ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, Week 15: Are Sabres, Red Wings for real?

When the Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Kevyn Adams in the middle of December, sitting 14-14-4 and at the bottom of the NHL’s Eastern Conference, it looked like yet another postseason-less spring awaited in Western New York. But fast forward four weeks — and a ridiculous 13 wins in 14 games — and the Sabres now occupy the top wildcard berth in the conference as they look to rectify the longest playoff drought in professional sports.

It’s a similar story for the Detroit Red Wings, who were just above .500 when the holidays began, but have vaulted into first place in the Atlantic Division after coming out on top in 13 of their last 18 games. Desperate for postseason puck after failing to qualify since 2015-16, the roster is firing on all cylinders right now, with the newest member of the 500-goal club in Patrick Kane playing a key role.

It’s been a decade and a half since Buffalo and Detroit were both playing hockey at the end of April, but the way things are going, a couple of playoff-starved markets are again going to get a taste of the best tournament in sports. We’ll see if they can keep it up down the stretch — but for just the second time in the history of ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, both teams are in the top-10.

Headlining Week 15 in the show is a couple of number retirements, with a pair of legends set to be honored. The Red Wings will raise Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 to the rafters of Little Caesars Arena on Monday night; he’s the only player to win the Hart and Selke Trophies in the same year, and also captured three Stanley Cups as part of Detroit’s dynasty. The Boston Bruins will immortalize Zdeno Chara’s No. 33 three days later. The longtime captain and 2011 Stanley Cup champion won the Norris trophy in 2008-09 and finished as a finalist six times; there were few defensemen in the history of the league harder to play against than the hulking Slovak.

There’s a lot going on in the National these days, and we’re still a full month away from the Winter Olympics — the ice hockey portion in Milan, Italy officially kicks off on February 11. Until then, it’s all NHL, all the time. Thanks for reading the latest edition of CP’s NHL Power Rankings.

Previous 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings: Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. Colorado Avalanche (no change)

For the first time since late October, the juggernaut Avalanche have lost two games in a row. The fact it took this long to happen is astounding, although the defeats came on the road against the Panthers and Lightning — and both were close games right until the end. Colorado quickly rectified the situation, ending the week by crushing the Senators 8-2 and blanking the Blue Jackets 4-0. Huge credit to third-string goalie Trent Miner, who stepped up and earned his first career shutout — and first win of the campaign — against Columbus. That performance must have impressed head coach Jared Bednar, as the 24-year-old will be right back between the pipes vs. the visiting Maple Leafs on Monday. The show goes on for a hockey team that has won 33 times in 44 tries in 2025-26.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (no change)

The Lightning might be a full 16 points behind the Avalanche on Monday — with four teams separating them in NHL standings — but it’s hard to argue that they aren’t the second best team in the league. Tampa Bay has won nine in a row, and their plus-39 goal differential is better than any team except Colorado. Bolts fans are probably wondering why their favorite team wasn’t mentioned in the intro of the latest edition of CP’s PR’s, and for good reason. Jon Cooper’s club is on an unholy tear, and we all know how potent this roster can be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They’ll look to keep the good times rolling on the road, with a busy four-game slate taking them through Philly, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Dallas between now and Sunday. We wouldn’t be too surprised if it was a 13-game heater when the next edition of the NHL Power Rankings drops.

3. Detroit Red Wings (+3)

We’ve already said quite a bit about the Red Wings, and they’re well-deserving of their first trip to the NHL Power Rankings top-three this season. After an awful start to his tenure in Motown, John Gibson has looked like the answer, allowing just four goals over his last three starts — all of them wins. That includes a 4-0 shutout of the Canadiens at the Bell Centre, which is never an easy place for an opposing player. The rookies are getting on the scoresheet, the star players are performing, and Moritz Seider is one of the best all-around blue liners in the show. Put it all together and it’s not hard to see why the Wings are 27-15-4 and tops in the Atlantic Division. With 500 goals in the rearview, Kane is ready to chase a fourth Stanley Cup. Watching closely will be team legend Fedorov; the one of a kind talent should receive a raucous tribute in downtown Detroit on Monday.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (+3)

