
The Washington Capitals remain atop our NHL power rankings this week.
The Caps, the only team with a point percentage above .700 (.734) continue to find ways to win, whether it’s scoring three times on 14 shots, as they did Tuesday in a 3-2 road win against the Edmonton Oilers, or getting an overtime goal by Alex Ovechkin that gave Washington a 1-0 win against the Ottawa Senators.
Ovechkin’s chase to pass Wayne Gretzky for the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record gets a lot of the headlines, but Spencer Carbery is the front-runner for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year, and Logan Thompson is in line to at least be a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender. The Capitals also pay attention to their play away from the puck; 12 players are plus-10 or above and only two regulars are minus players.
The Winnipeg Jets, who lead the Western Conference, remained in second place, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights.
At the other end of the rankings, the San Jose Sharks have dropped into last place. San Jose became the first team this season to lose 30 games in regulation by going 0-4-0 in a six-day span during a six-game road trip. They struggled to score in the first two games (4-1 losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders), then were unable to hold third-period leads in Boston and Nashville, losing 6-3 and 7-5, respectively.
2024-25 NHL Power Rankings: From No. 32 to No. 1
32. San Jose Sharks (14-28-2)

The Sharks’ most painful loss of the season might have come Tuesday in Nashville, where they led the Predators 5-1 midway through the second period – only to allow six unanswered goals in the 7-5 loss. It was their 11th consecutive loss to the Predators, who come to SAP Center on Thursday. San Jose is just 8-6-2 in games in which it has held a lead after 40 minutes and is the 10th team since 1979-80 to lose eight times in regulation after leading in the third period.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (15-28-4)

Petr Mrazek is one of the NHL’s most unappreciated goaltenders. He stole two points by making 32 saves in a 5-3 win against Vegas on Saturday, then nearly stole two more against Carolina on Monday, but the Hurricanes overcame his 44-save effort to win 4-3 in overtime. His 9-16-2 record for one of the NHL’s weakest teams doesn’t do him justice.
30. Buffalo Sabres (18-24-5)

Buffalo, last in the Eastern Conference, is 6-5-1 since the Christmas break after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Tuesday in the second of a four-game trip. Looking at the Sabres’ top-end talent and their won-lost record is like adding 2+2 and getting an answer other than 4. They’ve changed coaches, changed players, have had plenty of high draft picks and are still on track to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 14th straight season.
29. Nashville Predators (17-22-7)

It’s probably too late for the Predators to make a playoff push, but the high-powered team GM Barry Trotz thought he had assembled is finally showing up. They won all three games last week, giving them a four-game winning streak during which they’ve scored 21 goals. Nashville plays its last eight games before the 4 Nations break against teams all below the top 15 in this week’s rankings, so there might still be a sliver of hope if the Preds can stay hot.
28. Anaheim Ducks (18-23-6)

It looks like another lost season in Anaheim, where the Ducks still struggle offensively – their 113 goals scored are the fewest in the NHL. Several of their highly regarded young players have yet to blossom. None of Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier – all taken in the top five in their draft year – has averaged even a half-point per game this season, and all are getting crushed at even strength. The Ducks are wasting solid seasons in goal from Lukas Dostal and John Gibson.
27. Seattle Kraken (21-24-3)

Seattle is 3-1-0 since starting goaltender Joey Daccord returned from an injury and has won the first two of a four-game homestand. The Kraken look like a different team when he’s in goal. He’d better be at his best this week – Seattle faces three of the greatest players of the 21st century – Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid – in consecutive games. The Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins come to Seattle before the Kraken visit Edmonton on Monday.
26. New York Islanders (19-20-7)

Games 3 and 4 of their seven-game homestand went much better for the Islanders than Games 1 and 2. After desultory efforts in losses to the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, the Islanders got more physical and dominated the Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing one goal to each. Marcus Hogberg has taken some of the load off Ilya Sorokin in goal, allowing just six goals in four starts, including one each in the last three.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-21-8)

Alex Nedeljkovic celebrated his promotion to the No. 1 job by becoming the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal and an assist in the same game – he did it in a 5-2 win at Buffalo that began a seven-game road trip. Nedeljkovic also excelled Monday in Los Angeles, making 25 saves in a 5-1 victory against the Kings. If the Penguins are going to make a push, now’s the time — they don’t see another team currently holding a playoff berth until they host New Jersey on Feb. 4.
24. Detroit Red Wings (21-21-5)

Detroit’s offense took the last three games off after winning 5-2 in Florida last Thursday. They scored once each in regulation losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars, then got a point despite again scoring just once in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Wings need a big week at home – the Montreal Canadiens, Lightning and Kings come to Little Caesars Arena, and a poor showing is likely to put them in a big hole as they try to end a playoff drought that dates to 2016.
23. Utah Hockey Club (20-19-7)

