Welcome to the 1,500 club, Alexander Ovechkin. The Great Eight accomplished the feat in Dallas, TX on Thursday night, registering an assist on a Dylan Strome goal at Capital One Arena to become the 16th player in NHL history to hit a millennium-and-a-half. He made it 1,501 on Sunday, and the next number he's eyeing on the list? Sidney Crosby's 1,529. Ovechkin remains 420 points shy of Jaromir Jagr for second in points, but the hunt for a much more important milestone — the 67 that separates him from Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record — continues in earnest for a player who is 38.
Headlining Week 10 in the National Hockey League is the highly-anticipated first ever meeting of Connor vs. Connor. Bedard's Chicago Blackhawks will be in Alberta to play McDavid's Oilers for the first time this season on Tuesday night. It's two squads going in very different directions; the Oilers have won seven straight and continue to surge while the Hawks are tied for last place in NHL standings. Still, expect an opening draw featuring the greatest player in the game of hockey, and one who very well could be in a few years.
Not to be outdone — in the standings or in Toronto's media market — the Maple Leafs have a big week of their own coming up, a four-game slate highlighted by Kyle Dubas' return to The Six for the first time since he was ousted as general manager in the offseason. The Penguins are losers of four straight and are looking nowhere near a playoff team, while Toronto has one regulation loss in its last 11. It should be quite an interesting reception for Dubas on Hockey Night in Canada. But first, John Tavares will try to hit 1,000 points against his old team in Long Island on Monday. He's just two away.
Like usual, the movement is significant in Week 10 of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. Maybe first, watch a surprisingly satisfying video of six NHL players breaking things for no good reason at all.
Previous 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings: Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3| Week 2 | Week 1
1. New York Rangers (no change)
The New York Rangers may have conceded the top spot in league standings to the Vegas Golden Knights, but they remain at the top of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings for at least another week. The Blueshirts went on an uncharacteristic two-game losing streak, falling to the Senators and Capitals in Week 9. But they got back on track with a convincing 4-1 win against the league's best road team at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers beat the Kings 4-1 on Sunday to improve to 19-6-1 on the season. The show continues to go on for the top team in the Eastern Conference, although the hold on the No. 1 spot is precarious as December rolls on.
2. Boston Bruins (no change)
Steady as she goes for the Boston Bruins. That is, four wins in five tries for the NHL's most elite defensive team. They can score goals, too, as shown in a 5-3 matinee victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday afternoon. The B's also beat the lowly Blue Jackets, but were stymied by Devon Levi in a 3-1 loss to the Sabres days later. Still, Boston remains neck-and-neck with the Rangers for the top spot in the East, their 18-5-3 record equalling New York's 19-6-1 for 39 points. Pavel Zacha was injured on Saturday, and his health will be something to monitor ahead of games against the Devils, Islanders, and a heavyweight tilt with these same Rangers in Week 10.
3. Vegas Golden Knights (+3)
After a brutal stretch that was titled a delayed Stanley Cup hangover, the Golden Knights are back. Vegas is on a three game winning streak and has points in nine of 10. That has them back in first place in NHL standings with a 19-5-5 record. They've played three more games than the Rangers and Bruins, respectively, but look back to form in the Western Conference. And that's without their best defenseman in Shea Theodore. The Knights beat the Blues, Stars and Sharks in that order last week, and will look to continue surging with the Calgary Flames in town on Tuesday night.
4. Los Angeles Kings (-1)
I was fully prepared to vault the Los Angeles Kings into the No. 1 spot in the NHL Power Rankings after they made it an incredible 11 straight wins on the road. But they faltered late in the week, losing to the Islanders and Rangers on back-to-back nights to halt the streak. The Kings are still elite at 16-5-4, and just seven points back of Vegas with four games in hand for the top spot in the Western Conference. LA could very well occupy that place once that corrects itself. Still, the Kings have lost two games in a row for the first time in a month, and will look to rectify that against the high-flying Jets at home on Wednesday night.
