The Pittsburgh Penguins’ bid to become just the third team in more than half a century to three-peat begins with them sharing top billing in the 7-Eleven Power Rankings alongside Tampa Bay.
Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay enter the 2017-18 season as the NHL’s most powerful teams according to the TSN Power Ranking panel of Ray Ferraro, Jeff O'Neill, Jamie McLennan, Craig Button and Darren Dreger.
Two-time defending champion Pittsburgh retains its position at No. 1, while Tampa Bay rises all the way from No. 17 in the final 2016-17 power ranking.
The last three teams to win at least three Cups in a row were Toronto (1962-64), Montreal (1976-79) and the New York Islanders (1980-83).
Rounding out the top grouping in the first instalment of weekly rankings are No. 3 Edmonton, No. 4 Chicago – climbing from No. 15 – and No. 5 Washington.
The Oilers, fuelled by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, are the top-rated Canadian team after coming within one victory of reaching the third round in 2017. Meanwhile, the Senators drop from No. 3 in last year’s final ranking to No. 12 after coming within one overtime goal of beating Pittsburgh in the third round.
The Senators start the season in a cluster of five Canadian teams in a span of six ranking slots: No. 10 Toronto, No. 11 Calgary, No. 12 Ottawa, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 14 Montreal and No. 15 Winnipeg.