James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Welcome back to The Hockey News’ NHL power rankings. Every Wednesday, we’ll rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.
We’re now in November, which means in less than a month, it’ll be American Thanksgiving. By then, we’ll have a pretty good idea of which NHL teams are in playoff contention.
Never say never – the Blues’ ‘Gloria!’ run remains fresh in my memory – but this remains a critical month.
Can teams on the bubble overcome their shortcomings in such a short period of time? The Avalanche, with a healthy roster, can cast aside those doubts pretty easily. The Bruins, who have been shut out three times already this season and cannot seem to find any rhythm at all, are in much direr straits.
Among the biggest climbers this week are the Kings, who bounced back from losses to the Sharks and Blackhawks to beat the Knights and Wild, and currently hold the top spot in the Pacific. The biggest fallers are the Senators, who are excellent at home but horrible on the road, the Kraken, who cannot seem to score any goals, and the aforementioned Bruins.
1. Winnipeg Jets (12-1-0, +32. Last week: 1)
Ironically, for a team called the Jets, they’re not very fast. According to NHL Edge, the Jets are below the 50th percentile in top skating speed and speed bursts, which is counterintuitive in a league that’s becoming faster and faster. They are, however, burying a huge percentage of their shots. No matter what, the Jets are getting it done. The big test facing the Avalanche, Stars, Rangers, Lightning and the Panthers twice over the next two weeks is coming up.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (9-2-0, +18). Last week: 3)
The play of Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov staying healthy has helped launch the Hurricanes to the top five of the standings despite losing key pieces in free agency. They remain an exceptionally good possession team and will likely withstand the injury to Frederik Andersen, as they have done for multiple seasons.
3. Florida Panthers (9-3-1, +7. Last week: 5)
A sweep of the Stars in the Global Series and the return of Aleksander Barkov has helped the Panthers extend their winning streak to five games. A five-game homestand awaits where they’ve been one of the NHL’s best teams since last season.
4. Minnesota Wild (8-2-2, +9. Last week: 4)
A 5-1 loss on Tuesday was the only blemish, and don’t be surprised if the Wild keep clawing their way to the top. They face the Sharks,…