It’s been a while since I posted anything about the NHL. In fact, it’s been since February 7. The Olympics are over and the league has been back for almost two weeks now. Time to get back into things.
Colorado has come out of the break on fire, winning 6 of their 7 games. Tampa Bay, which had closed the gap on Colorado before the break, has gone 2-5 since the break. Carolina has been consistent and continues to hold on to the #3 ranking. Buffalo has been the hottest team in the NHL since the break, winning all seven of their games, which has moved them up to the #4 ranking. Dallas has been on fire, winning 5 games while losing a single game in overtime.
Colorado continues to be the best scoring team in the league. Tampa Bay’s sticks have gone cold, which has allowed Montreal to move to the #2 spot in my offensive rankings. Carolina and Edmonton round out the top 5.
Colorado holds down the top spot in my defensive rankings as well. Tampa Bay slips to third in defense, while Utah moves up to the #2 spot. Dallas and the New York Islanders round out the top 5.
Rankings:
| Rank | Team | W | L | OT | Pts | GF | GA | Rating | SoS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | COLORADO AVALANCHE | 43 | 10 | 9 | 95 | 238 | 155 | 102.115 | 100.002 |
| 2 | TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 39 | 19 | 4 | 82 | 223 | 172 | 101.430 | 100.009 |
| 3 | CAROLINA HURRICANES | 40 | 17 | 6 | 86 | 224 | 183 | 101.268 | 99.939 |
| 4 | BUFFALO SABRES | 39 | 19 | 6 | 84 | 225 | 193 | 101.055 | 100.033 |
| 5 | DALLAS STARS | 39 | 14 | 10 | 88 | 220 | 173 | 100.965 | 99.828 |
| 6 | MINNESOTA WILD | 37 | 16 | 11 | 85 | 215 | 185 | 100.684 | 99.944 |
| 7 | BOSTON BRUINS | 35 | 22 | 6 | 76 | 212 | 200 | 100.607 | 99.995 |
| 8 | NEW YORK ISLANDERS | 36 | 23 | 5 | 77 | 188 | 183 | 100.599 | 100.004 |
| 9 | MONTREAL CANADIENS | 34 | 18 | 10 | 78 | 222 | 209 | 100.577 | 99.975 |
| 10 | UTAH MAMMOTH | 34 | 25 | 4 | 72 | 201 | 173 | 100.522 | 100.013 |
Top 10 Offense:
| Rank | Team | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Avalanche | 0.701 |
| 2 | Montreal Canadiens | 0.479 |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 0.477 |
| 4 | Carolina Hurricanes | 0.432 |
| 5 | Edmonton Oilers | 0.419 |
| 6 | Buffalo Sabres | 0.394 |
| 7 | Dallas Stars | 0.333 |
| 8 | Ottawa Senators | 0.306 |
| 9 | Anaheim Ducks | 0.283 |
| 10 | Minnesota Wild | 0.245 |
Top 10 Defense:
| Rank | Team | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Avalanche | 0.633 |
| 2 | Utah Mammoth | 0.391 |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 0.344 |
| 4 | Dallas Stars | 0.334 |
| 5 | New York Islanders | 0.260 |
| 6 | Minnesota Wild | 0.230 |
| 7 | Carolina Hurricanes | 0.191 |
| 8 | Detroit Red Wings | 0.184 |
| 9 | New Jersey Devils | 0.181 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Kings | 0.179 |