It’s Week 23 in the NHL, and that means there are just three more weeks to go, and three more TWC NHL Power Rankings before the regular season concludes. With each week, they become more important, as teams try to find their best game ahead of the playoffs, and others desperately try to work their way into playoff spots before it’s too late.
TWC Power Rankings explained
If you’re new to our power rankings, this is how it all works.
Here at TWC, we use a statistical model to effectively rank teams on a week to week basis. The model takes into effect winning percentages, CF%, SCF%, HDCF% as well as SV%. Each statistical category is weighed and scored differently, giving each team a unique TWC Score that determines their ranking after each week. The formula puts the highest emphasis on winning percentages over other statistics. All numbers are taken in all situations, to incorporate special teams into the fray.
We got some excellent feedback over the course of last season from our readers as to how we could improve this model moving forward. This year we have slightly altered the weightings of the statistical categories, but also re-worked the recency component to make sure that each week the teams that are riding hot streaks are more appropriately demonstrated in the rankings.
Don’t like where your team is ranked? Unfortunately, they will have to turn it around on the ice, as we take zero personal opinions into effect.
Have any suggestions for the TWC Power Rankings for next season? Leave us a comment and let us know. Without further ado, this week’s power rankings are below!
Week 23 NHL Power Rankings
| Rank | Change | Team | Team Name | Last Week | Record | TWCScore |
| 1 | – |  | Boston Bruins | 4-0-0 | 57-11-5 | 807.6 |
| 2 | – |  | Carolina Hurricanes | 2-1-1 | 47-16-9 | 773.5 |
| 3 | +1 |  | Los Angeles Kings | 3-0-0 | 43-20-10 | 763.5 |
| 4 | -1 |  | New Jersey Devils | 1-1-1 | 46-19-8 | 759.6 |
| 5 | +4 |  | Edmonton Oilers | 2-0-1 | 41-23-9 | 748.6 |
| 6 | – |  | New York Rangers | 2-1-0 | 43-20-10 | 743.9 |
| 7 | +3 |  | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-2-0 | 44-20-9 | 742 |
| 8 | +4 |  | Colorado Avalanche | 3-1-0 | 43-23-6 | 740.4 |
| 9 | +2 |  | Vegas Golden Knights | 3-0-0 | 46-21-6 | 738.4 |
| 10 | -3 |  | Minnesota Wild | 2-0-1 | 42-22-9 | 728.9 |
| 11 | -6 |  | Dallas Stars | 1-1-1 | 39-20-14 | 713.1 |
| 12 | +1 |  | Tampa Bay Lightning | 0-3-0 | 42-26-6 | 701.9 |
| 13 | -5 |  | Florida Panthers | 1-3-0 | 36-30-7 | 697.6 |
| 14 | +2 |  | Calgary Flames | 2-2-0 | 33-26-15 | 697.1 |
| 15 | -1 |  | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2-2-0 | 36-27-10 | 690.2 |
| 16 | -1 |  | Seattle Kraken | 2-0-1 | 40-24-8 | 685.2 |
| 17 | +1 |  | Winnipeg Jets | 2-1-0 | 41-30-3 | 683.9 |
| 18 | -1 |  | New York Islanders | 1-1-1 | 37-28-9 | 674.1 |
| 19 | +1 |  | Vancouver Canucks | 3-1-0 | 34-34-5 | 672.8 |
| 20 | -1 |  | Nashville Predators | 2-2-0 | 36-28-8 | 651 |
| 21 | +1 |  | Washington Capitals | 1-1-1 | 34-32-8 | 635.2 |
| 22 | +1 |  | Buffalo Sabres | 2-1-0 | 35-31-6 | 626.6 |
| 23 | -2 |  | Ottawa Senators | 2-2-0 | 35-33-5 | 625.1 |
| 24 | – |  | St Louis Blues | 2-1-1 | 33-34-6 | 615.2 |
| 25 | +1 |  | Detroit Red Wings | 1-3-0 | 31-32-9 | 603.5 |
| 26 | +1 |  | Philadelphia Flyers | 3-0-0 | 28-32-12 | 600.7 |
| 27 | -2 |  | Arizona Coyotes | 0-2-2 | 27-34-13 | 586.9 |
| 28 | – |  | San Jose Sharks | 0-2-1 | 19-39-15 | 558.2 |
| 29 | +1 |  | Montreal Canadiens | 2-1-0 | 29-38-6 | 555.4 |
| 30 | +1 |  | Columbus Blue Jackets | 2-1-0 | 23-42-7 | 548.3 |
| 31 | +1 |  | Chicago Blackhawks | 0-4-0 | 24-43-6 | 520.8 |
| 32 | -3 |  | Anaheim Ducks | 0-3-0 | 23-40-10 | 517.1 |
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Week 23 Highlights
At the top of the standings, the Boston Bruins unsurprisingly maintain top position for another week. The Bruins won all four games they played this week, including one against the second-place Carolina Hurricanes. Fittingly, this was the best record of any team in Week 23.
Another team near the top that might be more of a surprise are the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are a top-ten team in both Corsi and high-danger Corsi, and the results show in their record. Even with the fourth worst save percentage in the NHL, they’ve managed the second best record in the Pacific Division.
In that same division, the Edmonton Oilers were on the week’s two biggest risers of the week. They jumped four positions, as did the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams have seen their rosters improve lately, and the results are showing up in their records. The Oilers picked up Mattias Ekholm at the deadline to bolster their roster, while the Avs have benefitted from the return of key players from injury.
The team with the biggest drop this week was the Dallas Stars, who fell six spots. The Stars have elite underlying numbers, but with the teams so tightly matched across the league, their poor record over the week was enough for them to fall fairly significantly.
Another interesting note from the rankings relating to this is the number of Western Conference teams in the top ten. While the NHL standings paint a dominant picture of the Eastern Conference, a number of teams in the west are heating up at the right time. With the Oilers, Avalanche, Kings, and Vegas Golden Knights all jumping up this week, four teams from the Western Conference find themselves in the top ten places.
Back in the Eastern Conference, no team managed to climb the standings further than the Toronto Maple Leafs, who jumped three spots despite posting an even win-loss record. Their impressive underlying numbers continue to favour them in the eyes of the model.
Past 2022–23 Power Rankings
Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22
Check here for how teams have done over past weeks and stay tuned for upcoming power rankings.
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