The NHL might be the toughest league to call in terms of who is going to win it all heading into the holiday season. Right now, the hottest team in the Western Conference is the Los Angeles Kings. They’ve won seven in a row and are doing something they struggled to do last season: score goals. The longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference right now goes to the Washington Capitals, who have won four in a row. At this time last year, they were already out in front of the pack and on their way to a Presidents’ Trophy. This year, their 37 points would make them the No. 4 seed if the playoffs started today. The two teams with the longest losing streaks in each conference are the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche (four games).
Let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings based on how the odds makers see things:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
Last Week: 1
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +650
The Lightning (20-6-2) won three home games this week over San Jose, the New York Islanders and Colorado, and they’ll host Winnipeg this week before heading to St. Louis and Arizona. The Lightning won their three games by a combined score of 16-6 with the duo of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov continuing to lead the league in points. This week, Stamkos (four points) and Kucherov (four points) combined for three goals and five assists.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
Last Week: 2
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +800
The Maple Leafs (18-10-1) lost in Vancouver, but won at home over Calgary in a shootout. They’ll head to Pittsburgh this week, then back home to host Edmonton and then it is back on the road to Philadelphia and Minnesota. Frederik Andersen continues to be very impressive in goal, especially against the Flames, where he stopped 47 of 48 shots. Andersen has now won four of five games in which he has faced 40 shots or more, and the one loss came in a shootout. That is good news for the Maple Leafs, who are third in the NHL in terms of shots allowed per game.
3. Nashville Predators
Last Week: 6
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1200
The Predators (16-7-3) won at home over Anaheim in a shootout and also at home over Boston, and they won in Dallas. They’ll host Vegas this week, along with road games in Vancouver and Edmonton. The Predators are second in the league on the power play, and they converted on 4-of-9 chances in their three games last week.
4. New Jersey Devils
Last Week: 9
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1200
The Devils (16-7-2) won in Colorado and Columbus, but lost in Arizona. They’ll finish a home-and-home with the Blue Jackets at home, and they’ll host Los Angeles, along with road games against the New York Rangers and Montreal. Cory Schneider was in goal for both wins, allowing two goals on 65 shots for the Devils, who are fourth in the league in shots allowed per game.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
Last Week: 3
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1200
The Blue Jackets (17-10-1) beat Anaheim at home, but lost to New Jersey at home and at Washington. They’ll finish their home-and-home with the Devils in New Jersey, and return home to host Arizona, Edmonton and the Islanders. Sergei Bobrovsky has been fantastic in goal this season, but he allowed eight goals on 77 shots in two losses last week. However, Bobrovsky still ranks second in the league in GAA and fourth in save percentage, so you can chalk it up to a bad week.
6. Los Angeles Kings
Last Week: —
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1250
The Kings (19-8-3) are the hottest team in the league after winning in St. Louis and Chicago, and at home over Minnesota and Ottawa, the latter in overtime. The Kings, who have won seven straight, will host Carolina before heading to New Jersey. The Kings have scored four goals or more five times during the streak; they’re 13-0-0 when they do so this season.
7. St. Louis Blues
Last Week: 4
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1300
The Blues (19-8-2) lost at home to Los Angeles and in Minnesota in overtime, but they won in Montreal and at home over Dallas. They’ll visit Detroit before returning home to host Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Anaheim. Brayden Schenn scored four goals in three games last week, including a hat trick against the Stars.
8. Winnipeg Jets
Last Week: 5
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
The Jets (17-8-2) won at home over Vegas and Ottawa, but lost on the road in Detroit and Florida. They’ll travel to Tampa Bay before going home to host Vancouver and Chicago. The Jets outscored the Golden Knights and the Senators 12-4 at home, but lost to the Red Wings and the Panthers by a score of 11-5 on the road. However, Patrik Laine had four goals and four assists in four games and is on a roll for Winnipeg.
9. New York Islanders
Last Week: 8
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1450
The Islanders (16-9-3) lost at home to Ottawa, as well as in Tampa Bay and in Pittsburgh in overtime, but they won in Florida in a shootout. The Islanders will visit Boston and then return home to host Washington and Dallas before visiting Columbus. It has been an ongoing theme for the Islanders this season: they have to be better at the defensive end of the ice. They allowed 20 goals in four games, and it is no surprise they lost three of those games. They’re second in the NHL in goals scored, but 27th in goals allowed and they’re not going to be a Stanley Cup contender until they improve, at least just a little bit, in their own end.
10. Washington Capitals
Last Week: 10
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1450
The Capitals (17-11-1) won at home over Columbus, San Jose and Chicago, and they’ll stay at home to host the New York Rangers before visiting the Islanders and Boston and they’ll also host Colorado. The Capitals have won six of their last seven games now and Alex Ovchekin has scored six goals and added five assists in his last five games; he leads the NHL in goals with 21. However, the Capitals are now dealing with an upper-body injury to T.J. Oshie, who is fourth on the team in points and they don’t know when he’ll be back in action.
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