NHL Power Rankings: Devils ride 10-game winning streak to top spot

Devils
In the middle of the Devils’ ninth straight win, the crowd at Prudential Center chanted “Sorry Lindy” in an attempt to make up for the “Fire Lindy” chants that occurred during the second game of the season. I’m not sure about this strategy. Lindy Ruff seemed to be doing his best work with his back against the wall. 2 16-3-0
2

Bruins
The Bruins have thrived in the face of injuries so far, and Linus Ullmark has played a large role in that success. Boston has been without Jeremy Swayman for the last couple of weeks, but Ullmark has handled the role of being a full-time starter extremely well. Ullmark leads the NHL in goals saved above average with 11.17, per Natural Stat Trick. — 17-2-0
3

Golden Knights
Vegas had its nine-game winning streak snapped by the Blues, but not before Jack Eichel made his second trip back to Buffalo after being traded. In his return to Buffalo last season, Eichel and the Golden Knights struggled in a 3-1 loss. This time around, scored a hat trick in a 7-4 win, and he was eating up every second of it. 2 15-4-1
4

Hurricanes
With a hat trick against the Edmonton Oilers, Andrei Svechnikov continued his torrid start to the season. He has 12 goals in 16 games, which puts him well ahead of pace to smash his career high of 30, which he set last season. — 10-5-4
5

Islanders
The Islanders are 9-2-0 in their last 11 games, and they have risen to second place in the Metro Division. In the past the Isles have gotten it done with defense, but this season, it’s been the offense that has done the heavy lifting. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Islanders are fifth in expected goals for at five-on-five (37.86) and 32nd in five-on-five expected goals against (41.19). We’ll see how long they can keep getting away with allowing so many chances the other way. 3 12-8-0
6

Avalanche
The Avalanche have been without Valeri Nichuskin for a while, and captain Gabriel Landeskog has yet to play a game. Despite some poor injury luck to start the season, the Avs are weathering the storm. That has a lot to do with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar putting the team on their backs and carrying it to a respectable record amidst some adversity. — 11-5-1
7

Panthers
Aaron Ekblad returned from injury on Saturday night. While the Panthers lost to the Oilers, 4-2, Ekblad’s presence was a welcome sight for Florida fans. The team did a good job of treading water while Ekblad was sidelined with an injury, but the Panthers have the potential to be a dominant force with him in the lineup. 5 9-8-2
8

Stars
Mason Marchment got off to a blazing start with his new team, but he has cooled off significantly. Marchment has just three points in his last 12 games, and he hasn’t found too much chemistry with linemate Tyler Seguin. There is some concern that the Stars are falling back into their old habit of being a one-line pony. 3 11-5-3
9

Kings
Statistically, the Kings have been one of the best teams in the NHL this season. They are sixth in five-on-five expected goals share (54.34%), and they’ve been winning despite getting some of the worst goaltending in the league. Now that the goaltending is coming around, the wins are starting to pile up for Los Angeles, which is bad news for the rest of the Pacific Division. 9 11-8-2
10

Maple Leafs
The nightly evaluation of the state of the Maple Leafs was put on hold over the weekend as the team honored Hall of Fame defenseman Börje Salming, who was recently diagnosed with ALS. Toronto played an emotional tribute video for Salming, who was in attendance, and head coach Sheldon Keefe started an all-Swedish lineup in his honor. It was a moving scene at Scotiabank Arena. 1 10-5-5
11

Jets
Over the weekend, Blake Wheeler scored the 300th goal of his career in buzzer-beater fashion when he pulled the Jets even with the Kraken with just 3.9 seconds left on the board. That made Wheeler the 24th American player to score 300 goals in NHL history, and he sits 20 behind Bobby Carpenter on the all-time list. — 11-5-1
12

Lightning
Andrei Vasilevskiy has not been himself so far this season. He has allowed 2.51 goals above average, according to Natural Stat Trick, which ranks 57th in the NHL. Vasilevskiy normally finds himself at the top of the league in that stat, and it may be too early to really get concerned about the Tampa netminder. The Bolts need Vasilevskiy to get into a rhythm because Brian Elliott has shown he can’t be trusted over long stretches of the season. 5 11-7-1
13

Kraken
Shane Wright, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has played in just seven games this season and tallied just one point. Now, the Kraken find themselves in a tough position with their star. Even when Wright does play, it has been in a very limited role, and if he plays in three more games he will burn the first year of his entry level contract. Wright may be headed back to the OHL, even if that is not the ideal scenario for all parties. 3 10-5-3
14

Oilers
Evander Kane suffered one of the scariest injuries you’ll ever see in hockey when Lightning forward Pat Maroon skated over his wrist. Now, Kane will be out for around 12 weeks, and that leaves a massive hole in the Oilers’ forward group. Will general manager Ken Holland try to make a splash on the trade market to replace Kane? 1 10-9-0
15

Flames
Jonathan Huberdeau made his return from injury against the Kings, and he immediately got his second goal of the season. Perhaps now that he is not battling injury, Huberdeau will start to get more comfortable in his new digs. — 9-7-2
16

