Red-hot Oilers vault to No. 1 in NHL Power Ranking

We’re calling it: the Edmonton Oilers are the top team in the NHL.

You might think it’s a reach given Edmonton is ninth in points percentage, but we have consistently ranked the Oilers higher than their current points percentage and they just keep proving us right.

Edmonton has won a franchise-record 13 straight games. It has the best expected goal differential in the league and has for a good chunk of the season. The Oilers are at home to Columbus, Chicago, and Nashville this week, so see no reason why they won’t continue to move up in the standings.

Falling out of the top spot in our Power Rankings are the Winnipeg Jets, who now sit second on our list. The Jets have the best points percentage in the league, which is all their fans likely care about.

Winnipeg has gone an astounding 34 straight games without allowing four or more goals. The modern-day record is 35, held by the 2014-15 Minnesota Wild. The Jets will have a chance to tie that record Monday night in Boston.

The Vancouver Canucks make it a Canadian sweep in the top three of our rankings, sitting third for the second straight week. The Canucks are coming off a 2-0-1 week, highlighted by a 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

Vancouver has the best goal differential in the NHL and is showing no signs of slowing down offensively. The Lotto Line of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser has outscored opponents 10-3 at five-on-five this season. With home games against Chicago, St. Louis and Columbus this week, Vancouver has a good chance of entering the all-star break with the most points of any team in the league.

Following an up-and-down road trip, the Toronto Maple Leafs land in 14th spot on our list, down six spots from eighth last week. Toronto went 2-2-0 on its trip out west and has a 3-4-1 record in January.

Scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for the Maple Leafs who rank in the top five in goals, expected goals, slot shots, rush chances and cycle chances per game. Limiting opposition chances, and ultimately goals, is what is currently keeping the Leafs from being a great team. Toronto ranks 21st in goals against, 23rd in expected goals against and 22nd in rush chances against.

Down two spots from 16th to 18th are the Calgary Flames. The Flames followed a four-game win streak with losses to the Maple Leafs and Oilers.

Some good news for the Flames: Jacob Markstrom is ready to return to the net after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Markstrom ranks top 20 this season in goals saved above expected and inner slot save percentage. He’s posted a positive goals saved above expected in four of his past five games.

The Ottawa Senators are up five spots from 28th to 23rd following a 2-1-1 week. The Senators are showing signs of improvement lately, especially defensively.

In its past five games, Ottawa has allowed 28 per cent fewer passes into the slot than its season average, 10 per cent fewer shots from the slot, and 18 per cent fewer cycle chances against. The Sens have the 10th-ranked offence in the league, so scoring isn’t the issue. If Ottawa can continue its improved defensive play and get steady goaltending, the Senators should be able to start stringing wins together.

Lastly, the Montreal Canadiens dropped one spot on our list from 27th to 28th. The Habs are coming off a 2-2-0 week, which started with an impressive win against the Avalanche and ended with a 9-4 loss to the Bruins.

Cole Caufield is heating up, scoring goals in five straight games. Linemate Juraj Slafkovsky has also been on the scoresheet more often, with 10 points in his past 15 games compared to just eight points in his first 36.