For the first time since 2015, Patrick Roy is back in the National Hockey League. The four-time Stanley Cup champion was hired as the next head coach of the New York Islanders after Lou Lamoriello fired Lane Lambert on Saturday. It's been a brutal stretch on Long Island — the Isles have lost eight of their last 11 — and the hope is that the Hall of Famer can help turn things around in the second half.
Roy coached in Colorado, the same place where he won two of his championships, from 2013-16. The Avs advanced to the playoffs just one of his three years behind the bench, losing to the Minnesota Wild in his first season before finishing seventh and sixth place in the Central Division the next two campaigns. It wasn't a great showing for the 58-year-old, but he was much more successful in junior, leading the Quebec Remparts to a Memorial Cup title in 2023.
And he's off to a strong start in his new role. The Islanders beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 in overtime on Sunday night with Roy behind the bench. It'll be intriguing to see if the Quebec City native can turn New York's season around — a 20-15-11 record is still good enough to compete for a postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.
Roy's hiring was the big news of Week 14 in the NHL, but the biggest highlight was the accomplishment of another Frenchman. Marc-Andre Fleury, who grew up not far away from Roy in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, passed his fellow netminder for second in all-time goalie wins after recording the 552nd victory of his storied career on Monday. Of course, the three-time champion posted a 5-0 shutout against the Isles to do it.
As Week 15 kicks off on Monday, the Canadian surge continues, with four of ClutchPoints' top 10 hailing from north of the border. That includes the league-leading Vancouver Canucks, as well as Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers, who are on a historic 13-game winning streak. The Oil haven't lost since Dec. 19, and just brought Corey Perry into the fold as the torrid stretch continues.
Lots going on in the National these days, and we aren't even at the All-Star break yet. Here's the latest edition of our NHL Power Rankings.
Previous 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings: Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3| Week 2 | Week 1
1. Vancouver Canucks (no change)
The Canucks remain at the top of the NHL Power Rankings for another week after picking up points in each of their last three games — and winning two of them. On any given night, it's someone different stepping up for this team. That was Nils Hoglander on Saturday; the Swede scored two goals to help Vancouver beat Toronto 6-4 in a thrilling Hockey Night in Canada clash. He leads his team in 5-on-5 goals with 14, and that's just one example of how everything is going right in British Columbia in 2023-24. The All-Star core of Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko is still the catalyst, but this iteration of the Canucks is getting contributions from all across the lineup. Jim Rutherford inked a well-earned extension for his tidy work with this franchise, and at 31-11-4, the Nucks are in the driver's seat for the President's Trophy with 36 games to go.
2. Boston Bruins (+3)
The Bruins weren't happy with falling to their lowest point of the season last week — No. 5 in the NHL Power Rankings — and they responded with four straight victories in Week 14. That included dubs over the Blues, Devils, Avalanche, and Habs, the finale a 9-4 shellacking at TD Garden. That has the B's back to where they should be: first place in the Eastern Conference, with a five point cushion on the Rangers for the conference lead. It continues to be the David Pastrnak show in New England; the 27-year-old has nine points in his last four. After a bit of a slump in early January, Boston is looking like a true Stanley Cup favorite again. A heavyweight matchup awaits with the team just below them on Monday.
3. Winnipeg Jets (-1)
The Jets gave up the No. 2 spot in the NHL Power Rankings after reaching their peak in Week 14, but it was no fault of their own. Winnipeg continues to win game after game, and has still lost just once since Dec. 27. The Jets beat the Islanders and Senators to improve to 30-10-4 on the campaign and remain in first place in the Central Division. They lead the Avalanche by just one — in both points and the NHL Power Rankings — but have three games in hand heading into Monday. And what a Monday it will be, when the Jets march to Boston to play the big bad Bruins at TD Garden. A victory for Connor Hellebuyck and co. on the road could be just the tonic to get back to the top in seven days' time. Regardless, it's the game of the night, and a perfect way to start Week 15.