Maybe Utah just needed to go back and play Western Conference teams. They begin a three-game trip on Thursday after winning the final two games of their seven-game homestand against St. Louis and the Winnipeg Jets – after losing to the Islanders, Rangers and Canadiens. Connor Ingram was in goal for the wins against the Blues and Jets, and he figures to get more time after missing more than two months because of the illness and death of his mother.
22. Philadelphia Flyers (22-20-6)

Just when it looks like the Flyers are going to start fading out of the playoff race in the East, they win 5-3 on Long Island before coming up with a pair of defensive gems, winning 3-1 against the Devils in Newark before topping Detroit 2-1 in overtime at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday. The return of goaltender Samuel Ersson seems to make the Flyers a completely different team; it will be interesting to see how they use him with two sets of back-to-backs in their next five games.
21. St. Louis Blues (23-21-4)

The Blues play six of their eight games before the 4 Nations break at home, so if they’re going to push for the playoffs, this is the time. They’re one point out of the second wild card in the West, but they need to get off the merry-go-round of mediocrity, not having been more than two games above NHL .500 all season. St. Louis fans have noticed: The Blues have failed to sell out Enterprise Center in each of their past four home games.
20. Boston Bruins (23-20-6)

The Bruins got pasted 5-1 in New Jersey on Wednesday night, dropping them back into a three-way tie (in points) for the second wild card in the East; however, the other contenders all have games in hand. If the B’s fails to make the playoffs, a 6-5 shootout loss at Ottawa on Saturday may haunt them all summer; Boston led 5-3 with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, blew the lead and didn’t score in the tiebreaker. The result was a three-point swing against them.
19. New York Rangers (23-20-4)

Only an overtime loss at Montreal on Sunday kept the Rangers from a perfect 4-0-0 week. Much of the credit for their revival since the start of 2025 goes to goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who made 27 saves Saturday in a 1-0 shootout win against Columbus and 20 in a 5-0 win over Ottawa on Tuesday. He was 3-0-0 last week and is 5-0-1 since returning from an upper-body injury that cost him four games.
18. Vancouver Canucks (20-16-10)

Vancouver’s only win in the last 11 days was a 3-2 home victory against Edmonton on Saturday. The rematch is Thursday in Edmonton, where the Oilers will be without McDavid after he was given a three-game suspension by the NHL for a cross-check to the head of Conor Garland in the final seconds. The fracas cost Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers a three-game suspension as well for a separate incident – a trade the struggling Canucks will gladly take.
17. Columbus Blue Jackets (23-18-7)

Backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov made NHL history Saturday when he got his first career shutout against the New York Rangers – but didn’t win the game. Neither team scored in regulation and OT before New York beat Tarasov in the shootout for a 1-0 win. But after a 3-1 loss to the Islanders two nights later, the Jackets jumped back into the first wild card Wednesday with a 5-1 road win against the Toronto Maple Leafs that was sparked by Adam Fantilli’s first NHL hat trick.
16. Ottawa Senators (24-19-4)

Rookie goalie Leevi Merilainen struggled in his last two games, but he has kept the Sens in a playoff spot while starter Linus Ullmark has been recuperating from a back issue that has kept him out for a month. Merilainen is 6-3-1 with two shutouts; however, Ullmark is traveling and practicing with the team, and his return could mean that the 22-year-old will be sent back to the AHL. Ullmark had won eight of his last nine starts before the injury.
15. Montreal Canadiens (24-19-4)

The Canadiens didn’t let blowing a three-goal lead and losing 7-3 at home to Toronto on Saturday discourage them. They rebounded the next night by rallying to beat the Rangers in overtime, then overtaking Tampa Bay in a 3-2 win on Tuesday. Montreal is 10-2-1 since the Christmas break entering a Thursday night visit to Detroit, then goes home for three more home games before a California trip.
14. Calgary Flames (22-16-7)

Scoring is still a challenge for the Flames, but their defense and goaltending have been good enough to keep them in the second wild card in the West despite playing just 45 games. But a team that doesn’t project to have any player reach the 60-point mark (Jonathan Huberdeau has 32 in 45 games, projecting to 58 for the season) figures to have trouble down the road.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (25-18-3)

Losses on consecutive nights at Toronto and Montreal have dropped the Lightning within a point of being caught by Montreal, Ottawa and Boston for third place in the Atlantic Division. The loss to the Canadiens was especially painful; Tampa Bay led 2-0 after one period and gave up the game-winner with 2:15 remaining in regulation. It was the fourth time this season the Bolts have failed to win after leading by multiple goals.
12. Colorado Avalanche (28-19-2)

The Avs head out for a three-in-four swing through Boston and New York after settling for a point in an overtime loss to Winnipeg at home on Wednesday. They’ll remain without forward Valeri Nichushkin, who had a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury and is now regarded as week to week. Colorado is 14-7-0 with the 29-year-old Russian in the lineup and 14-12-2 without him.
11. Florida Panthers (28-18-3)

