Home Ice Hockey NHL 2024-25 Energy Rankings: Week 3 – The Hockey Writers – Energy Rankings

NHL 2024-25 Energy Rankings: Week 3 – The Hockey Writers – Energy Rankings

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NHL 2024-25 Energy Rankings: Week 3 – The Hockey Writers – Energy Rankings

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Very like a staff knocking the rust off all through the beginning of the season, I really feel prefer it takes a couple of weeks earlier than I begin to get an actual really feel for which groups throughout the NHL are good, dangerous, and in every single place in between. Yearly we see shocking begins that can bait you into believing a franchise is playoff-bound or on its solution to promoting each participant who isn’t nailed down on the 2025 NHL Commerce Deadline.

Now that we’re three weeks into the 2024-25 season, you’re beginning to perceive the final vibe from many groups. The new begins are fading, the goaltending is stabilizing, and shortly video games will higher resemble a structured NHL product as a substitute of the extremely amusing pond hockey you usually see within the first 10 to fifteen video games every season.

THW’s 2024-25 NHL Energy Rankings for Week 3. (The Hockey Writers)

All this to say, we’re nonetheless in that timeframe of massive adjustments every week. With so little of the image in entrance of us, it’s straightforward for a staff to take a wild swing after simply three or 4 video games. Hopefully, issues will stabilize within the coming weeks, however for now, I hope you take pleasure in Week 3 of THW’s 2024-25 NHL Energy Rankings.

32-25: Penguins Heading for Rock Backside

32. San Jose Sharks (Beforehand: 32)

31. Chicago Blackhawks (Beforehand: 29)

30. Philadelphia Flyers (Beforehand: 31)

29. Pittsburgh Penguins (Beforehand: 23)

28. Columbus Blue Jackets (Beforehand: 30)

27. Anaheim Geese (Beforehand: 27)

26. Montreal Canadiens (Beforehand: 26)

The time for change could lastly be upon us for the Penguins. All nice dynasties should in the future fall, and after lacking the playoffs for 2 straight years, Pittsburgh has skilled a little bit of a worst-case state of affairs begin to the 2024-25 NHL season. Whereas some gamers are taking part in nice (Evgeni Malkin has turned again the clock once more), the staff as an entire are floundering on the ice, with blown leads and dangerous goaltending. Below regular circumstances, this begin would doubtless result in a change behind the bench, however that appears unlikely to occur, so for now the franchise could also be a bit caught in its reminiscences, ready for contracts to run out earlier than actual change might be made.

Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins
Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

I additionally must name out the Sharks on this week’s Rankings, as they’re a lot worse than I used to be anticipating. Heading into the season, I assumed the franchise made some nice signings to spice up their depth whereas having a nicely of younger expertise making the step to the NHL stage. Now, for the second straight season, they’ve began with out a win of their first eight video games, an honor that hasn’t occurred because the 1960’s. When your head coach calls your video games ‘actually embarrassing’ you understand issues usually are not going nicely.

25-10: NHL’s Atlantic Division Woes

25. New York Islanders (Beforehand: 19)

24. Detroit Pink Wings (Beforehand: 24)

23. Buffalo Sabres (Beforehand: 28)

22. Nashville Predators (Beforehand: 25)

21. Edmonton Oilers (Beforehand: 21)

20. Toronto Maple Leafs (Beforehand: 8)

19. Boston Bruins (Beforehand: 7)

18. Seattle Kraken (Beforehand: 14)

17. Utah Hockey Membership (Beforehand: 6)

16. Ottawa Senators (Beforehand: 20)

15. Calgary Flames (Beforehand: 11)

14. Colorado Avalanche (Beforehand: 22)

13. Los Angeles Kings (Beforehand: 17)

12. St. Louis Blues (Beforehand: 13)

11. Washington Capitals (Beforehand: 15)

10. Tampa Bay Lightning (Beforehand: 9)

Should you root for a staff taking part in within the Atlantic Division, you doubtless had a really bizarre week. It began on Monday when the Maple Leafs and Lightning had a stand-alone recreation that noticed Toronto dominate their divisional foe and seemingly set themselves up as a contender… earlier than shedding their subsequent three video games in embarrassing vogue. A kind of losses got here to the Bruins, who additionally had a depressing week earlier than that win, with rumors of change discovering their approach across the league. Oh and Tampa Bay adopted that dangerous loss with a 2-1-0 week, together with a shutout win and a win the place they scored eight targets due to course they did.

