1. Montreal Canadiens 11-2-0
Their winning streak may have finally come to an end, but their dominance of the NHL hasn't. In their last two games, they have soundly defeated two teams that made the playoffs last year in the Flames and Jets. They are the top three in both GPG and GAA, showing that they are a complete team that can rely on any aspect of their game. Carey Price might have gone down with injury, but his back up Mike Condon is undefeated and can hold the fort until Price gets back.
2. Dallas Stars 9-2-0
Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin continue to be the best one-two punch in the league. Benn leads the league in goals while Seguin is tied for the lead in assists. They are also the top two point getters in the NHL. They have led their team to eight wins in their last nine games.
3. New York Rangers 7-2-2
The last time the Rangers did not pick up a point in their contests was against Montreal on October 15, more than two weeks ago. They give up the least amount of goals per game, and their star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist could be heading towards another Vezina winning season. Mats Zuccarello scored a hat trick in his last game, and has shown he deserves the top line role given to him.
4. Washington Capitals 8-2-0
They are easily the hottest team in the league right now. John Carlson has done everything you could want in a defender. He eats up 24:32 minutes a night, has a positive +/- and contributes at a point a game.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5-2
While the team’s fortunes might have turned in the last couple of weeks, they are still a Stanley Cup contender. They have Victor Hedman to thank for that, who has 10 assists already on the blue line, as well as notching a positive +/- while playing top line minutes.
6. St Louis Blues 8-2-1
They have won their last three games, and all of them were in the playoffs last year. Vladimir Tarasenko leads the team in goals with six and points with 10. The team defensively has a solid core with Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester and Kevin Shattenkirk. They are fourth in GAA, showing their ability to keep the puck out of the net.
7. Minnesota Wild 7-2-2
The stars are shining for the Wild offensively. Mikko Koivu, Thomas Vanek and Ryan Suter all already have double-digit points. Zach Parise leads the team with seven goals. To top it all off, the team is fifth in GPG and are only two points behind Dallas for best record in the West.
8. Nashville Predators 7-2-2
The Predators almost fell out of the top 10 after a rough week. They lost in overtime to Pittsburgh and Los Angeles before losing to last place Anaheim.
9. Vancouver Canucks 5-2-4
The Canucks have points in the last four games, including a win against Montreal. Their schedule gets a lot easier as they face Philadelphia, Buffalo and New Jersey this week, which should all be winnable games for a team of their caliber.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins 7-4-0
The Penguins are officially back. They have won their last four games, with their most impressive being against Washington. Evgeni Malkin leads the surprisingly low scoring Penguins with four goals and ten points. The offense will get better, and the Penguins are getting closer and closer to the top of the Metropolitan Division.
11. New York Islanders 6-3-3
The special teams unit is a big reason for the team’s success. Their power play unit is second best in the league, while their penalty kill is the best in the league. What has let them down recently is their ability to win the close games. They lost their last three games by one goal, two of those in extra time.
12. Winnipeg Jets 7-4-1
Their last two losses were against two of the hottest teams in the NHL in Los Angeles and Montreal. Blake Wheeler has been having a great start to the season, scoring six goals and notching 14 points. They have a road trip ahead of them, so they need Wheeler and the rest of the offense at their best.
13. Boston Bruins 6-3-1
After a round first couple of weeks, the Bruins have won six of their last seven games. The Bruins over the last few years have been known for their defensive ability, but it has been their offense that has carried them through the year. They are leading the league with 3.9 GPG.
14. Los Angeles Kings 7-3-0
That 70’s line has been leading the Kings comeback after their rough start to the season. Tyler Toffoli leads the team in goals while Drew Doughty leads the team in assists. Toffoli is tied with Jeff Carter for the team lead in points with 10 despite not playing on the top line. Their defense is only giving up two GPG and if they can continue to play sound defense they could continue to rocket up the rankings.
15. Detroit Red Wings 5-5-1
While the loss of Datsyuk does hurt the team, it isn’t an excuse to give up 2.7 GPG when the Red Wings are known for their defense. Niklas Kronwall has not been his normal self, with a -2 +/- that has really hurt his team. They play Tampa Bay Tuesday, and if they can win that game they can start getting their season back on track.
16. Chicago Blackhawks 6-5-0
Over the last two games, we have seen how the loss of Duncan Keith to injury has hurt the team. They gave up three goals to Winnipeg, and gave up a further five goals to Minnesota. Their schedule does let up, as they play New Jersey and Edmonton this week.
17. San Jose Sharks 6-5-0
Over the last seven games, their only victories have come against Carolina and Colorado. The once invincible Martin Jones has given up three or more goals in three of his last five games. Just like the Blackhawks, they get a relatively easy schedule coming up and need to capitalize off of it in order to continue the momentum they had earlier in the season.
18. Florida Panthers 5-4-2
Despite being in the top ten in both GPG and GAA, they have a losing record. Whenever they win, they win big like in the 6-2 victory against Dallas. When they lose, it’s in the close games like their overtime loss to Washington.
19. Ottawa Senators 5-4-2
The problem with the Senators is that they have a 3.1 GAA. It is hard to beat teams like Detroit and Montreal when you are giving up so many goals.
20. New Jersey Devils 6-4-1
After losing their first four, the Devils have rebounded nicely in order to move into the middle of the Metropolitan Division race. Cory Schneider has a 2.17 GAA and will need to continue his strong play if the Devils want to keep their spot in the top 20.
21. Philadelphia Flyers 4-4-2
Jakub Voracek is still without a goal in the 10 games he has played. They will need his offense when they face the high scoring Edmonton Oilers this week.
22. Arizona Coyotes 5-5-1
They have given up 10 goals in their last couple games. They now rank 21st in GAA, which is almost precisely where they are in the standings and in this ranking.
23. Buffalo Sabres 5-7-0
Ryan O’Reilly is the one bright spot on an otherwise lackluster offense. The team itself though has gotten three wins in their last four games, but face Tampa Bay in their next contest.
24. Colorado Avalanche 3-7-1
It is hard to believe that a team with as much talent as they have is playing such awful hockey. Semyon Varlamov right now has a .891 SV% and Matt Duchene only has three points. Other players such as Erik Johnson and Carl Soderberg also need to start playing up to their potential.
25. Carolina Hurricanes 5-7-0
Eric Staal has to be one of the most underrated players in the NHL. In both games against Eastern Conference powerhouses Tampa Bay and Detroit, he managed a goal and had a 2 +/-.
26. Calgary Flames 3-8-1
They are still in the middle of an early season slump. They are giving up the most goals in the league, and a lot of that has to do with poor goaltending. The offense that led them to the second round last year has short-circuited, with players like Mark Giordano and Mason Raymond off to poor starts.
27. Edmonton Oilers 4-8-0
Taylor Hall and Connor McDavid lead an impressive group of forwards. With McDavid and Hall playing at a point per game, the Oilers are scoring 2.7 GPG. The defense has not been good, giving up three or more goals in their last five contests.
28. Anaheim Ducks 2-7-2
I know that they will snap out of this funk sooner or later, but they have been playing some of the worst hockey in the league. Scoring 1.3 GPG is pure misery that nobody saw in the Ducks future this season.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs 1-7-2
While I believe that the Maple Leafs, just like the Ducks, are a much better team than what they have been showing us, there is just no way to excuse how terrible a season they are having. Dion Phaneuf is their leading scorer right now. DION PHANEUF!
30. Columbus Blue Jackets 2-10-0
While they ended their terrible eight game losing streak a couple weeks ago, they have another one brewing right now. The question is if Columbus still has the morale to conduct a successful comeback after heart breaking defeat after heart breaking defeat.