NHL Power Rankings Week 2: Maple Leafs rising, Canadiens free falling

So far, the Vancouver Canucks are undefeated in regulation. This is probably an overreaction in the other direction, as they started last season off strong and still wound up being precisely who everything thought they were. But the Canucks are getting good play from their young players, which is quite encouraging for their future. It should make the rebuild more bearable for Vancouver fans.

The Calgary Flames are looking like Stanley Cup contenders early. Their goaltending was a question going into the season, but so far, the Flames have the sixth best team save percentage. Having a great team in front of the net has definitely helped. Adding Jaromir Jagr makes them a potential Stanley Cup dark horse. They rebounded from a tough Opening Night loss to the Oilers to look very good in their last two games, both wins.

It’s early, but it’s fair to question the Carolina Hurricanes’ ability to score consistently. They went from a four-goal (five if you include the meaningless shootout goal added) performance against the Wild to a one-goal performance against the Blue Jackets. But the Hurricanes looked very good in both games, dominating possession. Carolina’s goaltending is hard to judge after two games, but it needs to be better. If the Hurricanes figure out how to score more consistently and/or their goaltending improves, watch out.

The Los Angeles Kings look like an entirely different team this season. They’re fast and they’re a ton of fun to watch. That’s a significant change from the Darryl Suter Kings. Credit John Stevens for implementing his system quickly. It’s hard to fairly judge them because teams haven’t adjusted to their new system yet. That’s also why they’re a bit low for their record. But so far, Kings fans have every reason to be encouraged.

What a great first week for the Vegas Golden Knights. They’ve given a broken city still suffering from a horrible tragedy something to root for. The Golden Knights are a living embodiment of their city, which is honoring Tom Petty by refusing to back down.

"You can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won’t back down."

Don’t expect their success to continue, but then again, don’t let anyone rain on your parade Golden Knights fans. You have a team. Be excited and never take them for granted. Welcome to the NHL, we’re all rooting for you.