It’s Friday and that means it’s time for our weekly Power Rankings. Using multiple variables we score teams out of 100 and rank them accordingly so you know who the contenders are, who the pretenders are and which way teams are trending. Forget polling a bunch of people, our scientific approach will have you impressing your friends when you tell them who’s moving up and who’s destined to fall.

#1. NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Score: 86

Last week Power Rankings: 2nd

This week NHL Standings: 1st

Last week NHL Standings: 1st

You gotta beat the (next) best to be the best and the Preds are coming off a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Pekka Rinne stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced last night in his first game back from injury and there’s no doubt the 10-3-0 Predators are the cream of the crop one month into the season. The Preds allow the 2nd fewest goals against per game and rank number 1 in our week 4 Power Rankings.

#2. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Score: 82

Last week Power Rankings: 1st

This week NHL Standings: 2nd

Last week NHL Standings: 6th

The Lightning drop a spot in our Power Rankings to 2nd overall. Remember that thing about beating the best to be the best? Well, they didn’t. Despite being 6th in the standings last week, we had them in a top 2 spot in our Power Rankings and that’s where they remain. The supercomputer knows all 🙂

#3. MONTREAL CANADIENS

Score: 79

Last week Power Rankings: 5th

This week NHL Standings: 7th

Last week NHL Standings: 10th

Hold on to your butts Habs fans, this team is really doing it! The Canadiens may be 7th in the standings but their 7-3-2 record is actually 4th best in terms of points percentage. That’s right, the Habs are the 4th best team in the league nearly a month into the season. This team plays with a lot more pace than they did a year ago and their 79 score in our Power Rankings has them 3rd best in the National League.

#4. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Score: 74

Last week Power Rankings: 9th

This week NHL Standings: 11th

Last week NHL Standings: 8th

A 1-1-1 record in the last week isn’t anything to write home about but the Penguins are still hanging out right at the top of the Metropolitan division. With only 2 regulation losses in 11 games, the Pens get 4th spot on our list. They are a high-event team. They create a lot, they give up a lot.

#5. EDMONTON OILERS

Score: 74

Last week Power Rankings: 16th

This week NHL Standings: 12th

Last week NHL Standings: 22nd

How about those Oilers? With wins over the NHL best Predators and a couple over the Hawks in the last week, Edmonton is sitting pretty at 5th in our rankings. We knew they were better than the 22nd place they sat in when we ranked them 16th a week ago and we think they’re better than the 12th place they sit in now.

#6. SAN JOSE SHARKS

Score: 70

Last week Power Rankings: 4th

This week NHL Standings: 14th

Last week NHL Standings: 13th

The Sharks drop a couple spots in our rankings this week (losing to the Rangers and the Blue Jackets will do that to you) but they are still a top team. With home games against Philly and Minnesota and a roadie in Dallas and St. Louis, we won’t be shocked if they move up next week.

#7. BOSTON BRUINS

Score: 69

Last week Power Rankings: 7th

This week NHL Standings: 5th

Last week NHL Standings: 4th

Tomorrow’s game against Nashville should be fun to watch! The Bruins are still in the top 10 and still 7th on our list. Boston will go with Jaroslav Halak in net tomorrow and we think that’s the right call. This team has been elite defensively in recent years but average goaltending has limited their success. Halak has been great so far this season.

#8. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Score: 68

Last week Power Rankings: 6th

This week NHL Standings: 8th

Last week NHL Standings: 2nd

The Leafs drop a couple spots in our rankings this week. Even though they were 2nd in the standings last week, we didn’t think they were a true top 2 team and with Auston Matthews on the shelf and a couple of losses in a row, they may drop right out of the top 10 before long. How significant is the loss of Matthews? Read all about it here.

#9. COLORADO AVALANCHE

Score: 66

Last week Power Rankings: 8th

This week NHL Standings: 9th

Last week NHL Standings: 3rd

Despite sitting 3rd overall last week, the supercomputer felt the Avs were more a late top 10 kind of team as we had them 8th overall. Now, we have them ranked right where they are in the standings, 9th place. The top line is a ton of fun to watch but that blown loss to Calgary last night was ugly.

#10. ARIZONA COYOTES

Score: 65

Last week Power Rankings: 17th

This week NHL Standings: 21st

Last week NHL Standings: 24th

Here come the ‘Yotes! 4 straight wins and we are saying it right now, this team is a playoff contender. This team is a top 3 contender in the Pacific division. Why? Read more here. They are a great defensive team and the goaltending position looks to be solid. We knew they were better than their 24th place spot in the standings when we ranked them 17th last week and we know they’re better than their 21st place standing right now. Welcome to the top 10, Arizona.

