NHL Power Rankings Through 10 Games

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A tenth of the way through this NHL season, it has been entirely unpredictable.

That doesn’t bode well for those brave enough to publish preseason predictions — including yours truly — but one must always brace for the possibility of eating crow.

Good thing I’m hungry today, because this edition of the Power Rankings is serving up all kinds of humble pie.

I do have an appetite for fun hockey and stellar storylines, which there has been no shortage of thus far.

That combination isn’t making this practice any easier, and there’s been plenty of movement from the five-game mark until now.

The same team is still on top — and seemingly undisputed, despite slipping up on Saturday — but the majority of the 31 teams are trending up or down, which should spark more debate.

So let’s get right to it with my Power Rankings through 10 games:

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

LAST RANKED: 1 (=)

PRESEASON RANKING: 4 (+3)

OVERALL RECORD: 9-2-0-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 4-1-0-0 — 4-1 loss to Anaheim, 3-2 win over Detroit, 5-1 win over Carolina, 7-1 win over Pittsburgh, 2-0 win over Columbus

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Florida on Monday, home to New York Rangers on Thursday, home to Columbus on Saturday, at San Jose on Nov. 8, at Los Angeles on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: Forgiving that setback to the Ducks, with backup Peter Budaj in goal, the Lightning are firing on all cylinders and continue to look like the team to beat this season. Led by the dynamic duo of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov and backstopped by Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay has been getting secondary scoring and the emergence of Mikhail Sergachev has made the Lightning’s defence that much more formidable too. Steve Yzerman isn’t missing Jonathan Drouin, not with Brayden Point more than picking up his slack.

2) Los Angeles Kings

LAST RANKED: 6 (+4)

PRESEASON RANKING: 23 (+21)

OVERALL RECORD: 9-1-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 4-1-0-0 — 2-1 overtime win over Boston, 4-0 win over Montreal, 3-2 shootout win over Ottawa, 3-2 loss to Toronto, 6-4 win over Columbus

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At St. Louis on Monday, home to Toronto on Thursday, home to Nashville on Saturday, at Anaheim on Nov. 7, home to Tampa Bay on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: The Kings’ resurgence has been led by Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick and rookie Adrian Kempe, who has become a breakout sensation since Jeff Carter went down to injury. Even without one of its top-six centres for the foreseeable future — as in months — Los Angeles continues to win and win impressively. However, the Kings are entering a tough stretch and these next five games should be telling as to whether their momentum will be sustainable and whether we should consider L.A. a legitimate Cup contender again.

3) Vegas Golden Knights

LAST RANKED: 22 (+19)

PRESEASON RANKING: 31 (+28)

OVERALL RECORD: 8-1-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 5-0-0-0 — 7-0 win over Colorado, 4-2 win over Chicago, 3-2 overtime win over St. Louis, 5-4 overtime win over Buffalo, 3-1 win over Boston

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At New York Islanders on Monday, at New York Rangers on Tuesday, at Boston on Thursday, at Ottawa on Saturday, at Toronto on Nov. 6

ANALYSIS: This is insanity, but it’s also reality — the Golden Knights are somehow for real, as surreal as this early-season success has been. Going 6-1 on their homestand, the next test comes in the form of a six-game road trip that ends Nov. 7 at Montreal. But it’s probably time to stop betting against Vegas, regardless of who is in goal for this fascinating expansion franchise. It has been next-man-up for the Golden Knights — from Marc-Andre Fleury to Malcolm Subban to Oscar Dansk — but Gerard Gallant is getting a total team effort and maybe George McPhee won’t be a seller after all. Then again, it’s entirely possible that the Golden Knights have peaked at this point. Nobody would have envisioned Vegas cracking the top 10 — let alone the top three — in any Power Rankings, and who could have imagined Dansk playing a bigger role for Vegas than Vadim Shipachyov? Simply stunning!

