The Dallas Stars entered the 2015-16 campaign with high expectations after general manager Jim Nill made offseason improvements to an already talented roster led by superstar forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. So far, they have exceeded expectations.
Dallas sits atop the Western Conference standings through 13 games, but is that enough for them to take the No. 1 spot in our latest power rankings?
Here are this week’s rankings. All records are current as of Nov. 4.
1. Montreal Canadiens (11-2-1): Even without the league’s best goaltender Carey Price, who’s out of the lineup with an injury, the Canadiens continue to roll.
2. Dallas Stars (10-3-0): An impressive 5-3 win over the Bruins on Tuesday night gave Dallas the best record in the Western Conference. The Stars are allowing the most high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5, but their offense is too potent for that to matter right now. Benn and Seguin also are tied for the league lead in scoring with 20 points.
3. New York Rangers (8-2-2): A convincing 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night was the beginning to what should be a very successful November for the Blueshirts.
4. St. Louis Blues (8-3-1): The Blues still are the best puck-possession team in the league with a 56 Corsi-for percentage at even strength, and their plus-8 goal differential during 5-on-5 play ranks fourth overall.
5. Washington Capitals (8-3-1): The Capitals haven’t dropped points in back-to-back games all season.
6. Los Angeles Kings (8-4-0): These Kings aren’t too different from what we’ve seen the last four seasons. They are struggling to score (20th in goals per game) but keep pucks out of their own net (fourth in goals against).
7. Nashville Predators (7-2-2): Three losses in the last four games isn’t too much of a concern when the opponents are Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Anaheim.
8. New York Islanders (7-3-1): The Islanders have struggled without captain and No. 1 center John Tavares with losses in three of their last four games.
9. Minnesota Wild (7-2-2): Minnesota’s impressive scoring depth has come through in the early part of the season with the fourth-most goals scored during 5-on-5 play. The goaltending still needs to be better, though.
10. Chicago Blackhawks (7-5-0): Even without No. 1 defenseman Duncan Keith, the ‘Hawks halted the Kings’ seven-game win streak with a 4-2 win Monday night.
11. Winnipeg Jets (7-4-1): The Jets won two of their last three games since our last power rankings, a stretch that included an impressive 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks.
12. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-4-0): A four-game win streak has quieted the “Is Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup window closed?” conversation. Well, at least for a little while.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (6-6-2): It’s unbelievable this team ranks 19th in goals per game with all of the high-end offensive talent in its top-nine forward group.
14. Vancouver Canucks (6-2-4): The Canucks are inside the top 10 in goals scored per game, goals against per game and penalty kill percentage. Not bad for a team many people believed wouldn’t compete in the Pacific Division.
15. Boston Bruins (6-4-1): The Bruins rank first in goals per game and power-play percentage, but their 5-3 loss Tuesday night was their fifth time in 11 games giving up five or more goals.
16. Detroit Red Wings (6-5-1): After a stretch of six losses in seven games, the Red Wings have rebounded with back-to-back wins over quality Eastern Conference opponents in Ottawa and Tampa Bay.
17. Florida Panthers (5-4-2): The Panthers lead the league with a .958 save percentage during 5-on-5 play.
18. Ottawa Senators (6-4-2): Scoring hasn’t been the issue for Ottawa early on, but its defensive game must improve. The Senators are 22nd in goals against per game, 26th in penalty killing.
19. San Jose Sharks (6-6-0): Remember when the Sharks were 4-0 and led the league in goals against? Neither do we. They’ve lost six of their last eight games with 31 goals allowed in that span.
20. New Jersey Devils (6-5-1): New Jersey is a hard-working team that will be in a lot of close games because of its brilliant goalie Cory Schneider. The Devils will need to improve their 24th-ranked offense to actually win consistently, though.
21. Arizona Coyotes (5-5-1): The Coyotes have cooled off after their hot start with six losses in their last eight games.
22. Anaheim Ducks (2-7-2): Based on their record, the Ducks don’t deserve to be 22nd. That said, this still is one of the most talented and deepest teams in the league. Sunday’s 4-2 win over Nashville was a step in the right direction for the league’s 30th-ranked offense, and now Anaheim has eight home games in November to get back on track.
23. Edmonton Oilers (5-8-0): No. 1 overall draft pick Connor McDavid leads rookies in scoring with 12 points in 13 games, but he’s now out “long term” after reportedly suffering a fractured collarbone in Tuesday’s win.
24. Philadelphia Flyers (4-6-2): A five-game losing streak erased much of the optimism gained from their 4-1-2 start.
25. Buffalo Sabres (3-6-0): The Sabres are 24th in goals scored per game and 22nd in GAA. Not a good combo.
26. Colorado Avalanche (4-7-1): Colorado played three games since the last power rankings and its only win was against Calgary. This team is destined for a high lottery pick in more ways than one.
27. Carolina Hurricanes (5-7-0): The Hurricanes having five wins in 12 games might actually be a minor miracle.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (2-7-2): It’s going to be a long season in Toronto.
29. Calgary Flames (3-9-1): Let’s check in on Calgary.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (3-10-0): A league-worst minus-18 goal differential and the absence of No. 1 center Ryan Johansen (illness) have been the main factors in Columbus’ horrendous start.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