#11. CALGARY FLAMES

Score: 65

Last week Power Rankings: 21st

This week NHL Standings: 4th

Last week NHL Standings: 19th

Big W last night – what a comeback! The Flames are currently 4th in the standings but they’ve also played a league-high 14 games. Calgary has won 3 in a row but their goal differential sits at an even 0. They’re good, they’re not great. We feel they’ll be closer to our 11th place ranking by this time next week. How about new addition Elias Lindholm? More than halfway to his career-high in goals less than a 5th of the way into the season!

#12. WINNIPEG JETS

Score: 64

Last week Power Rankings: 12th

This week NHL Standings: 3rd

Last week NHL Standings: 7th

The Jets don’t move in the Power Rankings, sitting still in 12th place. We know all about their strengths, they can score, cycle well in the offensive zone etc. However, the Jets are leaky defensively, allowing the 2nd most slot shots against of any team in the league. If this trend continues, they’ll likely be closer to our ranking than top 5 before long as teams catch up in games played.

#13. NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Score: 63

Last week Power Rankings: 25th

This week NHL Standings: 13th

Last week NHL Standings: 26th

Well, the supercomputer didn’t see this one coming. The Islanders have won 4 straight and credit where credit is due as they take a big jump in the standings. Good news for Isles fans, our Power Ranking matches the team’s spot in the standings. When process matches results, there’s usually staying power so we’ll see if they’re still top 15 next week.

#14. DALLAS STARS

Score: 62

Last week Power Rankings: 11th

This week NHL Standings: 16th

Last week NHL Standings: 16th

The Stars drop a couple spots in the Power Rankings but are still ahead of where they sit in the standings. This past week they lost to Detroit but bounced back with wins over Montreal and Toronto. The Stars will be the first to tell you they are far from playing the best hockey they can and until they do, they’ll sit outside the top 10 in our rankings.

#15. MINNESOTA WILD

Score: 62

Last week Power Rankings: 13th

This week NHL Standings: 6th

Last week NHL Standings: 9th

We had the Wild ranked lower than their spot in the standings last week and the same trend continues this week. Hats off to Minnesota for finding ways to win but the supercomputer still believes this team is closer to the middle of the pack than the elite. A California roadie awaits the Wild this week and a once terrifying trip seems more like a vacation with games against LA and Anaheim coming up. Perhaps the Wild will crack the top 10 with a strong showing on the West Coast.

#16. NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Score: 60

Last week Power Rankings: 3rd

This week NHL Standings: 25th

Last week NHL Standings: 20th

We were pretty high on the Devils last week but after a blow out loss to the Lightning and a loss against the Red Wings, New Jersey took a tumble in our rankings this week. We still think they are better than their 25th place in the standings as they’ve still only played 10 games, fewest of any team in the league. All road games in the next seven days – we’ll see where they’re at in a weeks time but for now, they’re middle of the pack.

#17. CAROLINA HURRICANES

Score: 55

Last week Power Rankings: 14th

This week NHL Standings: 19th

Last week NHL Standings: 14th

Not much has changed about the supercomputer’s feelings towards the Carolina Hurricanes, it seems. Elite in terms of process, average in terms of results.

#18. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Score: 53

Last week Power Rankings: 19th

This week NHL Standings: 17th

Last week NHL Standings: 17th

The Blue Jackets remain 17th in the standings for a second straight week and our ranking reflects their position a bit more this week as they move up one spot to 18th.

#19. ST. LOUIS BLUES

Score: 52

Last week Power Rankings: 23rd

This week NHL Standings: 26th

Last week NHL Standings: 28th

Well, a modest win streak of two games is good news for the Blues as they move up 4 spots in our Power Rankings. However, this team dug itself a big hole at the start of the season and will have to fire off a few more wins before they can think about a top 15 spot. Slowly but surely, we believe this team will keep moving up the standings.

#20. WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Score: 46

Last week Power Rankings: 15th

This week NHL Standings: 22nd

Last week NHL Standings: 18th

5 wins in 11 games, an even 0 in goal differential, not good for the defending champs. The Capitals drop 5 spots in our rankings as they continue a worrisome trend from last regular season of allowing a ton of quality chances against. The Caps rank bottom 5 in allowing shots from the most high-danger area on the ice, the inner slot. 

