NHL Power Rankings: Oilers and Maple Leafs rising, Blues on top

The Edmonton Oilers are rising, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are still the cream of the crop in Week 2’s NHL power rankings.

Week 1 of the NHL season shouldn’t be taken seriously. Teams get off to rough starts in October and wind up making the playoffs. For example, take a look at the Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Both teams were duds in October a year ago, but both teams wound up making the playoffs while the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

That said, a bad start can sometimes hurt your season if you dig yourself into too big of a hole. Teams who can overcome a slow start to their season don’t have to worry too much. But a slow start is still worth noting, even in a very small sample size.

These rankings will be compiled by a team’s record, who they have beaten, and how they have looked in games. A tough loss to a very good team isn’t the worst thing in the world if you play well. Obviously, small sample sizes might affect this ranking. But it should be a good barometer to how a team is playing.

The rankings are defined by some pleasant surprises. Led by Auston Matthews and a young core of players, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been good so far. The Edmonton Oilers have been surprisingly potent on offense thanks to the efforts of Connor McDavid. Nobody expected the Ottawa Senators to be 2-0-0, but that’s where they stand thanks to an overtime win and a shootout win.

However, it also features some disappointments. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks each do not have a win yet this season. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks are off to a 1-2-0 start so far this season. Here are this week’s NHL power rankings.

Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Columbus Blue Jackets

0-2-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 30th

The Columbus Blue Jackets were projected to be among the league’s worst teams. They have done nothing so far to prove their critics wrong. So far, they have lost to the Boston Bruins 6-3 after having a 3-1 lead in the second period and lost to the San Jose Sharks 3-2.

While they should be proud of their effort against the Sharks, the Blue Jackets haven’t done their goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky many favors. If things don’t get better soon, maybe head coach John Tortorella will be fired. Perhaps that’s a part of the Blue Jackets plan?

Anaheim Ducks

0-2-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 10th

Perhaps too much credit was given to the Anaheim Ducks and Randy Carlyle. While Carlyle is a downgrade from Bruce Boudreau, many (this writer included) believed the Ducks were good enough to make the playoffs again. Maybe everyone underestimated how bad Carlyle is.

Yes, the Ducks had an early season funk last season too. But even during the worst parts of the slump, you could tell the Ducks were still a good team. That’s not the case this season. The only reason they aren’t in last place? Goals by Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf against the New York Islanders. Anaheim played quite well in the third period against New York. Let’s see if they can build off that because right now, they need it.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Calgary Flames

0-2-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 18th

Fans were hoping the Calgary Flames would be better after firing Bob Hartley. The Flames had a strong offseason, led by the acquisition of Brian Elliott. So far, the same problems which plagued the Flames last season are plaguing them this season. The Flames have struggled against the Edmonton Oilers so far this season. A fly has probably been the highlight of their season so far. Luckily for them, Loui Eriksson scored on his own goal to help the Flames get to overtime against the Canucks on Saturday. Unfortunately, they still lost in a shootout.

Detroit Red Wings

1-2-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 21st

Granted, it’s still quite early in the NHL season. But the Detroit Red Wings have looked terrible in their first two games. In their first game, they took a 2-0 lead and a 3-1 lead, but they still wound up losing 6-4 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, they lost 4-1 and were clearly dominated. Petr Mrazek kept the game reasonably close until the Panthers scored an empty net goal late in the third period.

Detroit has been outscored 10-5 so far this season. It’s not on their goaltenders, either. Their defense has been pitiful, allowing a lot of dangerous chances. Luckily, it’s still early in the season. However, the Red Wings clearly have some issues to solve and they’d better do it sooner rather than later.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Sabres

1-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 23rd

Sure, the Buffalo Sabres got a win on Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. But it took Cam Talbot having a night to forget in order for it to appear as impressive as it did. Buffalo has been cursed by injuries so far this season. They have lost both star center Jack Eichel and forward Evander Kane long-term due to injuries.

Robin Lehner was great on Sunday night. He will have to keep it up for the Sabres to avoid being among the worst teams in the NHL while Eichel and Kane are out. Though Kyle Okposo should certainly help, the Sabres only have one good forward line right now. That’s not encouraging.

Los Angeles Kings

0-2-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 11th

While the Kings have lost each of their first two games, they haven’t looked like a terrible team except for one period against the Philadelphia Flyers. Star goaltender Jonathan Quick is out potentially long-term with a lower body injury. However, the Kings defense is quite good. Perhaps they can overcome the loss of Quick if Jeff Zatkoff can hang in there.

