With the fourth Thursday of November — and Thanksgiving — firmly in the rearview mirror, it's officially the holiday season. And in ClutchPoints' weekly NHL Power Rankings, that looks a lot different for a lot of teams. For the free falling, 5-10-4 Minnesota Wild, it's not going to feel like Christmas at all. In the Big Apple, on the other hand, the festive cheer figures to continue in earnest as the New York Rangers roll into the month of December in first place.
As Week 8 of the campaign kicks off on Monday night, the two month mark has signified the one-quarter mark of the season for most clubs. At this point, we're starting to get a better idea of who's in, who's on the bubble, and who's already looking towards the 2024 NHL Draft. No more excuses can be made for the prematureness of the season, as it's now safe to say that the year is more than well underway.
Alex Ovechkin continues to chase 1,500 points this week, and remains three away after failing to record one in Week 7. John Tavares is approaching a milestone of his own — point No. 1000 — and with three Toronto Maple Leafs games on tap and the captain just five away, will it be 1,500 for The Great Eight or 1,000 for JT first? It seems very likely that we will have the answer by Sunday night.
And for the third time in eight editions of ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings, there's a new team at the top of the mountain.
Previous 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings: Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3| Week 2 | Week 1
1. New York Rangers (+1)
The Rangers made it very easy for me to vault them into the top spot in our NHL Power Rankings after winning the battle of the league's two best teams. The Blueshirts beat the Bruins 7-4 on Saturday afternoon, turning an elite defensive team into swiss cheese in the process. New York is looking like the NHL's premier franchise, and at 15-3-1, the stats back it up. Mika Zibanejad is starting to wake up, Jonathan Quick is turning back the clock, and Peter Laviolette looks to be the perfect coach for this group. The good times just keep on rolling in the Big Apple.
2. Boston Bruins (-1)
For the first time this season, the B's have lost two games in a row. Granted, both the Rangers and Detroit Red Wings are on a three-game winning streak, and it won't send Boston past No. 2 in our rankings. Still, the Bruins have given up a ton of goals lately; 18 over the last week to be exact, including a 5-2 loss to the Wings and 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. That is completely uncharacteristic for this club, but it's unlikely they'll lose three in a row with the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets on tap in Week 8.
3. Colorado Avalanche (+2)
After a few streaky weeks, it looks like the Colorado Avalanche are back to the dominating level of hockey we expected from them at the beginning of the season. The Avs have won three in a row and six of seven to finally usurp the Stars for the top spot in the Central Division. Injured or not, Cale Makar is a force out there, adding six points in four games last week. Stop me if you've heard this before, but it continues to be him, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen leading the way. Now 14-6, this team is looking formidable heading into a four-game week that begins on Monday night against the Bolts.
4. Vegas Golden Knights (-1)
Getting shut out by Connor Ingram and the Coyotes is not what I had on my bingo card for the defending Stanley Cup champions last week. The Golden Knights are in a bit of a rut, losing three of their last four and scoring a measly five goals in that span. Shutout losses at the hands of the Yotes and Penguins spoiled an impressive 2-1 overtime win over the Dallas Stars, and last week was the worst seven days of the season in Las Vegas. Like the Bruins, it's probably just a bump in the road — or is it a delayed Stanley Cup hangover?
5. Los Angeles Kings (+4)
The Los Angeles Kings are transforming from a playoff lock to a true Stanley Cup contender in front of our eyes. The Kings are the hottest team in the National Hockey League, and they're playing Bruins-esque defense to win game after game. Make it five in a row and eight of 10 for a team that is somehow a perfect 9-0 on the road, and 13-3-3 on the season. It doesn't matter if it's Cam Talbot or Phoenix Copley in net right now, either; both are capable of pitching gems on any given night. The climb up the league standings continues in California, and Anze Kopitar's team is just two points off the Rangers for the President's Trophy lead.
6. Dallas Stars (-2)
Like the Golden Knights, the Stars had probably the worst week of their season. Dallas won just one of its three games, although it was a convincing 6-3 victory over the Rangers. Still, they followed it up with back-to-back losses to the Golden Knights and Flames, which was enough to bump them out of the Central Division lead. The Stars remain 12-5-2 and one of the top teams in the Western Conference, but Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson both need to be better for this group.
