NHL Power Rankings, Week 6: Leafs, Wings, Wild, Sens squaring off in Stockholm

1. Vegas Golden Knights (no change)

For the first time this season, the Vegas Golden Knights lost two games in a row — but that wasn't enough to keep them out of the top spot for the sixth straight week. The Knights played three games, all against Pacific Division opponents, in Week 5. Losses to the Ducks and Kings were disappointing, and a 5-0 victory over the Sharks was expected on Saturday night. The hold on the No. 1 spot is getting precarious, with the Bruins, Rangers and Stars all surging. Vegas remains 12-2-1, which is good enough for first place in our NHL Power Rankings. But even with Adin Hill playing lights out and emerging as the starter, that might not be the case if Vegas doesn't have a much better week.

2. Boston Bruins (no change)

Charlie Coyle scored the first hat trick of his career, Charlie McAvoy returned from a four-game suspension, and the Boston Bruins picked up five of a possible six points in Week 5. Now 11-1-2, the show goes on for the Eastern Conference's best team. A 3-2 win over the Stars was encouraging, and kept Boston ahead of them in Week 6. An overtime loss to the Habs in which the B's blew a third period lead was disappointing, but this remains an elite team at all three positions. Boston is in Buffalo to play the Sabres on Tuesday night.

3. New York Rangers (no change)

The New York Rangers continue to surge, winning all three games last week with the new line of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere looking like it's here to stay. The trio has been lights out, with Panarin scoring a point in all 14 games the team has played and bringing his linemates to new heights. New York won a thrilling 4-3 contest over Columbus on Sunday night, highlighted by Lafreniere scoring the tying goal with 11 seconds left and winning it in a shootout. Now 11-2-1, the Rangers continue to build on their Metropolitan Division lead.

4. Dallas Stars (no change)

Not to be outdone, the Stars won three of their four games last week, including three straight after the 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Bruins. It looks like Jason Robertson is finally coming around; he led a powerplay barrage against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night, scoring two of the team's five powerplay tallies (and eight total). Dallas is looking formidable, leading the Central Division with a 10-3-1 record and showing no signs of slowing down. The Arizona Coyotes are in town on Tuesday night.

5. Vancouver Canucks (+4)

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks have done enough to crack the top-five. It's hard to keep them out after a three-win-in-four-tries week, including a 6-2 victory over the Oilers, and matching 5-2 victories in Ottawa and Montreal. A 5-2 loss to the Leafs was less than ideal, but nobody in British Columbia will mind an 11-3-1 record through 15 games. Not at all. Elias Pettersson continues to lead the league in scoring, JT Miller and Quinn Hughes are tied for third, and the offense continues coming in droves for this offensive powerhouse. After a successful East Coast road trip, the Canucks will look to keep the show rolling on Wednesday night with the Islanders in town.

6. Carolina Hurricanes (+1)

Could Pyotr Kochetkov be the new starting goalie in Raleigh? His impressive 22-save shutout over the high-flying Lightning might earn him a few more looks with Frederik Andersen out indefinitely. The Canes are making do, winning two of three games last week, with the only loss coming to the surging Panthers. Carolina remains second place in the Metro, and now fully healthy, there is a ton of untapped potential here for a true Stanley Cup contender. The Canes will take a 9-6 record into a home date with the Flyers on Wednesday.

7. Los Angeles Kings (+1)

Just when Kings fans thought this team might never lose again, Los Angeles has dropped two in a row for the first time since early October. But one of those came in overtime, and the Kings still managed to secure three out of six points last week. More importantly was Anze Kopitar scoring his 400th career goal. The LA lifer is a legend of the game, two-time Stanley Cup champion and greatest player to ever call Slovenia home. The Kings have lost some ground on the Canucks and Knights in the Pacific, but remain right there in the midst of a six-day break.

8. Colorado Avalanche (-3)

What is happening to the Colorado Avalanche? This team has suddenly lost three of four games, including a baffling 8-2 defeat at the hands of the Blues on Saturday night. The free agent signings are not paying off in any way — especially Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar — and it's clear that the planet's best defenseman in playing hurt. Lots of time for the Avs to figure it out, but they're not looking anywhere like a Stanley Cup contender. Now 8-5, Colorado really needs a win against the Kraken in Seattle on Monday, one of just two NHL games on the slate.

