Contrary to your Instagram feed of 67 people in "Stranger Things" costumes, Halloween is still a few days away. That means time for trick or treating but, luckily for you, we're not going to make you choose.
Instead, this week's installment of NHL Power Rankings will bring you both tricks and treats as we run down where teams stand in the league picture. Perhaps your favorite team is blessing us with a wonderful treat this October, or maybe they're being devious tricksters. Or worst of all, maybe they're disguising a trick as a treat -- like a razor blade in a candy apple or an edible snuck into the candy bin. (What, you don't watch your local news?!)
At the top of the list this week you'll find the Boston Bruins, who have displaced the Colorado Avalanche at the front of the class. Boston's certainly not without its issues -- secondary scoring has been hard to come by to this point -- but they've been powered by incredible production from their top line (David Pastrnak in particular) and great goaltending. Tuukka Rask isn't typically known for great Octobers, but he's carried over his strong play from last Spring's playoff run into the beginning of this year. Maybe it will slow down at some point but it's huge for the Bruins to bank these wins, especially with Tampa and Toronto faltering out of the gate.
We'll begin with those treats, but what about the other 30 clubs? Well, put on those costumes because we've got the rest of the neighborhood to hit.
| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 47-20-15 | |
Treat: That top line and David Pastrnak in particular. Is over two points per game good? Also, Tuukka Rask.
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| 2 | -- | 39-37-6 | |
Trick: Another incredible start out of the gate. Or is it a trick at all?
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| 3 | 2 | 50-25-7 | |
Treat: Mikko Rantanen's diagnosis was relatively positive for a guy's whose foot was facing the wrong way.
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| 4 | 1 | 49-27-6 | |
Trick: Two guys doing all the work in the group project.
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| 5 | 2 | 40-31-11 | |
Treat: Alexander Ovechkin leading the charge for John Carlson's Norris campaign.
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| 6 | -- | 45-29-8 | |
Trick: Their entire existence feels like one big trick, doesn't it?
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| 7 | 3 | 52-23-7 | |
Treat: A power play goal!
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| 8 | 6 | 47-30-5 | |
Trick: Did anyone think they'd be leading the league in offense up to this point?
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| 9 | 1 | 38-32-12 | |
Treat: Finding someone to take Erik Gudbranson off their hands.
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| 10 | 7 | 39-27-16 | |
Trick: Reminding us scoring is overrated when you can give up two goals or less in seven of eight straight wins.
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| 11 | 1 | 43-33-6 | |
Treat: No time for trick or treating when you've got to prepare for five months of sobbing over Vlad Tarasenko.
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| 12 | 3 | 45-29-8 | |
Trick: Andrei Vasilevskiy giving the Penguins a glimmer of hope before ripping it away with a game-saving stop at the buzzer.
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| 13 | -- | 50-23-9 | |
Treat: Brock Boeser as Prince Charming and Quinn Hughes as a giant inflatable piggy.
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| 14 | 6 | 46-26-10 | |
Trick: Making us wonder if they fixed their defense.
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| 15 | 4 | 36-41-5 | |
Treat: Darcy Kuemper and the league's top-ranked GA/G.
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| 16 | 5 | 27-50-5 | |
Trick: John Gibson somehow not having a Vezina yet.
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| 17 | 5 | 52-24-6 | |
Treat: Attempting to set the record for most games ending via shootout. Actually, that's the opposite of a treat.
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| 18 | 3 | 30-36-16 | |
Trick: Remember when they got Cole Caufield 15th overall?
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| 19 | 3 | 38-39-5 | |
Treat: Those Heritage Classic jerseys.
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| 20 | -- | 38-33-11 | |
Trick: Gritty toppling Gal Gadot and Summer Roberts as the world's greatest Wonder Woman.
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| 21 | -- | 52-24-6 | |
Treat: Being the former Atlanta team that beat the other former Atlanta team in the outdoor game nobody knew about.
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| 22 | 4 | 19-54-9 | |
Trick: Plugging their ears, closing their eyes and shouting "lalalalalala" while ignoring their goaltending situation.
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| 23 | 4 | 27-43-12 | |
Treat: Losing all their best players and still remaining incredibly annoying to play against.
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| 24 | -- | 23-53-6 | |
Trick: Somehow completely flipping their offense/defense issues this season.
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| 25 | 3 | 52-21-9 | |
Treat: We have to pick something? Okay... Roope Hintz, I guess.
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| 26 | 1 | 38-39-5 | |
Trick: Making multi-goal leads go poof.
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| 27 | 2 | 55-23-4 | |
Treat: They might be bad enough to force Henrik Lundqvist into retirement/full-time modeling.
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| 28 | 2 | 39-34-9 | |
Trick: Occasionally reminding you they exist.
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| 29 | 3 | 44-27-11 | |
Treat: Four more years of their goalie being better than yours.
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| 30 | 7 | 41-32-9 | |
Trick: Giving up five goals in six of their eight straight losses. Listen, not all tricks are good tricks.
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| 31 | -- | 37-41-4 | |
Treat: Not watching them.
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