NHL Power Rankings: Capitals hang onto top spot while Oilers plummet

As the NHL prepares to return from the holiday break, it’s a good time to review where the top teams stand. Join us now as we rank the league's 16 best squads.

1. Washington Capitals (26-7-5)

Prev. Rank: 1

The Capitals won three of their last five games before Christmas, but goaltender Braden Holtby (17-5-4, 2.87 GAA, .907 save percentage) was tagged for four goals by the Bruins on just 11 shots in his most recent start. Backup Ilya Samsonov’s play this year (9-2-1, 2.39 GAA, .914 save percentage) is giving Washington management something to think about regarding Holtby, a pending free agent.

2. St. Louis Blues (24-8-6)

Prev. Rank: 5

Having won six straight, the Blues are currently the hottest team in hockey. However, their schedule out of the break is demanding as they’ll play a home-and-home with the Jets before road dates with the Coyotes, Avalanche and Golden Knights.

3. New York Islanders (23-9-3)

Prev. Rank: 2

Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss, one of the most intimidating goaltending tandems in the league (Islanders are fifth in goals against per game at 2.57), have looked vulnerable over the last four games (1-2-1 team record), allowing 19 goals. We’ll see if it’s a blip on the radar or something more in due time.

4. Colorado Avalanche (23-11-3)

Prev. Rank: 3

The Avalanche are the league leaders in goal differential (plus-31) and goals per game (3.62) as the season nears its midway point. Nathan MacKinnon (55 points) is just seven points behind Connor McDavid in the Art Ross race.

5. Boston Bruins (22-7-9)

Prev. Rank: 4

The Bruins have gone cold, compiling a 2-4-4 record over their last 10 games. However, their plus-30 goal differential is still the best mark in the Eastern Conference and David Pastrnak leads all scorers with 28 tallies.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins (21-11-4)

Prev. Rank: 9

Tristan Jarry (11-5-0, 1.86 GAA, .939 save percentage) has been the story for the Penguins this year but Evgeni Malkin has been in a groove of late, notching 17 points over his last 10 efforts.

7. Carolina Hurricanes (22-13-2)

Prev. Rank: 10

Scoring six goals four times in an eight-game stretch is no easy feat, but that’s what the Hurricanes did just before the break (5-2-1 in that span). Team points leaders Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov combined for 17 points over those eight tilts.

8. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4)

Prev. Rank: 6

Arizona’s uneven play of late (5-5 last 10 games) has enabled the surging Golden Knights to catch them for the Pacific Division lead (46 points). These two clubs face off on Saturday in Vegas.

9. Dallas Stars (20-14-4)

Prev. Rank: 8

Giving up five or seven goals in a game, as Dallas did in their last two tilts, is a death sentence for most teams, and the Stars (2.61 goals per game, 25th in the NHL) are no exception. Their leading goal-getter, Roope Hintz, has just one tally in December (11 games).

10. Winnipeg Jets (21-14-2)

Prev. Rank: 11

The Jets have been treading water in December (5-4-1), but they could make a splash out of the break as they battle the Blues twice before a road tilt with Colorado.

11. Philadelphia Flyers (21-11-5)

Prev. Rank: 14

Carter Hart has been terrific in goal as the Flyers have propelled themselves to third in the Metropolitan Division. He’s 5-2 this month with a 1.93 GAA and .934 save percentage.

12. Vegas Golden Knights (20-14-6)

Prev. Rank: NR

Vegas has pointed in nine of 12 December contests, helping them climb back into the playoff discussion. Top forwards Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Marchessault have been in fine form, combining for 14 goals this month.

13. Edmonton Oilers (20-16-4)

Prev. Rank: 7

The Oilers’ 5-0-0 start seems like a distant memory as they’ve gone 15-16-4 since then, including a 4-7-1 mark in December. Only five teams have been outshot more than Edmonton this year, and none of them are in playoff position.

14. Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4)

Prev. Rank: NR

The Leafs are now second in the Atlantic after winning five in a row and seven of their last eight contests. Even backup goalie Michael Hutchinson got a win on December 21 – Toronto was the only club that didn’t have a win with a backup netminder until last Saturday.

15. Tampa Bay Lightning (18-13-4)

Prev. Rank: 12

Teams take their lives into their own hands when they go on the penalty kill against Tampa, as their power play is firing at 29.7 percent (second in the league). The Lightning are just four points off second place in the Atlantic with three games in hand.

16. Calgary Flames (19-15-5)

Prev. Rank: 13

The Flames’ offense was firing on all cylinders when they won seven straight between November 27 and December 12, but they’ve lost four of five since then and tallied just five goals in that span.

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