Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens stand atop the NHL with 11 wins and 22 points. Getty

With roughly one month of hockey in the books, NHL teams are beginning to hit their stride. While it's still quite early to draw substantive conclusions, it's clear that there are teams that are heading in the right direction while some are languishing.

Here are the power rankings for all 30 NHL teams after about 11 games in the 2015-2016 season.

  1. Montreal Canadiens (11-2-0): Even without all-world goalie Carey Price for a week, don’t count on Montreal slowing down. Backup Mike Condon is 4-0-0 with a 1.51 goals against average while the Habs score 3.85 per game and have ten more goals than any other team (50). Their +26 goal differential is astounding and they’ve yet to lose at the Bell Centre (5-0-0). They somehow have seven players with at least 10 points or more, including two defensemen.
  2. Washington Capitals (8-2-0): Barry Trotz’s team had the third most points of any Eastern Conference team on the road a season ago. It’s been more of the same from the Metropolitan division leaders, who are 4-0 on the road including a tough sweep of western Canada at Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton. They face another tough road test against the New York Rangers this week. Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov are tied for the team lead with five goals.
  3. Dallas Stars (9-3-0): Dallas has won eight of 10 and is off to their best start since 2006-2007. They give up their fair share of goals (2.83 per game) but score so many (3.42) that it doesn’t seem to matter. They’re an offensive juggernaut that has the second-most goals in the NHL (41) while Jamie Benn leads the league in goals (10) and points (18) with Tyler Seguin close behind (17).
  4. Los Angeles Kings (7-4-0): The Kings had their win streak snapped in Chicago but ended October with seven straight wins. Jonathan Quick is playing like his normal self, giving up eight goals in six games played during the streak. After missing the playoffs last year, Los Angeles figures to be a major player in the Pacific. After 23 goals a season ago,Tyler Toffoli is off to a hot start with nine goals in 11 games.
  5. St. Louis Blues (8-2-1): Tons of injuries to key players yet no slowing down for St. Louis, who already has two win streaks of three games or more. The platoon in net with Brian Elliot and Jake Allen has worked as they’ve let up the fourth fewest goals in the league. Their No. 29-ranked power play needs work but they win face offs and get the fourth most shots on net per game. The Blues are dominant at home (4-0-1).
  6. New York Rangers (7-2-2): New York closed out October grabbing nine out of a possible 10 points and going 4-0-1. They’re tied for the fewest goals allowed per game (1.82) and Henrik Lundvist is stopping everything, with a .943 save percentage as proof. Mats Zuccarello missed time in the playoffs last year but has started off with seven goals and nine points in eleven games.
  7. Minnesota Wild (7-2-2): Minnesota is 4-1-1 in their last six and a perfect 5-0-0 at home with Tampa Bay and Nashville coming to town this week. Not bad for a team playing in a division where six of the seven teams have legitimate playoff aspirations. Goalie Devan Dubnyk is tied for the league lead in wins (7), and living up to his $4.33 million contract. Zach Parise leads the way with seven goals and Mikko Koivu has 11 points in 11 games.
  8. Chicago Blackhawks (7-5-0): Don’t be fooled by their sixth place Central Division standing. The Hawks need to play better on the road but started similarly last year and we know where they wound up. Two of those losses came with Scott Darling in net and the defending champs are still dominant at home (6-1-0). Patrick Kane ranks No. 3 in points so far (16), and Chicago leads the league in shots on goal (33.9 per game). Only a matter of time until more of them go in.
  9. Nashville Predators (7-2-2): They don’t score many goals and only have one player with double-digit points, but Pekka Rinne (6-1-2) may very well be a Vezina Trophy finalist once again. They’ll have their work cut out for them as the Preds’ next three opponents were all playoff teams a year ago.
  10. Boston Bruins (6-3-1): Boston is 6-0-1 in its last seven and scoring more goals than anybody per game (3.9) led by David Krejci’s 15 points and the top power play in the league (35.3 percent). After being a .500 team away from home last year, they’re a perfect 5-0-0 away from home in the early going but go on the road this week to play Washington, Montreal and the Islanders.
  11. New York Islanders (6-3-3): The last three games have been uninspiring, only getting two points against lesser competition but captain John Tavares and goalie Jaroslav Halak each missed two of those games and the Isles haven’t broken in their new home arena just yet. They will be tested this week when they play Montreal and Boston but New York has improved its weaknesses on penalty kills and power plays and are still a top-five scoring team (36 goals).
  12. Winnipeg Jets (7-4-0): The Jets don’t stand out in any one category, they just perform adequately in all of them and they still sit in 5th place in the Central. They play three eastern teams before playing four big games inside the division. Blake Wheeler is among the league leaders in points (14) while Winnipeg is a top-10 team on both the penalty kill and power play.
  13. Tampa Bay Lightning (6-5-2): The reigning Eastern Conference champs closed out October by scoring two goals in four games, all losses. Tampa Bay is at a -1 goal differential after finishing last season at +51. Goals are the key for a team that led the NHL a season ago (259) but they began a four-game road trip with a 4-3 win and are back to having two healthy, interchangeable goaltenders to keep starter Ben Bishop fresh for a stretch run. Steven Stamkos leads the team with six goals
  14. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-4-0): Don’t let Marc-Andre Fleury’s 6-4-0 record fool you, he’s been lights out. Pittsburgh is 7-1-0 in their last eight including a four game win streak and give up a league-low 1.82 goals per game. What they haven’t done is score comparative to their offensive skill.
