play0:56Matthew Schaefer makes NHL history with OT winner for IslandersMatthew Schaefer becomes the youngest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in the regular season.
play0:16Pinto’s lone goal in the shootout wins it for SenatorsPinto’s lone goal in the shootout wins it for Senators
play0:44Flyers score 3 goals in 26 seconds to go up 4-1Matvei Michkov scores and Tyson Foerster nets a pair in a 26-second span to give the Flyers a 4-1 lead.
Kirill Kaprizov nets winner for Wild in overtime (0:55)Kirill Kaprizov scores on a power play in overtime to win it for the Wild against the Blackhawks. (0:55)
Matthew Schaefer makes NHL history with OT winner for IslandersMatthew Schaefer becomes the youngest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in the regular season.
Matthew Schaefer becomes the youngest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in the regular season.
Pinto’s lone goal in the shootout wins it for SenatorsPinto’s lone goal in the shootout wins it for Senators
Flyers score 3 goals in 26 seconds to go up 4-1Matvei Michkov scores and Tyson Foerster nets a pair in a 26-second span to give the Flyers a 4-1 lead.
Matvei Michkov scores and Tyson Foerster nets a pair in a 26-second span to give the Flyers a 4-1 lead.
play0:53Leo Carlsson tallies goal vs. CanucksLeo Carlsson nets goal for Ducks
play0:38Jack Roslovic scores goal vs. StarsJack Roslovic scores goal vs. Stars
Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but ESPN’s panel of reporters, analysts and broadcasters continues to believe the Colorado Avalanche are the top team in the league in the weekly Power Rankings vote.
Beyond No. 1, there were some major swings this week, with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings making a jump, while the Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks fell.
But this is a time for thanks and positive vibes. So for each team, we’ve pulled a reason for hope out of the quarter-season grades story published earlier this week, with insights on the Western teams from Ryan S. Clark, and the East from Kristen Shilton.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Nov. 21. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Reason for hope: Nathan MacKinnon is in a position to win his second Hart Trophy. Cale Makar could win his third Norris Trophy — and could challenge MacKinnon for the Hart. They now appear to have the supporting cast capable of providing consistent contributions. The Avs might be the best team in the NHL. And at their current pace, they could threaten, if not surpass, the Bruins’ record of 135 regular-season points set in 2022-23.
Reason for hope: Glen Gulutzan’s second stint in charge of the Stars could be defined by perspective. There are some questions why the Stars are in the bottom 10 in scoring chances per 60 minutes, shots per 60 and high-danger scoring chances per 60. But there are also those who would argue that maybe it’s just a sign of efficiency. The Stars have the NHL’s No. 2 power-play unit, and are also 10th in goals per game.
Leo Carlsson tallies goal vs. CanucksLeo Carlsson nets goal for Ducks
Reason for hope: There was a strong belief the Golden Knights were going to score many goals this season — and they have. Losing their No. 1 defenseman in Alex Pietrangelo as he recovers from a bilateral femur reconstruction raised questions, but they’ve used the first quarter to establish themselves as one of the more consistent defensive structures in the NHL. The Golden Knights have been a top-three team this season in shots per 60 and limiting high-danger scoring chances per 60.
Matthew Schaefer makes NHL history with OT winner for Islanders
Reason for hope: There has been enough of a sample size that proves the Mammoth could have something good with their current roster. They opened the regular season winning eight of 10 games, including a seven-game winning streak. One reason they were in the top five in goals allowed per game in that span is their top-five status in shots allowed per game. They were also in the top five in shots per game and goals scored per game.
Pinto’s lone goal in the shootout wins it for Senators
Pinto’s lone goal in the shootout wins it for Senators
Reason for hope: Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are both averaging more than a point per game, while others such as Evan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic have also made offensive contributions for the Oilers. The two-time defending Western Conference champions have done this before. They’ve had slow starts — some even slower than what they’ve encountered this season — and have still reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Jack Roslovic scores goal vs. StarsJack Roslovic scores goal vs. Stars
Reason for hope: They’re among the best teams in the NHL at limiting scoring chances. They are among the top 10 in scoring chances allowed and high-danger scoring chances allowed per 60.
Reason for hope: Being in contention for the worst record in the NHL usually comes with a porous defensive structure. Unless it’s the Flames, apparently. Their defense would be the hallmark of a team that’s trying to make a push for a playoff spot. They’re in the top four in scoring chances allowed per 60 and high-danger scoring chances allowed per 60. The Flames are also 13th in shots allowed per 60.
