By Sportlogiq Staff (@Sportlogiq)
This is a Halloween edition of our Power Rankings and the Boston Bruins have fooled anyone who thought injuries would slow this team to start the season.
The Bruins have won eight of nine games with David Pastrnak in the lead, collecting 17 points – just behind Connor McDavid in the scoring race. Boston’s plus-18 goal differential is the best in the league.
After rolling in October, the Bruins will be tested to start November with their first five games against the Penguins, Rangers, Maple Leafs, Blues and Flames.
Our top-ranked Canadian team, the Edmonton Oilers, is fourth overall. The Oilers are coming off a perfect week with wins over the Penguins, Blues, Blackhawks and Flames. McDavid is averaging one goal per game and two points per game as the Oilers captain continues to raise the high bar he has set for himself.
Edmonton ranks second in goals, expected goals and powerplay percentage as the offense took the team to a 6-3-0 record to start the season.
Our predictive model continues to like what the Ottawa Senators are doing, placing them seventh on our list despite their .500 record.
The Senators rank 22nd in point percentage despite ranking 10th in goal differential and expected goals. Ottawa started last week with a win over the Dallas Stars before dropping games against the Wild and Panthers. This Senators team showed they can fill the net, ranking third in goals per game. Keeping the puck out of the net will be the next step for the Senators to move up the standings.
The Calgary Flames also make the top 10, ranking ninth on our list. The 5-2-0 Flames are coming off a quiet week, playing just two games. Calgary beat the Penguins 4-1 before losing Alberta’s last battle, 3-2 on Saturday night.
Although they rank 10th overall in goals per game, the Flames’ offense ranks 26th in expected goals. Calgary has taken a high-volume, low-quality approach to scoring so far this season, placing in the top five in shot attempts and shots on goal while ranking 25th in shots in front of the net and in shots. the inner slot. If there is an offensive regression, we could see Calgary slipping a bit, but other than that, the Flames look set to be a top 10 team going forward.
The Winnipeg Jets are 11th in point percentage and 16th on our list. Winnipeg is coming off a 3-0-1 week with wins over the Blues, Kings and Coyotes. The Jets are in the middle of the pack in goal differential and expected goal differential.
Winnipeg was lucky to leave Vegas with a point as Connor Hellebuyck was the main reason the Jets went to overtime against the Golden Knights. Hellebuyck was brilliant in the 2-1 loss as Vegas outscored Winnipeg 48-24 and 22-7 from the slot. The Jets will only play five times over the next 17 days, starting with a home game against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost four straight and sit 23rd in our standings. The Leafs will be happy to return home after ending their Western Conference road trip with losses in San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim.
Turnovers have hurt the Leafs in their last two games as Toronto fell to 4-4-2 this season. The Maple Leafs uncharacteristically sit 27th in goals per game despite creating chances at a pace that should see them fill the net more than they have. Toronto ranks 11th in expected goal differential, so it’s no surprise the team is starting to see better results. But key mistakes at key times continue to cost the team points in the standings.
Coming in at 25th on our list are the Montreal Canadiens. The 5-4-0 Habs are off to a better start than expected, but the underlying numbers aren’t pretty.
Although they rank 12th in goals against, the Canadiens are last in goals against. This tells us two things. First, Canadians are bleeding opportunities. Second, the goalkeeper was great. It will be difficult for Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault to continue playing at the level they have and if there is a dip, the Habs will struggle to keep winning as often as they lose.
The worst seems over for the Vancouver Canucks after a disastrous 0-5-2 start to the season. The Canucks have won two straight and are playing their next three games at home this week against the Devils, Ducks and Predators.
The offense recorded back-to-back wins over the Kraken and the Penguins as the Canucks scored five goals in each game. Elias Pettersson is leading the way as the only Canuck to average a point per game this season. Thatcher Demko has yet to find his form this season and if he can, the Canucks should be able to get back to a .500 record before long.
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