In this week’s NHL Power Rankings, a Habs fan eats some mayonnaise, Milan Lucic sucker punches someone, and the Islanders return to Brooklyn.
Happy Wednesday, everyone, and welcome back to the NHL power rankings, complete with everyone’s favorite recap of the week through highlights and lowlights. This week brings us quite a bit of pain, as lots of players seemed to have gotten hurt, and a couple of teams took huge hits in the rankings. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Also, again, we are encouraging you guys to add some conversation to this piece by writing your thoughts down in the comments. Maybe you have a good point, who knows? Make your voice heard. Ok. Now we’re going.
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NHL Power Rankings
1. Boston Bruins (2-1-0, +4 Goal Differential)
Last Week: 1
Highlight: Danton Heinen sneaking across the crease for a 3rd period go-ahead goal vs Ottawa.
Lowlight: Charlie McAvoy sliding headfirst into a very stationary goal post, and leaving the game against Pittsburgh.
2. Washington Capitals (2-0-0, +7 GD)
Last Week: 4
Highlight: Scoring four times in the first 11 minutes of their 6-1 drubbing of the Sabres.
Lowlight: Andrew Mangiapane finishing off a bad turnover behind the Caps net by Dmitri Orlov to start the scoring for Calgary.
3. Vancouver Canucks (2-0-2, +3 GD)
Last Week: 7
Highlight: Brock Boeser scoring a hat trick, including two power play goals, to lead the Canucks past Los Angeles 5-3.
Lowlight: Is it bad to give up a three-on-the-goalie breakaway in overtime? Yes, yes it is. Jaden Schwartz made sure Vancouver knows it.
4. Nashville Predators (1-1-1, +3 GD)
Last Week: 2
Highlight: Scoring five times on the poor Red Wings in the second period in Detroit.
Lowlight: After scoring in the last minute to take a 5-4 lead against Calgary, Matt Tkachuk scored the tying goal moments later, then the winner in OT through the legs (!!!) to win it for the Flames in what’s probably the best game of the season so far.
5. New York Islanders (3-0-0, +7 GD)
Last Week: 11
Highlight: Cole Bardreau scoring his first career goal on a penalty shot vs Ottawa, completing a comeback story for Cole after a broken neck and several years in the minors. Good for you, Cole.
Lowlight: Returning to the Barclays Center. It’s not a hockey venue.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (0-1-1, -3 GD)
Last Week: 3
Highlight: Brian Doumolin’s goal against the Oilers forced overtime, getting the Pens a point in the standings.
Lowlight: Brad Marchand’s drive off the post, off the back of Tristian Jarry, and in to the net with two minutes left in what was a tie game in Boston. Marchand finished that game with five points.
7. Arizona Coyotes (2-1-1, Even GD)
Last Week: 9
Highlight: First period domination against Colorado, leading to a 3-0 win. Corsi was 26-14, shots 16-7, goals 2-0.
Lowlight: Jonathan Drouin popping home a loose puck in the crease after Antti Raanta stopped Joel Armia on a two-on-one break. This iced the game at 4-1, Montreal.
8. Carolina Hurricanes (1-2-0, -1 GD)
Last Week: 8
Highlight: Ryan Dzingel weaving through the Detroit defense before connecting a pass to Martin Necas to give the Canes a 4-2 lead over the Wings.
Lowlight: Losing track of PK Subban, who snuck behind the defense and tipped in a Miles Wood shot to give the Devils a 4-3 third period lead they wouldn’t surrender.
9. St. Louis Blues (4-0-0, +4 GD)
Last Week: 17
Highlight: David Perron hitting Alex Pietrangelo with a cross-ice feed, who then deked out Devan Dubnyk for the GWG over the Wild.
Lowlight: Quinn Hughes using the knucklepuck technique to score the tying goal late for Vancouver.
10. Florida Panthers (2-0-0, +5 GD)
Last Week: 14
Highlight: Jonathan Huberdeau had a brace in each of their two games this week, accounting for half the Panthers’ goals.
Lowlight: Falling behind 3-1 against Colorado.
