NHL February power rankings: Panthers, Caps remain surprisingly undefeated early on
Washington and Florida are the NHL's only two teams without a regulation loss, surprising... everyone.
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The 2020-21 NHL season is in full swing, with the first few weeks of play officially in the rearview mirror as we hit the beginning of February. While there have been some hiccups over the opening weeks due to COVID-19 outbreaks and rules violations, overall the season has been able to play out mostly as intended so far.
There’s still a lot of hockey left to be played in the season, but after turning the page on a new month of 2021, I feel it’s more than fair to take a look at how the year has gone over its first few weeks of operation. Given the disparity of games played between teams thanks to COVID-19 outbreaks, the rankings may seem a bit… off, but I swear there’s a method to the madness here.
With that being said, let’s take a look at how I power rank the NHL’s 31 teams as February begins.
31. Ottawa Senators
Record: 1-7-1
Last ranked: 30The Senators have lost eight games in a row as Matt Murray’s struggles in goal (.849 save percentage in seven games played) continue from his Pittsburgh days. Not much positivity going on in Ottawa right now.
30. Detroit Red Wings
Record: 2-6-2
Last ranked: 31The good news for Detroit is that Tyler Bertuzzi is on pace for his first 30-goal season. The bad news is that the Red Wings have lost six games in a row and have the league’s second-worst goal differential (minus-15) three weeks into the season.
29. New York Rangers
Record: 2-4-2
Last ranked: 23Former No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere finally got his first NHL goal last week — in overtime no less — to help the Rangers secure their second win of the season. Sadly, not much else doing for this Rangers team at the moment, outside of the delicious Tony DeAngelo schadenfreude.
28. San Jose Sharks
Record: 3-5-0
Last ranked: 25While the start of the new season hasn’t been as disasterous as the last for the Sharks, the team has done nothing to disprove the notion that San Jose is on the decline, as the team sits in last place in the West.
27. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 3-5-2
Last ranked: 27The Ducks have lost their last three games and carry an uncharacteristic minus-11 goal differential to start the year. John Gibson has done all he can for the team with a .921 save percentage (though he was lit up for three goals on six shots in two minutes against the Blues) but the team around him just can’t score with a GF/GP of 1.60 in 10 games.
26. Arizona Coyotes
Record: 3-4-1
Last ranked: 21The loss of Oliver Ekman-Larsson — who was put on injured reserve with a week-to-week injury — puts the Coyotes in a bit of a bind without their best player. While the team’s goaltending has been good, the offense has yet to step up and give Arizona a better chance at winning games.
25. Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 3-4-3
Last ranked: 29Chicago has been better than expected to start the season, as after losing their first four games, the team has picked up points in five of their last six. Not enough to move the needle on them going forward, but still positive signs overall.
24. New York Islanders
Record: 3-4-2
Last ranked: 17After making it to the Eastern Conference Final last season, the Islanders have had a rough go of it this year. New York has lost five in a row — with two overtime losses — with the third-worst GF/GP at 2.11 through nine games. While their defensive structure has been sound, the team hasn’t been able to score with much alacrity so far.
23. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 5-6-0
Last ranked: 13Connor McDavid… good! The rest of the Oilers… not so much! To be fair, Edmonton has won two straight games and McDavid (22) and partner in crime Leon Draisaitl (21) lead the league in points by a mile. Yet, it remains to be seen if this duo will be able to drag the Oilers into the playoffs again this year, as an unstoppable one-two punch does not a complete hockey team make.
22. Nashville Predators
Record: 4-4-0
Last ranked: 19Outside of getting the doors blown off of them in a 7-0 loss to the Stars, the Predators have been able to keep a lot of games close this season thanks to Juuse Saros in net. However, when Filip Forsberg is your top scorer with four goals and six total points in eight games, there are sure to be problems with generating enough offense.
21. Los Angeles Kings
Record: 3-3-2
Last ranked: 28Surprisingly, the Kings have been better than expected to start the 2020-21 season. Gaining points in three of their first five games was a good start to build upon, but don’t expect this Los Angeles team in the midst of a rebuild to do much contending for a playoff spot.
20. Buffalo Sabres
Record: 4-4-2
Last ranked: 24It’s hard not to feel for the Sabres this season, as the team made upgrades in the offseason in hopes to compete but has been saddled with playing in the toughest division in the NHL this year. However, winning three of their last five games isn’t a bad start to making teams in the East sweat a bit.
19. Calgary Flames
Record: 3-3-1
Last ranked: 9Jacob Markstrom in net has added some much-needed stability for the Flames, and yet the team has lost three of their last four games. Calgary does have a positive goal differential (plus-three) and has the fewest games played in the North division so far, but still will need to be better as their schedule picks up.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 4-3-3
Last ranked: 14Patrik Laine should be joining the Blue Jackets from quarantine sometime this upcoming week after the blockbuster trade that sent disgruntled Pierre-Luc Dubois to Winnipeg shocked the hockey world. Columbus could sorely use a hot hand like Laine, as while the team sits near the top of the Central, clubs like Tampa Bay and Dallas are right on their heels.
17. New Jersey Devils
Record: 4-3-2
Last ranked: 26Miles Wood has been a surprise breakout player early on for the Devils, with eight points (and five goals) in nine games. Jack Hughes has also gotten off to a hot start this season, alongside goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who is sporting a .948 save percentage a few weeks in. All three players are a big reason why the Devils have exceeded expectations so far in the early goings.
16. Vancouver Canucks
Record: 6-5-0
Last ranked: 16Things were looking quite grim for the Canucks after the first few games, but a four-game win streak has this team back on track. There are concerns still with this group, from the goaltending to Elias Pettersson’s strangely off in-game performances, but for now things have stabilized for this Vancouver team.