4) St. Louis Blues

LAST RANKED: 15 (+11)

PRESEASON RANKING: 24 (+20)

OVERALL RECORD: 9-2-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 4-0-1-0 — 4-1 win over Columbus, 2-1 win over Carolina, 5-2 win over Calgary, 3-2 overtime loss to Vegas, 4-3 win over Colorado

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Los Angeles on Monday, home to Philadelphia on Thursday, home to Toronto on Saturday, at New Jersey on Nov. 7, home to Arizona on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: On a three-game winning streak and getting healthy, St. Louis deserves more respect and recognition than it has been getting — overshadowed by the other hot-starters. The Blues need to be taken seriously, with Jake Allen and Alex Pietrangelo proving to be one of the league’s best players at their respective positions, in goal and on defence. Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Taransenko are filling the net, and Mike Yeo deserves his due for coaching a depleted lineup to the top of the Central Division through the month of October.

5) New Jersey Devils

LAST RANKED: 13 (+8)

PRESEASON RANKING: 27 (+22)

OVERALL RECORD: 8-2-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 4-1-0-0 — 4-3 win over Arizona, 5-4 shootout win over Ottawa, 3-0 loss to San Jose, 5-4 overtime win over Ottawa, 5-4 shootout win over Tampa Bay

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Vancouver on Wednesday, at Edmonton on Friday, at Calgary on Sunday, home to St. Louis on Nov. 7, home to Edmonton on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: Who envisioned the Devils being this good and this potent offensively? Liars, but now Taylor Hall gets two chances to light up the Oilers over New Jersey’s next five games, including a return to Edmonton this week. Cory Schneider should also relish that Western Canadian swing. It’ll be a first for first overall pick Nico Hischier and fellow rookie Jesper Bratt, who is blowing everybody away with consecutive game-winning goals — including a dirty shootout dangle — and is shockingly a point-per-game player through 10 games as a 19-year-old selected in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. If you hadn’t heard of Bratt to this point, you haven’t been watching enough hockey or highlights this season. Bratt and the Devils have been an improbable success story thus far.

6) Vancouver Canucks

LAST RANKED: 29 (+23)

PRESEASON RANKING: 22 (+16)

OVERALL RECORD: 6-3-0-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 4-1-0-0 — 6-2 win over Washington, 1-0 win over Minnesota, 4-1 win over Detroit, 4-2 win over Buffalo, 6-3 loss to Boston

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Dallas on Monday, home to New Jersey on Wednesday, home to Pittsburgh on Saturday, home to Detroit on Nov. 6, at Calgary on Nov. 7

ANALYSIS: On a four-game winning streak with four games left in this homestand, the Canucks may not need to worry about empty seats at Rogers Arena for much longer. Vancouver’s fan base is notoriously fickle, but the bandwagon should be filling up now thanks to Travis Green, Brock Boeser and Derek Dorsett. Yes, Derek Dorsett, who leads the surprising Canucks with six goals. Green’s coaching and deployment is the biggest reason for Vancouver’s resurgence and Boeser is looking like a real-deal rookie.

7) Ottawa Senators

LAST RANKED: 8 (+1)

PRESEASON RANKING: 28 (+21)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-1-1-4

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-0-1-2 — 5-4 shootout loss to New Jersey, 5-4 win over Philadelphia, 3-2 shootout loss to Los Angeles, 6-3 win over Toronto, 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Montreal on Monday, home to Detroit on Thursday, home to Vegas on Saturday, at Colorado on Nov. 10, home to Colorado on Nov. 11

ANALYSIS: Earning at least a point in all but one game, the shootout hasn’t been kind to the Senators. That’s the bad news. The good news is Erik Karlsson hasn’t skipped a beat, returning from ankle surgery in dominant form and racking up the points as per usual. Ottawa has been battling some injuries and illness but Guy Boucher is still getting the most out of this group that overachieved in reaching last season’s Eastern Conference final.

8) Anaheim Ducks

LAST RANKED: 20 (+12)

PRESEASON RANKING: 10 (+2)

OVERALL RECORD: 6-4-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 4-1-0-0 — 4-3 shootout win over Carolina, 4-1 win over Tampa Bay, 8-3 loss to Florida, 6-2 win over Philadelphia, 6-2 win over Montreal

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Toronto on Wednesday, home to Nashville on Friday, at San Jose on Saturday, home to Los Angeles on Nov. 7, home to Vancouver on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: If this team can get — and stay — healthy, the Ducks will do damage again. Their recent run is proof of that, bolstered by the returns of Ryan Getzlaf, Hampus Lindholm and, lastly, Sami Vatanen on the weekend. However, Anaheim has lost Cam Fowler for at least a few weeks and now Getzlaf might be hurt again, while Ryan Kesler isn’t expected back for another month or more. As mentioned before, the Ducks should be a second-half team — if healthy — but they are already soaring up the Power Rankings.