The Hurricanes certainly deserved a bump up the NHL Power Rankings in Week 15, but they’re getting a couple bonus points considering the struggles of a few Central Division clubs directly below them. Carolina has won four straight games, one of them a 6-3 doubling up of the Stars that made leaderboard positioning a little easier. The Canes have the talent and the coaching, and they probably already have one eye towards the postseason as they look to finally get over the hump in 2026. But will a Brandon Bussi-Frederik Andersen tandem be good enough to get them to the Finals for the first time since 2006? Only time will tell. One player who hasn’t panned out in Raleigh is Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who is reportedly on the trade block ahead of the March 6 deadline.

5. Dallas Stars (-2)

We’re not exactly sure what’s happened to a Stars team that was a terrific 25-7-5 in the middle of December. Since then, Dallas has lost seven of eight games, with both Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith leaving a lot to be desired between the pipes. The hope for fans in Texas is that this is just a lull, and despite the futility, the team is still second place in NHL standings. But a ton of contenders have closed the gap, and there’s probably at least a little bit of concern around the franchise right now. After losing the first two of a three-game road trip last week, the Stars will travel to LA, Anaheim and Utah before returning home on Sunday.

6. Minnesota Wild (-2)

As the Stars struggle, so do the Wild — although Minnesota’s have not been quite as pronounced. They’ve lost four of six, but three of those went past regulation and definitely could have gone the other way. Still, it hasn’t been great times in the State of Hockey since the New Year — and it doesn’t help that Team USA was knocked out of the World Juniors quarterfinal in Minneapolis. The Wild are going to be just fine, but Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt have been splitting starts and both having a tough time keeping the puck out of the net as of late. Banking a few of those points past regulation has been crucial, though, as John Hynes’ club remains third in both the Central Division and overall NHL standings ahead of a visit from the broken Devils on Monday night.

7. Montreal Canadiens (+1)

Huge credit to the Canadiens, who banked a ton of points in December and are doing the same in the New Year. Montreal has won five of seven, and they continue to climb up the NHL Power Rankings and league standings simultaneously. The only two losses in that span were a couple of shutout defeats — including a 4-0 blanking by the Red Wings on Saturday — and Jacob Fowler has been in net both times. The rookie could use some run support. Martin St. Louis continues to roll with three goalies, which for the most part is paying off. Jakub Dobes will get his first start since New Year’s Day when the lowly Canucks visit Quebec on Monday night. After that, it’s onto the road for tilts against the Capitals on Tuesday, Sabres on Thursday and Senators on Saturday.

8. Florida Panthers (-3)

The Panthers just cannot catch a break when it comes to injuries. Seth Jones joined the laundry list of ailments a few weeks back, and now Brad Marchand has mysteriously disappeared from the lineup over the last couple of games. This roster is just decimated, and the results are showing on the ice. Florida has lost four of six games, including a 6-2 beatdown at the hands of Montreal last Thursday. They’re lucky they aren’t falling further down the NHL Power Rankings, but a 2-1 win over the league powerhouse Avalanche was enough to keep them in the top-eight. Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk should both be returning this week, although neither will play against the red hot Sabres in Buffalo on Monday. Speaking of the Sabres…

9. Buffalo Sabres (+1)

What a story it would be if Lindy Ruff, one of the greatest coaches in franchise history, returned to lead the club back to the dance after a dark 15 years. The 10-game winning streak had to end at some point, but the key for this roster was being able to immediately get back to winning. And that’s exactly what’s happened, with Buffalo beating Vancouver, New York (Rangers) and Anaheim to start another streak last week. The Sabres were 11-14-4 in the second week of December; fast forward a month and that record is 24-15-4, which is just unbelievably impressive. It’s hard not to cheer for a team who has done it the hard way and plays the game the right way, and hard work pays off: the Sabres are in a playoff spot and just seven points away from the top of the Eastern Conference mountain.

