NHL Power Rankings: Highs and Lows, and the Coyotes’ are going streaking

In this week’s NHL power rankings and week in review, Mark Schiefele’s stick reaches the heavens, Mike Hoffman gets a banner, and Mackenzie Blackwood takes some splash damage.

Happy Monday, everyone. It’s time for our weekly NHL power rankings and week in review. A long time ago, I was given the task of coming up with highlights and lowlights for each week to really put things into perspective of how everyone’s week is different, and every week to each person is different. So we’re taking that to the NHL.

Here’s how the past week looked like for each team.

The Contenders

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (3-0-0, +8 Goal Differential)
Last week: 1

Highlight: Brayden Point’s soccer pass across the crease to a wide open Tyler Johnson to open up a mammoth lead over the Maple Leafs.

Lowlight: Andrei Vasilevskiy had no idea where this Madison Bowey shot was going due to a big screen, and didn’t move as it flew right by him.

2. Calgary Flames (2-1-0, +8 Goal Differential)
Last week: 3

Highlight: According to The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn and Game Scores, Johnny Gaudreau’s three-goal three-assist effort against New Jersey was the best game performance of the season so far.

Lowlight: Mathieu Perreault finding the puck in a scramble by the Calgary crease to score the eventual game winner for the Jets.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs (1-3-0, -8 Goal Differential)
Last week: 2

Highlight: Auston Matthews scoring twice in the final five minutes of the Leafs’ 7-6 win over Philadelphia.

Lowlight: Frederik Andersen getting pulled in back to back starts to start the week.

4. San Jose Sharks (2-2-0, Even Goal Differential)
Last week: 4

Highlight: Joe Pavelski potting a game winning goal in the dying seconds of the Sharks’ 5-4 win in Winnipeg.

Lowlight: Jamie McGinn burying a rebound after the Sharks turned the puck over in their own zone, tying the game for the Panthers, who would eventually win that game.

5. Boston Bruins (1-2-0, -3 Goal Differential)
Last week: 5

Highlight: Brad Marchand channeling his inner Connor McGregor by delivering the KO blow to the Blue Jackets, then celebrating by imitating McGregor’s shimmy-walk thing (whatever it’s called).

Lowlight: Danton Heinen kicking the puck directly into a one timer by Nikolaj Ehlers to give the Jets a big insurance marker.

6. Winnipeg Jets (2-1-0, +1 Goal Differential)
Last week: 6

Lowlight: Mark Schiefele had his stick lifted into the stratosphere by Zdeno Chara on a Jets power play. I counted four seconds of hangtime.

Highlight: He’d score later in that same shift with that same stick.

7. New York Islanders (3-1-0, +3 Goal Differential)
Last week: 8

Highlight: Mat Barzal and Anders Lee combining for a game winning goal with just three minutes left against Montreal.

Lowlight: Andreas Athanasiou opening the scoring in Detroit by shooting one off the knee of Ryan Pulock.

8. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-1, +8 Goal Differential)
Last week: 7

Highlight: Evgeni Malkin becoming just the 88th player in NHL history to reach 1000 points with an assist during Tuesday’s win over Washington.

Lowlight: Giving up a tying goal to James van Riemsdyk with just 18 seconds left in Sunday’s game against Philadelphia, then the winning goal with just three seconds left in OT.

9. Washington Capitals (1-2-0, -2 Goal Differential)
Last week: 9

Highlight: Brett Connolly stealing the puck from a defender and scoring his second of the game against the Flyers.

Lowlight: Alex Killorn’s hat trick against the Capitals to fuel a Lightning victory.

10. Nashville Predators (2-1-0, +3 Goal Differential)
Last week: 10

Highlight: This sequence against the Kings that included a gorgeous save by Pekka Rinne, and Viktor Arvidsson finishing a two on one break to open the scoring.

Lowlight: Falling behind 3-0 to the Ducks mid second period, which proved too much for the Preds to come back from later in the game.

11. Carolina Hurricanes (2-1-0, +2 Goal Differential)
Last week: 11

Highlight: Petr Mrazek shutting out the Colorado Avalanche by posting 38 saves.

Lowlight: Getting shut out by the Blue Jackets, despite posting 46 shots on Sergei Bobrovsky.

12. Vegas Golden Knights (2-0-0, +4 Goal Differential)
Last week: 12

Highlight: Jon Marchessault’s pair of goals to put the Knights ahead for good against Edmonton.

Lowlight: Roope Hintz stripping Derek Engelland and making a slick move on Marc Andre Fleury to tie the game early for the Stars.

13. Columbus Blue Jackets (2-1-1, +3 Goal Differential)
Last week: 3

Highlight: Boone Jenner’s hat trick to lead the way for Columbus’ huge 7-4 win over Boston

Lowlight: Someone should tell Artemi Panarin that he should stick to scoring.

14. St. Louis Blues (1-2-1, Even Goal Differential)
Last week: 13

Highlight: Pat Maroon with a gorgeous move and setup for Jay Bouwmeester during St. Louis’ 5-1 rout in Pittsburgh.

Lowlight: Their inability to put a single goal on the board against Anders Nilsson and the Senators.

15. Dallas Stars (2-1-1, +4 Goal Differential)
Last week: 17

Highlight: Ben Bishop recording his third straight shutout by blanking Buffalo.

Lowlight: Bishop then left the next game against Minnesota to injury, and hasn’t returned since. And no, he didn’t give up a goal in that game either.

16. Montreal Canadiens (1-2-0, +1 Goal Differential)
Last week: 16

Highlight: Carey Price somehow keeping this puck out of the net against a buzzing group of Red Wings forwards after a Tyler Bertuzzi breakaway.

Lowlight: Despite recording 48 shots on net against Chicago, they couldn’t score once on Corey Crawford in a heartbreaking loss.

This article continues on the next slide.