9) Toronto Maple Leafs

LAST RANKED: 5 (-4)

PRESEASON RANKING: 8 (-1)

OVERALL RECORD: 7-4-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 4-2 loss to Philadelphia, 6-3 loss to Carolina, 3-2 win over Los Angeles, 6-3 loss to Ottawa, 6-3 win over Detroit

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At San Jose on Monday, at Anaheim on Wednesday, at Los Angeles on Thursday, at St. Louis on Saturday, home to Vegas on Nov. 6

ANALYSIS: Losing three of their last four, including two in a row at home, the Leafs need to regroup on the road and a trip to California could be good for Toronto — and especially for goaltender Frederik Andersen, who returns to his old stomping grounds in Anaheim this week. That getaway could also go badly for Andersen and the Leafs, with difficult opponents awaiting their arrival. Monday will be an emotional night for Patrick Marleau, returning to San Jose, and Auston Matthews will be close to home too — looking to shine as an Arizona product. By the 15-game mark, we’ll have a better read on Toronto.

10) Pittsburgh Penguins

LAST RANKED: 3 (-7)

PRESEASON RANKING: 2 (-8)

OVERALL RECORD: 7-5-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 7-1 loss to Winnipeg, 2-1 loss to Minnesota, 2-1 overtime win over Winnipeg, 2-1 overtime win over Edmonton, 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Edmonton on Wednesday, at Calgary on Thursday, at Vancouver on Saturday, home to Arizona on Nov. 7, at Washington on Nov. 10

ANALYSIS: Stanley Cup hangover? At times anyway, with the two-time defending champion Penguins already getting blown out 7-1 twice and 10-1 by Chicago before that. Two of those stinkers can be blamed on Antti Niemi — who has since been banished, after three awful outings overall — and prior to Sunday’s helpless effort in Winnipeg, Matt Murray had been a bright spot for Pittsburgh. Mike Sullivan won’t be happy with the latest no-show, but Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are a prideful bunch, so look for them to rebound at Edmonton in a battle of underachieving teams.

11) Dallas Stars

LAST RANKED: 11 (=)

PRESEASON RANKING: 3 (-8)

OVERALL RECORD: 6-5-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 3-2-0-0 — 2-1 win over Calgary, 5-4 loss to Edmonton, 5-3 loss to Colorado, 4-3 win over Carolina, 5-4 win over Arizona

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Vancouver on Monday, at Winnipeg on Thursday, home to Buffalo on Saturday, home to Winnipeg on Nov. 6, home to New York Islanders on Nov. 10

ANALYSIS: The Stars’ top line is heating up, particularly Alex Radulov, and the power play is becoming potent too. Ben Bishop needs to be better in goal and Ken Hitchcock would welcome more secondary scoring, but Dallas is on the right track towards being a top-10 team.

12) Columbus Blue Jackets

LAST RANKED: 7 (-5)

PRESEASON RANKING: 7 (-5)

OVERALL RECORD: 7-4-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 4-1 loss to St. Louis, 2-1 overtime win over Winnipeg, 5-1 win over Buffalo, 6-4 loss to Los Angeles, 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Boston on Monday, at Florida on Thursday, at Tampa Bay on Saturday, at New York Rangers on Nov. 6, home to Nashville on Nov. 7

ANALYSIS: So far, the Blue Jackets have been winning the games they should win and losing all the true measuring sticks that could elevate them to the status of an elite team this season. Columbus is going to be a good team again, but there’s still room for improvement in John Tortorella’s squad. The fiery coach is trying to find the right fits up front, while relying on Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes. Seth Jones, for his part, is becoming elite on the blue line.