Elsewhere within the division, the Sabres have gained three straight video games and are wanting like a staff not off course after a nasty begin to the season. You additionally must name out the Senators and Pink Wings, who posted shutouts this week and are additionally wanting like they’re able to take that subsequent step into competition (even when Detroit’s shutout was a bit one-sided). In the event that they aren’t cautious, Toronto, Boston, and Tampa Bay could all discover themselves in an actual combat for playoff positioning this season.

Mitch Marner Toronto Maple Leafs Jeremy Swayman Boston Bruins
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins discover themselves in unfamiliar territory as they’ve each struggled to begin the 2024-25 season. (Photograph by Mark Blinch/NHLI through Getty Photographs)

Outdoors the Atlantic, issues are beginning to get again to ‘regular’ in the midst of the Rankings. The Predators have gained three straight and received out of the underside part, the Utah Hockey Membership and Kraken have come again to actuality towards stronger opponents, and the Capitals had been on a tear earlier than getting blanked by the Lightning on Saturday. Oh, and the Avalanche have stabilized their goaltending towards lesser opponents, main them to five-straight wins

9-1: Balancing the NHL’s Greatest Franchises.

9. New Jersey Devils (Beforehand: 4)

8. Vancouver Canucks (Beforehand: 16)

7. Vegas Golden Knights (Beforehand: 12)

6. Minnesota Wild (Beforehand: 18)

5. Carolina Hurricanes (Beforehand: 10)

4. Florida Panthers (Beforehand: 5)

3. Dallas Stars (Beforehand: 3)

2. New York Rangers (Beforehand: 2)

1. Winnipeg Jets (Beforehand: 1)

Firstly of the 2024-25 season, I assumed the Wild had been going to be an okay staff. They’d expertise, for certain, however didn’t look like the form of staff that will problem for the playoffs. Properly, they kicked issues off with a 5-1-2 document, which included not trailing in regulation gameplay till recreation seven. There’s an opportunity that is only a sizzling begin and they’ll begin filtering again all the way down to a mid-tier staff, however I wished to provide the franchise their flowers this week, as I used to be not anticipating this type of play out of them.

Kirill Kaprizov Minnesota Wild
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Moreover the shocking Wild, the highest of the Rankings have a couple of different sudden outcomes to this point this season. First, the Golden Knights are the highest-scoring staff within the NHL, as they’re averaging practically 5 targets scored per recreation, and have some goofy statistics like Alex Pietrangelo scoring eight factors this week, making him the second-highest-scoring defenseman within the league on the time this text was written.

Secondly, the Devils had been in a little bit of a freefall after their nice begin to the season. The staff gave up targets in bunches, to the tune of 17 targets towards in three video games performed this week earlier than holding the Geese to 2 on Sunday. That’s not going to chop it for a staff with Stanley Cup aspirations.

You can also level to the Hurricanes, Jets, Stars, and Rangers who maintain plugging alongside and staking their declare as the perfect staff within the NHL.

Enjoyable Occasions Coming to the 2024-25 NHL Energy Rankings

After the drama-filled 2023-24 NHL season, the beginning to this point has felt a bit extra regular. Sure, there may be nonetheless lots taking place every week, however I’m actually not anticipating a staff to hearth a coach anytime quickly, or begin making panicked trades to try to salvage their season after a couple of weeks.

Associated: 2024-25 NHL Season Preview

Nevertheless, November is true across the nook, and groups are beginning to hit the 10-game milestone. It is a time when common managers can get itchy ft, as a struggling staff all season may make possession search for a brand new voice not simply behind the bench however up high as nicely. If strikes begin to occur, then we are going to excitedly break them down subsequent week on THW’s 2024-25 NHL Energy Rankings.



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