NHL Power Rankings Have Chicago Blackhawks at Top to Open Season

The NHL season is a week old, and so far, one of the biggest surprises comes as unwelcomed news for Bruins fans.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have stormed out of the gate winning their first three games. This, of course, comes as bad news to the Bruins, who have Tornto’s first-round draft pick in this next year’s draft.

Despite the hot start, it’s probably unrealistic that the Leafs be able to keep up anything resembling the pace they’re on now, but the same won’t be said for some of the league’s elite.

Not surprisingly, the Washington Capitals are off to a strong start. They exploded for seven goals over the weekend against the New Jersey Devils and showed some resolve on Wednesday night coming from behind and beating an improved Islanders team.

The Central divison of the Western Conference remains one of, if not, the league’s toughest division, evidenced by a couple of quick starts. The Red Wings have yet to lose in regulation, the Blues are 2-0 and the defending-champion Blackhawks are still a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, the Bruins have returned home from Prague after a brief two-game showing. While the rest of the league has played a handful of games, the B’s don’t return to action until Saturday. Despite that, they’re still holding on to a reputation of a team with high expectations once they dive back into their schedule.

Where do they rank among the 30 NHL teams?

Find out by clicking here for NESN.com’s NHL Power Rankings > >