13) New York Islanders

LAST RANKED: 27 (+14)

PRESEASON RANKING: 17 (+4)

OVERALL RECORD: 6-4-0-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 4-1-0-0 — 6-2 win over Nashville, 6-4 loss to Minnesota, 5-3 win over San Jose, 5-3 win over Arizona, 4-3 shootout win over New York Rangers

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Vegas on Monday, at Washington on Thursday, home to Colorado on Sunday, home to Edmonton on Nov. 7, at Dallas on Nov. 10

ANALYSIS: John Tavares is on fire — soaring up the scoring leaders with two hat tricks in his last three games — and the Islanders are riding a wave of momentum thanks to their captain’s hot hand. Jordan Eberle finally scored too — netting his first two goals in his 11th game with the Islanders — and rookie blueliner Ryan Pulock is becoming a weapon on the much-improving power play. Things are looking up for Doug Weight and Co. in Brooklyn.

14) Nashville Predators

LAST RANKED: 17 (+3)

PRESEASON RANKING: 12 (-2)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-4-1-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-2-0-1 — 6-2 loss to New York Islanders, 2-1 win over Chicago, 3-2 shootout loss to Calgary, 4-2 loss to New York Rangers, 1-0 win over Philadelphia

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At San Jose on Wednesday, at Anaheim on Friday, at Los Angeles on Saturday, at Columbus on Nov. 7, home to Pittsburgh on Nov. 11

ANALYSIS: You hate to point the finger at a backup goalie for holding a team back, especially a budding prospect, but the Predators need better efforts from Juuse Saros — playing behind Pekka Rinne, who has been stellar for the most part. The offence has been fine, led by Filip Forsberg, who set a franchise record for the most goals in the month of October, with eight, after not scoring his first goal until Nov. 12 last season — yet still finishing with 31. Forsberg could net 40 this season. The defence misses Ryan Ellis, no doubt, but Nashville is surviving without him. If Saros can step it up in spot duty, the Preds’ record should rise above .500.

15) Chicago Blackhawks

LAST RANKED: 2 (-13)

PRESEASON RANKING: 6 (-9)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-5-2-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 1-3-1-0 — 6-3 loss to Colorado, 2-1 loss to Nashville, 4-2 loss to Vegas, 4-2 win over Arizona, 2-1 overtime loss to Edmonton

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Philadelphia on Wednesday, at Minnesota on Saturday, home to Montreal on Sunday, at Philadelphia on Nov. 9, at Carolina on Nov. 11

ANALYSIS: The Blackhawks appear to be underachieving as of late. The loss to Vegas was alarming — failing to light up Dansk in his NHL debut (first start) — and Saturday’s shameful showing in Denver might be rock bottom already for Chicago. Brandon Saad has cooled off, Brent Seabrook has clearly lost a step, and Corey Crawford is in a bit of a funk too. That’s bad news for the Blackhawks, but Joel Quenneville, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith should be able to lead this team back into the win column sooner than later. There is no panic in Chicago at this point.

16) Philadelphia Flyers

LAST RANKED: 16 (=)

PRESEASON RANKING: 16 (=)

OVERALL RECORD: 6-5-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 4-2 win over Toronto, 5-4 loss to Ottawa, 6-2 loss to Anaheim, 2-1 win over Edmonton, 1-0 loss to Nashville

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Arizona on Monday, at Chicago on Wednesday, at St. Louis on Thursday, home to Colorado on Saturday, home to Chicago on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: Staying put again — the Flyers have been hit and miss to date, which is to be expected with such a young defence core and suspect goaltending. If Shayne Gostisbehere is hurt for any length of time, Philadelphia could be in big trouble. Or perhaps Ivan Provorov will rise to the occasion as next man up. Sean Couturier is certainly making the most of his opportunity as Philadelphia’s top-line centre between Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. That has become one of the league’s best trios and the Flyers have good forward depth behind them, but the other two positions are keeping Philly in the middle of the pack.

17) Winnipeg Jets

LAST RANKED: 12 (-5)

PRESEASON RANKING: 9 (-8)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-3-2-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-1-2-0 — 7-1 win over Pittsburgh, 2-1 overtime loss to Columbus, 2-1 overtime loss to Pittsburgh, 4-3 win over Minnesota, 5-2 loss to Columbus

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Minnesota on Tuesday, home to Dallas on Thursday, home to Montreal on Saturday, at Dallas on Nov. 6, at Vegas on Nov. 10

ANALYSIS: Patrik Laine still isn’t lighting it up like he’s capable of, but Blake Wheeler broke out with a hat trick against Pittsburgh and Connor Hellebuyck has clearly become Winnipeg’s starter in net. The sky is the limit for the Jets and they could really take off now after pummeling the Penguins. Becoming an upper-echelon team is about building on performances like that, so we’ll see what Winnipeg does for an encore.

18) Minnesota Wild

LAST RANKED: 23 (+5)

PRESEASON RANKING: 11 (-7)

OVERALL RECORD: 4-3-1-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 3-2-0-0 — 2-1 win over Pittsburgh, 6-4 win over New York Islanders, 1-0 loss to Vancouver, 4-2 win over Calgary, 4-3 loss to Winnipeg

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Winnipeg on Tuesday, home to Montreal on Thursday, home to Chicago on Saturday, at Boston on Nov. 6, at Toronto on Nov. 8

ANALYSIS: That was a big win over Pittsburgh, for Devan Dubnyk and the Wild as a whole. Bruce Boudreau has kept Minnesota afloat despite a rash of injuries to top-nine forwards, but it remains to be seen where the Wild fit into the Central Division and the Western Conference in general. It’s tough to get a read on this team since it hasn’t been healthy from Day 1. Time will tell, but Boudreau teams typically perform well in the regular season.

19) Calgary Flames

LAST RANKED: 9 (-10)

PRESEASON RANKING: 14 (-5)

OVERALL RECORD: 6-6-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 2-1 win over Washington, 2-1 loss to Dallas, 5-2 loss to St. Louis, 3-2 shootout win over Nashville, 4-2 loss to Minnesota

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Pittsburgh on Thursday, home to New Jersey on Sunday, home to Vancouver on Nov. 7, home to Detroit on Nov. 9, home to St. Louis on Nov. 13

ANALYSIS: Mixed results to date, but the Flames have been the better of the two Alberta teams as of late. In the midst of a seven-game homestand, Calgary will try to make some hay over this stretch. Mike Smith has been impressively solid and mostly consistent in goal, while the top-six forwards continue to do their part in producing at the other end. The only real bad news in Cowtown was the result of the mayoral election — as it relates to getting a new arena — but politics have no place in these Power Rankings.

20) Washington Capitals

LAST RANKED: 4 (-16)

PRESEASON RANKING: 5 (-15)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-6-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 2-1 loss to Calgary, 5-2 win over Edmonton, 6-2 loss to Vancouver, 4-1 loss to Florida, 4-3 overtime win over Detroit

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to New York Islanders on Thursday, at Boston on Saturday, home to Arizona on Nov. 6, at Buffalo on Nov. 7, home to Pittsburgh on Nov. 10

ANALYSIS: The two-time reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners are below .500 and nowhere near topping the standings this time around. Lacking the depth of years past, especially on defence, Washington isn’t the force it used to be. Alex Ovechkin has cooled off, in the goal-scoring department, but it was nice to see karma reward the Russian with three assists after he went out of his way to assist a homeless man in Edmonton, clothing him for the cold winter to come. Classy move, but the Capitals are no longer the class of the league in the regular season.

21) Edmonton Oilers

LAST RANKED: 10 (-11)

PRESEASON RANKING: 1 (-20)

OVERALL RECORD: 3-6-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-2-1-0 — 5-2 loss to Washington, 5-4 win over Dallas, 2-1 overtime loss to Pittsburgh, 2-1 loss to Philadelphia, 2-1 overtime win over Chicago

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, home to New Jersey on Friday, home to Detroit on Sunday, at New York Islanders on Nov. 7, at New Jersey on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: Plummeting in the Power Rankings, panic is starting to set in here — certainly among Edmonton’s fan base, but even Todd McLellan is acknowledging the hole the Oilers have dug for themselves. A dearth of secondary scoring is largely to blame, but goaltender Cam Talbot has been struggling at home and Edmonton’s top defence pair of Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson have been bleeding goals too. Suddenly the Oilers are missing Hall and Eberle as scoring wingers, with Ryan Strome no replacement for the latter. It’s hard to find positives in Edmonton right now and it could get worse before it gets better with Pittsburgh and New Jersey coming to town this week. Connor McDavid can’t do it all and Daryl Katz can’t be liking what he’s seeing, which puts the pressure back on Peter Chiarelli. It could take a trade, a shakeup of some sort, to get the Oilers trending up again.

