8. Anaheim Ducks (2-6-1)
Last week: 6
Trevor Zegras’ overtime heroics on Sunday weren’t enough to keep the Ducks from moving down to the basement this week, but they were enough to snap a seven-game winless streak, capping off the comeback after they’d trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in the third period.
This week: @ SJ, @ VAN, @ SJ, VS FLA
7. San Jose Sharks (3-8-0)
Last week: 7
The Sharks are just 1-2-0 halfway through a six-game homestand after allowing a last-minute game-winning goal to Nikita Kucherov in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Erik Karlsson scored twice, though, after netting the overtime winner against the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Karlsson leads all defensemen with six goals and 11 points so far this season.
This week: VS ANA, VS FLA, VS ANA
6. Vancouver Canucks (2-5-2)
Last week: 8
Back-to-back wins for the Canucks and boy did they need them. Highly-touted KHL signing Andrei Kuzmenko has been doing his part to get things turned around in Vancouver, scoring a goal and an assist in both Thursday’s 5-4 win over the Seattle Kraken and Friday’s 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
This week: VS NJ, VS ANA, VS NSH
5. Seattle Kraken (4-4-2)
Last week: 5
It was still a strong homestand for the Kraken despite that loss to the Canucks, which was sandwiched between a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres and a 3-1 win over the Penguins.
Jared McCann has continued to prove to be one of the better picks Seattle made in the expansion draft. He had a four-game goal streak snapped in Saturday’s win over Pittsburgh.
This week: @ CGY, @ MIN, @ PIT
4. Los Angeles Kings (5-5-0)
Last week: 4
A 2-1-0 homestand isn’t bad, with the two wins coming over presumed contenders in the Lightning and Maple Leafs. Thursday’s 6-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets was a bad one, though. Jonathan Quick allowed five goals on just 18 shots and the Kings blew a 3-1 lead, the second time in three games that they’d failed to even get a point after holding a multi-goal lead.
There’s still lots to clean up for a team that’s allowing 4.10 goals against per game, but the Kings have managed to tread water so far. Among the good news is that Adrian Kempe’s 35-goal breakout season last year is looking like no fluke, as he’s started this season off with six goals in his first 10 games.
This week: @ STL, @ DAL, @ CHI, VS FLA
3. Calgary Flames (5-2-0)
Last week: 1
A 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and undefeated weeks from the Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights was enough to drop the Flames to the third spot this week, even though it was just their second loss of the season.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first goal as a Flame in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Penguins.
This week: VS SEA, VS NSH, VS NJ
2. Edmonton Oilers (6-3-0)
Last week: 3
Saturday’s win in Calgary capped off a perfect 3-0-0 road trip for the Oilers and was their fourth straight win overall as they’ve quickly turned a bad start to the season into a pretty good one.
That road trip included a wild 6-5 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in which Connor McDavid scored a hat trick and Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winner in the final minute.
This week: VS NSH, VS NJ, VS DAL
1. Vegas Golden Knights (8-2-0)
Last week: 2
Vegas went 4-0-0 last week, allowing a total of just four goals as Logan Thompson and Adin Hill continue to dismiss any goaltending concerns for the Golden Knights.
Offensively, it’s been Jack Eichel leading the way with 10 points in 10 games, including Sunday’s beautiful overtime winner against the Jets.
This week: @ WSH, @ OTT, @ MTL
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