Two-weeks into the season and already we are seeing which teams are poised to make deep playoff run. Here is the first NHL power ranking from The Inscriber.
- San Jose Sharks (7-0-1 15pts)– It was definitely a close call between first and second this week. The Sharks just lost their first game of the season on Saturday in a shootout. They have the third best offense in the Western Confernce and the best defense in the entire NHL.
- Chicago Blackhawks (7-0-2 16pts) – The Hawks lead the entire NHL in points with 16. The have a top-ten offense, to go along with their third-ranked defense. Corey Crawford has been stellar between the pipes so far with a 5-0-2 record and a 1.66 GAA.
- Tampa Bay Lightning (6-2-0 12pts) – Look no farther than the Bolts for the best offense in the league. Tampa is scoring a staggering 4.88 goals-per game and the power play is a league best 36.1%. Defensively they are middle-of-the-pack, but with fire power like this that doesn’t really matter.
- St. Louis Blues (6-2-0 12pts) – If it wasn’t for having to deal with the Blackhawks, the Blues would be atop their division. They trail only Tampa Bay in goals-per-game and power play success with 3.75 and 35.5% respectively. They are one of seven teams who are undefeated when scoring first.
- Boston Bruins (6-1-1 13pts) – Despite having the third most points in the entire NHL, the Bruins sit here because of their offense. They have a mediocre offense, which no matter how many shots you stop you have to put pucks in the net to win. A team with great firepower can deal with a middle-of-the-row defense. Tuukka Rask has been great in net posting a 5-1-1 record with a .919 save percentage, a 2.10 GAA, and one shutout.
- Montréal Canadiens (6-2-0 12pts)
- Anaheim Ducks (5-1-1 11pts)
- New Jersey Devils (4-1-3 11 pts)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (6-3-0 12 pts)
- Ottawa Senators (5-3-1 11pts)
- Vancouver Canucks (4-2-2 10pts)
- Nashville Predators (3-2-3 9pts)
- New York Islanders (4-3-1 9pts)
- Detroit Red Wings (4-3-1 9pts)
- New York Rangers (4-4-0 8pts)
- Edmonton Oilers (4-3-1 9pts)
- Minnesota Wild (4-3-1 9pts)
- Phoenix Coyotes (3-4-2 8pts)
- Colorado Avalanche (4-4-0 8pts)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (4-4-0 8pts)
- Philadelphia Flyers (3-6-0 6pts)
- Carolina Hurricanes (3-4-0 6pts)
- Dallas Stars (3-5-1 7pts)
- Buffalo Sabres (3-5-1 7pts)
- Los Angeles Kings (2-3-2 6pts)
- Winnipeg Jets (3-4-1 7pts)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (3-5-1 7pts)
- Florida Panthers (3-5-0 6pts)
- Calgary Flames (1-3-2 4pts)
- Washington Capitals (2-6-1 5pts)
John is the NHL Editor-in-Chief for The Inscriber, follow him on Twitter @JohnnyMacNHL. E-Mail him at JohnnyMachurek@TheInscriber.com