5. Colorado Avalanche (-1)
After a torrid stretch, it's been a disappointing two weeks in Denver. The Avalanche lost two of three last week, scoring just seven goals in that span while giving up 12. That's certainly not ideal, and it's exacerbated by an overall stretch of five losses in six games. That came right after seven wins in eight tries for a streaky 2023-24 Avalanche club. Colorado has conceded its top spot in the Central Division to, not the Dallas Stars, but the red-hot Jets. This team remains in the top-five, but won't be there next week if it can't get some wins in a four-game slate that begins against Calgary on Monday.
6. Vancouver Canucks (+2)
Just as the Vancouver Canucks were starting to come back to earth, they pulled off impressive back-to-back wins against the Wild and Hurricanes last week. The Nucks have won four of six and are back to competing for the Pacific Division crown. At 18-9-1, they're just six points back of Vegas with a game in hand. Casey DeSmith recorded his first shutout of the campaign against Minnesota, while Thatcher Demko handled Carolina two nights later. The only downside to the week was Vancouver losing the first ever triple Hughes Bowl, which Quinn's Canucks lost to Jack and Luke's Devils — in a 6-5 thriller — on Tuesday.
7. Dallas Stars (-2)
The Stars are mired in a slump similar to the Avalanche's; they've won just four of 10 games and slipped to third place in the Central Division. They haven't yet fallen below Winnipeg on this list, but, along with Colorado, the hold is precarious. Dallas lost three of four last week, including two shellackings at the hands of the Lightning (4-0) and Knights (6-1). This was once a team that could not be scored on, but that has not at all been the case recently. Jake Oettinger is really struggling, and he and the team in front of him have conceded 19 goals in four games. They'll get a chance to right the ship against Patrick Kane and the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs (+1)
With just a single regulation loss in 11 games, the Maple Leafs are on a roll. And that's without Joseph Woll, who was given a brutal week-to-week timetable after getting injured against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. It'll be the Ilya Samsonov show going forward, which shouldn't be a problem after he shut out the Predators in a convincing 4-0 victory on Saturday. The Leafs have won two in a row and seven of 10, and continue to make up ground in the Atlantic Division. They sit just seven points back of their rival Bruins with two games in hand. The four-game week begins — with JT eyeing 1,000 points — on Monday against the Islanders.
9. Winnipeg Jets (+1)
Don't look now, but the Jets are the kings of the Central Division. With four wins in a row and seven in 10, Winnipeg is looking like a team that could challenge for that crown all season long. Connor Hellebuyck has been lights out in the final year before his new megadeal kicks in; he's won his last three starts and given up just five goals in that span. It's a full team effort on any given night for a resilient Jets club, and this team has the potential to keep climbing up the NHL Power Rankings, even if Kyle Connor is forced to miss time after taking a dirty hit from Ducks' Ryan Strome.
10. Florida Panthers (+2)
A very good week in Sunrise. The Panthers won all three of their games, scoring 13 goals in victories over the Stars, Penguins and Blue Jackets, in that order. Matthew Tkachuk looks broken; he somehow has just three points in 12 games. But the Florida offense is not, and the combo of Sasha Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart continues to produce. With Sergei Bobrovsky playing some of his best regular-season hockey in recent memory, and the team now fully healthy, the march for the top spot in the Atlantic Division continues. The Cats are just three points off Boston.
11. Carolina Hurricanes (-4)
The Hurricanes have not been able to buy good goaltending since Frederik Andersen went down indefinitely with blood clots. As of last week, this team has the worst save percentage in the National Hockey League, and that is not a winning recipe even for a club that boasts the defensive talent the Canes do. Fifteen goals have gone past either Antti Raanta or Pyotr Kochetkov in the past four games, and all of them were losses. The Western road trip was not at all kind to this team; they lost in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver in Week 9, and play in Ottawa and Detroit before finally heading home on Dec. 15. Carolina needs to stem the bleeding, and fast. That might involve bringing another goaltender to Raleigh.
