The 2014-15 NHL season is shaping up and with every passing week, the league’s truly elite teams are starting to distance themselves from the pack. Having said that, it’s still early enough for some sluggish teams to dig themselves out of the proverbial holes they're in. Here are the Week 5 rankings for the 2014-15 NHL season based on the league standings and my eye test.
30. Buffalo Sabres
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30. Buffalo Sabres
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The Sabres are absolutely abysmal and continue to find ways to lose games. Young, talented roster players, a fairly deep farm system and the likelihood of a top pick in the upcoming draft is about all Sabres fans have to be happy about.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets
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29. Columbus Blue Jackets
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The sad thing is that the Jackets are a good team that has seen an obscene amount of injuries derail their season before it even had a chance to get started. The way the Jackets were humiliated at home by the Tampa Bay Lightning shows how far the team has fallen due to injuries.
28. Carolina Hurricanes
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28. Carolina Hurricanes
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The Canes have had a little run that’s made them look a bit more respectable than the start of the season, but the other shoe is going to drop eventually. It’s going to be a long season in Raleigh that could see drastic changes throughout the team by the end of it.
27. Colorado Avalanche
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27. Colorado Avalanche
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The Avs continue to look like the antithesis of the great squad they were last season despite showing signs of life in their win against Philadelphia. Patrick Roy’s outburst after Nathan MacKinnon’s needless major penalty is just the latest sign of how desperate the team is.
26. Dallas Stars
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26. Dallas Stars
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The team seemingly takes one step forward and about three steps back on a weekly basis. Tyler Seguin’s hat trick against in the team’s loss to the San Jose Sharks essentially epitomizes the season for the Stars: lots of high-end talent with a plethora of weak spots throughout the lineup.
25. Edmonton Oilers
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25. Edmonton Oilers
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The team’s win against a banged-up Rangers team isn’t much to get excited over, nor was their loss in Boston to another banged-up squad. Having said that, the Oilers don’t look as bad as they did at the start of the season, which has to be a good thing for a team that has been the epitome of ineptitude for five years running.
24. Florida Panthers
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24. Florida Panthers
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If there’s a team I can’t figure out for the life of me, it’s Florida. The Panthers looked atrocious at the start of the season, had a hot streak and turned some heads, and are now back to their losing ways. They may be too young to “compete,” but the team’s youth at the very least makes them entertaining to watch -- which is a shame because the team has had the worst attendance in the league so far.
23. Arizona Coyotes
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23. Arizona Coyotes
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Keith Yandle is off to a hot start, but the rest of the team has been less than stellar as the Coyotes have struggled to find their way in a tough Western Conference. Their 1-0 loss to the New York Islanders is a microcosm of their season so far, as their goals have been few and far between.
22. New York Rangers
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22. New York Rangers
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Injuries and inconsistencies have plagued the Blueshirts all year, and nowhere was that more apparent than in the team’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Getting star center Derek Stepan back could stop the bleeding enough for the Rangers to start a turnaround. More MVP-caliber play from Rick Nash wouldn’t hurt either.
21. Minnesota Wild
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21. Minnesota Wild
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Zach Parise is a world-class, elite player who is in many ways Minnesota’s best player. The Wild have looked lost without the two-time U.S. Olympian and are on a three game losing streak in Parise’s absence due to a concussion.
20. New Jersey Devils
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20. New Jersey Devils
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The Devils’ mix of young, untested players with veterans who have been inconsistent at times makes them intriguing at all times. However, the team needs more consistency throughout the lineup if they want a playoff spot. Back-to-back games against the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild should be a real tough test for the Devils as they look to snap their three-game losing streak.
19. Washington Capitals
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19. Washington Capitals
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The Capitals define inconsistency year in and year out, and three coaching changes in the last three years have changed nothing. Washington has won two straight, but like most teams in the league, I want to see some more consistency -- especially with rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has seemingly limitless potential.
18. Philadelphia Flyers
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18. Philadelphia Flyers
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Despite their three-game winning streak, the team’s blue line might as well be a hospital ward with the injuries piling up. Losing Luke Schenn for two weeks is a big blow to an already decimated crew of defensemen. This could very well be make-or-break week for the Flyers’ forwards and goalies as they look to elevate their inexperienced defensemen.
17. Winnipeg Jets
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17. Winnipeg Jets
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Ondrej Pavelec is miraculously playing like an above-average NHL goalie, and the Jets are showing signs of being a decent team. A week that includes stops in Montreal and Nashville, two of the league’s best teams, should act as a measuring stick for the Jets.
