NHL Power Rankings: B/R Experts' Week 7 Poll

As we near the quarter pole of the NHL season, some facts are starting to consistently be borne out, such as Carey Price is really good.

The Montreal Canadiens goalie kept his team undefeated at home in regulation this season with a tremendous effort against longtime rival the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night. Montreal, with an 11-0-1 mark at home, remains atop the overall NHL standings and in our weekly poll of the 30 clubs.

There was not a lot of change overall in the rankings, but some of the top teams did have a bad week when it came to health. The Tampa Bay Lightning lost Steven Stamkos, the New Jersey Devils lost Taylor Hall and the Calgary Flames lost Johnny Gaudreau to injuries that will prevent any player from returning for at least several weeks.

As long as the Habs have Price healthy, they don't figure to slide much. Of course, it was around this time last year when they lost him for the season. Let's hope the game's best goalie remains in net.

Our panel consisted of yours truly, Jonathan Willis, Carol Schram, Lyle Richardson and Allan Mitchell.

As always, let us know whether you disagree with any of our picks via the comments section.

30-26: Arizona Coyotes-New York Islanders

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Arizona's Max Domi.

30. Arizona Coyotes (last week: 29)

The Arizona Coyotes just can't string much of anything together, though they did get a win Saturday over the San Jose Sharks. Otherwise, they still have the fewest wins in the Western Conference (six). Arizona did get some good news, though, with the return to health of veteran goalie Mike Smith. If Smith can play like he's capable, it's certainly not too late for Arizona to get back in the chase.

29. Calgary Flames (last week: 30)

A season in which not much has gone right so far in Calgary didn't get any better last week, with the injury to bright star Gaudreau, who is expected to miss six weeks after undergoing surgery on a broken finger from a slash by the Minnesota Wild's Eric Staal.

The Flames can't afford to lose much in the way of offense because their defense and goaltending have been awful so far. Calgary's 63 goals allowed entering Saturday was the second-most in the league. Still, Calgary did manage to pull out a 3-2 win Sunday on the road against the Detroit Red Wings.

28. Buffalo Sabres (last week: 25)

Jack Eichel is skating again, but Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma told the Buffalo News that "he's still got a ways to go" before returning from the high-ankle sprain that has keep him out all season. Ryan O'Reilly has missed some time recently too, with an abdominal injury, so it's tough sledding again for the Sabres.

27. Vancouver Canucks (last week: 28)

Entering Saturday's contest with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks were 19 goals to the bad on the season (38 for and 57 against). They did get a win over Arizona Friday night, though, which...yeah, not saying much there.

In his first 18 games, Loui Eriksson, he of the $6 million salary, had two goals.

26. New York Islanders (last week: 27)

The New York Islanders are 2-4-4 in their last 10 and next go on the road out West, starting with a game Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Getting out of Brooklyn for a while might be a good thing for the Isles, who are averaging crowds of just 12,471 through 12 games at Barclays Center this term. Of course, the Isles have yet to win a road game yet this season too (0-4-1). They need some wins on this trip.

25-21: Colorado Avalanche-Toronto Maple Leafs

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Backup Calvin Pickard has played well so far for Colorado.

25. Colorado Avalanche (last week: 26)

After getting shut out at home by the Boston Bruins, beating the Los Angeles Kings the next game and losing a tough 3-2 game on the road at the Dallas Stars Thursday, the Colorado Avalanche limped into Minnesota for a Saturday tilt without captain Gabe Landeskog (lower body) and alternate captain Matt Duchene (concussion symptoms). Things looked bleak when Minnesota took a 2-0 lead after two periods, but the Avs stormed back to get a 3-2 regulation win.

Nathan MacKinnon—10 shots against Boston, six against Dallas and five against the Wild, with two goals to show for it—has picked up the pace since Duchene and Landeskog went down. 

24. Carolina Hurricanes (last week: 24)

Hey, the Carolina Hurricanes got a win over Montreal, something not many teams can say. And they were 5-3-2 in the previous 10 games entering Sunday's contest with the Winnipeg Jets, which the Canes won. They probably deserved to move up some in this poll. But nobody said life was fair in the B/R Power Rankings. Do it again for another week, and we'll talk.

23. Detroit Red Wings (last week: 19)

With a shutout loss to the Washington Capitals Friday night and home loss to Calgary Sunday, the Detroit Red Wings slipped to under .500. They had more losses (nine) than wins (eight) in regulation games entering Sunday's tilt with the Flames, which they lost 3-2. It seems the glory days get further and further away with each passing week in Motown.

22. Florida Panthers (last week: 20)

The Florida Panthers are slowly getting things together. They got a nice 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators Saturday, putting their record to 6-4-0 in the previous 10. A stiff test awaited on Sunday, however, on the road against the New York Rangers. The Panthers' record of 49 goals for and against at least shows they have been highly competitive most nights, even though they remain out of the playoff picture.

21. Toronto Maple Leafs (last week: 23)

Toronto dropped a tough 2-1 decision to Montreal Saturday night and still can't stitch more than a couple wins together before they fall back. The Leafs just simply must improve their record away from home, which stands at 1-5-3. There are no complaints at home, where they're 7-2-0. 

Rookie Mitch Marner continues to impress at least. He posted 16 points his first 18 games, a better point-production output than highly touted No. 1 overall pick Auston Matthews, who had 13 points after his first 18 contests.

20-16: Dallas Stars-San Jose Sharks

Derek Leung/Getty Images

Tyler Seguin and the Stars are still looking to get on a roll.

20. Dallas Stars (last week: 22)

The Stars are 4-3-3 in their last 10, but Saturday was a bummer. Dallas was victimized by Connor McDavid, who put up his first career hat trick in a 5-2 victory for the Edmonton Oilers in Texas. Good, consistent goaltending from Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen remains elusive. Dallas has scored 50 goals and allowed 64. Those numbers need to start reversing soon or there could be changes around Big D. General manager Jim Nill isn't one to stand pat when things are going wrong.

19. Nashville Predators (last week: 14)

Things are trending positive again for the Nashville Predators, though probably not as fast enough as coach Peter Laviolette would like. They are 5-3-2 in their last 10 but dropped a 3-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues Saturday night. The lack of scoring from first-line center Ryan Johansen remains the team's biggest problem. He has just one goal in 17 games, though he does have eight assists. He's got to start putting the puck in the net.

18. Philadelphia Flyers (last week: 18)

The Philadelphia Flyers, as Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes, have been the "definition of mediocre" this season. They're 8-8-3 overall after Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Steven Stamkos-less Lightning. But the underlying numbers are a bit better. For instance, against the Lightning, the Flyers had 70 shot attempts to Tampa Bay's 29. Jakub Voracek had 15 attempts, with five on net. The defense and goaltending has to get better if the Flyers want to be more than average. Entering Sunday, their 67 goals allowed was most in the league.

17. Winnipeg Jets (last week: 17)

The Winnipeg Jets entered Sunday's game against Carolina losers of two in a row after winning five of six before that. Like many NHL teams, they've been up and down. In a league with so much parity, that's not surprising. Jacob Trouba's return to the lineup has helped Winnipeg's defense, though he failed to produce any points in his first five games. 

16. San Jose Sharks (last week: 7)

The San Jose Sharks just haven't been the dynamic team they were toward the end of last season, scuffling along with a 9-8-1 mark. The offense has been sluggish, with just 41 goals scored in 18 games. The good news: They've only allowed 42. Joe Thornton has just two goals in 18 games, but as usual, his assist output is just fine. He has 10.

15-11: Los Angeles Kings-Anaheim Ducks

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

15. Los Angeles Kings (last week: 21)

The Kings entered Sunday's contest with the archrival Anaheim Ducks winners of two straight. Their road record coming in (2-7-0) remained dreadful. With two goals and six assists in his first 15 games, captain Anze Kopitar is officially off to a slow start. As goalie Jonathan Quick is still out long term, the Kings need more offense from their captain and best player. Veteran Peter Budaj is doing a worthwhile job in Quick's stead, but the Kings clearly miss their top goalie.

14. Ottawa Senators (last week: 10)

After losing two in a row, including a 4-1 loss to Florida Saturday, the Senators take a bit of a dip in our rankings. Only Buffalo has scored fewer than Ottawa's 40 goals. The goaltending and defense (46 allowed) has been good. Bobby Ryan (three goals and six points in 17 games) needs to get going. Dion Phaneuf (18 games, one goal, minus-eight) seems like a shadow of his former self.

13. Minnesota Wild (last week: 16)

The Wild blew a winnable game Saturday at home against Colorado, losing 3-2 after taking a 2-0 lead into the third against an Avs team missing Duchene and Landeskog. That's the kind of inconsistency that is still driving first-year coach Bruce Boudreau a bit nuts with this club.