10. New York Islanders (+1)

Don’t look now, but the Islanders are just four points out of the East lead. It’s hard to believe considering they were selecting with the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft last June. Matthew Schaefer has completely transformed this franchise, although a ton of players deserve a ton of credit for how this season has gone. The tandem of Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich certainly does, as it’s been among the league’s best. Even without Bo Horvat in the lineup, New York continues to win — including three of their last four, headlined by a 9-0 demolishing of the flailing Devils. That must have felt amazing for the roster, and it continues to surge into the New Year. Currently second in the division, Patrick Roy’s team is showing no signs of slowing down, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can keep this play up over their last 37 games.

11. Vegas Golden Knights (+1)

The Golden Knights have finally figured it out, opening up a four-game winning streak that included victories over the Jets, Blue Jackets, Blues and Sharks. Considering three of those four teams are at the bottom of their conferences — and the fact the team lost eight of nine directly beforehand — Vegas is only getting a modest bump up the NHL Power Rankings in Week 15. It’ll be an eventful stretch for Mitch Marner, who along with his teammates will welcome the Maple Leafs to the strip on Thursday. It won’t be as dramatic as the Toronto homecoming next week (January 23 to be exact), but it will be a climax of sorts nonetheless. Both teams are on a heater, and it’ll be interesting to see how Marner performs against a ton of familiar faces.

12. Edmonton Oilers (-3)

We all know the Oilers aren’t a .500 team, but that’s exactly how they’ve looked over the last month. And that’s with Connor McDavid in the midst of a career-high 18-game point streak, which is insane. No. 97 is tied for the league lead with Nathan MacKinnon, but he isn’t in the mood to celebrate — the top priority for the center is winning. And Edmonton has done that only twice in the New Year. They’re second in the Pacific still, but there are multiple teams hot on the trail. The highlight for the Oil this week is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ 1,000th game, set for Sunday night against the visiting Blues. He’s never quite lived up to his No. 1 overall draft status, but he has enjoyed an excellent career as a reliable top-six forward who can be trusted in all situations. It’s a rare five-game week for the squad; they’ll play every day except Wednesday and Friday, three on the road and two at home.

13. San Jose Sharks (+4)

We’re really running out of ways to describe Macklin Celebrini in his sophomore NHL season. The kid is just 19-years-old, yet he’s third in league scoring with 70 points in just 45 games. He should be firmly in the Hart Trophy conversation, especially as the Sharks have won six of eight games and vaulted into a top-three spot in the Pacific Division. This is a team coming out of the rebuild in real time, and after winning 20 games last season and 19 the year before, San Jose already has 23 in 2025-26 — with 37 games to go. Adding Laurent Brossoit to the goalie room in a trade with the Blackhawks was a smart move, as Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic remain leaky. Still, it’s been an excellent campaign for Ryan Warsofsky’s team, and for the first time in years, the Sharks have something bigger to play for than getting the best pick possible in the NHL Draft.

14. Washington Capitals (-1)

Washington won six games in a row at the end of November, but it’s been a massive struggle in the nation’s capital ever since. Spencer Carbery’s team has managed just six victories since the second week of December, in that same span losing 11 times. With that, the Caps are holding onto a wildcard berth for dear life, with a point or less separating them from a couple surging teams in the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Penguins. They haven’t won consecutive games since the aforementioned streak, and that’s turning out to be a big problem. On the bright side, Alex Ovechkin added even more history to his incredible resume, surpassing Ron Francis for the second-most 20-goal seasons in NHL history. He’s within one of Gordie Howe’s league record of 22 campaigns, and if he stays in the league next year, it’s hard to see The Great Eight not scoring at least 20 times. Probably best not to ask Ovechkin about it, as he’s laser-focused on getting his club out of this slump.