7. Carolina Hurricanes (+1)
Antti Raanta and the Carolina Hurricanes were struck by Lightning last week, to the tune of an 8-2 loss in Andrei Vasilevskiy's return to game action. Raanta was shredded for eight goals on 14 shots, and it was one of those games you just try to forget about as soon as it's ended if you're a fan in Raleigh. The Canes still beat the Oilers and Blue Jackets to cap off a successful week, and at 12-8, Carolina is second to just New York for the Metropolitan Division lead. They're in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
8. Vancouver Canucks (-2)
Another top team who had a disappointing week? The Vancouver Canucks, who lost to the San Jose Sharks on the second half of a back-to-back and are now 2-4 in their last six games. The Nucks were still 2-2 in Week 7, but have watched their hold on the No. 2 spot in the Pacific Division slip away after tough losses to the Sharks and Avalanche. Vancouver will look to bounce back against the reeling Anaheim Ducks at home on Tuesday night.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (-2)
Just when the Toronto Maple Leafs were starting to build some momentum after a successful NHL Global Series in Sweden, the team lost both of its games last week, one to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. Mitch Marner has done his best vanishing act recently, and needs to get back to his usual superstar level. Sheldon Keefe is shaking up the lines, bumping Marner down with Tavares, while Auston Matthews and William Nylander will play together on the top line. John Klingberg is on the long-term injured reserve and there aren't too many defensemen waiting in the wings in Toronto. Now 10-6-3 and fifth in the Atlantic, the work continues against the Panthers on Tuesday.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning (+1)
The Bolts made things easy for Andrei Vasilevskiy in his long-awaited return to the lineup, torching Carolina for eight goals. That was mainly due to the unstoppable duo of Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point; the Russian scored two goals and four assists in the rout, while the Canadian offered a hat trick of his own to go with two assists. The star power is still there in droves for the Lightning, and Vasi looked no worse for wear in his return, stopping 22-of-24 shots. Now fully healthy, the sky is the limit for a Tampa Bay club that has won four of five and entered the top-10 in our NHL Power Rankings. A 2022 Stanley Cup rematch with the Avalanche awaits on Monday night.
11. Winnipeg Jets (+2)
Besides the Kings, the Winnipeg Jets could be the hottest team in the NHL right now. Although they lost a 3-2 nail biter to the equally scorching Predators on Sunday night, the Jets have won eight of 10 to firmly take hold of the third spot in the Central Division. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele continue to lead the way offensively, while Josh Morrissey is playing more like the star defenseman he blossomed into in 2022-23. At 12-6-2, Winnipeg will look to keep the good times rolling against the Stars on Tuesday.
12. Florida Panthers (-2)
The highly-anticipated returns of Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad have not quite had the desired results for the Florida Panthers. Montour doesn't have a point since he took the ice, and the Cats have lost two in a row and three of five. The lack of scoring is a serious problem; Montour not having a point in four games isn't ideal, but Matthew Tkachuk not scoring a point in his last five games is just outrageous. The Panthers are still doing a decent job of keeping the puck out of their net, but this roster needs to mesh and start scoring some goals. Still, Florida remains 12-7-1 and second place in the Atlantic.
13. Detroit Red Wings (+1)
The Red Wings had a fantastic bounce back week after a seriously disappointing, winless trip to Sweden. Detroit has racked off three straight victories, including impressive 4-0 and 5-2 wins over the Devils and Bruins, respectively. Shayne Gostisbehere continues to excel from the back end; he scored four points in a 4-1 win over the Wild on Sunday. After a tough Europe trip, the Wings are back on track in North America — and holding onto third place in a stacked division.
14. Washington Capitals (+1)
Alex Ovechkin continues to take a back seat role in 2023-24, but the Capitals keep on winning, regardless. A lot of these victories haven't been pretty, but after missing the postseason last year, fans in America's capital will take a 10-5-2 record over 17 games. That's especially true when seven of the last 10 of them have been wins. The Oilers may have halted a five-game streak, but there's faith in this Capitals team getting back to the playoffs, which is something that was never really true last year. With just two games on the schedule against the Sabres and Oilers, it could be another week before we see 1,500 for Ovi.
15. New Jersey Devils (-3)
At the beginning of the season considered a true Stanley Cup contender, the New Jersey Devils are slowly but surely proving those expectations wrong. This team is struggling mightily, and are now 9-9-1 in a crowded Metropolitan Division. Nico Hischier's return was massive, as was the subsequent 7-2 manhandling of the Sabres, but New Jersey has still lost six of eight. The hope in Newark is that Hischier and Jack Hughes will be able to steer this team back on course, but the cracks are certainly showing through 19 games.