4. Colorado Avalanche (-1)
The big news in Denver this week was Valeri Nichushkin entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. The Russian star, who has been one of the best forwards in the league this season, will be away from the team for an indefinite amount of time. That is a monumental blow to Colorado's offensive depth. They couldn't overcome his absence against the Kraken in Round 1 last postseason, and they've rotated wins and losses since he last played. That includes two tough defeats to the Canadiens and Bruins, but impressive, matching 7-4 triumphs over the Senators and Flyers. That has the Avs at 30-14-3 and right there with the Jets for the Central Division peak. Nathan MacKinnon continues his Hart Trophy case, picking up four points in the win over Philly to highlight an outrageous 11-game, 21-point streak. He has points in 30 of his last 31 games. Insanity. Colorado is off until the Capitals come to Ball Arena on Wednesday.
5. Edmonton Oilers (+3)
Make that 13 wins in a row for the league's hottest team. The Edmonton Oilers broke the NHL record for the longest winning streak by a Canadian franchise in the Battle of Alberta on Saturday night. The Oil beat the Flames 3-1 — after defeating the Habs and Leafs — immortalizing themselves in Canadian hockey history. What an absolute heater Connor McDavid's team is on. Well-deservedly, Edmonton is into the top-five of the NHL Power Rankings for the first time, and the sky is the limit for this club. The moon is, actually. Once an afterthought in the Pacific Division, the Oilers are now third place, and seem poised to catch the Golden Knights — who are six points ahead but have played four more games — imminently. Absolutely no one wants to play this roster in the first round. Let's see how Corey Perry does north of the border.
6. New York Rangers (-2)
The Rangers spent so much time at the top of the NHL Power Rankings, just to slide all the way to No. 6 after two bad weeks. That's just the way it goes in this league. New York didn't have a shot on goal for 26 minutes in Saturday night's 2-1 loss to the struggling Kings. And although they followed it up with a 5-2 win over the lowly Ducks on Sunday, they trailed 2-1 with ten minutes left. It's been a tough couple of games, and it's almost safe to call this a slump. But the Rangers still picked up four of a possible eight points over a four-game week, and remain 29-15-2 and first place in the Metropolitan Division. The lead on the Flyers is just four, but all it takes is a few wins strung together to get the swagger back in the Big Apple. That begins in San Jose — the finale of the California trip — on Tuesday night.
7. Florida Panthers (-1)
The Panthers have been streaking in 2024. That was great when it was nine wins in a row between Dec. 23-Jan. 11, but not so great when it's four straight losses since. After looking like they would never lose again, Florida dropped games to the Devils, Ducks, Red Wings and Wild, in that order. Not exactly a tough schedule, and not at all what was expected in South Beach. That's dropped this team to 27-14-4, but the hold on the No. 2 spot in the Atlantic Division remains secure after the Leafs also had a middling week. Captain Sasha Barkov has missed the last two games, and he is missed dearly. He'll miss a third consecutive contest when the Panthers visit the Predators on Monday night, but there's optimism he'll be ready to go Wednesday at home vs. Arizona.
8. Dallas Stars (-1)
The Stars went 2-1-1 in Week 14, and only one of the games was remotely close. Dallas was on the wrong side of Patrick Roy's first W as head coach of the Islanders, a Bo Horvat goal breaking a 2-2 tie in overtime. The other three contests were a 5-1 victory over the Kings, the same score (but on the wrong end) against the Flyers, and a 6-2 triumph over the Devils. Overall, not a bad showing for the Central Division's No. 3 club. The Stars continue chasing the Jets and Avalanche, but two losses in three tries won't do them any good. They'll look to get back in the win column in Motown on Tuesday night.
