duscharme

Previous Ranking: 27 (+1)

Team Record: (5-6-2)

Player of the Week: D Johnny Boychuk (3gp 0g 1a 1pts)

Special Teams

PP: 5-for-48 (10.4 percent) (27th)
PK: 13-for-64 (79.7 percent) (23rd)

Picking a player of the week wasn’t easy considering no player had more than a single point and goaltending was a joke. That being said, defenseman Johnny Boychuk takes POW honors for racking up a lone helper and only posting a -1 plus/minus rating while averaging over 21 minutes/games. Leddy led all D at 22 minutes/game and posted a -5. Hamonic was a -2 in his return from injury. Calvin de Haan was a -3 averaging nearly 20 minutes/game and Thomas Hickey was an even rating playing 20:15/night on average. Something to be said for that second pairing of Hickey and Boychuk playing surprisingly well against top competition.

There’s not much positive coming from this offensive group right now. Fact is, the Isles had upwards of four prospects that seemed ready to step in and make an impact in 2016-17. Oddly, Anthony Beauvillier was the only rookie to stick around. When that fell apart, so did GM Garth Snow’s plan of replacing Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and Matt Martin. Now, we’ve got a mess in Brooklyn. They could always give Michael Dal Colle an Josh Ho-Sang a look since the pair are having strong starts down in Bridgeport. Then again, those guys are probably better suited to spend a year in the AHL.

That leaves only one option: GM Garth Snow needs to make a deal to acquire someone who can play with John Tavares. Even if it’s a temporary option, you need to show the 2018 free agent that you want to win. Right now, there’s not a whole lot that screams we’re building towards a Stanley Cup winner. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 30 (+3)

Team Record: (5-6-4)

Player of the Week: G Cam Ward (2 wins 1.35GAA .942 save percentage)

Special Teams

PP: 9-for-47 (19.1 percent) (T-12th)
PK: 4-for-42 (90.5 percent) (1st)

A perfect penalty kill over the last seven days helped propel the Hurricanes to the top of the NHL. So, despite the shaky record, there is reason for optimism moving forward. Even better, they’re coming off two unbelievable games. They knocked off the 2015-16 Presidents’ Trophy winning Washington Capitals 5-1 on Saturday. It was followed up with 1-0 Cam Ward shutout on Tuesday night. Hopefully, this is something to build heading into week six.

With Eddie Lack struggling, the Canes turned to Cam Ward in all three games this past week. He had a tough night allowing three goals on 26 shots versus Anaheim last Thurday, but followed it up with his two best performances of the early season. He closed the door stopping 20 of 21 shots against Washington, then as mentioned, recorded a shutout vs. the Sharks on Tuesday. That nasty stat line he had is looking a little better now with four wins, a 2.51GAA and .908 save percentage. Carolina needs some consistent play between the pipes if they want to avoid being a lottery team in 2016-17.

Several players could be considered POW honorable mentions. After a tremendously slow start, Teuvo Teravainen had a big week racking up five points in three games. He was in on four of five goals (one goal, three assists) in the 5-1 win versus Washington. Jordan Staal had an identical stat line to Teravainen (1g 3a) against the Caps and now has nine points in 15 games. Lastly, rookie Sebastian Aho broke out of a long slump tallying an assist vs. Anaheim and two goals, one assist vs. Washington. Nine points in 15 games still keeps him in the race for rookie scoring, but the young Finn needs to find a little more consistency from game-to-game. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 29 (-1)

Team Record: (5-9-1)

Player of the Week: F Radim Vrbata (3gp 2g 0a 2pts)

Special Teams

PP: 5-for-45 (11.1 percent) (25th)
PK: 11-for-46 (76.1 percent) (28th)

The Coyotes continue to lurk around the NHL’s basement. Here’s a team that some thought had a chance to challenge for a Wild-Card spot in 2016-17. Instead, it’s becoming more and more obvious that we could looking at a lottery team with a chance at a high pick. If you’re a Yotes fan, don’t let the rough start discourage you. This wasn’t supposed to be a Stanley Cup winning team. All you’re looking for with a team in this state are reasons to be optimistic about the future.

For example, Louis Domingue settled in and finally put together a decent week. You might even argue it was his best week starting two of three games. Things get even better from there though. Starter Mike Smith made his return on Wednesday night and looked fairly sharp stopping 22 of 24 shots in a 2-1 loss.

That massive crop of rookies up front is also a reason to be optimistic. Despite a number of slow starts, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that Arizona is on the right path with the likes of Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Dylan Strome, and Christian Dvorak.

On a bit of a side note, GM John Chayka is reportedly letting any teams know the price to acquire Martin Hanzal is a young center or quality forward. Of course, any team is going to look to secure an extension with Hanzal as part of the deal.