12. Detroit Red Wings (-1)
Welcome to Motown, Patrick Kane. The three-time Stanley Cup champion scored his first goal as a Red Wing to help Detroit jump out to an early 4-0 lead on the Sharks on Thursday night. Shockingly, the Wings would end up blowing it, losing 6-5 in overtime and following it up with another loss against the Senators on Sunday. Dylan Larkin and JT Compher are both injured, and this center depth will not be able to hold up if those absences are long-term. The Wings are 14-8-4 and still in a playoff spot, but are awaiting their first win with Kane on the roster. Monday night in Dallas is a great opportunity.
13. Edmonton Oilers (+4)
The climb up the NHL Power Rankings continues in earnest for the red-hot Connor McDavid and his equally as scorching Edmonton Oilers. The Oil Kings boast the longest winning streak in the league at seven games, and and the offense has run rampant in that span. Edmonton had a week layoff after the first four wins, and beat the Hurricanes, Wild and Devils in tidy fashion over the last four days. The offense is scorching, highlighted by McDavid's nine-game, 23-point streak, and the goaltending has finally come together as well. Stuart Skinner is playing great, and even Calvin Pickard has joined in the success, making 26 saves in Sunday's 4-1 win over New Jersey. The first ever Bedard vs. Bedard matchup is next.
14. New Jersey Devils (+1)
Don't let the Devils get hot. New Jersey has its top two centers back in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, and they continue to lead the charge along with Jesper Bratt. This team has won six of eight games, the latter half without Dougie Hamilton who is out with a torn pectoral muscle. That's awful news for this group, but Luke Hughes and former No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec have been stepping up in his absence. New Jersey went 3-1 on a road trip that took them through Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary and Edmonton, and it'll be home sweet home with the Bruins in town on Wednesday night.
15. New York Islanders (+1)
There are a ton of hot teams in the Metropolitan Division, and we've already covered a few of them in the Devils and Rangers. Not to be outdone are the Islanders, who are on fire themselves with just one regulation loss — and seven wins — in the last 10 games. Bo Horvat and Matthew Barzal are on a tear, and that's exactly what New York needs to be successful. The former has 10 points over a six-game point streak, while the latter has accounted for 12 in his last five. The Isles are scoring a ton of goals, including 10 in consecutive wins over the Blue Jackets and Kings, and that's working wonders for their climb up the Metro. At 12-7-7 and fourth place in the division, the work continues in a massive matchup with the old captain and his Maple Leafs on Monday.
16. Philadelphia Flyers (+2)
It might be time to start taking the Philadelphia Flyers seriously in the Metro. This team is motivated to earn a postseason berth next April, and that continues to show in the way they're playing. Philly has racked off four straight wins, and are not happy to still be so low on the NHL Power Rankings. A few more good weeks could have this team into the top-10, especially the way Carter Hart has bounced back from a rough patch. He looks great, the players have a purpose under John Tortorella, and Philly is chasing only New York for the top of the division. Is it time to accept that the 2023-24 Flyers are going to be in playoff contention right to the end?
17. Washington Capitals (-4)
This will be the first time I've dropped a team this much after a two-game winning streak. Even after Alex Ovechkin scored point No. 1,500 and 1,501, it's hard to understand why the Capitals keep winning games. They're 14-8-3, and their third place standing in the division could quickly be erased by any of the Islanders, Devils or Hurricanes. The Caps were on a four-game losing streak before busting the slump in an impressive 4-0 victory over the Rangers. Charlie Lindgren shut out his brother Ryan in that one, and Washington won again against lowly Chicago the night after. This is still a good team, but one that is probably winning more games than it deserves to. Ovechkin and the troops have a great test against the team just above them on Thursday.