9. Vegas Golden Knights (no change)
The Golden Knights have been crippled by injuries this season, with each of Shea Theodore, Jack Eichel, Adin Hill and William Karlsson still on the injured reserve, among others. And it looked like it was derailing the defending Stanley Cup champions for the latter half of December. But Vegas steadied the ship in Week 14, racking off three straight wins. Logan Thompson was the catalyst, allowing just four total goals and stymying the Predators (4-1), Rangers (5-1) and Penguins (3-2). That has this team back to 27-14-5 and seven points back of the Canucks for the Western Conference lead. The Oilers are right there, but the Knights will only get better as their injured players return. A four-game road trip that goes through New Jersey, New York (Rangers and Isles) and Detroit begins on Monday.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (no change)
The Leafs have struggled mightily on the heels of a four-game winning streak against all California teams. Toronto has lost five of seven dating back to Jan. 11, and has fallen to 23-14-8 in the process. With the Bolts and Red Wings both surging, the Leafs have watched their small cushion at No. 3 in the Atlantic evaporate. The lead is now just one point over both Tampa Bay and Detroit. A 2-2 Week 14 certainly wasn't terrible, especially when the two losses were against two of the league's best teams in the Canucks and Oilers. That kept them in the top-10 of the NHL Power Rankings, but just barely. And they followed it up with a rare Ilya Samsonov win in a 3-1 triumph over the Kraken. Still, Toronto needs to string a few more wins together or else they'll be ousted from a guaranteed playoff berth by the end of the week.
11. Carolina Hurricanes (no change)
The Hurricanes have only lost twice in regulation since Dec. 23 — and both of those defeats came last week. That's why the Canes are standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings this time around. After a stretch where Carolina won seven of eight games, they've now lost two of three after falling to the Kings and Wild by identical 5-2 scores. Antti Raanta wasn't at his best in those contests, but the Finn was better in a 4-2 W over the Wings in between. Still, it was a bad week after a string of good ones, especially a loss to a lowly Minnesota team at home on Sunday. An Eastern Conference heavyweight matchup looms against the Bruins in Boston on Wednesday.
12. Philadelphia Flyers (no change)
Did we really see what we think we did from Owen Tippett on Thursday night? The 24-year-old capped off a fantastic game by scoring a goal of the year candidate on a spinning backhand to help Philly beat Dallas 5-1. That was an impressive victory, and capped off an even more impressive five-game winning streak. But the weekend halted the heater, with the Flyers losing back-to-back games to the Avalanche and Senators — both at home. Carter Hart was pulled in one of those defeats, and it's looking more and more like Samuel Ersson might get a longer look between the pipes. It's still been overall positive in Pennsylvania lately, and any fan of this franchise will take a 25-16-6 record after preseason expectations. Now No. 2 in the Metro, the Flyers' chase to catch the Rangers — who are four points up — continues.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (+3)
The Bolts just keep on winning games. Well, at least until Sunday's tough 2-1 divisional loss to the surging Red Wings. Tampa Bay had won five straight before that, entering back into the chat in the Atlantic Division. Now looking fully healthy, Andrei Vasilevskiy is just not giving up very many goals. He's allowed just 11 in his last five starts — four of them wins — to help the Lightning back into the conversation for a top-three spot in a competitive division. The Bolts complete a three-game road swing in Philadelphia on Tuesday before heading home for games against the Coyotes and Devils in Week 15.
14. Detroit Red Wings (+3)
No Patrick Kane, no problem for the red hot Red Wings. Detroit is looking like a new team now that it's nearly back to full health, with just two regulation losses since Dec. 29. They've won seven of nine and are back to playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. Besides a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Wings have beaten a few good teams, coming out on top against the Kings, Leafs, Panthers and Lightning to improve to 24-17-5. Alex Lyon is the new No. 1 in Michigan, and he's holding up excellently with Ville Husso on the IR. Detroit just began a comfortable six-game home stand that started with a win over Tampa and continues against Dallas, Philly, Vegas, Ottawa and Vancouver.