16. Philadelphia Flyers (+1)
It's starting to become clear that the 2023-24 Philadelphia Flyers are on a mission to make the playoffs. They are still hanging around the top half of our NHL Power Rankings at the end of November, their 11-9-1 record good enough for third in the Metropolitan. That hold is precarious, but the fact Philly is still there at this point in the season is seriously impressive. Sean Walker and Travis Sanheim have been fantastic on the back end, Carter Hart continues to play well, and the veteran leadership from Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson could be enough to keep this club competitive right until the end.
17. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)
It was finally time to drop the Pittsburgh Penguins below two of their biggest rivals in the Capitals and Flyers in Week 8. The Pens aren't looking inspired, playing to a disappointing 10-10 record through 20 contests. Two straight losses to the Rangers and Sabres saw this team fall to sixth place in the Metro, but a win over the Leafs was a good way to end the week. Still, there still seems to be something missing as a 2017 Stanley Cup Final rematch with the red-hot Predators looms on Tuesday.
18. St. Louis Blues (+1)
The St. Louis Blues are scoring goals in bunches, and giving up just as many. Robert Thomas' team got smoked 8-3 by Nashville last week, but also hung six on the Coyotes just days earlier. You never know what version of Jordan Binnington you're going to get, and that has really affected this team's inability to gain any momentum. But at 11-8-1, it's been a solid stretch for a team that is still hanging around the playoff picture at the end of November.
19. New York Islanders (+3)
It seems to always be the same story with the New York Islanders. Great at keeping pucks out of their net, not so good at putting them in at the other end of the rink. But it was a successful week in Long Island after wins over the Flyers and Senators made it three straight after a brutal seven-game slide. Despite a brutal 1-0 shootout loss to those same Flyers, it looks like Ilya Sorokin is back to his Vezina Trophy level, which bodes well for this club's dim playoff hopes. The Isles are in Newark for a Metropolitan Division battle on Tuesday night.
20. Ottawa Senators (-2)
After an undefeated trip across the pond, the Senators had some time to relax, playing just one game last week. It was a 5-3 loss to the Islanders, dropping the Sens to 8-8. Despite being last place in the Atlantic, this club has played at least four games less than anyone else in the division, so there's no need to panic in Canada's capital. Still, it's a less than ideal spot to be in, and Tim Stutzle and co. will look to get back in the win column against the Panthers on Monday.
21. Edmonton Oilers (+2)
Slowly but surely, the Oilers are starting to transform into the team that is capable of competing for a Stanley Cup. Connor McDavid is back to his old self, to the tune of 12 points in four games last week. Although only two of them were wins, they came in convincing fashion; a 5-0 shutout of the Capitals and an 8-2 beatdown over the Ducks on Sunday. Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane are also producing more like their usual selves. Edmonton remains 7-12-1 and an afterthought in the Pacific Division, but the positive signs are beginning to show under Kris Knoblauch — and the NHL Power Rankings could reflect that soon.
22. Nashville Predators (+6)
Don't look now, but the Predators are scorching hot, with five consecutive wins to return to .500 (and relevancy in the Central). The 10-10 Preds are fifth in the division, and look like a completely different team than the one that started the year. A big part of that is Filip Forsberg, who has 25 points in 20 games and is playing like a true superstar in Smashville. And let's not forget about Juuse Saros, who led the NHL with three victories last week while posting a sparkling 2.35 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. It could be only a matter of time before the sky falls, but it's nothing but good times in Tennessee ahead of a date with the Pens on Tuesday.
23. Buffalo Sabres (-3)
Another week, another drop down the standings for the Buffalo Sabres. Last year's encouraging success and near postseason berth has quickly been erased by a number of glaring issues in 2023-24. One of them is obviously the health of Tage Thompson, but another has been the disappointing play of both Devon Levi and Eric Comrie between the pipes. It looks like it could be Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's net, especially after the others were hung out to dry in a 7-2 shellacking against New Jersey. The 9-10-2 Sabres are starting to fall into irrelevancy in the Atlantic Division, and something needs to change quickly or else this season could be lost before the New Year.
