TWC NHL Playoff Power Rankings 2023–24: Week 2

After a brief hiatus, we’re back with the second installment of the TWC NHL Playoff Power Rankings. With round two now well underway, it’s a good time to check back in and evaluate how each team has done. From the undefeated to the eliminated, read on to see how your team stacks up against the competition.

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 reworked 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 2 NHL Playoff Power Rankings

Rank	Change	Team	Team Name	Last Week	Record	TWCScore
1	+2		New York Rangers	5-0	7-0	871.5
2	–		Florida Panthers	3-2	6-2	804.9
3	+2		Colorado Avalanche	4-1	5-2	780.9
4	+3		Edmonton Oilers	4-1	5-2	771.6
5	+8		Dallas Stars	5-2	5-4	706.3
6	–		Vancouver Canucks	4-2	5-3	698.4
7	-6		Carolina Hurricanes	1-4	4-4	670.8
8	–		Boston Bruins	3-4	5-5	623.7
9	–		Toronto Maple Leafs	2-2	3-4	606.7
10	-6		Vegas Golden Knights	1-4	3-4	554.3
11	–		Nashville Predators	1-3	2-4	553.2
12	-2		Los Angeles Kings	0-3	1-4	460.2
13	+2		Tampa Bay Lightning	1-1	1-4	455.3
14	-2		Winnipeg Jets	0-3	1-4	444.8
15	+1		New York Islanders	1-1	1-4	444.4
16	-2		Washington Capitals	0-2	0-4	417.8

In this second edition, there has been some interesting movement. At the top of the list, the New York Rangers are unsurprisingly holding down the top position. Undefeated through seven games, the Rangers’ combination of elite goaltending and depth in their skater group has proved a winning combination so far.

As a result of their stellar play, their opponents—the Carolina Hurricanes—have slid seven spots since our last edition. Picked by many as a cup favourite, the Canes have been overmatched in round two by the Rangers. Despite leading the playoffs in possession, they have struggled to turn that possession into quality chances, and their scoring has dried up in round two.

The Florida Panthers, another cup favourite, are holding down the second spot. Even with one of the lower save percentages in the playoffs, the Panthers are dominating the Boston Bruins, who are ranked last among all remaining teams.

Jeremy Swayman has done everything humanly possible to keep his team in it each night since round one, but it hasn’t been close to enough. The Panthers’ offensive depth has been overwhelming, and so far, neither of their opponents have shown much ability to keep them at bay.

In one of the most exciting series so far this playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars have one win apiece. Realistically, either of these teams could move on to the Cup Finals, and no one would be surprised.

But the model prefers the Avs, who have the underlying numbers of a juggernaut so far these playoffs.

The Stars are close behind, though, and are similarly impressive in terms of analytics. In this case, the model likely sees two extremely evenly matched teams, but power rankings are a what have you done for me lately business, and the Avs have one fewer loss since our last installment, giving them the edge.

Lastly, in the all-Canadian matchup, the Vancouver Canucks are two spots behind the heavy-favourite Edmonton Oilers. Interestingly, despite the pundits mostly predicting an Oilers win, the analytics show fairly well-matched teams, with the two being neck-and-neck in terms of possession and chance creation.

The only notable difference in the categories considered by this model is high-danger chances, where the Oilers have an edge. This should be another great series.

Anything can happen in the playoffs, and while these rankings are a good reflection of teams’ current play level, make sure to check back regularly for new updates to this list, as things can change in a hurry in the spring in the NHL.