In this edition of the hotstove we share our power rankings for the top-5 teams in the NHL.
Todd Cordell
1. Dallas Stars (19-5-0)
They lead the league in wins, score at will and have the best record in the NHL over their last 10 games (8-2-0). That's good enough for me.
2. Washington Capitals (17-5-1)
The Caps are 3rd in the NHL in score adjusted possession, 2nd in goal differential (+24) and have won a league-best five games in a row while outscoring their opponents by 11 goals in that span.
3. Montreal Canadiens (18-4-3)
Mike Condon has appeared in 14 of 25 games and the Canadiens still lead the league in points. I thought the Canadiens would be good but I don't think anyone would have expected this.
4) Los Angeles Kings (14-8-1)
The Kings are 14-5-1 in their last 20 games and they are the league's best possession team. They aren't flawless but they're damn good; and this is with Anze Kopitar not performing up to par.
5) New York Rangers (16-6-2)
Even after a couple rough outings Henrik Lundqvist still owns an absurd .936 save percentage. As long as he's playing well the Rangers will win more than their fair share of games.
Coming in hot: the Chicago Blackhawks.
James Tanner
1. Capitals - They won five in a row, so I'm bumping them to the top.
2. Stars - They have 85 goals, no other team in the West has 70.
3. LA Kings - Yes, just two points ahead of the Coyotes, but they lead their division and will continue to be - barring injury- the deepest team in hockey.
4. St. Louis - They good.
5. Chicago - They good too.
Tim Chiasson
1. Dallas Stars 2. Washington Capitals 3. Montreal Canadiens 4. St. Louis Blues 5. New York Rangers
Recent posts: Best defense pairing in the NHL?