15. Los Angeles Kings (-2)
The Kings finally snapped a miserable eight-game losing streak, just to drop another two games right afterwards. At least they followed that up with a 2-1 win over Jonathan Quick and the Rangers to end the week. Still, not good scenes in Los Angeles right now. Losing 5-1 to the Stars and then 2-1 to the Predators two nights later is not what this fan base needed after finally getting off the schneid in a 5-2 triumph over Carolina. There are already two bad teams playing in California, and could the Kings actually be a third? This was once a 20-7-4 club. It's now 22-13-8 and barely holding onto a wildcard berth in the Western Conference. Maybe David Rittich, who has given up just three goals over two straight starts, can be the catalyst of change. He'll get this third straight start when the Sharks visit Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.
16. New Jersey Devils (-2)
Lindy Ruff confirmed on Monday that Jack Hughes wouldn't skate until at least after the All-Star break, and that's just awful news in Newark. The Devils are treading water in the Metropolitan Division without their best player, winning just two games in seven tries since Jan. 6. Getting Timo Meier back was a huge boost, but it hasn't translated to success on the ice. Dougie Hamilton still doesn't have a timeline, and Luke Hughes has also been banged up over the last little bit. Add the goaltending woes to that, and there is reason to panic in New Jersey. The Devils beat the lowly Jackets, but lost to the Bruins, Habs and Stars last week, falling to 23-18-3 in the process. That has this squad in sixth place in the division — and not exactly close to a wildcard spot — ahead of a home clash with the defending champs on Monday night.
17. Nashville Predators (-2)
The Predators have lost three of five games, but they've also won two of three. Not great, not terrible for Roman Josi and co. They began the week by losing 4-1 in Vegas, washed it away with a tight 2-1 victory in Los Angeles, and finished the week by getting stymied by Connor Ingram and the Yotes 3-2 at Mullett Arena on Saturday. It's Nashville's most disappointing stretch since losing three straight at the end of December, and this roster has played .500 hockey since Jan. 4. That's not going to be good enough to get them into the playoffs. They'll look for better fortune on home ice against the visiting Panthers on Monday.
18. Seattle Kraken (+1)
After a thrilling nine consecutive victories between Dec. 20-Jan. 13, the Kraken haven't won since. Even with Joey Daccord playing great between the pipes, Seattle has struggled to score, potting just five total goals over four straight defeats. The Penguins, Rangers, Oilers and Leafs all got the better of the Washington-based club in Week 14. The Kraken are still above .500, but barely at 19-18-9. They don't have any room for error the rest of the way, and can't let this losing streak snowball. Well, they can if they don't want to make the playoffs. But that doesn't seem to be the case for a roster that is very similar to the one that won 46 games last season. With three of their next four games against some of the league's worst teams (Chicago, Columbus, San Jose), now would be the perfect time for another winning streak.
19. New York Islanders (-1)
Welcome to Long Island, Patrick Roy. He must be thrilled to get a win in his first game behind an NHL bench in nine years, and the Islanders will be thrilled to put a four-game losing streak behind them. Could this be the start of New York pushing back into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference? The division is ultra-competitive, and it's going to take much more than Ilya Sorokin to get this team in. The Isles are still fourth in the Metro, but barely. The Caps are a point back; the Devils, two; the Penguins, three. It's a complete toss up for which of those teams will make it, and should lead to a riveting final three months of the season. Roy and his new team are back in action on Tuesday against Vegas.
20. Washington Capitals (+1)
Welcome back to relevance, T.J. Oshie. The shootout specialist recorded a hat trick against his old team, helping the Capitals beat the Blues 5-2 on Thursday at home. Unfortunately for Washington fans, St. Louis got quick revenge — in the form of a 3-0 Jordan Binnington shutout win — on the second half of the home-and-home. As it has been over the last several weeks, the Caps continue to play around .500 hockey, and hang around the middle of the Metropolitan Division and NHL Power Rankings. This week, they get the jump over the Penguins in the NHL Power Rankings, but who knows what Week 15 will bring? For Washington, it brings three out of conference matchups against Minnesota, Dallas and Colorado — all on the road.
21. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)
The Penguins were one of the least busy National Hockey League teams in Week 14, playing just two games. On Monday, Tristan Jarry shutout the Kraken, and on Friday, Pittsburgh lost 3-2 to Vegas in Nevada. It was a quiet week, but the Pens have quietly lost four of six to fall to 21-15-6. They're still seventh place in the Metro despite a promising couple of weeks from mid-December to mid-January, and with every week that passes, the playoff hopes get more and more dim. This team hasn't missed the postseason in back-to-back years since Sidney Crosby started playing, but not even above a point-per-game pace from the captain can keep them afloat right now. A huge second half is needed in Pennsylvania.
22. Arizona Coyotes (+1)
It's becoming more and more clear that the Coyotes are going to live or die by Clayton Keller and Connor Ingram in 2023-24. The team's best forward and goalie have both been excellent lately; Keller has 10 points in his last seven games, while Ingram has given up just 12 goals in his last six starts. But there isn't too much offense to write home about after the ultra-skilled American, and even the Canadian's fantastic goaltending hasn't been enough. The Yotes have lost three of five, including losses to the Flames and Canucks last week. They ended it on the right note, though, beating the Predators 3-2 on Saturday. Ingram will be back between the pipes when Crosby and co. come to Mullett Arena on Monday.
23. Calgary Flames (-1)
The Flames remain the streakiest team in the National in 2023-24. Not since Dec. 5 and 7 has this club rotated a win or a loss, going on multiple winning streaks — and losing skids — for most of the campaign. But after four consecutive triumphs, Calgary lost two games in a row to two Canadian rivals, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Leafs before watching the Oilers win 13 straight two nights later. The Flames still have a realistic shot to make the playoffs, especially with LA's struggles and Vegas' injury woes, but two straight Ls on home ice isn't encouraging. The Blues, Blue Jackets and Blackhawks will all play at the Saddledome this week.
24. Minnesota Wild (+1)
Welcome back to the lineup, Kirill Kaprizov. And what a different team this is with the Russian superstar active. He recorded his third career hat trick in Sunday's convincing 5-2 win over the Hurricanes, and it concluded a fantastic week that saw the Wild win three of four games. Of course, the highlight of that was Marc-Andre Fleury's historic 552nd win on Monday, although the legend was injured two games later when Panthers forward Will Lockwood ran into him. Hopefully, the Flower will be back this week, but Filip Gustavsson put the skeletons away by leading Minnesota to victory in Florida (6-4) and Carolina (5-2). Can this team make a late run even without captain Jared Spurgeon? They're 20-21-5 and have a lot of ground to make up, but crazier things have happened.
25. St. Louis Blues (-1)
St. Louis salvaged its week with a 3-0 blanking of the Capitals on Saturday, but it came on the heels of three straight defeats to Eastern Conference teams. The Bruins and Flyers both got the better of the Blues in Week 14. So did Washington, who won the first half of a back-to-back set by a 5-2 score. Overall, not a great seven days in Missouri. And things don't get easier on a Western road trip that will take this team through Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle in Week 15. The Blues are mired in mediocrity in 2023-24, but at least there's something to cheer about in the state; the Kansas City Chiefs are off to their sixth straight AFC Championship Game after beating the Buffalo Bills yet again on Sunday night.
26. Buffalo Sabres (no change)
The Sabres are getting healthy, but it isn't leading to too much success in a season that is losing hope by the day. Buffalo has been playing .500 hockey since the beginning of January, which isn't going to do them any favors in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race. On the bright side, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is looking like the bonafide starter after shutting out two lowly teams in the Sharks and Hawks — both by 3-0 scores. The Sabres ended the week with a Saturday afternoon matinee at home, which turned into a 3-1 loss to the visiting Bolts. It's hard to think that, at 20-22-4, this team has any chance of climbing back into a playoff spot. But at least they'll be out of the cold and snow, with sunny skies awaiting in Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose this week.