Reason for hope: Well, they have an above-league-average penalty kill. So there’s that at least. Filip Forsberg is continuing to build on his legacy as the best forward in franchise history. He’s projected to reach the 30-goal mark for the fourth time in the past five seasons and the fifth time in his career. Plus, Matthew Wood is presenting a strong case to make the All-Rookie Team and potentially be a Calder Trophy finalist.
Reason for hope: The Hurricanes thrive in coach Rod Brind’Amour’s structure that emphasizes smothering defensive play. Their offense has really exceled this season, though, ranking second overall thanks to a potent Seth Jarvis (who leads the team in goals) a slippery Sebastian Aho (pacing Carolina in points) and the always-steady Jordan Staal. Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has been excellent in net amid starter Frederik Andersen’s tough start. Overall, the Hurricanes are deep, detailed and disciplined.
Reason for hope: The strongest indication of just how well the Ducks are doing this season is Leo Carlsson’s projected scoring pace. A Ducks player has finished with more than 100 points in a season only four times in franchise history. Carlsson is not only on pace to join a list with Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, but he’s projected to finish with 108 points. That places Carlsson in a position to have one of the best individual seasons in team history, and threaten Selanne’s franchise record of 109 points.
Reason for hope: Regardless of what a season throws at them, this team adjusts to its circumstances and remains dangerous. Jake Guentzel and Nikita Kucherov pack a one-two punch up front to lead the offense, and Guentzel’s performance has been particularly strong this season while the Lightning’s depth has been under the microscope. The Lightning also have Anthony Cirelli as an archetypal 200-foot center, and Victor Hedman can still go toe-to-toe to be among the league’s best defenders. The Lightning are a solid defensive group and dominate on the penalty kill.
Reason for hope: New Jersey’s star-studded offense has been producing at a solid rate this season; Jack Hughes had 20 points through 17 games, Jesper Bratt had 21 through 21 and Nico Hischier is still capable of being one of the league’s premier two-way centers. The Devils’ goaltending is another strength because of veteran Jake Allen, who has been excellent handling an increased workload this season. Meanwhile, defenseman Simon Nemec has blossomed after taking a bit longer to hit his stride than some expected after he went No. 2 in the 2022 draft. He has taken on a heavy workload, and that has only amplified how good he can be in the Devils’ own end as well as jumping into the rush.
Reason for hope: Matthew Schaefer. The rookie defenseman has been better than advertised after New York selected him No. 1 in the 2025 draft. Schaefer is electric at both ends of the ice and takes on important minutes (over 22 per game) that shows how much confidence coach Patrick Roy already has in the Calder Trophy favorite. And he’s not the only exciting rookie that has Islanders fans buzzing. Maxim Shabanov delivered a breakout three-point performance to cap off a recent 6-1-0 trip, illustrating why New York coveted the former KHL player (and why he’s likely to earn a promotion from the fourth line).
Reason for hope: Natural Stat Trick’s metrics show that the Kraken were leading the NHL in team save percentage in 5-on-5 play earlier this week, and were tied for fourth in team save percentage in all situations. Joey Daccord, Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray have provided continuity in net, which has complemented the Kraken’s defensive structure. In Lane Lambert’s first season as coach, the Kraken have been among the stronger teams in the NHL at limiting high-danger scoring chances per 60 and scoring chances per 60 in 5-on-5 play.
Reason for hope: Washington has Alex Ovechkin still playing premier hockey into his 40s. That simply can’t be taken for granted. The Capitals’ captain tied for the team lead with 20 points in his first 20 games, and also added another hat trick earlier this month. He’s not the only veteran contributing for Washington — Tom Wilson, John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun have all been difference-makers in D.C. Goaltender Logan Thompson also has been outstanding, ranking among the league’s top starters in save percentage and goals-against average.
Reason for hope: Detroit is having its best start in a decade, and it’s not for one reason in particular. This is a group effort delivering on GM Steve Yzerman’s vision for the Red Wings as a high-skilled, defensively responsible team. Coach Todd McLellan is maximizing Detroit’s potential in his first full season. The defensive buy-in isn’t only reflected in stats — such as how the Red Wings average among the fewest shots against per game this season — but in how skaters such as Dylan Larkin are thriving. The Red Wings’ captain leads the team in goals and points and has provided invaluable leadership to equally impressive rookie forwards Emmitt Finnie and Nate Danielson.