9. New Jersey Devils (-3)

It's no surprise that the New Jersey Devils aren't the same team without their top-two centers. That's especially true when your 1C is Jack Hughes, a bonafide superstar who is still ninth in league scoring despite not playing since Nov. 4.  The Devils are treading water, but have lost two straight and three of four. This is still a strong team and playoff shoo-in, but they're going to have a tough time stringing together wins until Hughes and Nico Hischier are healthy. As it stands, this is a middle of the pack club in the Metropolitan Division.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs (no change)

The Leafs still can't keep pucks out of their net, but they were able to so against the high-flying Canucks in an impressive 5-2 win on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday. Along with a shootout win over the lowly Flames, Toronto is starting to figure things out, improving to 8-5-2 after a strong week. Swedish star William Nylander continues to lead the way, scoring a point in all 15 games this season. He'll be more than motivated to keep the streak alive in front of his countrymen in Stockholm against the Wings and Wild later this week.

11. Florida Panthers (+7)

None of Brandon Montour, Aaron Ekblad or Sam Bennett have returned to the lineup, but the Florida Panthers are surging. Looking more like the team that marched to the Stanley Cup Final in June, Florida has won four games in a row to vault into second place in the Atlantic Division. Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been excellent on the back end, while Sam Reinhart is playing like a true superstar, with a phenomenal 21 points in 14 games to lead the team. Montour could be back as soon as Tuesday in San Jose, and he'll add even more firepower to a team that scored 18 goals last week and is showing no signs of slowing down.

12. Detroit Red Wings (no change)

After a bit of a rough patch, the Red Wings are starting to stay the course, picking up three of six points in Week 5. Losses to the Rangers and Habs — the latter in overtime — was erased by a 5-4 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday. JT Compher has been looking great in the shadow of Larkin and DeBrincat, quietly putting together a four-game, five-point streak. Now tied with the Leafs at 8-5-2, the Wings will look to get the better of their Atlantic Division rivals in Stockholm on Friday night.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (-2)

The Lightning have lost two in a row and three of four, surrendering an alarming 18 goals in that span. But despite the slide, Andrei Vasilevskiy was back on the ice for practice on Monday morning, which is absolutely huge news for the team and the fan base. Tampa Bay has shown they are still as potent offensively as any team in the league, although Jonas Johansson's hot start has gone off the rails. He will be thanked for his service with Vasi back, and could still have a role as the Russian superstar eases back into NHL play. The Bolts will look to get back on track against the Blues on Tuesday.

14. Anaheim Ducks (+1)

After making a massive jump up the NHL Power Rankings last week, the Ducks proved it wasn't a fluke over the last seven days. Anaheim lost two disappointing games to the Penguins and Flyers, but got back on track against the lowly Sharks on Sunday. Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano continue to lead the way up front, while Pavel Mintyukov is the NHL's best defensive rookie. With John Gibson back in action and playing well, there's a road to the playoffs in a weak Pacific Division for a team that was written off by many before the year started. And this is all with Trevor Zegras contributing just about nothing, healthy or otherwise.

15. St. Louis Blues (+1)

The Blues are starting to come around in 2023-24, with four wins in their last five tries. That was obviously highlighted by an 8-2 shellacking of the Avs, although a 2-1 victory over the Coyotes showcased standout backup goalie Joel Hofer. After a horrific start, Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich all had big weeks, while Robert Thomas continues to lead the way while riding a six-game heater. St. Louis is scoring goals and keeping them out of their net, and the 7-5-1 record is a recipe for fourth place in the Central Division.

16. Winnipeg Jets (-2)

The Jets won two of their three games last week, and they remain just above .500 at 7-5-2. Alex Iafallo is looking like the perfect fit on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor; the latter is having a fantastic season with 11 goals and 17 points in 14 games. With six wins in 10 games, Winnipeg is playing just above a true middle-of-the-pack team, which is exactly where they fall in Week 6 of our Power Rankings.