27. Montreal Canadiens (no change)
Cole Caufield is scoring again, and that's something we love to see for the Canadiens top goal scorer. The undersized forward has tallies in five straight games, but Montreal was only able to win two of them. The Habs kicked off Week 14 in style, beating the powerhouse Avalanche at the Bell Centre and following it up with another one-goal triumph over the Devils two nights later. But the week ended with dismal losses in Ottawa and Boston. The Canadiens were lit up in a 6-2 loss to the Senators, and absolutely ravaged for nine goals against by the Bruins on Saturday. High highs and low lows for the 19-20-7 Habs, who limp into a divisional matchup with a familiar Ottawa team on Tuesday.
28. Ottawa Senators (+1)
There's almost nothing to cheer about in Canada's capital these days, but the Senators will take the wins where they can get them. Shane Pinto returning after a 41-game suspension is a huge win, and him recording an assist in his return is another victory. Ottawa beat Philadelphia 5-3 on Sunday, a nice showing after an awful stretch of seven losses in nine tries. The 2023-24 Sens are very bad at keeping the puck out of their net, and they aren't scoring nearly enough to balance it out. It's another week in the basement of the Atlantic Division, and the NHL Power Rankings showing isn't too much better.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets (-1)
Nothing can save the Blue Jackets' season at this point, but the return of captain Boone Jenner will be an enormous boost for one of the worst clubs in the National Hockey League. He clocked 19:05 of ice time in his first game since Dec. 8, adding a shot, a hit and two blocks, but it was spoiled by the Devils. New Jersey secured a 4-1 win in Ohio to send Columbus to 14-22-9. They were able to beat the first-place Canucks in a shootout on Martin Luther King Day, at least. A gruelling five-game Western road trip begins in Edmonton on Tuesday. Can the Jackets halt the Oilers 13-game winning streak? I'm going to go with no.
30. Chicago Blackhawks (+1)
For the first time since early December, the Blackhawks won two games in the same week. And they did it without Connor Bedard. In a very easy stretch that saw Chicago play San Jose, Buffalo and the New York Islanders in Week 14, the Hawks came out on top in two of them, edging the Sharks in overtime and the Isles in a shootout. They were shut out by UPL and the Sabres in between, but still, an overall positive showing for maybe the league's worst roster on paper (without Bedard). Like the Blue Jackets, the Blackhawks will travel West this week for a four-game slate with stops in Vancouver, Seattle, Edmonton and Calgary.
31. Anaheim Ducks (-1)
The Ducks lost Trevor Zegras to a long-term injury, then lost Alex Killorn to the injured reserve, and have now lost any hope that remained — however bleak it was — for a postseason berth. The campaign is all-but-over in Anaheim, with the Ducks losing three of their four games in Week 14. Five total goals isn't the recipe for success in the show, and it wasn't against the Capitals, Sharks or Rangers. Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry have showed some good chemistry with Adam Henrique on the team's new top line, but it doesn't matter. GM Kris Versteeg and the front office are already looking to the 2024 NHL Draft. At 15-30-1 and nowhere close to improving their NHL Power Rankings standing, it makes perfect sense.
32. San Jose Sharks (no change)
Don't get too comfortable with the Sharks in the No. 32 spot of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. Why? Because Logan Couture is back, that's why. The San Jose lifer returned to the lineup after missing the first 45 games of the 2023-24 campaign, and added an assist in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Ducks. That snapped a three-game losing streak for the 11-31-4 Sharks. With Couture and Nico Strum both healthy, this team should win more than one of every four games they play down the stretch. But we know how bad they are, and we also know that Couture and Tomas Hertl could both be calling a new NHL city home for the first time come the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline. But for now, the gang is back together in SJ.
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