18. Tampa Bay Lightning (-4)
As the Oilers climb, so do the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to slide in the NHL Power Rankings. This team is currently outside a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and that's with Andrei Vasilevskiy back and healthy. The depth is just not holding up, and Nikita Kucherov can't do everything. He can definitely win the Hart Trophy if this team makes the playoffs, and the Russian superstar could be in the midst of a career year. That's saying a lot about a player who once scored 128 points in this league. But the Bolts have lost five of eight and are struggling to score goals that don't involve Kuch or Brayden Point. Still, they're just eight points off Boston for the division lead, and will look to cut into it on a four-game Western road trip that begun in a 4-3 win over Seattle, and continues in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary this week.
19. Nashville Predators (+2)
The Preds continue to seriously defy all expectations put on them at the beginning of the season. Now 15-13 and fourth in the Central Division — with both Colorado and Dallas within arm's reach — the wins keep coming in Smashville. With four in their last five, the path to the postseason is as clear as it's been all season. Juuse Saros continues to play well, as does Ryan O'Reilly, who is turning into one of the best free agent signings of the summer. The Predators will welcome the Flyers to Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday as the players continue to make a case to buy instead of sell ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
20. Ottawa Senators (+3)
The Senators are still in the basement of the Atlantic Division, but they've played six less games than both the Sabres and Canadiens. And they've been winning, to the tune of three in their last four tries. The Sens earned convincing victories over the Rangers and Red Wings last week, hanging six on New York before crushing Detroit 5-1. In between those two contests was a tough loss to the Leafs on Thursday night, but it's still an encouraging stretch for a team that has had difficulty putting the pieces together so far this year. That could be changing ahead of a matchup with the struggling Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
21. St. Louis Blues (-1)
After a few really encouraging weeks in Missouri, it's back to disappointment for the St. Louis Blues. They're mired in a three-game losing skid, with two of those losses coming against the lowly Blackhawks and Blue Jackets. That is extremely discouraging, and has the Blues looking for answers after falling back to .500 at 13-13-1. After four of five on the road, St. Louis will look for better results at the Enterprise Center against the Wings, Sens and Stars this week.
22. Calgary Flames (+2)
Difficult decisions are ahead for the Calgary Flames' front office, as the team continues to muddle around the middle of the pack. The Flames are an even 5-5 in their last 10, although three of the last four have been losses. How much longer will Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin call Alberta home? It's hard to believe any of them will be signed to extensions, and with Nikita Zadorov already shipped out, it seems like only a matter of time. In the meantime, Calgary is playing decent hockey, although the club remains out of a playoff spot. The Flames are in Denver, Las Vegas and Saint Paul this week.
23. Arizona Coyotes (-1)
Right when it looked like Connor Ingram might never lose another game between the pipes in the desert, the Coyotes suffered two straight defeats after a scorching five-game winning streak. It's not the end of the world, especially as those losses were against Boston and Philly, but Karel Vejmelka will be between the pipes in Buffalo on Monday night. That means Ingram should be back in net for the second half of a back-to-back on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, before the Yotes return home to play the Sharks and Sabres to end the week. This team is still 13-11-2 and hanging around in the Central Division.
24. Minnesota Wild (+1)
The Wild won their first four games under new head coach John Hynes, and proceeded to lose two straight after that. But Minnesota refused to start another losing streak, instead beating the Kraken in a Filip Gustavsson shutout masterclass on Sunday night. The Wild aren't good right now, but they're getting better. A playoff spot is within reach, and that's all that matters for a club that looked absolutely lost three weeks ago. There's hope in Saint Paul, but the long-term loss of Jonas Brodin is staggering. Still, the show goes on for a suddenly streaking Matt Boldy and Minnesota, who will play Calgary and Vancouver at home after retuning from a four-game Western trip that ended in Seattle.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins (-6)
The significant slide down the NHL Power Rankings — the most of any team this week — is long overdue for the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is a team that is scoring at a 9.5 percent clip on the powerplay, good enough for 30th in the NHL. How is that even possible with Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson? I guess you'd have to ask them. The Pens have lost four in a row, and are somehow just two points up of the Metropolitan Division's worst team in the Blue Jackets. Behind closed doors, the question is probably starting to be asked in Pennsylvania: what happens to this team if it doesn't make the playoffs?
