(-) 10. Florida Panthers (6-1-2)
I still don't know what to make of the Panthers, and honestly I think they are going to end up at the bottom of the league by the seasons end. They did finally lose in regulation, and of course it was against the worst team in the league, Detroit. I really hope they start losing so I don't feel obligated to keep them in the top 10.
(-1) 9. Carolina Hurricanes (7-3-0)
The Hurricanes are a team flying under the radar and are on a hot start to the season. Schvenikov is breaking out as a superstar and last years trade deadline acquisition of Vincent Trocheck is really paying off for Carolina.
(-6) 8. Washington Capitals (6-3-3)
The Capitals had a rough week again, as even more players were forced out of the lineup with injury. The good news in Alex Ovechkin looks like he is 23 again with the moves he made against the Flyers Sunday to go along with his 2 goals and 2 assists. The Caps will get a week off since all of their opponents this week are dealing with COVID to help recover.
(+2) 7. Philadelphia Flyers (8-3-2)
Tonight's Flyers game against the capitals has already been postponed, and it looks like more schedule movement will be on the way as the Flyers deal with COVID issues. It may be a while before we see Gritty back on the ice.
(+1) 6. Vegas Golden Knights (7-1-1)
Vegas still only has 1 regulation loss this season, and Mark Stone is playing like on of the elite players in the league. One thing I would keep an eye on if I was a Golden Knights fan would be the frequent defensive lapses. Watching the two game set against the Kings was rough at times, as Vegas allowed way to many odd man rushes against one of the worst teams in the league.
(-1) 5. Colorado Avalanche (7-3-1)
It has been a rough week for the Avalanche, as injuries have started to mount and the team is now dealing with COVID related issues. A long break is not what a team that struggles with consistency will want to go through right now.
(-3) 4. Montreal Canadiens (8-2-2)
Well the cinderella run to start the season looks to be over for the Habs, but this team is the real deal. I'll continue to remind you that Carey Price is capable of winning every night against anyone, and nobody will want to see this team in the postseason.
(+3) 3. Tampa Bay Lightning (8-1-1)
The Lightning just continue to win even without Nikita Kucherov and look poised to fight it out in for a chance to repeat as Stanley Cup champs. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has played every minute of the season thus far, and his team leads the league in save percentage.
(+3) 2. Boston Bruins (8-1-2)
David Pastrnak is on fire since coming back from injury last week. In his four games this season, Pastrnak has scored 5 goals and accounted for 8 total points while the team is 3-1 since his return.
(+2) 1. Toronto Maple Leafs (10-2-1)
There is no debating who the best team in the NHL is right now. The Toronto Maple Leafs are firing on a cylinders, and Auston Mathews seems to be scoring every time his skates hit the ice. Matthews now has 11 goals in the teams 12 games, and has led the leagues best power play unit too 11 goals in 12 chances this season. But, as Maple Leafs fans know too much, we know they can be a great team in the regular season. We need to see results in the playoffs from this core unit of guys. Will this be the year? I don't know, but anything other than a Stanley Cup will be a disappointment for the franchise and the fanbase.