15. Philadelphia Flyers (no change)

Christian Dvorak bet on himself this summer, turning down a couple of offers with term to sign a one-year deal in the City of Brotherly Love. That has paid off, as the former London Knight has managed 28 points in 42 games, good for third in team scoring. That earned him a five-year, $25.75 million extension that will keep him in Philly for the foreseeable future. He’s been a great addition, as has Trevor Zegras, who is up to 41 points in 43 games. The Flyers continue to hang around, but they’re standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings this week after following up two wins with two losses — including a 7-2 shellacking at the hands of the Lightning. The hold on the third seed in the Metropolitan Division is precarious, but this roster looks to have the juice to hang around a playoff spot over the final 39 contests.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins (+2)

The Penguins continue to battle for their lives in a crowded Eastern Conference, and they’re spending Week 15 of the NHL Power Rankings just ahead of the Bruins despite losing 1-0 to them on Sunday afternoon. That was Pittsburgh’s second loss in a row, but because it came after six straight wins, Sidney Crosby and co. are continuing to ascend. Now just one point out of a playoff spot, the Pens control their own destiny in the second half, and most hockey fans wouldn’t be at all mad to watch Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson back in the dance. But that’s still a long way away, and the focus now is getting back in the win column when the red hot Lightning visit PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday.

17. Boston Bruins (+4)

The Bruins have been just terrific since the calendar flipped, winning five of their last six, which includes a 6-2 drubbing of the Oilers in a rematch of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final on New Year’s Eve. But the highlight was an absolute masterclass against the fading Rangers, a game that saw the crowd at TD Garden get their money’s worth and then some. Boston hammered New York 10-2, completely embarrassing their cross-division rivals. Jeremy Swayman was great in that one, and Joonas Korpisalo was even better the next day, shutting out the Penguins in a 1-0 final on Sunday. The B’s might be back, and they’re currently tied with the Sabres and Capitals for wildcard positioning in the East. After a visit from the Red Wings on Tuesday, it’s Chara number retirement night against the Kraken on Thursday; the Hall of Famer played until age 44 and finished his incredible career as the NHL’s all-time games leader among defensemen.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs (+8)

The Maple Leafs have officially turned a corner. Once a .500 team at 15-15-5 on December 21, Toronto has not lost in regulation since. With victories in seven of their last nine, capturing 16 of a possible 18 points in that span, the Leafs are back to looking like the team that has consistently vied for Atlantic Division dominance in recent years. Auston Matthews is the catalyst, with six goals in his last five games, while Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby are meshing into an excellent tandem. Woll is fresh off a 5-0 shutout victory over the Canucks on Hockey Night in Canada, and he’ll be back in between the pipes for the team’s biggest test of the season: a road matchup against the Avalanche on Monday. That’s the start of a four-game road trip, and the third contest is the highlight, with Mitch Marner playing his first career game against the Maple Leafs at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday night. The real climax will be when Marner returns to Toronto next week, but this should be an electric warm up as the star forward faces off against a plethora of familiar faces on the strip.

19. Ottawa Senators (-3)

We aren’t going to get into the Linus Ullmark-players being unfaithful to their partners discussion, but the fact that GM Steve Staios had to release a statement shutting down the rumors is telling. Ullmark remains away from the team and on the non roster list, while the off-ice drama continues to sink the Senators. Ottawa has lost four games in a row and seven of nine, and they’re lucky they aren’t falling further down the NHL Power Rankings in Week 15. All four of those defeats came in regulation, headlined by an 8-2 beatdown at the hands of the Avalanche on Thursday. The Sens are now last place in the Atlantic, which is surprising considering things were going pretty well in December. Regardless of what is really going on behind the scenes, if Ottawa can’t clean it up and focus on the on-ice product, there’s no chance they’ll be able to climb back into a playoff spot.

20. New Jersey Devils (-6)

It’s hard to put into words just how far the Devils have fallen. It’s difficult to believe that missing out on acquiring Quinn Hughes has had such significant ramifications for a professional hockey team, but that’s where we are. New Jersey has lost four in a row and eight of 10, the most telling a 9-0 beatdown at the hands of the rival Islanders on Tuesday. To add drama to the futility, $9 million defenseman Dougie Hamilton was a healthy scratch for the team’s game against the Jets on Sunday, with Sheldon Keefe saying he’s just not one of their best six defenseman, and that the move is a business decision rather than a criticism of his game. That seems like hogwash despite Hamilton’s struggles, and agent JP Barry put out a statement saying they would seek a trade out of Newark. At this point, that’s probably best for the player, who owns a 10-team trade list and a contract that is going to be very hard to move. Both Keefe and GM Tom Fitzgerald should be on the hot seat as the nightmare spiral continues.