17. Pittsburgh Penguins (+2)

The climb out of the Metropolitan Division basement began last week for the Penguins, and Sidney Crosby's team did it in style. Winners of four consecutive games, Pittsburgh is back to relevance with a 7-6 record. The Pens beat the Kings, Sabres and Ducks, surrendering a paltry three goals in that span. Two of them were shutouts, with Tristan Jarry rebounding admirably form both injury and poor play. Erik Karlsson is starting to heat up offensively, and this team seems poised to continue the climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

18. Washington Capitals (+3)

Somehow, Alex Ovechkin still has only four goals in 13 games, but at least his team is winning again. The Capitals are victors of two straight and three of four, including convincing wins over rival Islanders and Devils in Week 5. They've climbed up to third in the Metro, and are starting to look a little bit more like the Washington team of old that was constantly at the top of the East. Consistency is the name of the game for this club, and they'll have a chance to make it three straight wins for the first time this season when the Golden Knights march on the nation's capital on Tuesday.

19. Buffalo Sabres (+1)

The Sabres continue to chug along at a .500 pace, which is underwhelming for the fanbase but makes sense if you've been watching them play. It seems like a different version of this club hits the ice each game, and that's not ideal for a team with legitimate playoff aspirations. Like the Caps, this team needs consistency, and just can't find it in the early going. Buffalo lost two of three in Week 5, scored just five goals, and remain above only the Senators for the dreaded Atlantic Division basement. The formidable Bruins are at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

20. New York Islanders (-7)

 

Just when it looked like the Islanders were meshing into a potential top-10 team (and finally scoring some goals), New York proceeded to go on a four-game skid. That has them just one point up of the Blue Jackets for the Metropolitan Division basement, a place no one in that organization predicted they would be at all this season. Again, it's a lack of goals that is killing this team. Just eight of them were scored in losses to the Capitals, Bruins, Wild and Hurricanes, and if that doesn't improve — along with the play of Ilya Sorokin — it's going to be a long season on Long Island.

21. Ottawa Senators (+2)

The Ottawa Senators will be looking to get back on track in Stockholm in Week 6. Last place in the Atlantic Division is not what anyone in Canada's capital wants to hear, and it's becoming a nightmare for the front office. The goal was specifically to make the playoffs in 2023-24, and a 6-7 record won't do them any favors in that regard. Still, the Sens have won two of three, including a convincing 6-3 victory over the Leafs over the weekend. This team will be looking for similar success in the NHL Global Series, and there's a lot of talent up and down the lineup to figure it out.

22. Montreal Canadiens (+2)

Michael Matheson, have yourself a week. The Canadiens No. 1 defensemen put up two goals and five points in Week 5 as the Habs beat the Red Wings and Bruins by identical 3-2 scores before losing to the powerhouse Canucks on Sunday night. Still, it was a good week for Montreal, and the team continues to play decent hockey en route to a 7-6-2 record. It'll be another difficult week with games against Vegas and Boston on tap in Week 6, but the Canadiens have shown they can play with anyone in 2023-24.

23. Seattle Kraken (+3)

The Kraken have finally found some players who can score goals, most notably Jaden Schwartz and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The two have been excellent, although Seattle is still struggling to find consistency overall. Although they only won one game in three tries, they picked up three of six points and are playing above .500 over the last few weeks after a horrific start to the year. Advancing to the postseason is still going to be a tough task for this team, but they're starting to come around. Can they beat the Avalanche yet again on Monday night?

24. Philadelphia Flyers (+3)

The Flyers still don't have their backbone in Carter Hart, who was slated to return from a mid-body injury but was kept out of a back-to-back set this weekend with an illness. Still, Philly managed to win both games; a 6-3 double-up of the Ducks and an impressive 4-2 win over one of the league's best teams in the Kings. Philadelphia is 7-7-1, and the club continues to exceed expectations. Can they sneak back into a playoff spot once Hart and Sean Couturier are healthy?