22) Boston Bruins

LAST RANKED: 25 (+3)

PRESEASON RANKING: 20 (-2)

OVERALL RECORD: 4-3-2-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-1-2-0 — 2-1 overtime loss to Los Angeles, 2-1 win over San Jose, 5-4 overtime loss to Buffalo, 6-3 win over Vancouver, 3-1 loss to Vegas

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Columbus on Monday, home to Vegas on Thursday, home to Washington on Saturday, home to Minnesota on Nov. 6, at New York Rangers on Nov. 8

ANALYSIS: Another team that is tough to judge just yet, the Bruins are obviously benefitting from Patrice Bergeron’s return, but injuries have been hindering Boston to date. Tuukka Rask and David Krejci have missed time and David Backes has been battling diverticulitis, so it’s difficult to draw any conclusions on how the Bruins will stack up this season. Alternating wins and losses thus far, maybe this next stretch will be more telling — for better or worse.

23) San Jose Sharks

LAST RANKED: 21 (-2)

PRESEASON RANKING: 19 (-4)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-5-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 3-2-0-0 — 3-2 win over Buffalo, 2-1 loss to Boston, 4-1 win over New York Rangers, 5-3 loss to New York Islanders, 3-0 win over New Jersey

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Toronto on Monday, home to Nashville on Wednesday, home to Anaheim on Saturday, home to Tampa Bay on Nov. 8, home to Vancouver on Nov. 11

ANALYSIS: Alternating wins and losses over their last five, the Sharks will try to get into a groove on this upcoming homestand, but that will be easier said than done with some tough opponents coming to San Jose. Brent Burns hasn’t been showing up on the scoresheet nearly as much this season, but Logan Couture is leading the way offensively and Martin Jones has improved his play in goal as of late.

24) Carolina Hurricanes

LAST RANKED: 26 (+2)

PRESEASON RANKING: 21 (-3)

OVERALL RECORD: 4-4-1-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 1-3-0-1 — 4-3 shootout loss to Anaheim, 2-1 loss to St. Louis, 6-3 win over Toronto, 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay, 4-3 loss to Dallas

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Colorado on Thursday, at Arizona on Saturday, home to Florida on Nov. 7, at Columbus on Nov. 10, home to Chicago on Nov. 11

ANALYSIS: The Hurricanes are playing better than their recent record indicates, with only one win and three points to show for their efforts over the last five games. That was a difficult stretch in Carolina’s schedule, so the results could improve in short order. There are some winnable road games this week, but the Hurricanes still have to go out and win them. Scott Darling has only won three of eight starts so far, with a sub-.900 save percentage, so goaltending continues to be an issue for Carolina, and the Hurricanes don’t have enough firepower to outscore the opposition on a regular basis.

25) Montreal Canadiens

LAST RANKED: 19 (-6)

PRESEASON RANKING: 13 (-12)

OVERALL RECORD: 3-7-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 5-4 win over New York Rangers, 4-0 loss to Los Angeles, 5-1 win over Florida, 6-2 loss to Anaheim, 5-1 loss to Los Angeles

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Ottawa on Monday, at Minnesota on Thursday, at Winnipeg on Saturday, at Chicago on Sunday, home to Vegas on Nov. 7

ANALYSIS: Carey Price is still struggling mightily despite the Canadiens winning two of their last three. Widely regarded as the best goalie in the world, Price is partly to blame for Montreal’s miserable start. His .883 save percentage and 3.64 goals-against average through 10 games obviously aren’t all-world numbers and Price hasn’t been living up to his eight-year, $84-million extension that starts next season. Yet, most expect Price to find his form and consider him to be the least of Montreal’s concerns. The Habs’ offence had a breakthrough week, at least by their standards, and Alex Galchenyuk seems to heating up amid some off-ice controversy and more trade speculation. Marc Bergevin may be feeling pressure to make a move, but it is easier said than done at this stage of the season.

26) Florida Panthers

LAST RANKED: 24 (-2)

PRESEASON RANKING: 25 (-1)

OVERALL RECORD: 4-5-0-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-2-0-1 — 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit, 8-3 win over Anaheim, 5-1 loss to Montreal, 4-1 win over Washington, 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Tampa Bay on Monday, home to Columbus on Thursday, home to New York Rangers on Saturday, at Carolina on Nov. 7, at Buffalo on Nov. 10

ANALYSIS: Florida is another of the many Jekyll-and-Hyde teams, but the Panthers’ top line of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgeny Dadonov is becoming a consistent force. Florida will need consistency from James Reimer in Roberto Luongo’s absence, starting with a strong performance against state rival Tampa Bay.

