For a quick second, it appeared attainable that the Colorado Avalanche had been mortal. However like every elite group, they dispelled that notion slightly shortly.
Colorado opened Week 14 with 4-2 highway setback towards the Tampa Bay Lightning, giving them back-to-back regulation losses for the primary time within the 2025-26 NHL season. The mini-losing streak started two days earlier, when the membership was edged 2-1 by the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
The Sunshine State apparently is the Avalanche’s kryptonite because the group returned house and ended its slide with authority, pounding the Ottawa Senators 8-2 and following that up with a 4-0 overcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jared Bednar’s squad ended the week with a 4-3 extra time loss to the scorching Toronto Maple Leafs wherein it salvaged some extent because of Martin Necas’ purpose with simply over seven minutes remaining within the third interval.
That victory capped an ideal week for the Maple Leafs, who not very way back had been close to the underside of the league. Toronto received all 4 of its contests in Week 14 and is using a 10-game level streak (8-0-2) that has catapulted it into the highest 10 within the total standings.
The Vegas Golden Knights additionally went 4-0-0, the Lightning and Detroit Pink Wings each received all three of their video games whereas the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers earned factors in every of their 4 contests (3-0-1). Conversely, 5 groups didn’t submit a victory final week, with the Vancouver Canucks sinking to the underside of the NHL by going 0-4-0 and 4 golf equipment dropping in regulation thrice.
Every week throughout the season I will rank the league’s prime 10 groups primarily based on each the earlier week’s performances and total physique of labor in 2025-26. I will additionally give temporary synopsis for every membership that explains why they’re ranked the place they’re.
Let’s dive into the ability rankings getting into Week 15 of the 2025-26 NHL season and spotlight just a few of the groups’ notable accomplishments.
NHL Week 15 energy rankings
1. Colorado Avalanche (2-1-1 in Week 14; 33-4-8 total)
The Avalanche nonetheless have not been held with no level at Ball Enviornment this season, going 19-0-3, and so they have 4 contests remaining on their seven-game homestand — together with a pair in Week 15. Nathan MacKinnon was held with no level twice final week and thrice in his final 5 outings, however he posted multi-point performances towards Ottawa (purpose, three assists) and Toronto (three assists) to provide him six over his previous 9 video games. The 2024 Hart Trophy winner leads the NHL in each targets (36) and factors (81), and he’s properly on his solution to his fourth consecutive 100-point season. Two-time Norris Trophy recipient Cale Makar is first within the league amongst defensemen with 53 factors after racking up two tallies and 4 assists final week, however he wasn’t the one Colorado blue-liner who contributed offensively in Week 14. Veteran Brent Burns scored thrice, together with twice towards the Senators, Josh Manson got here up with a four-point effort (two targets, two assists) in that rout and Belarusian rookie Ilya Solovyov started the week with a three-game level streak (purpose, two assists) after failing to land on the scoresheet in his first 10 outings this marketing campaign.
2. Dallas Stars (2-1-1; 27-10-9)
Coming off back-to-back winless weeks, the Stars kicked off Week 14 — and their six-game highway journey — with a 6-3 setback towards the Hurricanes that prolonged their skid to a season-high six video games (0-3-3). The membership seems to be again on monitor, nevertheless, because it has sandwiched wins towards the Washington Capitals and Los Angeles Kings round an extra time loss to the San Jose Sharks. Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each scored in three of Dallas’ 4 contests final week, with the previous additionally notching three assists. The 26-year-old Robertson, who registered a seven-game goal-scoring streak in November, is tied for third within the NHL with 27 tallies. Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars with 62 factors and has recorded at the least one in 11 of his final 13 outings as he collected two targets and three assists in Week 14.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (3-0-0; 28-13-3)
Ten-game profitable streaks seem like en vogue these days, and the Lightning are the latest group with one. The Buffalo Sabres posted a 10-gamer from Dec. 9-31, and the Avalanche registered their second such run of the season from Dec. 11-Jan. 3. Tampa Bay, which hasn’t misplaced since dropping a 2-1 determination to Los Angeles on Dec. 18, has been lighting it up offensively throughout its streak because it has scored 4 or extra targets in every sport. The large weapons had been firing on all cylinders final week, with Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel all recording at the least 4 factors over the group’s three contests. Kucherov, who’s the two-time defending Artwork Ross Trophy winner and three-time recipient total, has landed on the scoresheet in each sport throughout the profitable streak and notched two or extra factors in every of his final 9 outings. A complete of seven gamers contributed offensively in all three contests final week, together with defenseman Darren Raddysh, who amassed 5 assists to set a profession excessive with 39 factors.
4. Detroit Pink Wings (3-0-0; 28-15-4)
Detroit accomplished its excellent Week 14 with a 4-3 extra time overcome Carolina wherein it squandered a three-goal lead within the third interval. Andrew Copp helped the group keep away from an entire meltdown, scoring his third purpose in 4 video games just below 3 1/2 minutes into the additional session. Alex DeBrincat, who additionally tallied earlier within the sport, notched an help on Copp’s winner to finish his second straight three-point efficiency. The 28-year-old DeBrincat has registered at the least one level in 5 of his final six outings after recording just one help over his earlier seven contests. Lucas Raymond had his three-game goal-scoring streak halted by the Hurricanes however arrange a tally within the victory to drag even with DeBrincat for the group lead with 49 factors. John Gibson has gone 13-2-0 in his final 15 begins and posted his third shutout of the season final Saturday towards the Montreal Canadiens, his highest complete since having three in 2020-21 with the Anaheim Geese.