Potential Targets for Martin Hanzal (not suggesting a 1-for-1 hockey deal):

Ryan Spooner (Boston), Riley Sheahan (Detroit), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton), Nick Bjugstad (Florida), Alex Killorn (Tampa Bay)

– Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 16 (-13)

Team Record: (6-6-0)

Player of the Week: F Jeff Carter (4gp 0g 2a 2pts)

Special Teams

PP: 6-for-55 (10.9 percent) (26th)
PK: 12-for-59 (79.7 percent) (T-23rd)

Let’s start off with perhaps the only positive over the past seven days. Star forward Marian Gaborik, who has been sidelined since the offseason, is now skating and should be set to return in the near future. That should give the Kings a massive offensive boost, maybe even give them a chance to compete for a Pacific Division title – that might be wishful thinking though.

This inconsistency out of the Kings has made them one of biggest movers and shakers on a weekly basis in 2016-17. It’s more of the same heading into week six after LA dropped all four games over the last seven days. They only managed to pick up a single point in their shootout loss and struggled to score goals. Then again, it probably didn’t help that captain Anze Kopitar has been sidelined for the last two games.

The biggest problem right now is that Los Angeles can’t score goals. When the objective is to outscore your opponent, that tends to pose an issue. The numbers are shockingly disappointing thus far. Tanner Pearson leads the team with six goals in 15 games. Jeff Carter sits second with five in 17 contests. Tyler Toffoli is third with four goals in 17 games. Then, Dustin Brown ranks fourth with three. After that, Anze Kopitar, Devin Setoguchi, Drew Doughty (D), Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez (D), Dwight King, Brayden McNabb (D), and Nick Dowd all sit tied with a pair of goals. Tom Gilbert (D), Matt Greene (D), and Jake Muzzin (D) have one goal. Leaving just Jordan Nolan (seven games), Teddy Purcell (nine games), Derek Forbort (D) (17 games), Andy Andreoff (IR) (nine games), Nick Shore (16 games), and Kevin Gravel (D) (seven games) without a goal in 2016-17. – Ryan Ritchie

Previous Ranking: 23 (-7)

Team Record: (5-8-1)

Player of the Week: F Brandon Sutter (3gp 2g 1a 3pts)

Special Teams

PP: 5-for-53 (9.4 percent) (29th)
PK: 8-for-49 (83.7 percent) (11th)

Poor Canucks fans are on an emotional rollercoaster in 2016-17. After numerous experts predicted them to finish dead last, Vancouver fans were quick to get on top of folks after the first week of action. Things went a little sideways, which eventually led to a severe scoring drought. Once it seemed they’d finally snapped out of it, the blindside hit to Daniel Sedin occurred.

Since then, they’ve gone 2-3-0, and while they’re starting to find the back of the net, it’s their strongest area through the first four weeks that let them down in week five. Both Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom had a tough seven day stretch after arguably carrying this team to start the year.

Wish I had better news for you Canucks fans, but there doesn’t seem to be greener pastures on the horizon. In fact, it could be a very long season of ups-and-downs that play with your emotions. If it helps any, there’s a pair of very promising young prospects vying to be top selections in the 2017 draft. I’m talking about WHL center Nolan Patrick and OHL winger Gabe Vilardi. Here’s two guys that could have an immediate impact as 18-year-olds. – Ryan Ritchie

Games of the Week (Nov.17-Nov.23)

Thursday, November 17th

Friday, October 28th

Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs

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Roberto Luongo got the nod in the first match-up of these two teams. James Reimer gets a taste of his old team on Thursday night.

Boston Bruins at Minnesota Wild

Tuukka Rask and Devan Dubnyk are two of the NHL’s hottest goaltenders right now. Can one of these teams light the lamp, or will it be a duel of netminders?

Friday, November 18th

Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals

This will be a good game for the Red Wings to gauge where they stand moving forward after an 8-8-1 start.

New York Rangers at Columbus Blue Jackets

Both of these teams are surging right now. This could be a statement game for the Blue Jackets if they can pull off a win.

Next: 5 Bold Trade Predictions

Saturday, November 19th

Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens

Is there a better rivalry in hockey? It lost a bit of its luster of the last couple of years, but things should heat up again as Toronto gets better.

Monday, November 21st

New York Rangers at Pittsburgh Penguins

Two of the NHL’s hottest teams meet up on Monday in what should be an exciting game.

Wednesday, November 23rd

Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers

In a second of a home-and-home series, the Rangers and Pens face-off in another crucial match-up that could dictate their fate in next week’s NHL power rankings.

Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks

Two Stanley Cup contenders will meet to size one another up. This will be the first of three contests in 2016-17, with the other two coming in December and January.