11. Montreal Canadiens (3-1-0, +2 GD)
Last Week: 12
Highlight: Victor Mete tripling his career goals total with a pair against Boston.
Lowlight: A Habs fan was caught on the big screen in Dallas eating mayo straight out of a huge jar. Gross. Watch at your own peril.
12. Edmonton Oilers (2-0-1, +3 GD)
Last Week: 13
Highlight: A pair of Leon Draisaitl goals helped lead the Oilers to a 4-1 win over Columbus. Because it’s either him or McDavid, they switch off nights.
Lowlight: Michael Grabner stealing the puck straight off Draisaitl’s stick and scoring on a very stoppable shot past Mike Smith to tie the game for the Coyotes.
13. Vegas Golden Knights (1-0-2, -1 GD)
Last Week: 10
Highlight: Alex Tuch returned to the lineup, and scored a goal in his first game after his injury kept him out for the first games of the season.
Lowlight: He then got hurt in his second game, and hasn’t been back since.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-1, +3 GD)
Last Week: 15
Highlight: Joel Farabee picking a good time to score his first NHL goal, tying the game midway through the third in New Jersey.
Lowlight: Kasperi Kapanen blowing right past a falling Travis Sanheim and roofing the puck over Brian Elliott to get the Leafs on the board.
15. Buffalo Sabres (0-2-0, -6 GD)
Last Week: 6
Lowlight: Linus Ullmark got hung up to dry when the Capitals managed a four-on-one breakaway early in Washington. You know where this ends…6-1 Capitals.
Highlight: They only scored one goal this week, so let’s just say they only had two games to lose. Unlike others, speaking of which…
16. Colorado Avalanche (0-3-1, -8 GD)
Last Week: 5
Lowlight: Radek Faksa got three whacks at a rebound off Phillipp Grubauer, with the third flopping high and over the falling goalie, like a perfect wedge shot in golf. This made it 2-0 Stars early in what would be a 4-1 game.
Highlight: Uh…yeah, they managed a point by forcing overtime against Florida. It’s tough without Gabe Landeskog or Mikko Rantanen for this group.
17. Toronto Maple Leafs (2-0-0, +2 GD)
Last Week: 16
Highlight: John Tavares made his return to the lineup, which will definitely help get things back on track for the Leafs.
Lowlight: Ivan Provorov’s point shot on the power play hitting a pair of Leafs on it’s way behind Freddy Andersen to tie the game.
18. Calgary Flames (3-1-0, +3 GD)
Last Week: 19
Highlight: The comeback kids of the week weren’t done after Matthew Tkachuk’s goals in Nashville. They came back from down 3-1 with four minutes left to win in OT with another pair of Tkachuk goals.
Lowlight: Milan Lucic sucker punching Columbus’s Kole Sherwood, which is not cool. Lucic got a two game suspension, and honestly, that may have been kind.
19. Dallas Stars (3-0-0, +7 GD)
Last Week: 23
Highlight: Roope Hintz scoring both goals for Dallas in their 2-1 win in Colorado.
Lowlight: The white-hot Hintz got hurt, and may be out of action for a while.
20. Anaheim Ducks (1-1-1, -2 GD)
Last Week: 18
Highlight: Ryan Getzlaf playing his 1000th career game with the Ducks, becoming the first Duck to do so. Tip of the cap.
Lowlight: Joel Eriksson Ek intercepting a pass and hitting a streaking Mats Zuccarello fresh out of the penalty box for an easy breakaway goal to tie the game for Minnesota.
21. Winnipeg Jets (2-0-1, +2 GD)
Last Week: 22
Highlight: A comeback win against Vegas, led by three points in the third and overtime by Kyle Connor.
Lowlight: Bryan Little getting hit in the side of his head with a Nikolaj Ehlers slap shot in the third against New Jersey. Little had already missed time this year with a concussion, so this is extra worrying.
22. Tampa Bay Lightning (1-1-0, -2 GD)
Last Week: 20
Highlight: Ondrej Palat scoring twice, then assisting on the game winner in OT in a wild game in New Jersey.
Lowlight: Josh Bailey finishing a tic-tac-toe passing play after a dump in hit a Tampa defender.
