It’s week 3 of our Power Rankings and the cream teams of the NHL are starting to rise to the top while others…cough cough…Chicago, Montreal, Toronto are starting to sour.

1. Florida Panthers (6-0)
   Last 7 Days: 4-1 vs TB, 4-1 vs Colorado, 4-2 vs Philadelphia
   Next 7 Days: 5-3 vs Arizona, Boston 10/27, @Detroit 10/29, @Boston 10/30
   Previous Ranking: 1
   Florida are scary good out of the gates, outscoring 3 playoff caliber teams last week, 12-4. Scoring is balanced with Huberdeau (6pts) and Barkov (5pts) leading the way along with 2020 1st round pick, Anton Lundell (5pts).
   
2. Carolina Hurricanes (5-0)
   Last 7 Days: 4-1 vs Montreal, 5-1 vs Columbus
   Next 7 Days: 4-1 vs Toronto, Boston 10/28, Chicago 10/29, Arizona 10/31
   Previous Ranking: 5
   Frederick Anderson is sporting a 1.75 GAA and a .944 sv%. Alex Nedelwho?
3. Washington Capitals (4-0-2)
   Last 7 Days: 6-3 vs Colorado, 4-1 vs New Jersey, 2-3 OTL vs Calgary 
   Next 7 Days: 7-5 vs Ottawa, Detroit 10/27, Arizona 10/29
   Previous Ranking: 6
   Ovechkin already has 5 goals and 10 points in 5 games. Vitek Vanecek is also off to a strong start in goal. With a soft schedule next week, Washington could further climb the rankings should Carolina or Florida falter.
4. Boston Bruins (3-1)
   Last 7 Days: 3-6 vs Philadelphia, 4-1 vs Buffalo, 4-3 vs San Jose
   Next 7 Days: @Florida 10/27, @Carolina 10/28, Florida 10/30
   Previous Ranking: 7
   Massive week on deck. Will the Bruins join the top 3 or will they slide out of the top 5? One thing’s for certain, Linus Ullmark should be the starting goaltender in Boston.
5. Edmonton Oilers (5-0)
   Last 7 Days: 6-5 vs Anaheim, 5-1 Arizona, 5-3 vs Vegas
   Next 7 Days: Philadelphia 10/27, Vancouver 10/30
   Previous Ranking: 8
   Edmonton leads the league in scoring, a soft week of opponents helped with that. They’ve scored 5+ goals 4 games in a row and McDavid scored his 200th goal against Arizona during last week.
   

    

