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This NHL season has been action packed. Second year Edmonton Oilers forward, Connor McDavid, looks like an absolute stud, seemingly creating a breakaway opportunity out of thin air. Rookies like Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews have seemingly transitioned to the big leagues without a problem. The NHL is as star studded as it has been in a long time. With that being said, we are nearing Thanksgiving, and most people may be looking forward to the Thanksgiving food and football, us hockey nerds won’t forget to be taking a look at our teams. The NHL season is about a quarter way through, and it is the perfect time to take a look at the standings, how the teams are performing and what the rest of the season looks like for them.
Atlantic Division
The Atlantic Division has been quite the rollercoaster so far. Teams have been moving up and down all season long and it will not stop now.
The Montreal Canadiens (13-3-2, 28 pts) are dominating so far, leading the NHL in points and are led by their star goaltender, Carey Price, who is playing out of his mind right now. He has posted a 10-0-1 record, with a 1.63 GAA and .948 Save Percentage, ranking third and second in the league, respectively. Leading their speedy offense is 22 year old stud, Alex Galchenyuk, as his 18 points are tied for 7th in the league. Their shutdown defense is led by offseason trade acquisition, Shea Weber, who is tied for second in the league with a plus/minus at +15. The Montreal Canadiens are, for now, the team to beat in the NHL as long as Carey Price is healthy.
The Tampa Bay Lightning (11-6-1, 23 pts) are doing what they do best, play fast, punishing people on the power play and putting the puck in the net. Their power play is converting at a 25.7% clip, good for third in the league. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos are T-1st and fourth in the league in points, respectively. Star defenseman, Victor Hedman, is tied for second in points among defensemen. However, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Stamkos will be out at least four months with a lateral meniscus tear. The mediocre Tampa defense, so far, needs to pick up the slack and so does the goaltending. Starting goaltender Ben Bishop has not been good thus far, posting a 2.77 GAA and .909 Save Percentage, which are not on par to his near $6 million salary. The offense is sure to still be explosive, with talented players such as Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn among many others. The defense and goaltending will need a little fine tune up though.
The Ottawa Senators (10-6-1, 21 pts) are playing hard fought, defensive hockey right now. Craig Anderson has rejuvenated his career, posting a stellar 2.12 GAA and .934 Save Percentage. Their offense needs to pick up the slack though, they’re ranked 4th worst in the league and their defenseman is leading their team in points. Granted, it’s Erik Karlsson, but forwards Bobby Ryan, Zack Smith and Mark Stone need to start putting the puck in the net if the Senators look to make the playoffs in a hotly contested Atlantic Division.
The Boston Bruins (10-7-0, 20 pts) are a hot team right now, posting a 7-3 record in their last ten games. Their goaltender, Tuukka Rask, is also having a phenomenal season. He is tied for first in wins with 10, and his 1.49 GAA and .947 Save Percentage, rank second and third in the league, respectively. They are led by two young studs, David Pastrnak is tied for third in the league with 10 goals, while playing in only 14 game. A revelation for the Bruins defensive corps has been 19 year old rookie defenseman, Brandon Carlo, who has surprised many in the hockey league with his great defensive play, as he has a +11 rating. The Bruins’ shaky defense and lack of consistent secondary scoring will make the Bruins depend on Rask all season long, as they look to make their first postseason appearance in three years.
The Toronto Maple Leafs (8-6-3, 19 pts) have a clear issue, and that is defense. Their 57 goals allowed, is fourth most in the league and offseason acquisition, goaltender Frederik Andersen has struggled mightily in the new atmosphere. It is not only his fault, as the defensive talent, or lack thereof, as their 33.9 shots against per game is the first in the league. This year is not about winning for Toronto though, as their young nucleus of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner need big league seasoning, and they have already shown their potential. Look out NHL, this team can be good for a while.
The Florida Panthers (8-8-1, 17 pts) have taken a step back from last year. A surprise team last year, and a sexy pick for a team that many people picked to take another big step this year, their young players have failed to improve thus far. Young forwards Aleksander Barkov and Reilly Smith are not producing at the same level they were last year, and former #1 overall pick Aaron Ekblad has 4 points and a -7 rating in 17 games. So far, there is not much going right for the Florida Panthers, though it could easily be turned around, given they have a great blend of talented young players and veteran leadership.
The Detroit Red Wings (8-9-1, 17 pts) have taken a mighty step back since starting the season winning 6 out of their first 8 games. Since then, they have posted a 2-7-1 record in their last ten games. During the ten game stretch, they have allowed 3 goals per game and have scored a paltry 1.8 goals per game. That simple will not do in the modern NHL and Petr Mrazek needs to step us his game. The young goaltender’s stats, a 3.16 GAA and .901 Save Percentage, are not pretty to look at. Their penalty kill is suffering mightily as well, killing penalties at a 77.8% clip, tied for 4th worst in the league. It’s simple, the Red Wings need to stabilize things and play simple, smart hockey as they have a talented young core, including Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist, coupled with veteran leadership in Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. Look for the storied franchise to clean up their game and get back in the win column.
The Buffalo Sabres (5-8-4, 14 pts) are maintaining their spot in the cellar of the Atlantic Division. The main reason? Their inability to put the puck in the net, ranking last in the league with a measly 1.82 goals per game. They are sorely missing second year center, Jack Eichel, who posted 56 points in 81 games as a rookie, and was poised to make a big step forward. Their defense, however, has been posting good stats, ranking 13th in the league, allowing 2.53 goals per game. Their offense needs to start putting the puck in the net and helping out their defense if they want to escape the cellar of the Atlantic Division.
