ESNY’s NHL Power Rankings: Oct. 25 Update

10/25/2021

panthers 10:25 — Courtesy Twitter: @FlaPanthersPR

Four undefeated teams remain, Blackhawks and Coyotes still winless.

Two weeks into the 2021-22 NHL season, there are teams that are still unbeaten as well as teams that are winless and everyone in between.

The Chicago Blackhawks, who many believed to be contenders after the offseason they had, have been alarmingly bad. The Arizona Coyotes are also searching for their first win.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and Florida Panthers have truly been incredible to begin the season and are all yet to be defeated.

What do our power rankings look like after week two?

32. Chicago Blackhawks

Week 2: 0-3, 5 GF, 14 GA (Opponents: NYI, VAN, DET)
Previous Ranking: 27

What can we say about the debacle that is Chicago? Jeremy Colliton’s days have to be numbered.

Two ugly stats about this team: 1. They now hold the all-time record for the longest start to a season without a lead; 2. They’ve been outscored 10-1 when their prized defenseman Seth Jones is on the ice.

31. Arizona Coyotes

Week 2: 0-3, 5 GF, 15 GA (Opponents: STL, EDM, NYI)
Previous Ranking: 28

A combination of the worst goaltending tandem in the NHL, practically no offense, and a tough schedule has rendered the rebuilding Coyotes winless through five games.

30. Seattle Kraken

Week 2: 0-3, 5 GF, 14 GA (Opponents: PHI, NJD, VAN)
Previous Ranking: 21

The Kraken are sliding and poor play in their own zone is the primary reason why.

29. Vegas Golden Knights

Week 2: 0-3, 4 GF, 10 GA (Opponents: STL, EDM, NYI)
Previous Ranking: 18

Vegas is really struggling out of the gate and just can’t seem to get anything done in the offensive zone. They need to figure out how to overcome their injuries and start scoring.

28. Los Angeles Kings

Week 2: 0-2-1, 6 GF, 12 GA (Opponents: NSH, DAL, STL)
Previous Ranking: 16

The Kings went winless in their second week and saw their franchise defenseman Drew Doughty go down with an injury, but captain Anže Kopitar is still on fire.

27.Montreal Canadiens

Week 2: 1-2, 7 GF, 10 GA (Opponents: SJS, CAR, DET)
Previous Ranking: 31

The Canadiens finally got their first win of the season, but they still look terrible. In fact, no team to make the Stanley Cup Final has ever started the next season as badly as the Canadiens.

26. Anaheim Ducks

Week 2: 1-3, 12 GF, 17 GA (Opponents: CGY, EDM, WPG, MIN)
Previous Ranking: 15

The Ducks definitely regressed in their second week, but their young players are still very fun to watch.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs

Week 2: 0-2-1, 7 GF, 10 GA (Opponents: NYR, SJS, PIT)
Previous Ranking: 7

The Maple Leafs getting booed by their own fans just six games into their season tells you all you need to know about how things are going in Toronto.

Their big names must start scoring: Mitch Marner has zero points in his last five games and Auston Matthews has yet to score a goal.

24. Ottawa Senators

Week 2: 0-2, 3 GF, 5 GA (Opponents: SJS, NYR)
Previous Ranking: 8

The Senators’ steady improvements from last season are evident, plus they’ve gotten their best player, Brady Tkachuk, back.

23. Tampa Bay Lightning

Week 2: 0-1-1, 4 GF, 8 GA (Opponents: FLA, COL)
Previous Ranking: 9

The reigning Stanley Cup champions aren’t having the prettiest start to the season and losing their best player, Nikita Kucherov, to the LTIR once again isn’t ideal.

They also are yet to have a lead in regulation, which is shocking. We all know that they’ll be fine in the long-run, though.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Week 2: 1-2, 5 GF, 11 GA (Opponents: DET, NYI, CAR)
Previous Ranking: 1

The Blue Jackets weren’t as strong in week two, but they’re still a fun, competitive team to watch.

21. Colorado Avalanche

Week 2: 1-2, 8 GF, 13 GA (Opponents: WSH, FLA, TBL)
Previous Ranking: 17

Not much has gone well for the Avs, so far. Injuries, suspensions, and just some bad performances by too many players has Colorado at just four points through five games.

20. Nashville Predators

Week 2: 2-2, 12 GF, 12 GA (Opponents: LAK, NYR, WPG, MIN)
Previous Ranking: 29

The big dogs haven’t shown up for Nashville yet, but the team did have a much better week two.