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (3-3-1)
   Last 7 Days: 1-4 vs Florida, 3-4 SOL vs Colorado
   Next 7 Days: 1-5 vs Buffalo, 5-3 vs Pittsburgh, Arizona 10/28
   Previous Ranking: 2
   Tough week for the 2x defending champs. Steven Stamkos looks primed for another monster season, though he’ll need some help. Brayden Point is off to a slow start and Nikita Kucherov is back on the LTIR. Also, are we sure Andrei Vasilevskiy is ok? 
7. Colorado Avalanche (2-4)
   Last 7 Days: 3-6 vs Washington, 1-4 vs Florida, 4-3 vs Tampa Bay
   Next 7 Days: 1-3 vs Vegas, @St.Louis 10/28, Minnesota 10/30
   Previous Ranking: 3
   OK maybe dropping them 4 spots is a little harsh but they’re a cup contender and lost pretty handily to Washington and Florida. The scoring is balanced but Colorado needs it’s stars to shine to have success. Oh and Philip Grubauer > Darcy Kuemper.
8. St. Louis Blues (5-0)
   Last 7 Days: 7-4 vs Arizona, 3-1 vs Vegas, 7-3 vs Los Angeles
   Next 7 Days: 3-0 vs Los Angeles, Colorado 10/28, Chicago 10/30
   Previous Ranking: 10
   The Blues are off to a hot start on the heels of a couple 7 goal victories and a nice win over rival Vegas. Jordan Kyrou looks primed to breakout this year.
9. Minnesota Wild (5-1)
   Last 7 Days: 6-5 vs Winnipeg, 4-3 vs Anaheim, 2-5 vs Nashville
   Next 7 Days: 3-2 vs Vancouver, @Seattle 10/28, @Colorado, 10/30
   Previous Ranking: 9
   Minnesota needed a miracle comeback OT win vs Winnipeg and did the same against Anaheim in more traditional fashion. Look the Wild are winning games but the reality is they’re beating not so great teams. They’ll need to clean up defensively if they want to keep this up.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins (3-1-2)
    Last 7 Days: 1-2 SOL vs Dallas, 7-1 vs Toronto
    Next 7 Days: 3-5 vs Tampa Bay, Calgary 10/28, New Jersey 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 12
    Tristan Jarry is leading the charge in goal for Pittsburgh, posting an outstanding 1.47 GA/G and a .943 SV%. Oh and Free Agent signee, Danton Heinen is tied for the team lead in goals, assists, and points, just like we thought he would be. 
11. Dallas Stars (3-3)
    Last 7 Days: 2-1 SO vs Pittsburgh, 3-2 OT vs Los Angeles
    Next 7 Days: 1-4 vs Columbus, Vegas 10/27, Ottawa 10/29
    Previous Ranking: 15
    Look the Stars had a nice little week and while they’re tough to score against, they have a real problem putting the puck in the net right now. Thank God for old man Holtby and his .950 SV%.
12. New York Islanders (3-2-1)
    Last 7 Days: 4-1 vs Chicago, 2-3 OT vs Columbus, 3-0 vs Arizona, 2-0 vs Vegas
    Next 7 Days: @Nasville 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 13
    OK, so the Isles had a huge comeback week against lessor competition so I’m not ready to rush them back into the top 10. However Ilya Sorokin posting back to back shutouts Saturday and Sunday is…something. The Islanders won’t have to score many goals if he keeps playing the way he is. Trotz has given him the keys in goal with Varlamov out.
13. Calgary Flames (4-1-1)
    Last 7 Days: 2-3 OTL vs Anaheim, 3-0 vs Detroit, 4-3 OT vs Washington
    Next 7 Days: 6-1 vs NYR, 5-3 vs New Jersey, @Pittsburgh, 10/28, Philadelphia 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 18
    Through 5 games Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane have combined for 11 goals. Jacob Markstrom is also playing strong in goal to the tune of a .934 SV%. If you’re not taking the Flames serious this year, you should be.
14. Vancouver Canucks (3-3-1)
    Last 7 Days: 2-5 vs Buffalo, 4-1 vs Chicago, 4-2 vs Seattle
    Next 7 Days: 2-3 vs Minnesota, Philadelphia 10/28, Edmonton 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 14
    Vancouver could be an offensive juggernaut if they can get it figured out. They beat up on some soft teams last week and face a helluva tough week starting Tuesday against Minnesota. I have a feeling they’ll drop a couple spots by next Monday.
15. New York Rangers (4-2-1)
    Last 7 Days: 2-1 vs Toronto, 3-1 vs Nashville, 3-2 vs Ottawa
    Next 7 Days: 1-5 vs Calgary, Columbus 10/29, @Seattle 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 20
    Rangers went 3-0 last week. Sure, they are are winning games and Shesterkin looks good but I’m not sure I trust them yet. In any event, they move up 5 spots.
16. Philadelphia Flyers (2-1-1)
    Last 7 Days: 6-1 vs Seattle, 6-3 vs Boston, 2-4 vs Florida
    Next 7 Days: @Edmonton 10/27, @Vancouver 10/28, @Calgary 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 16
    Cam Atkinson is everything the Philadelphia Flyers needed and more thus far.
17. Winnipeg Jets (3-2-1)
    Last 7 Days: 5-6 OTL. vs Minnesota, 5-1 vs Anaheim, 6-4 vs Nashville
    Next 7 Days: 4-3 vs Anaheim, @Los Angeles 10/28, @San Jose 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 17
    Winnipeg would have had a 3-0 week if it weren’t for Kyle Connor.
18. Vegas Golden Knights (2-4)  
    Last 7 Days: 1-3 vs St. Louis, 3-5 Edmonton, 0-2 vs NYI
    Next 7 Days: 3-1 vs Colorado, @Dallas 10/27, Anaheim 101/29
    Previous Ranking: 11
    I really hated Vegas’s offseason. I mean, Nolan Patrick? That’s it? Add in the injuries to Pacioretty and Stone and things could go south real quick.