24. Seattle Kraken (+1)
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored four points in a win against the Sharks, and was injured just days later in a loss to the Canucks. That basically sums up what has been a constantly up-and-down season for the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24. A 1-1-1 week ended with a loss to Vancouver, and a 7-1 win against San Jose doesn't mean too much. This club is still struggling to gain momentum in the NHL Power Rankings, and remain under .500 at 8-9-5 through 22 games. Seattle is holding onto the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference for dear life, but still being in a spot with a -16 goal differential isn't bad at all.
25. Montreal Canadiens (+1)
The Habs are out of the Atlantic Division basement, but not by much. Montreal beat Anaheim and San Jose to get some momentum back, but were promptly shut out by the Kings to end the week. At 9-10-2, the Canadiens are tied with the Sabres for sixth place in the division, and continue to battle despite the odds being firmly against them 21 games into the season. They'll look to get back on the right track against the lowly Blue Jackets on Wednesday night.
26. Arizona Coyotes (-2)
After splitting starts for the entire season, it looks like Connor Ingram may have taken over the starter's job from Karel Vejmelka. It would make sense after he made 34 saves to shut out the Golden Knights earlier this week. Still, the Yotes are struggling, with just one win in their last four games. Before Saturday's shutout, Arizona had given up 15 goals over three consecutive losses. This team continues to battle every night, but has fallen to sixth place in the Central. A touch matchup against Kucherov and Point looms on Tuesday.
27. Anaheim Ducks (-6)
The Ducks going on a week-and-a-half long run earlier this month seemed like it was a mirage after what's happened recently. Anaheim hasn't won a game in six tries, and have fallen quickly into a bottom-three spot in the Pacific amid the disastrous stretch. The Ducks lost to the Blues, Canadiens, Kings and Oilers, in that order, and only one of those losses was a one-goal game. Lukas Dostal has imploded after a strong start to the year, and it'll be up to John Gibson to get this team back on track. It could be too big a task for the 30-year-old.
28. Calgary Flames (+1)
The Calgary Flames have rotated between wins and losses since Nov. 17, and continue to putter around the bottom of the Pacific. A 7-4 win over the Stars was encouraging, but a pair of two-goal losses to the Avalanche and Predators kept them at fifth in the division. The gauntlet is approaching, with games against the Golden Knights, Stars and Canucks coming in quick succession this week. That could be a backbreaking stretch, or a chance for a team that is better on paper than it has shown to get some momentum going in our NHL Power Rankings.
29. Minnesota Wild (-2)
Rock bottom seems to take on a new meaning every week for the 2023-24 Minnesota Wild. We're 19 games into the season and it is already a complete nightmare in Saint Paul. With seven losses in a row, the Wild are 30th in league standings, and somehow just four points up on the Sharks for the league basement. We talk about rock bottom, but if San Jose does actually pass Minnesota, it will probably be the sign to blow it up and look towards the future. The present is bleak, but the near future could be even worse. The Athletic's Michael Russo put it best:
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (+1)
Just when we thought the 2023-24 Blue Jackets might never win again, Columbus buckled down to beat the struggling Blackhawks and Devils on back-to-back nights. That doesn't mean too much, especially ending the week by blowing a 2-0 lead and losing 3-2 to the Hurricanes. This is still a very bad NHL team, but even at 6-12-4, a one-game losing streak looks much better than nine Ls in a row. A huge challenge awaits against the Bruins on Monday.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
The Blue Jackets and Hawks flipped places in the NHL Power Rankings this week, but that's mainly due to Columbus getting the better of Chicago on Wednesday night. The Hawks also lost to the Sabres and Blues, but at least got one win against the Leafs. Chicago holds the worst goal differential in the Central Division, and seem destined to finish dead last. Minnesota is doing its best to make sure that doesn't happen, though. Corey Perry's mysterious absence is an unfortunate blow to a team already significantly lacking talent after Taylor Hall went down for the season with a knee injury, and Connor Bedard remains the lone bright spot on a very weak club.
32. San Jose Sharks (no change)
The Sharks are getting closer and closer to climbing out of the ClutchPoints NHL Power Rankings basement — a place they've occupied since Week 1 — but we aren't there yet. San Jose got a nice win over Vancouver, but still managed to lose their other three games, one to the Canucks and the other two to the Habs and Kraken. Now at 4-15-2, the work continues to get out of the No. 32 spot, and both the Blackhawks and Wild can see the basement approaching. If the Sharks can string a few wins together, we could finally see them start to climb the NHL Power Rankings ladder.
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