In this edition of the hotstove we share our power rankings for the top-5 teams in hockey.
Todd Cordell 1. Dallas Stars (17-4-0)
They've lost four times in 21 games, are an excellent possession team, have a plus-24 goal differential and are tied for the league lead in points despite playing in the toughest division.
2. New York Rangers (16-3-2)
The Rangers have been outshot pretty routinely but they say goaltending is the great equalizer and Henrik Lundqvist is showing that on a nightly basis with this team. Mats Zuccarello is playing like an all-star, Rick Nash is starting to come around and their offense as a whole is firing on all cylinders.
3. Montreal Canadiens (16-4-2)
They're getting scoring from all four lines and, for the most part, they continued to win games even without Carey Price. Now Price is back and the Habs have won both games since.
4. Los Angeles Kings (13-8-0)
The Kings started the season 0-3-0 but have won 13 of 18 games since. Tyler Toffoli is a goal scoring machine, the Kings are the best possession team in hockey and their team defense has been excellent.
5. Washington Capitals (14-5-1)
Teams with fewer regulation losses than the Capitals: Dallas, Montreal, and the Rangers. I'm not sure the Caps get enough credit for how good they are.
James Tanner 1. Henrik Lundqvist. He is the best player in the NHL right now and the Rangers are in first place exclusively because of him.
2. LA - I think eventually their record will reflect their stats and they'll end up with the league's best record.
3. Dallas - Fun to watch, hope they can sustain it.
4. Washington - I think the best team in the East.
5. Blackhawks - the peripheral stats suggest they should have a better record and they have one of the best rosters in hockey.
Tim Chiasson
1. Dallas Stars
The Stars are dominating, and all I keep hearing about is the Rangers and Canadiens. This is the best team in the NHL right now.
2. New York Rangers
3. Montreal Canadiens
4. Washington Capitals
5. St. Louis Blues
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