19. Toronto Maple Leafs (2-4-1)
    Last 7 Days: 1-2 OT vs NYR, 3-5 vs San Jose, 1-7 vs Pittsburgh
    Next 7 Days: 1-4 vs Carolina, @Chicago 10/27, Detroit 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 4
    The sky is falling in Toronto. Seriously, I think something might be really wrong.
20. New Jersey Devils (3-2)
    Last 7 Days: 4-2 vs Seattle, 1-4 vs Washington, 2-1 vs Buffalo
    Next 7 Days: 3-5 vs Calgary, Pittsburgh 10/30, Columbus 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 24
    I liked New Jersey’s offseason and they’re off to a decent start even while Jack Hughes has missed time. Stay tuned, tough week ahead.
21. San Jose Sharks (4-2)
    Last 7 Days: 5-0 vs Montreal, 2-1 vs Ottawa, 5-3, Toronto, 3-4 vs Boston
    Next 7 Days: 1-3 vs Nashville, Montreal 10/28, Winnipeg 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 28
    San Jose have moved up 7 spots since last week and they have an opportunity to move up even further if they can win 2 out of 3 this coming week. Can Timo Meier score 30 goals again?
22. Columbus Blue Jackets (4-2)
    Last 7 Days: 1-4 vs Detroit, 3-2 NYI, 1-5 vs Carolina
    Next 7 Days: 4-1 vs Dallas, @NYR 10/29, @New Jersey 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 21
    Columbus is going to be a fun team to watch grow this season. Can they maintain this early success, eh, I don’t think so but enjoy them while you can.
23. Los Angeles Kings (1-4-1)
    Last 7 Days: 1-2 vs Nashville, 2-3 OT vs Dallas, 3-7 vs St. Louis
    Next 7 Days: 0-3 vs St. Louis, Winnipeg 10/28, Montreal 10/30, Buffalo 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 19
    Los Angeles is another team I think will be fun to watch grow this season but they’re having a horrible time scoring goals. Only Anze Kopitar (6) and Dustin Brown (2) have scored multiple goals through 6 games.
24. Nashville Predators (3-4)
    Last 7 Days: 2-1 vs Los Angeles, 1-3 vs NYR, 4-6 vs Winnipeg, 5-2 vs Minnesota
    Next 7 Days: 3-1 vs San Jose, NYI 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 22
    I’m not really sure what kind of team Nashville is yet. Roman Josi leads the team in points and Ryan Johansen seems to have found his offensive game so that’s good. Phil Tomasino scored his first NHL goals last week which is cool, love that kid.
25. Detroit Red Wings (3-2-1)
    Last 7 Days: 4-1 vs Columbus, 0-3 vs Calgary, 1-6 vs Montreal, 6-3 vs Chicago
    Next 7 Days: Washington 10/27, Florida 10/29, Toronto 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 23
    Tyler Bertuzzi is off to a flying start this season with 6 goals in 5 games and rookie Lucas Raymond is throwing his hat into the calder conversation early on.
26. Buffalo Sabres (4-1-1)
    Last 7 Days: 5-2 vs Vancouver, 1-4 vs Boston, 1-2 OT vs New Jersey
    Next 7 Days: 5-1 vs Tampa Bay, @Anaheim 10/28, @Los Angeles 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 30
    Buffalo managed another 3 points last week and although they’re no longer undefeated they still move up 4 spots in our rankings, why? Well because they’re winning without star center, Jack Eichel. You see Buffalo is playing as a team and it would seem they are emphasizing defense as they’ve only allowed over 2 goals in a game once thus far.
27. Ottawa Senators (2-4)
    Last 7 Days: 1-2 vs San Jose, 2-3 vs NYR
    Next 7 Days: 5-7 vs Washington, @Dallas 10/29
    Previous Ranking: 27
    Brady’s back but not much else going on in Ottawa. Lost a couple close ones last week.
28. Seattle Kraken (2-4-1)
    Last 7 Days: 1-6 vs Philadelphia, 2-4 vs New Jersey, 2-4 vs Vancouver
    Next 7 Days: 5-1 vs Montreal, Minnesota 10/28, NYR 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 26
    Really they should be lower but the teams behind them are somehow worse right now.
29. Anaheim Ducks (2-4-1)
    Last 7 Days: 3-2 vs Calgary, 5-6 vs Edmonton, 1-5 vs Winnipeg, 3-4 OT vs Minnesota
    Next 7 Days: 3-4 vs Winnipeg, Buffalo 10/28, @Vegas 10/29, Montreal 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 31
    Anaheim rose 2 spots from last week but only because Montreal and Chicago are a disaster.
30. Montreal Canadiens (1-6)
    Last 7 Days: 0-5 vs San Jose, 1-4 vs Carolina, 6-1 vs Detroit
    Next 7 Days: 1-5 vs Seattle, @San Jose 10/28, @Los Angeles 10/30, @Anaheim 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 31
    Ummm…Montreal has scored a grand total of 11 goals thus far with 6 coming during a win vs Detroit. Things are not good.
31.  Chicago Blackhawks (0-5-1)
    Last 7 Days: 1-4 vs NYI, 1-4 vs Vancouver, 3-6 vs Detroit
    Next 7 Days: Toronto 10/27, @Carolina 10/29, @St. Louis 10/30
    Previous Ranking: 29
    Chicago has given up 27 goals in 6 games and that’s the least of this franchises worries right now.
32. Arizona Coyotes (0-5-1)
    Last 7 Days: 4-7 vs St. Louis, 1-5 vs Edmonton, 0-3 vs NYI 
    Next 7 Days: 3-5 vs Florida, @Tampa Bay 10/28, @Washington 10/29, @Carolina 10/31
    Previous Ranking: 32
    Tough week ahead for Arizona. If they win a game I’d be very surprised. They’ve given up 29 goals in 6 games but hey, at least they aren’t Chicago so they have that going for them.

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