Golden Knights, Avalanche, Bruins Atop NHL Power Rankings

The Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings are both perfect against the puck line so far during the 2023-24 season while the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils yet to cover through their first four games.

The biggest item when it comes to the NHL news is that reigning scoring champion and Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers will miss multiple games due to injury. McDavid had two goals and six assists in five games at the time of his injury.

When looking at the NHL futures odds, Colorado came into the season with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup. Vegas was fourth at +1000 in the championship odds with Boston seventh with +1400 odds.

Here’s a look at the top five teams in the NHL as the season is just underway.

• Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights: Let’s start with the defending champions.Vegas is 3-0 both at home and on the road and trails only the Detroit Red Wings in goal differential.

There are plenty of familiar names leading the Golden Knights in scoring. Chandler Stephenson has team-best marks of five assists and seven points while Jack Eichel and Nicholas Roy are tied for the team lead with three goals.

The 23-year-old Paul Cotter and 22-year-old defenseman Kaedan Korczak have combined for two goals and five assists.

Goalies Adin Hill and Logan Thompson are a combined 6-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average.

• Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche: Colorado has allowed just eight goals in the first five games with four of them coming in the last game.

Only one player has a negative plus/minus rating with former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Cale Makar topping the charts at +6.

The quartet of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, Makar and Arturri Lehkonen have combined for 11 goals and 15 assists through the first five games.

• Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins: The Bruins were supposed to take a step back after the retirement of veteran centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci and the trade of Taylor Hall to the Chicago Blackhawks.

It hasn’t always been pretty, especially on the offensive end of the ice, but the Bruins are 5-0 for the first time since the 1937-38 season.

The Bruins have relied on the goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman as well as defensemen Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo.

David Pastrnak has five goals and eight points and leads the offense along with Brad Marchand (four goals, three assists) and offseason acquisition James van Riemsdyk (three goals). Rookies Matthew Poitras and John Beecher are playing key roles.

• Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings: Detroit leads the NHL with 30 goals and a power play scoring 39% of the time has played a huge role in the 5-1 start.

Michigan native Alex DeBrincat, acquired from the Ottawa Senators, leads the NHL with eight goals. DeBrincat (12 points) and Dylan Larkin (11 points) rank first and second in the NHL in scoring.

THE CAT HAS A HAT TRICK! 🐱

Alex DeBrincat (@Brinksy97) nets his third goal of the game! pic.twitter.com/e2fgd0Gaui

— NHL (@NHL) October 22, 2023

Detroit has won five games in a row since dropping the season opener to New Jersey. Detroit has scored at least six goals in two of the last three games. Five of the Red Wings’ first six games finished over the Las Vegas NHL odds total.

• Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars: Dallas has played four straight one-goal games with the only blemish so far this season being a shootout loss to the Golden Knights when the Stars twice led by one goal.

It has been a slow start for Jason Robertson (no goals and two assists).

The 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston and 24-year-old defenseman Miro Heiskanen team with 39-year-old Joe Pavelski to lead the offense.

Game Of the Week

• Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins
• Thursday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. ET

The top offensive team in the NHL will be meeting up with perhaps the top defensive squad when the Red Wings head to Boston.

Boston has won four of the five home games against the Red Wings, with four of those games finishing under the total.

Player of the Week

Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings: DeBrincat had five goals and three assists over the last four games with four of his goals coming at even strength.

DeBrincat scored on five of 12 shots in those four games.

ALEX DeBRINCAT HAT TRICK! 🎩🎩🎩 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/0rD65mMdxy

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) October 22, 2023

Rookie of the Week

Ridly Greig, Ottawa Senators: The former first-round pick not only had a goal and two assists in the last three games, but he also has a +5 defensive rating. He is fourth among rookie forwards in time on ice during short-handed situations.

Goalie of the Week

Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers: Hart stopped 48 of 49 shots to lead the Metropolitan Division-leading Flyers to wins over Vancouver and Edmonton.

Questions Of The Day