26. Montreal Canadiens (no change)
Another week, another .500 showing for the Habs. Montreal is continuing to hang around, but struggling to create any meaningful momentum in December. With Alex Newhook out, head coach Martin St. Louis has stacked the top line with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and former No. 1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky. That's fun, but there hasn't been too much of it otherwise for the most storied franchise in NHL history. The floundering Penguins are at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night.
27. Buffalo Sabres (no change)
Even with Tage Thompson back, the Sabres continue to struggle in 2023-24. There was hope that this core could break the longest active NHL playoff drought, especially after coming so close last year, but that just doesn't seem to be the case this season. Buffalo has lost five of six, the only win a fantastic Devon Levi showing in a 3-1 win over the Bruins. They couldn't beat the Predators, Red Wings or Habs last week, and the postseason is already looking like a longshot in Western New York. The Sabres need a win against the Coyotes at KeyBank Center on Monday.
28. San Jose Sharks (+4)
Welcome to relevancy, San Jose Sharks! Has this team ever been scoring goals in the last few weeks. The Sharks won just three games in their first 20, which had them getting comfortable at the No. 32 spot in the NHL Power Ranking. Since Nov. 26, San Jose is 5-2-1, and well deserving of a decent jump up the list. This team somehow has scored 27 goals over five games — three of them wins — with veterans Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund leading the charge. Hertl is on fire with five goals and eight points in his last five, while Granlund is on a five-game, 11-point heater of his own. We were talking about how the 2023-24 Sharks could be the worst team in the modern era, but it seems like that was all a very long time ago. San Jose is still last place in the league, but that shouldn't be the case for much longer.
29. Seattle Kraken (-1)
The Oilers hold the league's longest winning streak at seven games, and it's the Kraken who own the longest losing skid. Seattle hasn't won since Nov. 22, a stretch of eight contests without a victory. That's a devastating blow to this team's already slim playoff chances, and the descent down the NHL Power Rankings continues for a team that barely resembles the 2022-23 Seattle Kraken. Now sixth place in the Pacific Division with a goal differential of minus-27, there's not too much to be excited about regarding the league's newest franchise.
30. Anaheim Ducks (-1)
It's official: the Ducks' six-game winning streak earlier this season was a mirage. Anaheim has been just awful ever since. This team has won just a single game since Nov. 16, and lost all three last week. Where once Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish were scoring goals, now no one is. Four goals in three contests isn't going to help bust the slump, and it's possible that there's no tonic in 2023-24. We expected the rebuild would mean a few bad years, and that is exactly what's happening. A four-game road trip begins in Long Island on Wednesday.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (no change)
Although the Hawks have watched the teams directly above and below them change over the last few weeks, the No. 31 spot remains constant for Connor Bedard's team. Nothing good is happening in Chicago that doesn't involve the 18-year-old, and that's not really surprising, especially with no more Taylor Hall or Corey Perry. The Hawks beat the equally lowly Ducks last week, as well as the Blues, while falling to the Predators and Capitals. But that's enough about this team; watch this insane Bedard saucer pass from Sunday's loss instead:
32. Columbus Blue Jackets (-2)
For the first time ever in ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings, we have a team not from California occupying the No. 32 spot. That would be the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost their captain in Boone Jenner, and along with him, the 2023-24 season. A quick check on social media is all you need to do to see that fans of the poor Ohio based franchise are already ready for next year. The Jackets have won one of their last five games, conceded 21 goals in that stretch, and seem destined to remain in the basement of the Metropolitan Division all year long. It could be the same story in the NHL Power Rankings.
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