Still, Minnesota is among the top eight in the West, and the Wild's defense and goaltending remain strong. The return to health of Zach Parise, who is still bothered by nagging injuries, would help matters.

12. New Jersey Devils (last week: 6)

The Devils cooled off a bit last week, losing two in a row after jumping out to a 9-3-3 record. Worse still, star forward Taylor Hall is expected to miss three to four weeks after tearing the meniscus in his left knee. Hall had 12 points in 14 games for the Devils, so it's incumbent on others to step up offensively and for No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider to get stingier. The Devils have been a good story so far, so don't count them out just because Hall is gone for a while.

11. Edmonton Oilers (last week: 8)

After going 10 games without a goal, captain Connor McDavid burst out big Saturday night, putting in a hat-trick performance in Dallas as part of a 5-2 Oilers win. You knew McDavid wouldn't go much longer without finding the back of the net. Still, Edmonton has been losing lots of games of late. The Oilers are just 3-6-1 in their last 10. A little more offense from fellow No. 1 overall pick Ryan-Nugent Hopkins (two goals and eight points in 19 games) wouldn't hurt.

10. St. Louis Blues

Associated Press

It's been a good, not great, start for Ken Hitchcock and the Blues.

Record: 10-6-3, 23 points

Last week: 15

Big Picture

The Blues finished the week by winning three games in a row. But their underlying numbers still aren't impressive. They've allowed more goals than they've scored for one thing (51 and 47 respectively). For another, they are only 2-5-1 on the road.

The fact the Blues still have a nice-looking win-loss record is reason for fans to smile. But when will this team start playing like the sometimes-dominant group that went to a Game 6 of the Western Conference Final last spring?

By the Numbers

We'll find out a little better what this year's version of the Blues when they travel to take on Boston and Washington. Away from home, the Blues have been bad. But usually, Ken Hitchcock teams are tough to play at home. Maybe this will be when the Blues get it going on the road.

9. Columbus Blue Jackets

Associated Press

John Tortorella has the Blue Jackets in the hunt again.

Record: 10-4-2, 22 points

Last week: 12

Big Picture

Break up the Blue Jackets!

John Tortorella's group is playing some great hockey. Don't forget, either, that this team beat Montreal 10-0 earlier in November. The Columbus Blue Jackets are 8-1-1 in the last 10 and has won four straight. They've got a plus-17 goal differential (54-37) and are 7-2-0 at home.

At 10-4-1, Sergei Bobrovsky has found his stride again as a No. 1 goalie.

By the Numbers

The Blue Jackets have seven players with 10 points or more. The leader, with 18 points in 16 games, is Nick Foligno. Tortorella loves to have a balanced team, and so far that's just what Columbus looks like.

8. Anaheim Ducks

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

Record: 9-7-3, 21 points

Last week: 13

Big Picture

They've got a winning record, but the Anaheim Ducks still haven't been all that impressive. The offense (only 48 goals in 18 games entering Sunday's contest with the Kings) has been nothing more than mediocre. But the defense and goaltending (43 goals allowed) have been strong. Still, the Ducks lost to Los Angeles at home. Like most teams, they seem to be just treading water.

By the Numbers

Entering Sunday, backup Jonathan Bernier had a much better save percentage than starter John Gibson (.933 to .909). Bernier had only played six games to Gibson's 14, though. But if those numbers stay consistent, expect the understudy to get more playing time.

7. Boston Bruins

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Record: 11-7-0, 22 points

Last week: 9

Big Picture

The Boston Bruins have reclaimed their identity as a big yet fast team that controls the puck more often than not. Their 52.5 Corsi percentage, per Hockey-Reference.com, was seventh-best in the league entering Sunday. Boston's 53.3 faceoff percentage was second-best in the league, behind Anaheim.

Rookie Brandon Carlo, 19, has been a revelation alongside his 39-year-old defensive partner, Zdeno Chara. Carlo is a plus-11 through his first 18 games. The Bruins' offense, with 45 goals in 18 games, needs to be better, though.

By the Numbers

With an 11-2-0 mark and .946 save percentage, goalie Tuukka Rask is up there with Montreal's Price among your early favorites for the Vezina Trophy.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Bryan Rust and the Penguins have been up and down of late

Record: 11-4-3, 25 points

Last week: 4

Big Picture

The Pittsburgh Penguins were blown out 7-1 by the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, a game in which coach Mike Sullivan said his team was "embarrassed," per Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Still, the big picture looks fine. They probably have a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover, yet the overall record remains strong. This team will get better as the season goes along, it says here.