#21. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Score: 43

Last week Power Rankings: 18th

This week NHL Standings: 27th

Last week NHL Standings: 23rd

Vegas drops 3 spots as they continue to fall in the standings. Back-to-back regulation losses and we’re wondering if this team will find a way to put it together. The underlying numbers say they should be better than they’ve been but it’s time for results from this team.

#22. VANCOUVER CANCUKS

Score: 33

Last week Power Rankings: 26th

This week NHL Standings: 10th

Last week NHL Standings: 12th

And here comes the hate mail! The Canucks sit 2nd in the Pacific division and yet we have them 22nd in the Power Rankings. They did move up 4 spots from our 26th overall ranking last week but keep in mind this team has 8 wins in 14 games and has played more than most teams in the division. Vancouver has exceeded expectations, however, this is far from a top 3 in the division team. A negative goal differential and a couple of tough games this week – we think the Canucks will be closer to our ranking than their current 10th place in the standings before long.

#23. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Score: 33

Last week Power Rankings: 27th

This week NHL Standings: 24th

Last week NHL Standings: 25th

The Flyers move up 4 spots in our rankings thanks to a couple wins over the lowly Ducks and Kings. However, Philly has a tough schedule coming up with a game in San Jose and then a back-to-back with the Coyotes.

#24. BUFFALO SABRES

Score: 30

Last week Power Rankings: 22nd

This week NHL Standings: 18th

Last week NHL Standings: 11th

Well, the Sabres dropped 7 spots in the standings and are a lot closer to our ranking of 22nd last week than they are to the 11th place they were sitting overall. The future is bright but this team is still not a contender and that’s why they sit 24th in our Power Rankings.

#25. FLORIDA PANTHERS

Score: 30

Last week Power Rankings: 24th

This week NHL Standings: 30th

Last week NHL Standings: 27th

The Panthers are ready for round 2 from Finland, they just need to find a way to stop Patrik Laine. Fewer penalties, perhaps. The Panthers dropped 3 spots in the standings and there’s not much room to fall further. We think better days are ahead with Roberto Luongo nearing a return as the Panthers sit 25th in this week’s rankings.

#26. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Score: 28

Last week Power Rankings: 10th

This week NHL Standings: 15th

Last week NHL Standings: 5th

Quite a tumble for the Blackhawks from 10th to 26th in our Power Rankings this week. The team did fall 10 spots in the standings, having lost consecutive games. We’re not convinced Chicago is a contender in the Central and for now, they sit 26th in our rankings.

#27. NEW YORK RANGERS

Score: 27

Last week Power Rankings: 29th

This week NHL Standings: 28th

Last week NHL Standings: 29th

Up 2 spots in our rankings, up one spot in the standings. Still, a bottom 5 team in the league and we don’t see that changing.

#28. OTTAWA SENATORS

Score: 26

Last week Power Rankings: 20th

This week NHL Standings: 23rd

Last week NHL Standings: 21st

The Senators have been average so far which is probably a win for a team that was thought to be a likely candidate for a last place finish. 12 points in 12 games but a -6 goal differential. If Craig Anderson’s play drops off, this team is in big trouble as they allow quality chances at a high rate.

#29. ANAHEIM DUCKS

Score: 21

Last week Power Rankings: 28th

This week NHL Standings: 20th

Last week NHL Standings: 15th

We said it when the Ducks were 5-1-1, dark days were right around the corner. Well, with 2 wins in their last 10 games, the Ducks defensive woes have caught up to them. They allow a ton of shots against and even worse, allow more quality shots than anyone. We had them as a bottom 5 team when they were 15th in the standings last week. They’ve dropped 5 spots and the fall will continue as we project them as the 3rd worst team in the league right now.

#30. DETROIT RED WINGS

Score: 13

Last week Power Rankings: 30th

This week NHL Standings: 29th

Last week NHL Standings: 31st

Even though the Wings were last in the NHL a week ago, we know they weren’t the worst team in the league. Thanks to a 3-game winning streak, the Wings are up to 29th in the standings but still hold down 30th in our rankings.

#31. LOS ANGELES KINGS

Score: 9

Last week Power Rankings: 31st

This week NHL Standings: 31st

Last week NHL Standings: 30th

What we knew a week ago was that the LA Kings were the worst team in the league and here they are. The Kings are averaging just 2 goals per game and have an NHL worst -20 goal differential. Slow and steady may win the race when you’re talking about rabbits and tortoises but slow is not good in today’s NHL and that’s what the Kings are.