The first couple of weeks of the 2016-17 NHL season are in the books and already things are looking a lot different than the experts predicted before the year began. The Tampa Bay Lightning are off to a strong start but the Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins have stumbled out of the gate thanks in large part due to injuries while a lack of depth has really hurt the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, for the second year in a row the Montreal Canadiens have come flying out of the gate while the Edmonton Oilers could finally be ready to emerge as a legitimate playoff team. Here is a look at the top-five teams in the NHL right now.
1. Montreal Canadiens (6-0-1)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
Even without Carey Price through their first few games the Canadiens have found a way to open the season as the lone NHL team without a regulation loss through seven games. Al Montoya has looked excellent when called upon while Price is 3-0-0 with a 1.67 goals against average and .939 save percentage. Shea Weber has proved his critics in Montreal wrong with a team-high nine points to go with his stellar defensive play while Alexander Radulov has provided the type of secondary scoring that the Canadiens so desperately needed. Montreal owns the best goals against in the NHL and the fourth-best goals per game mark through seven games. As long as Price stays healthy, the Canadiens will be a Stanley Cup contender.
2. Edmonton Oilers (6-1-0)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +1700
Is this finally the year the Oilers break through and make the playoffs? Edmonton opened the season by outscoring its first couple of opponents but they have drastically cut down their goals against over their last couple of wins, outscoring the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals 7-1 in back-to-back victories. A healthy Connor McDavid has paced the NHL’s top offense with 11 points through seven games while big bodies like Milan Lucic, Zack Kassian, Patrick Maroon and Adam Larsson have made Edmonton that much more difficult to play against. Cam Talbot has proven he can be the No. 1 netminder this team needs dating back to last year and as long as the Oilers can stay healthy they should be in line for a return to the playoffs this season.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (5-1-0)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +950
With the exception of a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the Lightning have been excellent to start the season including back-to-back wins over the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs by a combined 11-4 score. Tampa Bay’s offense is firing on all cylinders and they have two capable netminders in Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Steven Stamkos appears to be in the right mindset again after signing a long-term extension with nine points through his first six games and Tampa Bay has three lines that can play at both ends of the ice. The Lightning are among the sports betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup this season and so far they are playing up to the hype.
4. St. Louis Blues (4-2-1)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +950
St. Louis has slowed down a bit following three straight wins to open the season but this team has shown the depth and strong play at both ends of the ice to justify their status among the Stanley Cup favorites this season. Jake Allen is capable of holding down the starting job following Brian Elliott’s departure with a strong cast of defensemen playing in front of him. Vladimir Tarasenko, Paul Stastny, Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Steen lead a strong cast of forwards and the Blues can keep up with any team on offense. St. Louis also ranks in the top-10 in both powerplay and penalty kill percentages early on.
5. New York Rangers (5-2-0)
Last Week: –
Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
The Capitals and Detroit Red Wings were both considered for the final spot on this list but ultimately it’s the Rangers that earned it with three straight wins over Washington, Arizona and Boston. Henrik Lundqvist has answered his critics with a strong start to the season while the young guns have been dynamite up front with Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey among their scoring leaders. New York leads the NHL with an average of 3.9 goals per game and a top-10 powerplay unit has been a big part of their success. The Rangers championship window with Lundqvist is starting to close but they are off to a strong start to the 2016-17 NHL season and certainly deserving of a spot on this list.