21. Seattle Kraken (+3)

The Kraken continue to pile up points after an abysmal stretch from mid-November to mid-December. Seattle has won eight of 11 games and picked up a point in 10 of them, which has them surging in both league standings and the NHL Power Rankings in Week 15. The Phil Grubauer-Joey Daccord tandem has been excellent as of late, while the plethora of good but not great forwards have continued to produce in that span. Now 20-15-8 and with 48 points, the Kraken are into a playoff spot, currently occupying the top wildcard berth in the West. But the hold is extremely precarious, with three teams tied with 48 points and three more with either 45 or 46. Every point is critical down the stretch, and after losing the first tilt of a five-game road trip in Carolina, Seattle will look to keep banking points over the next four, starting with a visit to Madison Square Garden on Monday.

22. Calgary Flames (-3)

It took a while, but the Flames finally returned to .500 on New Year’s Eve after crushing the Flyers 5-1. But since then, Calgary has lost four of five, dropping four consecutive regulation contests before squeaking by the Penguins, 2-1, on Saturday night. That has them back to six points out of a playoff spot, and five points ahead of the Canucks, who are last place in the NHL. That’s got to be the definition of the murky middle, although they’re closer to the bottom of that categorization. A five-game road trip concludes with stops in Columbus on Tuesday and Chicago on Thursday; after that, it’s a five-game homestand that begins against the Islanders on Saturday afternoon.

23. Nashville Predators (no change)

The Predators continue to hang around the playoff picture in the West, which would seem like an almost unbelievable statement a couple of months ago. Nashville continues to surge, now winners of eight of 12 since December 20. But they’re standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 15 after rotating wins and losses since New Year’s Eve. Still, the overall outlook is so, so much better than it’s been for two seasons, and fans in Smashville have to be happy with what they’re seeing in 2025-26. Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly and Roman Josi playing like stars is the catalyst, and it’s going to be up to the veterans to keep the train chugging along. Up next is a visit from McDavid and the Oilers on Tuesday night.

24. Utah Mammoth (+3)

Who would have thought that Karel Vejmelka would be leading the NHL in wins through the first half of the campaign? The Czech netminder picked up his 20th victory of the year on Friday — in just his 34th start. He’s giving the Mammoth a chance to win every time he’s between the pipes, and Utah has won four of six games dating back to New Year’s Day. It’s a great story for the former backup, and it looks like the team is starting to heat up again after a disappointing couple of months. Excitingly for fans of this franchise, the Mammoth will host the 2027 Winter Classic against the Avalanche, which should be a dandy on January 7, 2027 at Rice–Eccles Stadium. Utah’s participation means that all 32 active NHL teams will have played in an outdoor game.

25. Los Angeles Kings (no change)

The mediocrity continues in earnest for the Kings in 2025-26, who have won three and lost three since the calendar flipped to January. The lack of scoring is just crushing this team; Los Angeles is averaging just 2.64 goals per game, which is 28th league-wide. Darcy Kuemper has also struggled in net since returning from injury, which isn’t helping things one bit. Neither is Anze Kopitar hitting injured reserve. The Kings just can’t catch a break, but as currently constructed, this just barely looks like a playoff team. Right now, they’re holding onto the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference for dear life ahead of a visit from the Stars on Monday night.

26. New York Rangers (-4)

If you’re wondering how an NHL team fares without its star defenseman and star goaltender in the lineup, just look at the Rangers over the last week. With Adam Fox on LTIR and Igor Shesterkin on IR, New York got absolutely destroyed by Boston, with the B’s hanging 10 on their cross-division rivals. That followed up back-to-back losses to the Mammoth and Sabres, respectively, and it’s safe to say the Blueshirts’ season is going completely off the rails — if it wasn’t already. We thought maybe a huge 5-1 Winter Classic win vs. the Panthers would be a turning point, but instead, Mike Sullivan’s team hasn’t won since. Now back to .500 at 20-20-6, the Rangers are much closer to the bottom of the Eastern Conference than they are to a playoff spot with 36 games left.