By the Numbers

He's not even 30, but Sidney Crosby scored his 350th career goal with a follow-up shot against Buffalo in a 2-1 Pens win Saturday. Crosby has been Pittsburgh's best player since he returned from the concussion symptoms that kept him out of the first six games of the campaign.

5. Washington Capitals

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Defending Vezina winner Braden Holtby has been good for Washington again.

Record: 11-5-2, 24 points

Last week: 5

Big Picture

After crushing the Penguins 7-1, the Capitals lost a tough 3-2 game at home to Columbus on Sunday. Still, they are looking likely to make the playoffs for a ninth time in the last 10 seasons. 

The Capitals could use Evgeny Kuznetsov getting his scoring numbers up again, though. A 77-point scorer last season, Kuznetsov had only two goals and seven points through his first 18 games this term.

By the Numbers

Braden Holtby, the Vezina Trophy winner last season, isn't falling off any. He entered Monday with a 1.99 goals-against average, better than the 2.20 mark he had in 2015-16. His save percentage of .927 is better than last year's .922 as well.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Record: 12-6-1, 25 points

Last week: 11

Big Picture

The Tampa Bay Lightning received a severe jolt last week when it was determined that Stamkos would be lost long term to a knee injury. The Lightning captain tore the meniscus in his right knee and could be out for four months, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith.

Yet the Lightning won their first two games without Stamkos, including a shutout win over Philadelphia Saturday. That's good for now, but you do have to wonder how well the Lightning can sustain things without such an important player.

By the Numbers

As long as Nikita Kucherov continues to put up gaudy numbers, the Lightning will have a chance. The Russian forward, 23, had 22 points in his first 18 games to lead the team.

3. Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Record: 13-4-2, 28 points

Last week: 3

Big Picture

Corey Crawford has been the Chicago Blackhawks' best player to this point, no doubt about it. The two-time Stanley Cup winner is 9-4-2 with a .928 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average. He figures to get a good test Monday night when Chicago travels to Edmonton, led by the hot-again McDavid.

The Blackhawks already have a five-point edge on the next-best team in the West—and still haven't played truly outstanding hockey yet. If they do, this team could run away with the conference.

By the Numbers

Is captain Jonathan Toews on the decline? With only four goals in his first 19 games and 12 points overall, it will become a fair question before long if the numbers don't improve. Toews' production has declined in each of the last three seasons, and it's looking like it might do so again for a fourth.

2. New York Rangers

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Record: 13-5-1, 27 points

Last week: 2

Big Picture

Entering Sunday, when a game New York lost 3-2 in a shootout to Florida, the Rangers had 14 players with 10 points or more. That's pretty amazing for this day and age.

Meanwhile, after a somewhat slow start, Henrik Lundqvist is looking more like his usual self again. He was 9-5-0 in his first 14 decisions, with a .916 save percentage and 2.30 GAA. Kevin Hayes, who lost about 20 pounds in the offseason, has been terrific. The former Boston College forward had 16 points in his first 18 games. He had 36 points in 79 games last season.

Hayes was a linemate of Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau while at BC.

One piece of bad news for the Rangers last week: According to NHL.com's Dan Rosen, center Mika Zibanejad will be lost for six to eight weeks with a broken fibula, suffered against Florida.

By the Numbers

Nick Holden, who was acquired from Colorado for a mid-range draft pick over the summer, has been one of the Rangers' best defensemen at both ends. Holden's record of 10 points is right up there among the scoring leaders, and he's been good in his own end.

1. Montreal Canadiens

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Shea Weber and the Canadiens continue to win.

Record: 14-3-2, 30 points

Last week: 1

Big Picture

Shea Weber would probably win the Norris Trophy in a landslide if the voting were today. The veteran defenseman, acquired from Nashville over the summer for fan favorite P.K. Subban, had another all-world game Saturday night in a 2-1 win over Toronto.

Weber played nearly 28 minutes, had two assists and blocked eight shots, among other things. Habs GM Marc Bergevin took a lot of heat for the trade when, but he looks like a genius now.

Weber's stat line: 19 games, 15 points and plus-16. That's why Bergevin is a GM and you're not.

By the Numbers

Montreal remains unbeaten at home (11-0-1). Twelve of the Habs' first 19 games have been at home, so we'll see whether they can be as formidable when they hit the road more often soon.

Statistics from hockeydb.com.