Chicago not backing down; Quick lifting L.A.
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NHL power rankings based primarily on the team’s start, with some consideration to schedule and level of play (through Monday):
1. Chicago Blackhawks
(4-1-1)
Fourth in goals per game and third in goals against. So much for taking a step backward.
2. Los Angeles Kings (4-0-1)
Last season’s decline was about Jonathan Quick’s injury, and he’s back.
3. Ottawa Senators (3-0-2)
Impressive start for a team playing without Erik Karlsson, who returned Tuesday.
4. New Jersey Devils (4-1-0)
Are they the most improved team? Sample size too small to know for sure, but their start shows they are a team on the rise.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
(4-1-0)
Maple Leafs are showing a 1980s offense, scoring better than five goals per game. They also are leading the NHL in faceoff percentage.
6. Columbus Blue Jackets
(4-1-0)
Riding a three-game winning streak. Artemi Panarin and Sonny Milano give the squad added offensive sparkle.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning
(5-1-0)
Showing why prognosticators were bullish on their Stanley Cup chances in the preseason. Nikita Kucherov has five goals in five games.
8. Detroit Red Wings
(4-2-0)
Deserve praise for a better- than-expected start. But they will be tested this week with Tampa Bay, Toronto and Washington on their schedule.
9. St. Louis Blues (4-2-0)
What injuries? Blues hammered out four consecutive wins before running into trouble in Florida.
10. Vegas Golden Knights
(4-1-0)
Best feel-good story of the young season. A 4-1-0 start, a perfect handling of the city’s tragedy and James Neal on fire up front.
11. Colorado Avalanche
(4-2-0)
Everyone knew they were better than they showed last season. How about a 2.17 team goalsagainst average?
12. Calgary Flames (4-2-0)
Johnny Gaudreau off to a strong start (eight points in six games), and fans are thrilled to see Mike Smith’s .929 save percentage.
13. Pittsburgh Penguins
(3-2-1)
Bumpy out of the gate, but you know they will clean up their 4.17 goals-against average.
14. Philadelphia Flyers
(3-2-0)
Ranked second in goal scoring, and they are in the middle of the pack in preventing goals. Jakub Voracek has nine assists in the first five games.
15. Washington Capitals
(3-2-1)
Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin own the top three spots in the NHL scoring race. But with Matt Niskanen on long-term injured reserve, there’s trouble on defense.
16. Winnipeg Jets (3-2-0)
Where was this Connor Hellebuyck last season? This could be a sleeper team.
17. Nashville Predators
(2-2-1)
Filip Forsberg ’s start of five goals in five games is noteworthy, considering that he went 17 games without a goal early last season.
18. Florida Panthers
(2-2-0)
The Panthers rank fifth in scoring (four goals per game), and they have 10 players with at least one goal.
19. Carolina Hurricanes
(1-1-1)
It’s difficult to get a read yet on the Hurricanes because they have played only three games.
20. Minnesota Wild (1-1-2)
Ryan Suter is -4. What’s that all about?
21. Anaheim Ducks (2-3-1)
Undermined by injuries, the Ducks are averaging only two goals per game. This is a Western Conference team that came close to reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season.
22. Dallas Stars (2-3-0)
The Stars would prefer a better record, but Ben Bishop’s 1.62 goals-against average and .938 save percentage is a barometer that indicates the Stars can get to contender status.
23. Boston Bruins (2-3-0)
Bruins are 24th in goalsagainst average (3.60) and 30th in shots on goal per game (27.0). That tells the story.
24. New York Islanders
(2-3-1)
The Islanders might have an extra win or two if they were not 0-for-20 on the power play.
25. Vancouver Canucks
(1-2-1)
In an odd twist, the Canucks have played only Canadian teams thus far. Their performance is about where we expected it to be.
26. Edmonton Oilers
(1-3-0)
When you have Connor McDavid leading the charge, you should not be averaging two goals per game.
27. Buffalo Sabres (1-4-1)
That Jack Eichel is now signed until 2026 is the best news, for now.
28. New York Rangers
(1-5-0)
The Rangers look disorganized, particularly in their defensive play. They are scoring 2.17 goals per game and giving up 3.50. The math doesn’t work.
29. San Jose Sharks (1-3-0)
Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski have yet to score. They are -7 collectively. Brent Burns is -6. This is not what we expect from the Sharks.
30. Montreal Canadiens
(1-3-1)
Averaging an NHL-low 1.40 goals per game. We’ve seen this show before, and it never ends well.
31. Arizona Coyotes (0-4-1)
A painfully disappointing start for a team that made quality offseason changes.