23. New Jersey Devils (2-0-2, +1 GD)
Last Week: 28
Highlight: Nico Hischier turning Jaccob Slavin inside-out with a gorgeous toe drag goal in the Devils’ 5-3 win in Carolina.
Lowlight: Cory Schneider giving up seven goals on just 23 Lightning shots, giving the Devils an OTL despite scoring six goals.
24. New York Rangers (1-1-0, -3 GD)
Last Week: 24
Highlight: Alexandar Georgiev’s performance against Nashville helped the Rangers hang on for a 2-1 win.
Lowlight: Brady Tkachuk being allowed to walk in and force a goal in for a 5-1 Ottawa lead at the Garden in an embarrassing 6-2 loss.
25. Columbus Blue Jackets (0-3-1, -8 GD)
Last Week: 21
Highlight: Oliver Bjorkstrand scoring his 100th career point to give Columbus a 3-1 lead in St. Louis…that they’d eventually blow.
Lowlight: Reilly Smith’s shorthanded goal giving the Knights a 2-1 lead that Columbus would never match.
26. Los Angeles Kings (1-2-0, -3 GD)
Last Week: 25
Highlight: Jack Campbell robbing Jonathan Toews with a beautiful windmill save to maintain a one goal lead.
Lowlight: Campbell followed that up with serving up a big ol’ pizza to David Kampf after being harried by Dominik Kubalik, just minutes after his ten bell save.
27. Ottawa Senators (1-2-0, -2 GD)
Last Week: 27
Lowlight: Scott Sabourin colliding with David Backes, and getting knocked out cold. Sabourin was stretchered off the ice.
Highlight: Sabourin later shared a picture on his Instagram letting everyone know he’s gonna be OK.
28. Minnesota Wild (1-1-1, Even GD)
Last Week: 29
Highlight: Tuesday night’s come from behind win in Anaheim.
Lowlight: Mackenzie MacEachern hitting the puck out of mid-air before Devan Dubnyk swatted it into his own net for a tie game early in the first.
29. Chicago Blackhawks (1-1-1, -2 GD)
Last Week: 26
Highlight: Adam Boqvist scoring his first NHL goal going bar down, helping lead the way to a 3-2 win in Anaheim.
Lowlight: Matt Roy capitalizing on a bouncing puck that eluded a few Blackhawks players to give the Kings an early 2-0 lead.
30. San Jose Sharks (1-2-0, -2 GD)
Last Week: 31
Highlight: They managed to outshoot the Jets 53-17.
Lowlight: They lost the game in regulation on a late third period goal by Nikolaj Ehlers.
31. Detroit Red Wings (0-3-0, -13 GD)
Last Week: 30
Highlight: Andreas Athanasiou scored his first of the season, finally.
Lowlight: Sebatsian Aho scored a goal, which got challenged, and got upheld, and then the Hurricanes scored on the insuing power play. This week in a nutshell for the Wings.
Team of the Week
This could be one of a few teams this week. The Blues won four games, but needed overtime in three of them. The Islanders won 10 straight, so they are a candidate. But this week, we are giving the honor to the Dallas Stars, who are back on the map.
Led the way by Roope Hintz and goaltending, the Stars are finally picking things up and scoring some goals in front of their stellar goalies, who gave up just one goal in each of their three wins this week. Two of those wins came in regulation against division rival Colorado.
It’s true that Colorado is missing two of their best players, but either way, the Stars walked away with four points in those games, while Colorado got none. Hintz may be hurt for a bit, but the Stars are a team to look out for going forward.
Team in the Box
This was about as easy as it gets. Detroit lost by four in their best game of the week. Total goals after losses at Carolina and Florida, and home against Nashville ends up being 4-17. It’s not like it’s luck either, with shots going 78-101 in favor of the opposition.
The Red Wings are in a clear rebuild mode, and it’s probably not the last time you’ll see them here this season. They have some young talent up and coming through the system, but for now this team is in the basement of the league, and it may be a while before they get back into the playoff hunt that we got used to seeing between the 90’s and early 2010’s.