27. Chicago Blackhawks (+3)

Connor Bedard is back in action, and the Blackhawks are once again trending in the right direction. Chicago has followed up a miserable stretch in December by winning five of their last six, returning to relevance in the Central Division in the process. While his return came in a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Capitals, Bedard made his presence felt the next night, recording two assists as the Hawks shut out the Predators, 3-0. With Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom fighting illnesses, Drew Commesso made 37 saves for his first NHL shutout and victory after being called up from AHL Rockford. That’s a great story for the 23-year-old, and things are looking up in the Windy City ahead of a Connor vs. Connor matchup when McDavid and the Oilers visit the United Center on Monday night.

28. Anaheim Ducks (-8)

It’s official: the Ducks have completely fallen off a cliff. It’s hard to believe that this team was once sniffing the top-five of the NHL Power Rankings. Today, Anaheim is taking the biggest hit of any team in Week 15, as the absolute futility continues in California. Make that nine defeats in a row — the longest current losing streak in the National — and it’s not hard to see why the Ducks have gone from the top of the Pacific Division to the bottom in the blink of an eye. Currently, only the Flames are below them in the division, and they’ve at least been capable over the last couple of weeks. Joel Quenneville’s team has been just awful, winning just a single time since December 16. It’s a gut punch for fans of the franchise, who truly thought the rebuild was over. Things can change quickly, but right now, this doesn’t look like anything close to a playoff contender.

29. St. Louis Blues (-1)

When St. Louis began its three-game road trip in Chicago last Wednesday, they were still hanging around a playoff spot in the Western Conference. But after back-to-back-to-back regulation losses — to the Blackhawks, Mammoth and Golden Knights, in that order — the Blues are back to being well below .500. The minus-47 goal differential is absolutely egregious, and worse than any other team in the National Hockey League. The only piece of good news out of Missouri this week was the six-year, $48 million extension for Philip Broberg, who has been solid on the blue line since being offer sheeted away from the Oilers a couple years ago. He’s earned a significant raise, and should be part of, if not a rebuild, at least a retool over the next few seasons.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets (-1)

After starting eight games in a row, now former Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason finally gave Jet Greaves a break, giving Elvis Merzlikins his first start since December 20 on Saturday. It couldn’t have been a more difficult matchup, with the Avalanche hanging four goals on the Latvian in a 4-0 final. Greaves was back in for the second half of the back-to-back, helping Columbus beat Utah in overtime to end the week. But considering it came after four consecutive losses, the Jackets are heading the wrong way in the NHL Power Rankings this time around. A 19-19-7 record is good enough for dead last in the Eastern Conference, and there isn’t a ton of hope this roster can rectify things — especially after the untimely injuries to Mason Marchment and Denton Mateychuk. The Jackets fired Evason shortly before this was posted, and that’s not an overly surprising conclusion considering how the campaign has gone in Ohio.

31. Winnipeg Jets (+1)

After spending a week in rock bottom, the Jets have climbed out of the basement following a rare two-game winning streak. After failing to win a contest for the entire second half of December — and the first week of January — Winnipeg finally ended the slump, beating the Kings 5-1 on Friday night and dispatching the Devils 4-3 two days later. It’s not much, but it’s a start after what has been an absolute nightmare campaign in Manitoba. Is there any hope that the reigning President’s Trophy winners can build on this momentum and get themselves back in the playoff conversation? It seems quite unlikely, but crazier things have happened. Right now, the magic number for a Western Conference postseason berth is just nine points.

32. Vancouver Canucks (-1)

No one is too surprised to see the Canucks back in the No. 32 slot in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 15. And that’s not only because general manager Patrik Allvin admitted on Monday that the team is “transitioning into a rebuild.” It’s also because Vancouver has won just one game since December 22, and it’s clear that management wants nothing more than a great chance at the No. 1 overall selection come June. Things are probably only going to get worse for this franchise the rest of the way, and they now sit dead last in NHL standings, so there really isn’t much further to fall. The first three games of a gruelling six-game road trip have been brutal: back-to-back-to-back losses in Buffalo, Detroit and Toronto. The second half of the trip begins on Monday against the Canadiens at the Bell Centre — and this writer will be in attendance to watch the tank in real time.

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