Week 1 NHL power rankings: Where the Kraken stand after earning first win

Hockey, Kraken, Sports Seattle

The 2022-23 NHL season is under way, and here are our Week 1 NHL power rankings entering Friday’s games (previous ranking in parentheses):

1. (1) Colorado Avalanche

Yes, they lost a game. So what? It was close, at Calgary, to Pacific Division champs. Walloped Blackhawks as expected.

2. (3) Carolina Hurricanes

Steamrolled Columbus with ease in opener, which is what contenders do.

3. (4) Florida Panthers

A win in a close game on the road against good Islanders team gives them temporary Florida bragging rights.

4. (7) New York Rangers

Stellar defense gave up just 47 total shot attempts — including blocks and misses — to Lightning despite ample Tampa Bay power plays, including a 5-on-3 for 2 minutes. They later manhandled Wild in Minnesota.

5. (2) Tampa Bay Lightning

Looked flat against Rangers, and vaunted power play was missing in action.

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6. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs

Losing to rival Montreal isn’t unusual, but against this year’s Canadiens? Good thing they beat Washington. 

7. (9) Calgary Flames

Beating the defending champs at home sends a message last season was no fluke.

8. (8) Edmonton Oilers

That Connor McDavid guy is pretty good. He had to be to help Oilers overcome 3-0 deficit and potential home embarrassment to Canucks.

9. (6) Minnesota Wild

Getting blown out in home opener doesn’t exactly inspire confidence this season’s playoffs will go better than past six.

10. (10) St. Louis Blues

Should dock them for not playing a game before this update. Goaltending still needs bounce back.

11. (11) Boston Bruins

Still too old and beat a Caps team that is also getting old. But looked young doing it.

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12. (12) Pittsburgh Penguins

Beating Coyotes doesn’t count. Arizona offered up all the resistance of a college team, which, well, look at their home arena.

13. (14) Vegas Golden Knights

Needed to score a bunch to beat L.A., then shut out Blackhawks 1-0. The worst undefeated two-game team in hockey.

14. (16) Nashville Predators

Beating Sharks twice in Europe is what boxers do with palookas to inflate records. Dallas brought them down a notch.

15. (13) New York Islanders

Had the Panthers where they wanted in third period but gave it away too quick.

16. (19) Dallas Stars

Can this Jake Oettinger guy be for real in nets? Or were the Predators team he stopped 31 of 32 against just a pretender preying on Sharks?

17. (20) Seattle Kraken

Matty Beniers is for real, power play is improved. Should have been perfect in California but still took three of four road points.

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18. (17) Vancouver Canucks

For one-plus periods in Edmonton, you wanted to believe in these guys. Then a 3-0 road lead turned into 2015-21 all over again.

19. (15) Washington Capitals

Need to score more than two goals per game, even when playing Boston and Toronto. Especially when playing Boston and Toronto.

20. (18) Los Angeles Kings

Thought they were overrated. Playing like it in dropping first two to a pair of division rivals.

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21. (23) Buffalo Sabres

A 41-year-old goalie? What’s not to like about Craig Anderson, especially when beating Senators team that talked up a storm all summer? 

22. (26) Anaheim Ducks

The Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras show was alive and kicking against the Kraken. Anaheim’s youth movement is a formidable one.

23. (21) Ottawa Senators

Young talent got stymied by a “Boomer” in nets. Learning how to win will take more than a single goal per night.

24. (24) Winnipeg Jets

Another annoying team that hasn’t played. Want to drop them lower but can’t until they take the ice.

25. (25) Detroit Red Wings

You want Steve Yzerman’s rebuild to go faster? His team hasn’t even played yet. No wonder it’s taking so long.

26. (22) New Jersey Devils

That ticking sound next to coach Lindy Ruff isn’t his alarm clock. Though somebody needs to wake team up after loss to Flyers.

27. (28) Philadelphia Flyers

New coach John Tortorella obviously frightened his team into winning a game. It tends to eventually get old.

28. (27) Columbus Blue Jackets

After scoring team’s season-opening goal, Patrik Laine left because of elbow injury — meaning Johnny Gaudreau really might have to do it all by himself.

29. (31) Montreal Canadiens

Kept blowing leads, then pulled it out late over Toronto. Montreal’s equivalent of winning the Stanley Cup this season.

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30. (29) Chicago Blackhawks

Two games, two losses. But 1-0 loss to Vegas was too close for Connor Bedard comfort while figuring out how to trade Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

31. (30) San Jose Sharks

There’s a centuries old clock in the Prague city center that’s right at least twice a day. Sharks were wrong all day in two losses to Nashville in Czech Republic capital.

32. (32) Arizona Coyotes

Seriously, who are we kidding? A college team could probably beat these guys in their college arena.