NHL 2022-23 Season Weekly Power Rankings: Monday 1/9

20. Buffalo Sabres (20)

Buffalo saw its winning streak come to an end last week, but the team has still taken significant strides forward as of late.

Part of what keeps the Sabres from moving up here is that the teams they’re chasing in the East aren’t letting up, so Buffalo needs points just to keep pace, not to gain ground.

19. Pittsburgh Penguins (8)

The biggest drop this week belongs to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I’ve talked before about how streaky the Blues are, but the Penguins are emerging as a team that is just as streaky.

Fortunately for Pittsburgh, it snapped its losing streak on Sunday in Arizona, plus it still owns a playoff spot, but the Pens can’t afford to keep losing six or seven games in a row.

18. Detroit Red Wings (16)

Detroit’s descent has been slow and painful. A three-loss week brings the Red Wings down to 18 in these rankings and sixth in the Atlantic Division. Hopefully, the Wings will find a way to right the ship but right now, there’s a lot more going wrong than right in the Motor City.

17. New York Islanders (15)

The New York Islanders spent last week on the road, going 1-3 in their four games. It wasn’t a good week for the Isles, and bad weeks can be especially troublesome in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division. New York is currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.