Metropolitan Division
The Metropolitan Division has easily been the most hectic in hockey, showcasing the firepower many fans expected.
The New York Rangers (13-4-0, 26 pts) have been putting the puck in the net with absolute ease, averaging an incredible 4.11 goals per game, easily first in the league. Amazingly, they do not have a skater in the top ten in points in the league. Instead, they have three lines they can roll out that can score consistently, and their fourth line provides some scoring punch as well. Their defense, particularly Nick Holden and Ryan McDonagh, have been awesome, making opponents fight for every chance they can get. Henrik Lundqvist, The King, has been solid, as expected, posting a 2.30 GAA and .916 Save Percentage. As long as the dynamic offense is clicking, this team is going to be tough to beat.
The Washington Capitals (10-4-2, 22 pts) have been dealing with some inconsistency on the offensive end, but have allowed the fifth least goals allowed, giving them some margin for error. Barry Trotz has been tinkering with his lines throughout the young season and may have found his second line. The trio of Marcus Johansson– Nicklas Backstrom– T.J. Oshie has been dynamic, with the group posting a combined 40 points. However, only four skaters have posted more than 8 points thus far, and that must change if the Capitals hope to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Reigning Vezina Trophy Winner, Branden Holtby, has continued his excellent play with a 1.91 GAA and .930 Save Percentage. The Capitals need consistent secondary scoring, or their chances of getting to the Stanley Cup Finals will be significantly worse.
The Pittsburgh Penguins (10-4-2, 22 pts) are a dangerous team right now. Their goaltending was awfully shaky since Marc-Andre Fleury started the year in net, with rookie sensation, Matthew Murray, sidelined for the beginning of the year with a broken hand suffered during the World Cup of Hockey. Fleury went on to post an ugly 3.32 GAA and a .903 Save Percentage. Murray, in his first six starts of the year, has posted a 1.68 GAA and .945 Save Percentage. When Murray is between the pipes, coupled with a high flying offense averaging 2.94 goals per game, good for eighth in the league, this Penguins team will be awfully tough to beat. Superstar Sidney Crosby is tied for second in the league with 11 goals, while playing in only 11 games due to injury. The reigning Stanley Cup champions are a team to look out for in the upcoming weeks. Look for them to be racking up wins in the near future.
The New Jersey Devils (9-4-3, 21 pts) are winning because of one reason, defense. They are allowing a smothering 2.13 goals against per game, third least in the league. Their offense has been anemic, ranking 22nd in the league with a 2.38 goals for per game. None of their skaters have more than 12 points, and their most talented forward, Taylor Hall, is now out for 3-4 weeks after having successful arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. We have seen this in the past with the Devils, you will have a hard time scoring goals against Cory Schneider, but if you can pot two against him, the Devils do not have the offensive fire power to over come their anemic offense.
The Columbus Blue Jackets (9-4-2, 20 pts) are only this low in the standings because they have played the least amount of games in the league at just 15 thus far. Columbus is ranked 2nd in goals per game, averaging 3.40 goals per game, and allowing the 7th least goals per game, a stingy 2.33 goals against per game. They have been quite the surprise, thus far, as captain Nick Foligno has recaptured his 2014-2015 form, when he was averaging nearly a point per game, as he has 16 points in 15 games. Former Vezina Trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, has struggled the last two years but has posted solid stats this year, as he has put up a 2.20 GAA and a .932 Save Percentage. As long as Columbus keeps playing their fast, smart hockey, this team can be the surprise of the 2016 NHL season.
The Philadelphia Flyers (8-7-3, 19 pts) have a clear issue to resolve, goaltending. Their high-flying offense are scoring 3.33 goals per game, good for 3rd in the league. Their goaltending? They are allowing a league high 3.44 goals against per game. The defense is allowing the fourth least amount of shots per game but are allowing the most goals in the league. Starting goaltender, Steve Mason, is giving the Flyers well below par stats, with a 3.13 GAA and a .889 Save Percentage. Backup goaltender, Michael Neuvrith, has been worse, posting a 3.54 GAA and a .859 Save Percentage. Star forwards Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds have been wrecking havoc on opposing goaltenders, but if the Flyers want to play well into April, they need some talent in the blue paint.
The Carolina Hurricanes (6-6-4, 16 pts) looked to build on to a strong season last year, finishing just 7 points shy of their playoff appearance since the 2008 season. Their offense has been average, scoring 2.56 goals per game, which ranks 17th in the league. Their defense, however, has been a problem, allowing the 8th most goals per game, a porous 2.94 goals against per game. Young forwards Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask have been playing good hockey, but they need their defense and goaltending need to step up if the ‘Canes look to make the playoffs for the first time in 8 years.
The New York Islanders (5-8-4, 14 pts) have been quite the disappointment of the young season. The loss of Okposo and gain of Ladd has gone in the opposite direction for the Islanders. Ladd has posted 3 points and a -4 rating in 17 games, well below par to the annual salary of $5.5 million that the Islanders signed him to this past offseason. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who was been solid as a goaltender since he joined the Islanders, is posting a 3.08 GAA and a .905 Save Percentage, which simply will not do, if the Islanders want to get near the 100 points they were able to achieve last year.