15. Minnesota Wild
Record: 6-4-0
Last ranked: 18Kirill Kaprizov has been everything he was advertised to be for this Wild club. With eight points in 10 games, Kaprizov has been a big reason why Minnesota is making a legitimate case to be playoff contenders this year. Recent injury and COVID-related news has put a damper on the Wild’s early success, but so far the team has risen to the challenge.
14. Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 5-3-1
Last ranked: 10In spite of bad team defense and horrific goaltending, the Penguins have proven early on that they’re never out of a game fully. All five of their wins this season have been off of late-game comebacks, with five of their games this season heading to overtime or a shootout. Even though the team is winning, however, this Penguins team has deep flaws, from Tristan Jarry in net to a shaky defensive structure that collapses at the slightest bit of pressure.
13. Winnipeg Jets
Record: 5-3-0
Last ranked: 22Led by the scoring of Nikolaj Ehlers, the Jets have done well for themselves so far this season. Winnipeg has put together a top-10 offense in the NHL, and that was without Laine in the lineup for all but one game. The one major blemish on this Winnipeg team is that Connor Hellebuyck has been below average, which hasn’t helped cover up the mistakes this team makes on defense.
12. Florida Panthers
Record: 5-0-1
Last ranked: 20Florida is surprisingly one of only two teams left in the NHL without a regulation loss to their name. Sergei Bobrovsky has not been great in net for the Panthers, but instead it’s 26-year-old Chris Driedger putting the team on his back with a .937 save percentage in three games. Though the Panthers have mostly fed on bottom-feeding teams in the Central, there’s something to be said for the team’s good early start.
11. Boston Bruins
Record: 5-1-2
Last ranked: 5Last year’s Presidents' Trophy winners have been keeping pace in the East even without the team’s scoring leader last year, David Pastrnak. Pastrnak did return to the Bruins lineup last week, which bodes well for a Boston team that could use a bit more scoring after going their first three games of the season without a goal at even strength.
10. Montreal Canadiens
Record: 5-1-2
Last ranked: 15The Canadiens have been one of the most fun teams to watch early on in the season. Tyler Toffoli has integrated himself well into Claude Julien’s system, as the newly acquired forward already has a hat trick with the team. Montreal is top ten in the NHL in both goals for and fewest goals against, with the league’s best GF/GP at 4.13 through eight games.
9. Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 7-2-1
Last ranked: 7Even though the process has been shaky, the Flyers are off to their best start since the 2002-03 season, and that’s without the presence of their best player in Sean Couturier thanks to injury. Philadelphia’s defense has predictably been the team’s worst aspect, but thanks to strong performances from James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Hayes, and Jakub Voracek early on, the team has weathered the storm and has won four straight to cap off January.
8. Carolina Hurricanes
Record: 5-1-0
Last ranked: 11The Hurricanes were one of a handful of teams shut down for some time due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the team. Despite the stoppage, the Hurricanes picked up where they left off with three straight wins, including a statement one against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Through six games, the Hurricanes have the league’s best combined save percentage (.929) thanks to Petr Mrazek and James Reimer.
7. St. Louis Blues
Record: 6-2-1
Last ranked: 3Technically, the Blues are the fourth best team in the NHL right now in terms of points. But thanks to the disparity of games played between the teams this year so far, points percentage wise the Blues sit just outside of the top 10. St. Louis has won three straight games and Jordan Binnington has had a better start to the season, which bodes well for the Blues chances.
6. Colorado Avalanche
Record: 6-3-1
Last ranked: 2Much like the Blues, the Avalanche are getting shafted just slightly in these power rankings thanks to the lopsided amount of games played. Good news though is that the Avalanche have had a very solid start to the season, with the NHL’s best goal differential at plus-13. Mikko Rantanen leads the team with seven goals while Nathan MacKinnon has 14 points already on the year.
5. Dallas Stars
Record: 4-1-1
Last ranked: 8The Stars also have been impacted heavily by a COVID-19 outbreak, but have since begun their season quite hot. Dallas has won points in five of their first six games and started the season on a four-game win streak. Joe Pavelski continues to be a contributor for the team, with a point streak of five games as the 36-year-old looks to have a bounce-back season.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
Record: 4-1-1
Last ranked: 1The reigning Stanley Cup champions haven’t played many games this season, but so far the team hasn’t taken their foot off the gas. Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Brayden Point lead the team in points, a good sign for this Lightning team that will be missing Nikita Kucherov for the entire regular season.
3. Vegas Golden Knights
Record: 5-1-1
Last ranked: 4Marc-Andre Fleury clearly has had a lot to prove this season, and so far the 36-year-old goaltender is passing the test with flying colors early. Fleury is second in the NHL in save percentage (.951) after last offseason where it wasn’t clear if Fleury had any favor left with the Golden Knights coaching staff.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 7-2-1
Last ranked: 6Mitch Marner is currently tied with MacKinnon for third overall in points across the NHL. While Frederik Andersen has been struggling in net to start for Toronto, the Maple Leafs have been able to outscore their opponents to keep themselves at the top of the North division, three points above the Canadiens.
1. Washington Capitals
Record: 6-0-3
Last ranked: 12The Capitals have yet to lose a game in regulation through nine games this season, earning a point in all of their games so far. Even without Alex Ovechkin due to COVID-19 protocols, Washington has been the NHL’s best team through the month of January. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek has been a major surprise as well, as the 25-year-old rookie goaltender has been the team’s starter with a .918 save percentage in seven games played.
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