A concerning trend is the Kings aren’t scoring goals. They’ll need to score more goals with Quick out. Then again, this isn’t a new issue for the Kings. It’s been around for the past three seasons. One can never rule out the Kings, but they need to get out of this funk and tread water without Quick.

Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

New Jersey Devils

0-1-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 26th

So far, the New Jersey Devils still look like the Devils team everyone is familiar with. Despite the addition of Taylor Hall, one of the NHL’s top wings, their offense is still stagnant. This is not Hall’s fault at all, though. The blame for it lies in their inexperienced, suboptimal blue line. New Jersey has to play conservative to stay in games because of their defense.

Optimistically, their two losses have come by a combined two goals. However, they couldn’t hang on to a 2-0 lead against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Cory Schneider is a darn good goalie, but he can only do so much. While the Hall trade is one they should happily do every time, it’s undeniable they miss Adam Larsson. He meant a lot to their blue line and it’s showing.

Carolina Hurricanes

0-0-2

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 19th

The Carolina Hurricanes offense has been as good as advertised. They’ve added quite a bit of skill to their NHL roster and it’s showing. Carolina has scored seven goals in their first two games. However, they have also allowed nine goals in their first two games. This is mostly on their defense and goaltending. Carolina’s goaltending didn’t get addressed in the offseason, and even though it’s just the first two games of the season, they’re paying for it.

What’s more concerning, though, is they aren’t holding leads. When you get a huge lead, you have to be able to hang onto it. The Hurricanes have blown leads in each of their first two games. That can’t keep on happening. Blowing leads suggests there might be more to the Hurricanes woes than bad goaltending.

Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

New York Islanders

1-2-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 16th

While the New York Islanders are not off to an ideal start, there is still hope for them. Their defense is playing quite well. That was supposed to be the primary problem with the team going into the season, so it’s encouraging their defense is playing well. Jarsoslav Halak and Thomas Greiss have both shown they are capable of playing well enough to keep their team in games.

That said, their offense has to get it together. Probably the biggest issue is a lack of consistency. John Tavares is one of the best centers in the NHL. He doesn’t deserve to have a merry-go-round of right wings. Tavares needs to build chemistry with someone. It’s not happening so far. Head coach Jack Capuano has to pick someone and give them an extended chance.

Arizona Coyotes

1-0-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 24th

The Arizona Coyotes are a hard team to judge because they’ve only played one game. This forces judgment of a team based on an extremely small sample size. But even though they beat the Philadelphia Flyers, it was a very ugly win.

What’s concerning is the Flyers dominated the game. Without looking at the score, the Flyers were the better team. They dominated possession and Mike Smith had to be very strong between the pipes to get them a win. The way they kept fighting and got the win is certainly an encouraging sign, so take this NHL power ranking with a grain of salt.

Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Blackhawks

1-2-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 15th

A major concern for the Blackhawks so far has been their penalty kill. In their first three games, Chicago has killed just 46.1 percent of their penalties, second worst in the NHL. It certainly doesn’t help that they can’t stay out of the box either. They have been short-handed 13 times so far this season.

Their offense, however, is encouraging because they seemed to get their act together on Saturday against the Nashville Predators. If Richard Panik is on waivers, grab him in your fantasy league. Jonathan Toews is off to a rough start to his season. He’s competitive, but perhaps he’s letting his opponents get to him. This showed against P.K. Subban.

Boston Bruins

2-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 17th

While the Boston Bruins haven’t looked terrific so far this season, it’s worth noting they’ve been without Patrice Bergeron. Without him, they have beaten the Blue Jackets 6-3, lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1, and beaten the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Their defense is still quite the issue, but their offense should be enough to perhaps overcome it, especially once Bergeron gets back.

Tuukka Rask got off to a rough start to his season against the Blue Jackets, but he bounced back to finish the game strong. It’s clear he needs to play as much as possible after the meltdown against the Leafs.

Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Winnipeg Jets

1-2-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 20th

The Winnipeg Jets are off to a decent start to their season with a 1-1-0 record. However, there are some concerns. Their offense is extremely good. However, their defense hasn’t been good at all. They’ve allowed at least four goals in each of their first two games. Making matters worse is their 42.48 percent even strength Corsi For percentage (score, venue, and zone adjusted) is the second worst in the NHL, trailing only the Senators.

Their goaltending hasn’t been as good as expected, but expect Connor Hellebuyck to rebound. He’s a very good goalie. The Jets clearly miss Jacob Trouba, but their offense might be dynamic enough to help them sneak into the playoffs.

