NOvember 22, 2022
By Tab Bamford

CHICAGO, IL — We’ve had the chance to celebrate three legends this week. On Sunday, after the Blackhawks did a tremendous job retiring Marian Hossa’s jersey with the Stanley Cup and many of his former teammates in attendance, the puck dropped, and Evgeni Malkin skated in his 1,000th game. The Hawks tipped their caps to Malkin and the crowd in Chicago showed him respect, which is well earned.

On Monday night, Patrice Bergeron reached 1,000 career points – a stellar achievement for one of the best to ever wear the Boston sweater. They’re rolling right now, and his return is a huge part of their success.

32. Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have a minus-32 goal differential in 19 starts this season, which is atrocious. They’re 2-9-1 away from home and 3-4-0 at home, but none of those five wins came in regulation. We’ve reached Thanksgiving week in the U.S. and Anaheim is still looking for a regulation win.

31. Buffalo Sabres

Losers of eight straight, the Sabres have been competitive all season; they have a minus-four goal differential despite having a 7-11-0 record. Tage Thompson is still filling box scores, but the team needs to find a finish soon to end this streak.

30. Ottawa Senators

This season was supposed to be different. They didn’t go out and get Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat to finish in the lottery again. Yet, here we are. Maybe Van Wilder can change their fortunes?

29. Arizona Coyotes

The long roadtrip is, predictably, not doing them any favors. With a minus-18 goal differential in 18 games things aren’t awful, but their current four-game losing streak has them heading the wrong direction.

28. Vancouver Canucks

Last year we wrote about how a coaching change might change the fortunes of a young, talented team. And here we are, one year later, writing the same thing.

27. Washington Capitals

Apparently, they really need Nicklas Backstrom. The Caps are 2-6-2 on the road and have a minus-12 goal differential in 20 games. They, too, have lost their last four games.

26. San Jose Sharks

They have played 12 games on home ice already and have just two wins to show for it. The buzz around Erik Karlsson being “available” makes things a little more interesting in San Jose, but his cap hit and term are going to make it hard to find a suitor early in the season, even with him enjoying a bounce-back season.

25. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Jackets are 6-6-0 at home but still have a minus-23 goal differential, which is the second worst in the NHL. Like Ottawa, the offense was supposed to be better after a big offseason addition.

24. Chicago Blackhawks

Their ceremony on Sunday night was impressive, as was their erasing a three-goal deficit against the Penguins. But another loss in spite of the comeback pushed the Blackhawks to four straight defeats and under .500 on home ice.

23. Philadelphia Flyers

The good vibes they were feeling early in the season have faded; the Flyers have dropped seven in a row and now have a minus-14 goal differential.

22. Minnesota Wild

The Wild are 3-5-1 at home and 5-3-1 on the road. Being a .500 team isn’t what they hoped for after a strong finish last year, and they’re working their way through some tough injuries.

21. Edmonton Oilers

It seems like we ask the same question about them every week: how do you have a negative goal differential with McDavid and Draisaitl? They’re still trying to replace Evander Kane’s role in the offense, and are just 4-6-0 in their last ten.

20. Calgary Flames

At just 4-4-2 in their last ten, the Flames continue to tread water. All of the off-season changes up front were supposed to make them a better team, but it takes time to get the chemistry right. Now that we’re past the mid-point of November, it’s time for that to show up on the ice.

19. Montreal Canadiens

The Habs’ young top line has been good, but the depth needs to follow their lead. Still, they’re 6-4-0 on home ice and have won five of their last ten.

18. Nashville Predators

The Preds are 3-5-0 on the road and have a minus-nine goal differential, which isn’t great. They have won six of their last ten, though, and continue to hang around the playoff picture in a struggling, mediocre Central Division.

17. Florida Panthers

A couple familiar faces were wearing the road jerseys this week when the Flames came to town. The Panthers are 5-2-2 on home ice and, like Calgary, are still working on getting the chemistry right on the ice. They have a break-even goal differential in 19 games.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins

The warm-ups before Geno’s 1,000th game were fun to watch. His emotion after the game was very real, and the respect was obvious. The Pens are trying to find a groove and might be getting ready for a run.

15. Detroit Red Wings

The offense isn’t there (59 goals in 18 games) but their defense has been good enough to keep them in the playoff picture.

14. New York Rangers

Same deal as Detroit with the offense; the Rangers have scored 56 times in 19 games. They need to be better tan 4-3-3 at MSG, though.

13. Los Angeles Kings

Their record says they’re better than 13, but their minus-four goal differential in 21 games makes us wonder how long they’ll stick in the playoff spots in the Pacific. The Kings are just 5-3-2 in their last 10.

12. Carolina Hurricanes

Losers of their last three and just 4-3-3 in their last 10, the Canes have hit a rough patch. They came back valiantly on Monday night but came up short in overtime. They have played 12 of 19 on the road to start the season, though.

11. St. Louis Blues

Winners of seven in a row, the Blues have found everything they were lacking in the first month of the season. They still have a minus-six goal differential for the season, but they’re now 5-4-0 at home and on the road and are starting to roll the offense nightly. Look out in the Central!

10. Colorado Avalanche

The Avs have played 10 of 17 on the road to start their championship defense and have struggled at times to replace the key players who left, but they have now won three straight and are 7-3-0 in their last 10.

9. Winnipeg Jets

Winners of seven of their last ten and seven of nine on home ice, the Jets have taken advantage of a mediocre division to jump into the playoff conversation. They might have the best goaltender in the league right now, too.

8. Seattle Kraken

So maybe they just needed Matty Beniers? One player isn’t going to take a team from the lottery to the playoffs by himself, but the Kraken’s delayed approach has proved to be terrific. They’re 5-1-1 away from home to start the year.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Bolts are doing what they have for most of the past decade. They’re just hanging around the top couple spots in the division while some nights look awful and others look like a championship team. They have a plus-three goal differential and have integrated new faces in a number of places well.

6. New York Islanders

I guess Lou was right; last year was just an ‘off year.’ The Isles are back to looking like the team that went to back-to-back Conference Finals, led by their defense that has allowed only 55 goals in 20 games.

5. Dallas Stars

Dallas has allowed 52 goals in 19 games and is 6-3-2 away from home. Jason Robertson is making his contract look like a tremendous value right now, and the Stars’ plus-21 goal differential ranks fourth in the league.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Injuries are piling up on their blueline and that’s reflected in their plus-five goal differential. Yet they’re still one of just five teams with at least 25 points to date and have only one regulation loss in their last ten.

3. Vegas Golden Knights

Maybe they should stay on the road? The Knights are 9-1-1 away from home to start the season and have an impressive plus-22 goal differential thus far.

2. Boston Bruins

Even though they still haven’t lost on home ice and have outscored their opponents 80-40 in 19 games, the hot streak of another team has them bumped back to No. 2 this week.

1. New Jersey Devils

They may never lose again! Seriously, though, what they’re doing in Jersey after fans were calling for a coaching change in the season’s opening weeks is amazing. They’ve won 13 straight and have a plus-29 goal differential. Their young core is maturing before our eyes.