Also notable, though not without warts, is Kraken, who has climbed the rankings for four consecutive weeks thanks to his impeccable 4-0-0 record.
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For the fourth straight week, the Bruins lost the top spot to the Devils, who won by seven margins. With both teams only losing once last week, there’s no denying they’re the top two teams in the league. Leafs and Jets enter this week’s Top 5 after finishing in 7th and 9th place respectively the previous week in the NHL table, while Avs and Stars slipped a bit. Also notable, though not without warts, is Kraken, who has climbed the rankings for four consecutive weeks thanks to his impeccable 4-0-0 record.
Canes have been out of the top five for the second week in a row, but his possession numbers are very good and he is still a strong contender for the Cup. Meanwhile, the Rangers are down for the fifth week in a row, raising concerns about their results after finishing in the top five in the first five weeks. With American Thanksgiving in the spotlight, it’s time to see which teams can heat up just in time to secure a coveted playoff spot. Here’s the list of NHL teams standing at the top till December.
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The Bruins are one of the most dominant teams in the league and making their 18-3-0 start even more impressive was Brad Marchandand Charlie McAvoy is the fact that I spent quite a bit of time without it. Surgery. They have no weaknesses either. The return of Patrice Bergeron and David Craich resulted in a double strike at the center. Hampas Lindholm, who was acquired in a trade last March, is a great addition to the list of two top defenders (along with McAvoy), and Linus Urmark is entering a career year. He scored 1.96 goals against his league-leading 93.5 save percentage and average.
The Leafs got off to a boring 4-4-2 start, with head coach Sheldon Keefe looking like he was in the hot seat. However, from the beginning of November, they played like challengers and switched to 12-5-5. The most surprising (and significant) development is that he of the goalie duo has outdone Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, both of whom held over. 920 save percentages through Friday. That’s been the big deal this season, and so far, it’s been what the Maple Leafs needed.
After three straight Stanley Cup Finals appearances, including back-to-back titles, expectations were understandably high for Tampa Bay. Many of the usual suspects appeared in the first quarter of the season. The most notable are Nikita Kucherov, Stephen Stamkos, and Braden Point. But defender Victor Hedman and superstar goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy (his 3.00 GAA through Thursday) are holding back a bit as they got off to a slower-than-expected start. Both have a track record of recovery, so it’s not the time to worry too much. And once Vasilevsky does it, they become a force again.
Everything clicks for the devil. Their young stars shine – Jack Hughes, Nico Hisier, and Jesper Bratt all have over 20 points – even dramatically improved defense in John Marino, the kind of goalkeeper that has been lacking in recent years. I am earning. With 13 consecutive wins in the NHL season, the team was on top of the league. But was it just good form against a mostly soft schedule, or could it be a real turning point for a rising team? You’ll know right away.
The Islanders were betting on Lane Lambert’s new coach, but a season uninterrupted by coronavirus troubles would be enough to keep them on track. But the biggest factor in their early success remains the fact that Ilya Sorokin is the goalscorer (2.20 GAA heading into Friday). He hides a lot of mistakes and is one of the top 5 goalkeepers in the league. It can take teams far, even flawed ones.
The Hurricanes have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for years, but they always seem to be missing something unspecified. They’d probably like to see more of center Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi and their goalie, but they’re still in good shape and still waiting for Max Pacioleti’s return from an Achilles tendon rupture before the playoffs. Haven’t seen they have yet another level to reach.
They started the season with an impressive 4-0-1 record before losing seven straight NHL games. They then went 6-1-1 for eight straight games. They were therefore not particularly consistent. Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and Jake Guentzel were great (as expected), but the rest of the team had their ups and downs early on. The talent is still there to make a playoff team, and it’s a good team at that, but the Penguins need to find consistency.
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