16. Toronto Maple Leafs
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16. Toronto Maple Leafs
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The Leafs picked up wins against an injury-ravaged Rangers squad and an upstart rival in Ottawa, showing they might be better than they get credit for. Upcoming home games against the powerhouse Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins should give fans a better idea of what this Toronto team is made of.
15. Ottawa Senators
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15. Ottawa Senators
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Despite their home loss to the Leafs, the Senators are having a somewhat surprising run of early success. An upcoming three-game road trip across Western Canada should be a nice test for the young Senators.
14. Chicago Blackhawks
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14. Chicago Blackhawks
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The Blackhawks have always been about postseason success, but their regular season inconsistency is something new. Having said that, the team’s win against San Jose could be enough to get a bit of a winning streak going and begin a turnaround.
13. San Jose Sharks
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13. San Jose Sharks
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"Lots of expectations, less than stellar production" is seemingly the mantra of the franchise, and it isn’t changing anytime soon. Being humiliated in Chicago by the Blackhawks shows the Sharks have a lot of work to do if they wish to establish themselves as legitimate Western Conference contenders.
12. New York Islanders
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12. New York Islanders
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The Isles are better than they were last year, which isn’t saying much, if anything at all. I like the improvements made, but I’d like to see more consistency defensively. The team’s 1-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes is a start.
11. Boston Bruins
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11. Boston Bruins
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Don’t look now, but the Bruins are on a roll and are winners of four straight without Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug patrolling the blue line. With Krug coming back on Monday against the New Jersey Devils, look for Boston to be catapulted into the top 10 by next week as they keep up this hot streak.
10. Detroit Red Wings
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10. Detroit Red Wings
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The Wings showed amazing character in coming back to force overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning after trailing by two goals. Efforts like this are why Detroit hasn’t missed the playoffs in over two decades, and that’s not changing anytime soon.
9. Los Angeles Kings
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9. Los Angeles Kings
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The reigning champs are known for being inconsistent at times in the regular season, and they have been just that in the early going. My biggest concern is the team’s injuries on defense and the amount of minutes Drew Doughty is having to play as a result. For team that is all about postseason success, Doughty’s excessive minutes may come back to bite the Kings when it matters most.
8. Vancouver Canucks
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8. Vancouver Canucks
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The team’s blowout loss in Los Angeles aside, the Canucks are showing their hot start to the season was no fluke as they’ve continued their winning ways in the month of November.
7. Calgary Flames
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7. Calgary Flames
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The Flames went into South Florida and won an amazing game against the similarly youthful Panthers to show they’re a force. Johnny Gaudreau seemingly gets better every single game, which is great news for the Flames and horrible news for defensemen around the league.
6. St. Louis Blues
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6. St. Louis Blues
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A home loss to the upstart Predators is nothing to be embarrassed about as the Blues continue to round into form as the Stanley Cup contenders fans thought they’d be. A rematch with the Predators in the Music City this week should be as close to a playoff-like atmosphere as can be expected in November, and the Blues will surely be looking for payback.
5. Montreal Canadiens
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5. Montreal Canadiens
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The Habs have clearly had their ups and downs as evidenced by their recent blowout loss in Chicago and back-to-back wins over struggling Buffalo and Minnesota teams. While they’ve plateaued since their hot start, the Habs are a favorite in a less-than-stellar Eastern Conference.
4. Nashville Predators
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4. Nashville Predators
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The league’s surprise team keeps on rolling, as their win in St. Louis against an amazing Blues team shows they’re playing to win every night. Peter Laviolette, Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber have to considered early favorites for the Jack Adams, Vezina and Norris Trophy respectively.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
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3. Pittsburgh Penguins
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Sidney Crosby’s five assists against the Sabres was pure domination. With Marc-Andre Fleury’s contract out of the way, the Pens can focus on winning games, something they’ve been great at as they’ve won seven straight.
2. Anaheim Ducks
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2. Anaheim Ducks
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Despite some of the team’s best players (namely Corey Perry) missing time, the team continues to find ways to win hockey games. Their resiliency is only one factor that makes the Ducks the West’s best team.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
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1. Tampa Bay Lightning
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The team is on a six-game winning streak and looking like absolute world-beaters. Steven Stamkos may be getting the headlines, but Tyler Johnson is showing signs that his three-year extension may be the best deal in hockey.
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