27) Colorado Avalanche

LAST RANKED: 14 (-13)

PRESEASON RANKING: 29 (+2)

OVERALL RECORD: 6-5-0-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 6-3 win over Chicago, 7-0 loss to Vegas, 5-3 win over Dallas, 4-3 loss to St. Louis, 4-1 loss to Nashville

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Carolina on Thursday, at Philadelphia on Saturday, at New York Islanders on Sunday, home to Ottawa on Nov. 10, at Ottawa on Nov. 11

ANALYSIS: Talk about two extremes on the weekend, getting embarrassed by the expansion Golden Knights before embarrassing the perennial-contending Blackhawks the next night. On the good days, Colorado looks like a completely different team than last year’s cellar dweller. On the bad days, it’s a reminder that the Avs’ roster remains much the same. Nail Yakupov was among the few new faces providing a glimmer of hope in the early stages, but he’s reverted back to his old habits and could be a healthy scratch again soon. Nate MacKinnon still struggles with consistency too — as does Semyon Varlamov — and those two will ultimately determine whether the Avs have more good days than bad in the weeks and months to come.

28) Buffalo Sabres

LAST RANKED: 28 (=)

PRESEASON RANKING: 15 (-13)

OVERALL RECORD: 3-7-1-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-3-0-0 — 3-2 loss to San Jose, 5-1 loss to Columbus, 1-0 win over Detroit, 5-4 overtime win over Boston, 4-2 loss to Vancouver

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Arizona on Thursday, at Dallas on Saturday, home to Washington on Nov. 7, home to Florida on Nov. 10, at Montreal on Nov. 11

ANALYSIS: For whatever reason(s), Phil Housley isn’t pressing the right buttons in Buffalo. Jack Eichel is a point-per-game player but not exactly dominating, Rasmus Ristolainen is really struggling, and Robin Lehner still isn’t living up to his potential either. Or maybe the Sabres just aren’t that good. Maybe they aren’t a team on the rise, yet.

29) Detroit Red Wings

LAST RANKED: 18 (-11)

PRESEASON RANKING: 30 (+1)

OVERALL RECORD: 5-6-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 1-3-1-0 — 3-2 shootout win over Florida, 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay, 1-0 loss to Buffalo, 4-1 loss to Vancouver, 4-3 overtime loss to Washington

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Arizona on Tuesday, at Ottawa on Thursday, at Edmonton on Sunday, at Vancouver on Nov. 6, at Calgary on Nov. 9

ANALYSIS: Andreas Athanasiou has been a welcome addition — scoring in his second game since rejoining the fold, following a contract holdout — and the Red Wings’ goaltenders have been giving them a chance to win most nights. Those are positives but, like Colorado, Detroit’s hot start has proven unsustainable, and the Red Wings are back below .500 now after winning four of their first five — just as the Avs did. Will it be all downhill from here for Detroit or can Henrik Zetterberg and Mike Green continue to turn back time for another uptick?

30) New York Rangers

LAST RANKED: 30 (=)

PRESEASON RANKING: 18 (-12)

OVERALL RECORD: 3-7-1-1

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 2-2-0-1 — 5-4 loss to Montreal, 5-2 win over Arizona, 4-1 loss to San Jose, 4-2 win over Nashville, 4-3 shootout loss to New York Islanders

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: Home to Vegas on Tuesday, at Tampa Bay on Thursday, at Florida on Saturday, home to Columbus on Nov. 6, home to Boston on Nov. 8

ANALYSIS: Playing marginally better since losing seven of their first eight, the Rangers still aren’t gaining much traction and Alain Vigneault could be on thin ice going forward — especially with Lindy Ruff looking over his shoulder. A coaching change could spark this club to some degree, but two of the bigger problems — Henrik Lundqvist’s goaltending and Kevin Shattenkirk’s defence — will have to fix themselves. If both get significantly better, the Rangers should be fine with or without Vigneault calling the shots.