Ottawa Senators

2-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 22nd

While the Ottawa Senators are 2-0-0, there are some concerns with them. Their offense is quite good and better than expected. However, their defense has allowed seven goals in their first two games. This is a trend which must stop if the Senators want to make the playoffs.

Both of the Senators’ wins have come in overtime. That’s not a sustainable way for success in the NHL. But credit the Senators for winning their first two games. However, they shouldn’t be too proud about those wins because either win could have easily gone the other way.

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche

2-0-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 25th

The Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 6-5 and the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in ovetime, but don’t request off for the Stanley Cup parade just yet. There are still serious concerns with the Avalanche. Their defense is a complete mess. In fairness, this isn’t a surprise. When Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie are your top two NHL defensemen and you have very little depth behind them, you’re not in good shape.

That said, be excited about their offense. Their offense was exciting and fast, something which could never be said while the Avalanche were coached by Patrick Roy. So while the Avalanche have some concerns, at worst they’re going to be a darn fun NHL team to watch this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs

1-0-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 28th

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been a very pleasant surprise this season. Their bold strategy of going with a young lineup has paid off. All but two of their first eight goals of the season have been scored by rookies. Auston Matthews had four goals in his NHL debut, but in typical Leafs fashion, they found a way to lose.

Toronto’s defense could be a bit of a concern. Frederik Andersen didn’t look sharp against the Ottawa Senators, but he did look better against the Bruins. Their offense is likely good enough to ensure they won’t be the worst team in the NHL. It’s up to their defense to turn them into a playoff contender.

Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens

1-0-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 12th

The Montreal Canadiens are looking strong so far. Even though star goaltender Carey Price has missed the first two games, Al Montoya has been fine replacing him. Montoya stole the game against the Senators, nearly netting the Canadiens a full two points. While they looked good against the Sabres, as a team, they struggled against the Senators.

Once Price gets back, they should be even better. However, their offense must get better and has to prove they can score against top teams. They’ve only played two non-playoff teams from last season so far. Should be interesting to see how they do against the better teams. But for now, the Canadiens look good.

Nashville Predators

1-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 6th

The Nashville Predators are off to a strong star this season. They split a weekend doubleheader against the Blackhawks. It appears their power play will not suffer despite the loss of Shea Weber and his lethal slap shot. Their power play will still be led by their blue line, with P.K. Subban and Roman Josi leading the charge.

It’s a small sample size, but so far, the Predators haven’t been too impressive at even strength. Being really good on the power play can help offset this, but they must be better at even strength if they want to win the Stanley Cup.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Wild

1-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 13th

Credit must be given to the Minnesota Wild for rebounding from their opening loss to the St. Louis Blues and a rough start against the Winnipeg Jets. Minnesota’s possession numbers are encouraging and Eric Staal is looking like a very solid pickup so far. While their power play has converted on just one of nine chances so far, their penalty kill has been outstanding.

On the other hand, a Bruce Boudreau team (go figure) is having problems with, you guessed it, goaltending. Perhaps Boudreau did something so horrible in a past life, he had a curse put on him preventing him from having a good goalie. That said, expect Devan Dubnyk to be better from here on out.

New York Rangers

2-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 9th

The New York Rangers offense is looking good to start the season. As expected, they’ve been a high scoring team, with seven goals in their first two games. Chris Kreider has looked especially impressive with four points in his first two games.

However, their defense is another story. Already a bit shorthanded with Kevin Klein out, it appears Dan Girardi could be out for a bit with a hip flexor injury. Their defensive depth wasn’t impressive to begin with. Without Girardi and Klein (though Klein should be back soon), their depth is very poor. But through their first two games, they’re looking good. If their defense can clean up its blown coverages, they’ll still be a top team.

Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Edmonton Oilers

2-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 27th

Apparently getting ranked low in our initial power rankings is a good way to ensure you’ll get off to a strong start to the season. The Oilers are off to a very impressive start to their season. Connor McDavid could wind up winning the Art Ross Trophy, especially with Sidney Crosby out with a concussion. Despite losing Taylor Hall, the Oilers have looked great on offense. Their offense is certainly good enough to get them into the postseason.

Even their embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Sabres isn’t overly concerning. It came down to Cam Talbot playing terribly and the team not being prepared. What’s encouraging is the team willingly waived their off day on Monday to work out their issues. A hat tip to Edmonton, who might finally be seeing the changes they need to have success.