The Panthers swept what’s probably the longest home-and-home set in their history by blanking Anaheim 3-0 at home on Saturday, then winning the return matchup 5-2 on Tuesday to begin a four-game swing through California and Vegas. The defending Cup champs were one of the NHL’s best at killing penalties before the Christmas break but have allowed 12 power-play goals in 46 times short in 13 games since then.
10. New Jersey Devils (27-17-6)

A blowout win against Boston on Wednesday might have been the costliest of the season. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom had to leave after Bruins forward Justin Brazeau crashed into him, crushing his left leg and foot against the goal post. Coach Sheldon Keefe said only that Markstrom, who is 21-9-5 and has plugged the Devils’ longstanding hole in goal, “is going to miss some time.” Losing him for any length of time would be a major blow.
9. Los Angeles Kings (26-14-5)

The Kings were a period away from heading out on their second five-game road trip this month with a three-game losing streak before scoring twice in the final 20 minutes to defeat Florida 2-1 on Wednesday. That win came two nights after one of their worst efforts of the season, a four-goal home loss to the Penguins. When the Kings return from their road trip, they’ll play 22 of their last 32 games at Crypto.com Arena.
8. Dallas Stars (29-17-1)

Three losses in four games during a six-day span last week have dropped the Stars eight points behind Winnipeg in the race for first place in the Central Division. That includes a 2-1 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday that saw the ’Canes score the winning goal 24 seconds after Dallas had tied the game in the third period. The loss dropped the Stars to 0-13-0 when trailing after two periods.
7. Minnesota Wild (28-15-4)

The Wild, who lost two of three last week, could get some reinforcements when they host Utah on Thursday. Forward Kirill Kaprizov, their top scorer, and defenseman Jared Spurgeon, their captain, skated in line rushes Wednesday and coach John Hynes said he’s “cautiously optimistic” they’ll play. Kaprizov was battling for the NHL scoring lead before missing 12 games with a lower-body injury; Spurgeon has missed nine in a row, also with a lower-body issue.
6. Carolina Hurricanes (29-16-3)

The Hurricanes got a lift when their No. 1 goaltender, Frederik Andersen, returned Monday after knee surgery. He was a little rusty at the beginning in Chicago but managed to get the win when Sebastian Aho scored 59 seconds into overtime for a 4-3 victory. Andersen is 4-1-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. He will team with Pyotr Kochetkov, who made 22 saves Tuesday in a 2-1 win at Dallas, and should give Carolina a boost in goal.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (30-17-2)

The Blue Jackets have had Toronto’s number this season, winning both games by a combined score of 11-2. The loss derailed Toronto’s momentum after victories against Montreal and Tampa Bay that moved the Maple Leafs into first place in the Atlantic Division. Auston Matthews has been on fire since returning from injury; he has six goals during a five-game goal-scoring streak and has nine goals in 10 games since Jan. 4.
4. Edmonton Oilers (29-15-3)

The Oilers have two more games without McDavid, who served the first of his three-game suspension Tuesday, missing a 3-2 loss to the Capitals in the opener of a six-game homestand. He was docked three games after receiving a match penalty for a cross-check to the head of the Canucks’ Clayton Keller in a 3-2 loss at Vancouver on Saturday. Edmonton then lost to the Caps despite outshooting them 32-14 because Stuart Skinner made only 11 saves.
3. Vegas Golden Knights (29-14-4)

It’s been tough going for the Golden Knights, who went 0-2-1 last week and are 1-5-1 in their past seven games. Keeping the puck out of the net has been a problem during the slump; Vegas allowed 12 goals (plus one in a shootout) in the three losses during the past week. Jack Eichel (58 points in 46 games) continues to be on track for his first 100-point season, but no other forward has reached the 40-point mark yet.
2. Winnipeg Jets (32-14-3)

The Jets needed just 17 seconds of overtime for a 3-2 victory at Colorado on Wednesday, with Neal Pionk scoring the OT winner. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves to move within one victory of his sixth 30-win season. However, Winnipeg might be in the market for a backup goalie as the trade deadline nears; Eric Comrie won his first three starts but is 0-7-1 since then. His seven regulation losses in 11 games are the same as Hellebuyck’s total in 37 games.
1. Washington Capitals (32-10-5)

You don’t have to score a lot to win when the opposition can barely score at all, as the Caps are showing during their five-game winning streak. Thompson allowed four goals in the five wins, including back-to-back shutouts against Anaheim and Ottawa and continues to be the most amazing story on the league’s best team. The bargain basement acquisition from Vegas was the NHL’s Second Star for the week ending Sunday and is 22-2-3 with a 2.09 GAA and .925 save percentage.