19. Buffalo Sabres

Week 2: 1-1-1, 7 GF, 8 GA (Opponents: VAN, BOS, NJD)
Previous Ranking: 6

The Sabres slowed down a bit this week, but they still look surprisingly good. Some more offense will make their strong start much more sustainable.

18. Detroit Red Wings

Week 2: 2-2, 11 GF, 13 GA (Opponents: CBJ, CGY, MTL, CHI)
Previous Ranking: 20

Is Lucas Raymond already a star in the making? He tied the franchise record of a four-point game for a rookie that’s also held by two all-time greats: Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov.

17. Vancouver Canucks

Week 2: 2-1, 10 GF, 8 GA (Opponents: BUF, CHI, SEA)
Previous Ranking: 22

Goaltender Thatcher Demko has been absolutely crucial to this team’s early success.

16. Philadelphia Flyers

Week 2: 2-1, 14 GF, 8 GA (Opponents: SEA, BOS, FLA)
Previous Ranking: 25

The Flyers have had a strong start in which they’re scoring a lot and playing well against good teams.

15. New Jersey Devils

Week 2: 2-1, 7 GF, 7 GA (Opponents: SEA, WSH, BUF)
Previous Ranking: 12

Star center Jack Hughes is hurt, but the good news is that the team still looks good, they’re getting healthy, rookies Dawson Mercer and Nico Daws have been impressive, and MacKenzie Blackwood is finally vaccinated.

14. Boston Bruins

Week 2: 2-1, 11 GF, 10 GA (Opponents: PHI, BUF, SJS)
Previous Ranking: 11

Other than the power play not really clicking yet, things have been going pretty much as expected for this well-rounded Bruins team.

13. Dallas Stars

Week 2: 2-0, 5 GF, 3 GA (Opponents: PIT, LAK)
Previous Ranking: 24

Braden Holtby looks good early and Miro Heiskanen is proving why he’s worth his contract.

12. Calgary Flames

Week 2: 2-0-1, 9 GF, 6 GA (Opponents: ANA, DET, WSH)
Previous Ranking: 26

The Flames have gotten a few more games under their belt and are evidently having a much better start to their season than in 2021.

11. Winnipeg Jets

Week 2: 2-0-1, 16 GF, 11 GA (Opponents: MIN, ANA, NSH)
Previous Ranking: 30

The Jets don’t have their stars right now, but the offense looks so much better than a week ago and Pierre-Luc Dubois seems to finally be firing on all cylinders.

10. New York Islanders

Week 2: 3-0-1, 11 GF, 4 GA (Opponents: CHI, CBJ, ARI, VGK)
Previous Ranking: 32

After the worst week one of the season by any team, the Islanders are getting right back on track and were one of the best teams over the past week.

An easier schedule as well as much better defensive play and outstanding goaltending by Ilya Sorokin allowed them to climb the standings and get to seven points.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins

Week 2: 1-0-1, 8 GF, 3 GA (Opponents: DAL, TOR)
Previous Ranking: 10

The Penguins are still going strong: they haven’t lost in regulation yet.

8. Washington Capitals

Week 2: 2-0-1, 13 GF, 8 GA (Opponents: COL, NJD, CGY)
Previous Ranking: 19

The Capitals have been surprisingly good, even with Nicklas Backstrom on the LTIR.

7. Minnesota Wild

Week 2: 2-1, 12 GF, 13 GA (Opponents: WPG, ANA, NSH)
Previous Ranking: 5

The Wild lost their first game of the season on Sunday, but they did become the fourth team in NHL history to have four consecutive comeback wins to kick off a season.

6. San Jose Sharks

Week 2: 3-1, 15 GF, 8 GA (Opponents: MTL, OTT, TOR, BOS)
Previous Ranking: 14

The Sharks have just one loss on the season so far and the kids are still absolutely buzzing.

5. New York Rangers

Week 2: 3-0, 8 GF, 4 GA (Opponents: TOR, NSH, OTT)
Previous Ranking: 23

The Rangers are atop the Metropolitan Division and swept their first road trip of the season and they’re not even 1. playing their best hockey 2. completely healthy.

4. St. Louis Blues

Week 2: 3-0, 17 GF, 11 GA (Opponents: ARI, VGK, LAK)
Previous Ranking: 13

The undefeated Blues are actually scoring. Is their fantastic start to the season real?

3. Carolina Hurricanes

Week 2: 2-0, 9 GF, 2 GA (Opponents: MTL, CBJ)
Previous Ranking: 3

The Hurricanes are proving the doubters wrong. Losing Dougie Hamilton doesn’t seem to have hurt them: the Hurricanes have given up just seven goals all season.