Tampa Bay Lightning

2-0-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 5th

Even though the Tampa Bay Lightning have shown a lot of fight in them by coming back from two goal deficits twice this season, it’s concerning they had to come back to win. They didn’t play the best teams in the NHL. Their comebacks came against the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils.

First period issues can plague a team and are quite hard to overcome. They can’t expect to come back every game. Head coach Jon Cooper seems aware of it and so do the players, so perhaps they will find a way to get better starts.

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Stars

1-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 4th

The Dallas Stars are off to a less than optimal start to their 2016-17 NHL season. Their possession numbers are not impressive like they were last season. But the Stars entered the season as Stanley Cup favorites. They get a tad bit of a longer leash than other teams because of this.

After a strong opening night performance against the Anaheim Ducks, the Stars goaltending issues came back against the Colorado Avalanche. Dallas has injuries, so they’ve been considered in this ranking as well. That said, they need a wake up call. Hopefully their game against the Avalanche served as one.

Philadelphia Flyers

1-0-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 14th

As expected, the Philadelphia Flyers have been good so far. But they’ve been even better than expected. Fans should be quite encouraged by how they have played so far. They looked especially impressive against the Los Angeles Kings, though it is worth noting this was without Jonathan Quick.

The Flyers’ rookies have been impressive so far. They must remain impressive for the Flyers to keep up with the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. But it’s quite encouraging to see the Flyers play so well, even without Radko Gudas, who is a much better defenseman than most people think. Steve Mason looks rusty, but his resume suggests it’s a blip on the radar rather than a true concern.

Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver Canucks

2-0-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 29th

Give credit to the Vancouver Canucks. It’s only been two games, but so far, they’re making a lot of people eat crow this NHL season. They’ve won their first two games. Even though Vancouver needed overtime for both games, they’ve looked good.

Vancouver’s possession stats last season were awful. This year, in a two game sample size, they look quite good. They even overcame quite possibly the most embarrassing thing possible in the NHL: scoring on yourself during a delayed penalty. It also ensures Ryan Miller will go down in history as maybe the only goaltender to win while saving every shot he faced in a game without being replaced without being credited for a shutout.

Could Vancouver be back towards the bottom of this list in a week or two? Sure. But for now, they deserve credit.

Florida Panthers

2-0-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 7th

The Florida Panthers have been as good as advertised so far. Though they needed overtime to beat the Devils, they looked very good against the Red Wings. While neither team is very good, the Panthers has looked pretty dominant against their two opponents this NHL season. Keep in mind this isn’t even likely the best we’ll see from the Panthers. They’re still working on chemistry after a huge overhaul of their blue line. The rest of the NHL could find it very hard to beat the Panthers this season.

Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

San Jose Sharks

2-1-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 3rd

Even though the San Jose Sharks lost to the New York Rangers last night, they’re in very good shape so far. They’ve jumped out to a 2-1-0 record, beating the Los Angeles Kings and the Columbus Blue Jackets. This week, they’ll be doing an east coast road trip. Not surprisingly, Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski lead the team in points. Burns has six while Pavelski has five. Martin Jones (.896 save percentage) has struggled so far. That has to change. The Sharks will play the New York Islanders, Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings this week before returning home for a bit.

Washington Capitals

1-0-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 2nd

The Washington Capitals are off to a strong start to their season. So far, they haven’t lost a game in regulation. While they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout on Thursday, they looked very dominant in the loss. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had to be outstanding in net to give the Penguins the opening night win. The Capitals beat the Islanders 2-1. While their power play hasn’t scored a goal yet, history tells us it will be fine. The Caps are looking good even though their power play hasn’t performed to expectations yet. That’s an encouraging sign.

Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Penguins

2-0-1

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 1st

The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to a strong start to their 2016-17 NHL season, even with an overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche. So far, the Penguins have done it without their captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby has been out with a concussion and any team losing their top player would be in bad shape. The Penguins are one of the exceptions. They have a tough week ahead, playing the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators. Once the Penguins get Crosby back, they should be fine. They’re a darn good team, even without the best player in the world on the ice.

St. Louis Blues

3-0-0

Last week: 0-0-0Last rank: 8th

Despite losing David Backes, Troy Brouwer, and Brian Elliott over the offseason, the St. Louis Blues are in excellent shape. So far, they have beaten the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, and New York Rangers. Granted, their last two wins have been by one goal. But they have looked impressive in each of their first three games. Paul Stastny leads the team with six points while Vladimir Tarasenko leads them with three goals. Jake Allen has been impressive in his first games as a starter and Carter Hutton looks like a very capable backup.