31) Arizona Coyotes

LAST RANKED: 31 (=)

PRESEASON RANKING: 26 (-5)

OVERALL RECORD: 0-10-1-0

LAST 5 GAMES RECORD: 0-5-0-0 — 4-3 loss to New Jersey, 5-2 loss to New York Rangers, 5-3 loss to New York Islanders, 4-2 loss to Chicago, 5-4 loss to Dallas

NEXT 5 GAMES SCHEDULE: At Philadelphia on Monday, at Detroit on Tuesday, home to Buffalo on Thursday, home to Carolina on Saturday, at Washington on Nov. 6

ANALYSIS: Rick Tocchet has yet to get a save — or, rather, a win as head coach of the Coyotes. Both have been elusive and lacking through 11 games, with goaltending a glaring weakness. Antti Raanta can’t make his Arizona debut soon enough — that could come as early as Monday — but, sadly, the playoff ship has probably already sailed. As a result, Louis Domingue has been waived and Adin Hill also demoted — with that tandem proving inadequate — while Hunter Miska has been summoned from the minors and Scott Wedgewood acquired from New Jersey. That likely wasn’t the name Tocchet had in mind when he presumably told John Chayka to get him a new goalie. Would things have been different for the Coyotes had Raanta been healthy from Day 1? Maybe, but it remains to be seen whether Raanta will be an upgrade on Mike Smith. Regardless, Chayka knew Raanta was hurting and wasn’t proactive enough in finding a competent replacement. On the bright side, Clayton Keller is killing it offensively as an early Calder candidate.

Updated Power Rankings Through 10 Games

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

2) Los Angeles Kings

3) Vegas Golden Knights

4) St. Louis Blues

5) New Jersey Devils

6) Vancouver Canucks

7) Ottawa Senators

8) Anaheim Ducks

9) Toronto Maple Leafs

10) Pittsburgh Penguins

11) Dallas Stars

12) Columbus Blue Jackets

13) New York Islanders

14) Nashville Predators

15) Chicago Blackhawks

16) Philadelphia Flyers

17) Winnipeg Jets

18) Minnesota Wild

19) Calgary Flames

20) Washington Capitals

21) Edmonton Oilers

22) Boston Bruins

23) San Jose Sharks

24) Carolina Hurricanes

25) Montreal Canadiens

26) Florida Panthers

27) Colorado Avalanche

28) Buffalo Sabres

29) Detroit Red Wings

30) New York Rangers

31) Arizona Coyotes

Power Rankings Through 5 Games

1) Tampa Bay Lightning

2) Chicago Blackhawks

3) Pittsburgh Penguins

4) Washington Capitals

5) Toronto Maple Leafs

6) Los Angeles Kings

7) Columbus Blue Jackets

8) Ottawa Senators

9) Calgary Flames

10) Edmonton Oilers

11) Dallas Stars

12) Winnipeg Jets

13) New Jersey Devils

14) Colorado Avalanche

15) St. Louis Blues

16) Philadelphia Flyers

17) Nashville Predators

18) Detroit Red Wings

19) Montreal Canadiens

20) Anaheim Ducks

21) San Jose Sharks

22) Vegas Golden Knights

23) Minnesota Wild

24) Florida Panthers

25) Boston Bruins

26) Carolina Hurricanes

27) New York Islanders

28) Buffalo Sabres

29) Vancouver Canucks

30) New York Rangers

31) Arizona Coyotes

Preseason Power Rankings

1) Edmonton Oilers

2) Pittsburgh Penguins

3) Dallas Stars

4) Tampa Bay Lightning

5) Washington Capitals

6) Chicago Blackhawks

7) Columbus Blue Jackets

8) Toronto Maple Leafs

9) Winnipeg Jets

10) Anaheim Ducks

11) Minnesota Wild

12) Nashville Predators

13) Montreal Canadiens

14) Calgary Flames

15) Buffalo Sabres

16) Philadelphia Flyers

17) New York Islanders

18) New York Rangers

19) San Jose Sharks

20) Boston Bruins

21) Carolina Hurricanes

22) Vancouver Canucks

23) Los Angeles Kings

24) St. Louis Blues

25) Florida Panthers

26) Arizona Coyotes

27) New Jersey Devils

28) Ottawa Senators

29) Colorado Avalanche

30) Detroit Red Wings

31) Vegas Golden Knights