5. Minnesota Wild (1-1-1; 26-12-9)
The Wild fell three spots within the rankings as they’ve misplaced 5 of their final seven video games (2-2-3). Nevertheless, they’ve earned at the least one level in eight of their previous 10 contests (4-2-4). Brock Faber has been the most popular member of the group offensively as he enters Week 15 with a five-game level streak throughout which he has scored two targets and arrange 5 others. The 28-year-old defenseman netted his tenth tally of the season in final Thursday’s 3-2 extra time overcome the Seattle Kraken to match the profession excessive of 10 targets he set final marketing campaign.
6. Carolina Hurricanes (3-0-1; 28-14-4)
The Hurricanes seem to have righted the ship after struggling three consecutive regulation losses and dropping six of eight contests (2-5-1). Carolina ended Week 13 — and its three-game skid — on Jan. 4 with a victory towards the New Jersey Devils and started final week with triumphs over the Stars, Geese and Kraken earlier than falling to the Pink Wings in extra time on Monday. The turnaround has coincided with the return of Seth Jarvis, who missed eight video games with an upper-body harm however was again in motion in final Tuesday’s victory towards Dallas. The 23-year-old middle recorded a purpose and an help in that contest, arrange a tally within the win over Seattle and netted one versus Detroit because the Hurricanes erased a three-goal deficit within the third interval earlier than finally dropping in OT. Logan Stankoven posted a four-game goal-scoring streak and five-game level run earlier than being stored off the scoresheet by the Pink Wings, whereas defenseman Okay’Andre Miller racked up two targets and three assists over Carolina’s first three contests final week.
7. Montreal Canadiens (3-1-0; 26-14-6)
It was one other robust week for the Canadiens, who’ve gone 11-3-3 since final struggling consecutive regulation losses on Dec. 7 and 9. Nick Suzuki has gone six video games with no purpose however collected 4 assists in Week 14 and has been stored off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests simply as soon as this season (Nov. 11-13). Reigning Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Lane Hutson has notched some extent in 13 of his final 17 outings, Juraj Slafkovsky has posted multi-point performances in seven of his final 11 video games and Oliver Kapanen has tallied in 5 of his previous seven contests. Alexandre Texier loved his greatest week since being signed by Montreal in late November, amassing 4 targets — together with his first profession hat trick in final Thursday’s 6-2 victory towards Florida — and 4 assists whereas producing three multi-point efforts.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (4-0-0; 21-11-12)
The Golden Knights formally ended their hunch in Week 14, profitable all 4 of their video games after going 1-5-3 over their earlier 9. Jack Eichel and captain Mark Stone landed on the scoresheet in every of Vegas’ contests, one thing the previous has achieved in 10 of his final 11 outings and the latter has achieved in all however three of his 28 video games this season. Stone is within the midst of an eight-game level streak throughout which he has netted seven tallies and arrange 5 others however has his franchise record-tying streak of seven consecutive contests with a purpose halted in Sunday’s 7-2 overcome San Jose. Tomas Hertl got here up with three multi-point performances final week, together with a career-best five-point effort towards his former Sharks group, whereas defenseman Shea Theodore has scored a purpose in back-to-back video games after lacking the membership’s earlier 11 with an upper-body harm.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (4-0-0; 23-15-7)
As an alternative of firing head coach Craig Berube after dropping 14 of 21 video games (7-10-4) from Nov. 8-Dec. 21, the Maple Leafs relieved assistant Marc Savard of his duties. The transfer has labored wonders because the group hasn’t suffered a regulation loss since (8-0-2) and has gone from final within the NHL on the ability play (13.3% conversion price) to twenty fourth (17.0%). Toronto has gone 7-for-22 with the person benefit since changing Savard, together with a 2-for-4 displaying in Saturday’s 5-0 overcome Vancouver. Rookie proper wing Easton Cowan scored an even-strength purpose in three of the Maple Leafs’ 4 wins in Week 14 whereas William Nylander returned from a six-game absence resulting from a lower-body harm to finish the week with back-to-back multi-point performances wherein he totaled two targets and three assists. The 29-year-old Nylander has tallied in 4 straight outings after enduring an 11-game drought.
10. Buffalo Sabres (3-1-0; 24-16-4)
Regardless of ending Week 14 with a 4-3 loss to the Panthers, Buffalo edged the New York Islanders (2-0-1 final week) for this spot within the rankings. The Sabres received their first three video games final week, scoring 5 targets in every, to provide them 13 victories in 14 contests. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Ryan McLeod and defenseman Bowen Byram obtained on the scoresheet in every of Buffalo’s 4 video games, registering 5 factors apiece. Thompson, who leads the group with 42 factors, has notched eight (4 targets, 4 assists) over his final six outings whereas Tuch (4 targets, three assists) has recorded at the least one in six of his previous seven contests. McLeod has contributed offensively in 12 of his final 15 video games, accumulating 4 targets and 9 assists, and Byram has amassed 4 tallies and eight assists over his previous 10 outings.