Rangers
Now in his second stint with the New York Rangers, Jimmy Vesey has proven to be pretty effective in his return. The team is controlling 66.45% of the expected goals with Vesey on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. With five points in 16 games, Vesey is probably better suited for a bottom six role, but he has been a pleasant surprise in New York. — 9-6-4
17

Canadiens
In his first three NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, Kirby Dach failed to live up to the billing of a No. 3 overall pick. That’s why it was odd to see the Canadiens give up a first-round pick and a third-round pick to get him over the summer. So far, Montreal general manager Kent Hughes looks like a genius. Kirby Dach has 14 points in 15 games, and the Habs are controlling the game when he’s on the ice. 7 9-8-1
18

Wild
Just when it looked like the Wild were starting to get back on track, they dropped back-to-back games against the Sharks and the Predators, two teams that have sat near the bottom of these power rankings for most of the season to this point. Simply put, the Wild have to find more offense quickly. 2 8-8-2
19

Penguins
It has been a brutal stretch for the Penguins of late, but if you’re looking for positives, it has to be Jason Zucker. He has been red hot of late with 10 points in his last nine games. Zucker is now just three points away from tying the 17 points he posted in the 2021-22 season. 4 9-7-3
20

Red Wings
Dominik Kubalik had his share of struggles with the Blackhawks in the 2021-22 season, and the team allowed him to hit free agency over the summer. That’s when the Red Wings scooped him up for just $2.5 million per season, and he has been worth every penny thus far. Kubalik is leading Detroit in goals (7), assists (11), and points (18). 3 9-5-4
21

Blues
Not only did the mothers of the Blues pick an excellent road trip to attend, but they also may have saved the season. St. Louis has won three straight games, including road contests against Vegas and Colorado, and the team finally has some positive momentum after an eight-game losing streak. 8 10-8-0
22

Capitals
Washington has won three of its last 10 games, and those results have been deserved. The Capitals are 25th in five-on-five expected goals share (46.18%), per Natural Stat Trick. The short-handed Caps are having a hard time keeping their head above water with injuries taking a hefty toll. 1 7-10-3
23

Flyers
The Flyers have hit their first real skid of the 2022-23 season, and it will be interesting to see how they respond. Are they coming back down to Earth after a hot start or can John Tortorella rally the players and keep them in the mix within the Metro Division? 4 7-8-4
24

Predators
Juuso Parssinen, a seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, has worked his way up to the Predators’ roster and scored in his first NHL game against the New York Rangers. Parssinen showed off his skating and strength on an end-to-end tally and has earned the right to stay with the NHL club. 1 9-8-2
25

Sabres
Tage Thompson remains a jaw-dropping freak of nature, but that is about all that has gone right for the Sabres of late. They have lost five in a row, and their fast start is a thing of the past. The most concerning thing about this losing streak is that the goaltending duo of Craig Anderson and Eric Comrie has looked as underwhelming as you would expect. 11 7-11-0
26

Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have scored a total of seven goals in the month of November, and they have been shutout twice. There has been a touch of bad luck in this stretch, but the offense has been putrid overall. The only thing keeping Chicago competitive right now is goaltending. 4 6-9-3
27

Coyotes
Just as everyone predicted, Matias Maccelli is leading the rookie points race through 15 games. The 2019 fourth-round pick has been a pleasant surprise with nine assists and 10 points so far. Time will tell whether Maccelli can keep this up, but the Coyotes have to be pleased that he has nearly doubled last season’s point total. 1 6-9-2
28

Senators
Star defenseman Thomas Chabot has been placed on IR with a concussion and will miss at least one week. If Chabot is out any longer than that, then this becomes a very bleak situation for the last-place Senators. If Ottawa wants to live up to preseason expectations of flirting with a playoff spot, a turnaround has to start soon. — 6-11-1
29

Sharks
Just when everyone thought Erik Karlsson’s Norris Trophy days were a thing of the past, he comes out of nowhere to dominate the NHL. The 32-year-old Karlsson leads all defensemen with 22 points, which is also good for eighth overall in the league. However, that’s not where Karlsson’s contributions end. The Sharks are controlling 53.38% of the expected goals with him on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. 2 7-11-3
30

Blue Jackets
The Flyers got a front-row seat to what they missed out on by not trying harder to pursue Johnny Gaudreau in free agency. In the Blue Jackets’ 5-2 win over the Flyers last week, Gaudreau was the best player on the ice with one goal and two assists. 2 7-10-1
31

Ducks
Fans everywhere had the misfortune of seeing a Trevor Zegras lacrosse-style goal called back due to offside. What are we doing, NHL? That’s one you just have to look the other way on. If the Ducks don’t have Zegras turning regular season games into skills competitions, what incentive do I have to watch them? 1 5-13-1
32

Canucks
The Canucks find themselves riding a three-game losing streak in which they surrendered yet another multi-goal lead. Bruce Boudreau’s seat has never been hotter, but at least Bo Horvat has 13 goals in 16 games. Enjoy him while he’s still in town, Vancouver. 5 6-10-3