25. Arizona Coyotes (+3)

After a miserable Week 5, the Coyotes had a great showing over three games last week. They won two of them, one in a shootout against the Kraken and another in convincing fashion, 7-5, against the Predators. Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram continue to split starts in the desert, with neither goalie claiming the No. 1 job yet. Clayton Keller continues to lead the way; he exploded for two gaols and six points last week. But the team's most fun player to watch has to be rookie Logan Cooley, who racked up three assists of his own in Nashville and continues to have an excellent start to his NHL career.

26. Minnesota Wild (-4)

The wheels just continue to fall off for the Minnesota Wild. After a thrilling comeback win over the Rangers at the end of Week 5, there hasn't been a win in the State of Hockey since. The Wild lost to the Rangers and Sabres, and ended the week with a brutal 8-3 loss at the hands of the Stars at home. The boo birds were out at Xcel Energy Center, and the realization this might not be a playoff team is starting to sink in in the worst way. Having captain Jared Spurgeon back is huge, but both Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson have been dreadful. If that doesn't change immediately, the Wild are going to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

27. Edmonton Oilers (-10)

I gave the Edmonton Oilers the benefit of the doubt as long as I could, first keeping them in the top-10 and then again in the top-20 weeks later. But there's no more excuses for this club, and after Jay Woodcroft was the first NHL coach fired in 2023-24, the -10 is well-deserved. The Oilers are just awful, unable to keep the puck out of their net in any way while struggling to score (minus a Zach Hyman natural hat trick in a rare win against the Kraken). If Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can't find a way to score two points a game going forward — which will be difficult considering the league's best player is clearly playing hurt — is there any realistic path for the NHL's second-worst team to slide into a playoff spot? At this point, it'll take a miracle.

28. Chicago Blackhawks (+3) 

Connor Bedard made NHL history by becoming the third-youngest rookie to record a four-point game, and the Blackhawks actually had a pretty decent week. By decent, they lost two of three games, but the team faced three stiff challenges in the Bolts, Panthers and Devils, and performed pretty well. They beat Tampa, and only lost 4-2 to the Devils and 4-3 to the Panthers, a team they beat the week before. Chicago is out of the Central Division basement, and has a much easier schedule over the next few weeks.

29. Nashville Predators (-4)

The Predators hung around a Central Division playoff berth for weeks, but the train has been derailed after this team lost all three games in Week 5. They were tagged for 17 goals in that span, and as I've been saying, it's either Juuse Saros plays like a top-three goalie or a postseason spot is impossible. And that showed in Week 6. This just isn't a very strong hockey club, and although they have a lot of fun in Smashville, 5-9 and last place in the Central is not anyone's idea of a good time.

30. Calgary Flames (no change)

We might only be six weeks into the season, but it seems obvious that the Calgary Flames will be bottom-feeders all year. The Flames doubled up the Predators last week, before losing to the Leafs and Senators in back-to-back games. Now 4-8-2, this team is just trying to stay afloat in a weak division. With a -15 goal differential, Calgary could no longer be relevant at all as soon as December. At least Nazem Kadri is playing better, although Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau can't buy points.

31. Columbus Blue Jackets (-2)

Another brutal week in Ohio for a Blue Jackets team that owns the league's longest active streak — five losses in a row. Although Adam Fantilli is quietly putting together a fantastic rookie campaign, and leading the team in scoring, Johnny Gaudreau looks lost, while Zach Werenski isn't playing to his potential. Columbus just keeps losing, and any thought that last season was a fluke is slowly being eradicated. This is a very bad team, and even the return of Patrik Laine can't turn things around. With no other significant injuries, 2023-24 is looking like another nightmare in Columbus.

32. San Jose Sharks (no change)

And what a week for the San Jose Sharks! Back-to-back wins after surrendering 20 goals in two games was unexpected but merciful. Let's be honest; nobody wanted to see this team lose 12 games in a row to start the year (except maybe Kings fans). The Sharks beat the Flyers, and then were the reason Jay Woodcroft was fired after a 3-2 stunner over Edmonton. San Jose is already back to its losing ways after dropping back-to-back games at the hands of Vegas and Anaheim, but it feels good to finally say this team has won a game. It may have taken 30 days, but there are finally no more NHL teams without a victory in 2023-24.