NHL Power Rankings: Capitals, Predators keep rising, but Tampa Bay is still No. 1
When the Washington Capitals absolutely dominated at home in 2016-17, coasting their way to a second straight Presidents' Trophy, there was little doubt that they, despite a not-so-sterling postseason reputation, were the class of the NHL.
This time around, the Tampa Bay Lightning have it in the bag. (This, of course, refers to the "it" as the 2017-18 regular-season crown.) Things can definitely change -- it is just December, right? But if we're talking strictly about hockey's most viable contender in advance of the winter holidays, it has to be the club that employs Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy. You know, the one that has lost only six of its 29 games in regulation and is outpacing the NHL's second-best team in goal differential by almost 10 points?
The Lightning have a long way to go, and if the Capitals have taught us anything, it's that pre-Stanley Cup playoffs prizes aren't really prizes anyway. Still, there's not a single team that has even come close to warranting as much consideration for the No. 1 spot in our weekly power rankings, and that remains the case even as the Los Angeles Kings soon look to push their win streak into double digits.
The Philadelphia Flyers are on the upswing if only because there was nowhere to go but up after their recent slide. The Washington Capitals are on the rise thanks to a streak of their own. And the Nashville Predators remain a team to watch as they climb the top five. The Lightning, however, reign supreme as we take another stab at dissecting the NHL from top to bottom: