December 5, 2022
By Tab Bamford

CHICAGO, IL — Do we start with praise for Mitchell Marner’s point streak, Jason Robertson’s incredible heater or Steven Stamkos’ historic moment? Or do we throw the teams at the bottom of the league a bone and remind them that Connor Bedard is probably worth a miserable season, even if the worst record in the league doesn’t guarantee the No. 1 pick (Adam Fantilli ain’t bad, either).

We’ve put November to rest, and some teams are happier about that than others. The calendar reading December means we’ll get to pay attention to the World Juniors at some point, and trade rumors are going to start heating up with more intensity.

So, strap in for a wild last month of 2022, folks.

As always, please feel free to let us know what we got right and where we’re terrible, horribly wrong in this week’s edition of our Power Rankings.

32. Anaheim Ducks

Losers of their last six (the longest losing streak in the NHL entering Monday) and just one of their last ten, the Ducks are battling hard for Connor Bedard. They’re 2-11-3 on the road to start this season.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Like Anaheim, the Blackhawks have won only once in their last ten starts. That win came at the expense of the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, a rough look for a Rangers team that might want to court Patrick Kane as we get closer to the deadline.

30. Arizona Coyotes

The Yotes have dropped four straight and are 2-5-3 on their last ten. We’ll give them some consideration for being road warriors; they’ve still only played four home games.

29. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers are like the Blackhawks. Their nice start to the season feels like a distant memory at this point, and Torts is starting to hold the local media accountable for their questions after games. Injuries haven’t helped the Flyers, either. They’re 1-6-3 in their last 10.

28. San Jose Sharks

Winners of just two of their last ten and losers of three straight, the Sharks have been especially bad on home ice where they’re 2-8-4. The Sharks and Ducks are the only two teams to allow at least 100 goals already this year.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Jackets’ minus-26 goal differential is the third worst in the league right now; only Chicago and Anaheim are worse in that regard. But they’re 4-4-2 in their last 10 so they get a bump up the Power Rankings based on recent... “success.”

26. St. Louis Blues

The bipolar Blues are either on a heater or they’re stone cold this season. And right now, the Blues are icy, losing their last three. When Craig Berube has seen enough of your antics and calls you out to the media, it’s probably time to tone it down. We’ll see how Jordan Binnington acts the next time he gets the net.

25. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are actually 6-4-0 in their last 10 and could probably be higher on our list. But this weekend’s soap opera starring Brock Boeser gets them a quick slide down the list.

24. Ottawa Senators

Their goal differential of minus-three actually isn’t that bad. And the fact they’ve only allowed 78 goals in 24 games isn’t terrible. They’ve won their last two and are 5-5-0 in their last 10. But they’re still sitting at just 21 points.

23. New York Rangers

The Blueshirts have lost their last two, including being the team that ended the Blackhawks’ eight-game losing streak on Saturday night. They’re 4-6-4 on home ice and clearly have some major issues to figure out right now.

22. Washington Capitals

The Caps start this week 3-5-2 in their last 10 with a minus-12 goal differential. It is really shaping up to be Ovi and a bunch of question marks this season in Washington.

21. Montreal Canadiens

They’re a .500 hockey club but their goal differential of minus-13 leaves a lot to be desired. They need depth scoring to compliment their top line.

20. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres have a positive goal differential (+4) but they’re only 6-8-1 at home to start the season. Tage Thompson is becoming must-see TV right now, though.

19. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are sliding down the Pacific right now. They’re 3-4-3 in their last 10 and have a minus-five goal differential, which makes their 13-10-4 overall record feel deceiving.

18. Calgary Flames

We’re still waiting for their new core to get together and roll, and it certainly isn’t happening on the road; they’re 3-5-2 away from the Saddle.

17. Detroit Red Wings

The offense has slowed down in the Motor City, and the wins have as well. They’re just 5-3-2 in their last 10. The road schedule is going to catch up with a home-heavy early slate as well; they’ve played 14 of 24 at home thus far.

16. Florida Panthers

Like Calgary, the Panthers are searching for consistency after a busy offseason. They’re just 4-3-3 in their last 10 and are 6-7-1 away from home. The Panthers have won their last two, however, so maybe they’re getting ready to turn a corner.

15. Edmonton Oilers

As long as the Oilers continue to have a negative goal differential, we’re going to struggle to take them seriously. The firepower is there on the top shelf of their roster, but the depth is lacking.

14. Nashville Predators

The Preds have moved past the flood, but the news on Monday that Ryan McDonagh is going on IR doesn’t help their blueline situation. Nashville has won their last three, however, and are hanging around in a wild Central Division.

13. Minnesota Wild

Winners of their last four, the Wild are making up for a tough start to the season. They’ve only played nine road games thus far, so the travels will start coming soon.

12. Colorado Avalanche

It feels like Deion Sanders was talking about the Avs when he gave his first speech as the head coach at the University of Colorado when he said, “I’m coming.” The rest of the Western Conference likely feels that way about the Avs, who have won six of their last ten.

11. Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson has been incredible and is firmly in the Hart conversation right now. But the Stars need to finish; they’re 5-1-4 in their last 10 and now have the Avs in their rearview mirror. Dallas is six points up on Colorado, but the Avs have three games in-hand.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins

It’s going to be interesting to see how the Pens account for Kris Letang being out of the lineup for a while after suffering a stroke. They’re 7-2-1 in their last 10 and have a plus-11 goal differential entering Monday.

9. Carolina Hurricanes

Like Dallas, the Canes need to finish. They’ve won their last four games, but that improves them to just 5-1-4 in their last 10. Their plus-five goal differential isn’t as comfortable as they would like, either.

8. Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas’ 37 points ranks third in the NHL entering Monday, but they’re just 5-4-1 in their last 10. They’ve been marvelous on the road (11-2-1) but their 7-5-0 record at home leaves a lot to be desired.

7. Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are up to a plus-15 goal differential and are 9-3-0 at home. They’re positioned between Dallas and Colorado in the Central, but it feels like nobody is really talking about how well things are going in Winnipeg. They’re a good squad right now.

6. New York Islanders

The Isles got some home cooking on Sunday night against Chicago, improving to 9-4-0 on their ice. But they’re stull just 6-4-0 in their last 10. Their potential audition in front of Patrick Kane went much better than the Rangers’ this weekend.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

Lost in the hype around Steven Stamkos reaching a huge milestone has been the Bolts rolling to an 8-2-0 record in their last 10. They’ve climbed to a plus-nine goal differential and are 8-3-1 at home. Quietly, the Lightning are still the Lightning.

4. Seattle Kraken

Yup, the Kraken are in the top four thanks to a fabulous 8-1-1 road record and seven wins in their last ten starts. After a rough rookie season, Seattle has a plus-13 goal differential and appears to be the real deal.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

How does a team without a regulation loss in their last ten starts end up third overall? The top two are rock stars with goal differentials more than double (triple) what Toronto has accomplished. Marner’s point streak has been exceptional to watch, however. He might be a strong play for MVP this season.

2. New Jersey Devils

The Devils haven’t don’t anything wrong to lose the top spot in our rankings. They’re 11-1-0 on the road and 8-1-1 in their last 10, a number that will probably improve when they host the Blackhawks on Tuesday. They have a plus-36 goal differential, which ranks second in the league entering Monday.

1. Boston Bruins

We can’t deny them the top spot any longer. They’re one point back of the Devils with two games in-hand and still – STILL – haven’t lost a home game (14-0-0). The Bruins boast the league’s best goal differential (+44), are 9-1-0 in their last ten and have won their last three. They are the team to beat in the entire NHL, and nobody is doing that right now.