  15. Vancouver Canucks (5-2-4): The Canucks are in good shape being a top-ten in scoring offense and defense. Just like last season, Vancouver has smothered teams on the penalty kill (90 percent success rate) but they’re struggled getting the extra point in overtime and the shootout despite being tied for first. They’re 4-0-1 away from home and are preparing for a seven-game road trip.
  16. San Jose Sharks (6-5-0): San Jose closed October losing five of six but got back in the win column to begin this month and goaltender Martin Jones has allowed two goals or less in six of eight starts. Peter DeBoer has the Sharks playing fundamental hockey and possessing the puck more than most teams. San Jose wins a league-leading 53.6 percent of face-offs.
  17. Florida Panthers (5-4-2): The Panthers have a better goal differential than Tampa Bay, Ottawa and Detroit and the fourth best in the conference (+9). They’re 11th in goals scored but sometimes it’s when you score as Florida is top-five in third period goals (14). The ageless Jaromir Jagr leads the team in goals (6) and points (10).
  18. Ottawa Senators (5-4-2): Ottawa has been highly inconsistent winning three of four, dropping four straight then wining two of three. They’re a top-ten scoring team but have also allowed the sixth most goals in the NHL (34) while goalie Craig Anderson struggles (3.05 goals against average). Now leading scorer Mark Stone is suspended two games as they take on Montreal next.
  19. Detroit Red Wings (5-5-1): Detroit is middle of the pack in every major category and lost six of eight to end October but play four of the next five at home, albeit against stiff competition. It’s hard to tell whether the goaltending platoon is helping or hurting them, with Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard in a dead heat for the starter’s role.
  20. New Jersey Devils (6-4-1): The Devils are one of the league’s most pleasant surprises and have won six of seven. Cory Schneider has played well in goal (6-2-1) but what New Jersey needs to do is score after ranking No. 28 last year in goals and managing to be .500 now despite ranking No. 24 currently. We’ll see if they come down to earth in November playing seven straight against playoff teams from a season ago.
  21. Buffalo Sabres (5-7-0): No. 2 pick Jack Eichel has looked good on both sides of the ice on a team not expected to go very far. Buffalo’s issues are in net where Chad Johnson allowed 14 goals in his last three starts before being pulled for a 22-year old rookie named Linus Ullmark, who is 2-1 and appears to be taking over the starting spot. They play Tampa twice and Vancouver once in the next three.
  22. Carolina Hurricanes (5-7-0): Carolina competes every night and has great puck possession in terms of shots and face offs but struggles to score, ranking No. 23 in the NHL. They’re in the midst of a stretch where they play 11 of 12 games at home, where they started 0-3-0.
  23. Anaheim Ducks (2-7-2): Perhaps the biggest surprise, in a bad way. They're too talanted to score just 14 goals in 11 games and come out of October with just one win. The No. 30-ranked offense did beat Nashville and is playing seven of eight at home but have gotten just four points from forwards Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, combined. The good news is the Pacific is average and Anaheim is a team that can get on a roll, but they’ll need to improve their league-worst power play (9.4 percent).
  24. Philadelphia Flyers (4-4-2): Philadelphia started off nicely but has lost the first two of a five-game road trip and struggles to score. Leading scorer Claude Giroux only has four goals and they’re led by a defenseman in points. It’s been three goals in three games and 21 goals in 11 games overall for the Flyers, who rank No. 26 in goal differential (-11).
  25. Arizona Coyotes (5-5-1): Rookie Max Domi has impressed with 11 points in 11 games to begin his career. Arizona has lost six of eight but is in almost every game they play. They’re in striking distance in the Pacific but Mike Anderson’s 3.18 goals against average is too high for an inexperienced team to overcome. Anderson could lose his job in net to Anders Lindback.
  26. Calgary Flames (3-8-1): Calgary was a surprise playoff team a season ago but has fallen far from grace and finds itself bottom-dwelling. The culprit has to be goaltending whether its Jonas Hiller or Karri Ramo, who has been sent to the minors. The Flames have allowed a league-high 49 goals, an average of 4.08 per game and have a -23 differential.
  27. Edmonton Oilers (4-8-0): No. 1 pick Conor McDavid has been everything the Oilers hoped for and more. The 18-year old won Rookie of the Month for October and has 12 points in 12 games to begin his career. As a team, Edmonton is young and talented but inconsistent. Plus, Cam Talbot is just 3-6-0 as the No. 1 goalie. The upcoming Crosby-McDavid matchup against Pittsburgh will be must-see TV.
  28. Colorado Avalanche (3-7-1): Unfortunately for Colorado they play in the Central where every team except them is a playoff contender. Six of their last seven have been decided by one goal but the Avs only came away with one win. Goaltending is also a problem with Semyon Varlamov allowing over three goals per game.
  29. Toronto Maple Leafs (2-7-2): Little is going well in Mike Babcock’s first season rebuilding the Leafs. They went 1-7-2 in October, they’re last in the Atlantic and are starved for offensive talent. Toronto has scored more than three goals in a game just three times and goes against seven-straight playoff contenders after managing to beat Dallas to open November.
  30. Columbus Blue Jackets (2-10-0): After a coaching change and losing their first eight games, Columbus has won two of four. Still, they’re at the bottom of the league and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t helped with his 3.97 GAA. John Tortorella has his work cut out for him as the Jackets search or that ever-elusive home victory (0-5-0) and look to develop an identity.