The Colorado Avalanche are rolling. Can they set a record?
The Avalanche saw their 10-game winning streak end in a shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, but their point streak has hit 16 games.
They have only one regulation loss through 25 games. The record for fewest regulation losses is eight by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.
The Avalanche lead the league in goals and fewest allowed. Their goal differential is +48. They had 6-0 and 7-2 wins on either side of the Minnesota game. Nathan MacKinnon is the league’s top scorer, Cale Makar is the top-scoring defenseman and Scott Wedgewood is one of the top-performing goalies.
Here are the latest USA TODAY NHL power rankings. Stats are through Nov. 30 and parentheses indicate change from two weeks ago.
NHL power rankings
1. Colorado Avalanche (0)
MacKinnon was the first player this season to reach 20 goals, and captain Gabriel Landeskog is starting to take off with five points in his last three games.
2. Dallas Stars (0)
Captain Jamie Benn has returned from preseason surgery for a collapsed lung and has goals in three of his last four games He has joined the 400-goal club and is up to 402.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (+15)
The Lightning have won seven in a row despite No. 1 defenseman Victor Hedman missing nine games with an injury. Defenseman Darren Raddysh has 13 points with Hedman out.
4. Minnesota Wild (+17)
The Wild are rotating goaltenders Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, and getting good performances from both. Gustavsson was in net when the Wild lost in a shootout to end their seven-game winning streak.
5. Carolina Hurricanes (-1)
Goalie Brandon Bussi has made back-to-back starts for the first time this season. He won both, the second in a shutout, and is 7-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. Pyotr Kochetkov is injured again.
6. New Jersey Devils (-2)
Goalie Jake Allen (2.27, .919) has outplayed Jacob Markstrom (3.60, .874), who recently signed a two-year contract extension.
7. Washington Capitals (+20)
Tom Wilson and goalie Logan Thompson are doing what they can to impress Team Canada. Wilson is up to 15 goals and 29 points. Thompson ranks first among Canadian goaltenders in Moneypuck’s goals saved above expected.
8. Philadelphia Flyers (+5)
The Flyers have won five of six to move into a wild-card position.
9. Pittsburgh Penguins (-2)
Sidney Crosby has moved past Dave Andreychuk for 15th place in goals (641) and also has broken Mario Lemieux’s Penguins record for points scored at home (941).
10. Anaheim Ducks (+1)
No. 1 goalie Lukas Dostal is out with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss two to three weeks. Then Petr Mrazek left Sunday’s game with an injury, leaving Ville Husso in net.
11. Los Angeles Kings (-6)
The Kings offense has been quiet recently, and their power play is near the bottom of the league. Defenseman Drew Doughty’s absence has contributed. He’s week to week.
12. Boston Bruins (-6)
Morgan Geekie has joined MacKinnon on the 20-goal list. He scored twice on Nov. 19 in a game in which David Pastrnak didn’t play.
13. Vegas Golden Knights (+4)
Goalie Carter Hart is eligible to be recalled on Dec. 1. He signed with the Golden Knights in October after being acquitted in a sexual assault trial. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports Hart could play on Dec. 2.
14. Ottawa Senators (+2)
The Senators survived the absence of Brady Tkachuk (thumb surgery) and now he’s back. The U.S. Olympian has one assist in three games since returning.
15. New York Islanders (-5)
Forward Kyle Palmieri, the team’s reigning ironman, tore his ACL and will be out six to eight months. He picked up an assist on an Emil Heineman goal while skating to the dressing room after the injury. Palmieri had played 223 consecutive games and was tied for second on the team in scoring.
16. Chicago Blackhawks (-4)
Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick of 2023, bested No. 2 Leo Carlsson on Nov. 30. He had a four-point game as the Blackhawks rallied from a 3-0 deficit to down the Ducks 5-3. He’s now tied for second in the league in scoring.
17. Seattle Kraken (-2)
The Kraken have been shut out in two of their last three games but remain in playoff position.
18. Montreal Canadiens (-4)
The Canadiens gave defenseman Mike Matheson a five-year, $30 million contract. He has 15 points in 24 games this season.
19. Winnipeg Jets (-11)
The Jets beat the last-place Predators to end a four-game losing streak without Connor Hellebuyck in net. He had knee surgery on Nov. 22 and will be out four to six weeks.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (+4)
Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner is getting closer to returning. He has missed nine games and practiced on Sunday.
21. Florida Panthers (-1)
22. New York Rangers (-9)
The Rangers continue to struggle at home. They were outshot 35-13 in a 4-1 loss to the Lightning on Nov. 29. Defenseman Adam Fox left the game after a Brandon Hagel check and will be placed on long-term injured reserve, according to multiple reports.
23. Edmonton Oilers (-4)
Just when rumors started swirling about the Oilers looking for goaltending, Stuart Skinner recorded a shutout.
24. Utah Mammoth (-2)
Captain Clayton Keller played two road games after his father died last week. The Stars named him first star of the game and the Blues held a moment of silence before their game.
25. Detroit Red Wings (-16)
John Gibson, acquired in the offseason to shore up the goaltending, has struggled with an .865 save percentage. He has given up five goals in each of his last three games.
26. San Jose Sharks (+1)
Macklin Celebrini became the eighth-youngest player to reach 100 points. He reached the milestone in 96 games.
27. Toronto Maple Leafs (-1)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has a nine-game point streak, one shy of Tom Kurvers’ team record for a defenseman. But he left the ninth game with an upper-body injury.
28. Buffalo Sabres (-1)
Forward Josh Norris is scheduled to return from an injury soon. He was injured in the opening game on a faceoff and has played only four games since arriving in a trade last season.
29. St. Louis Blues (+1)
The Blues have their first two-game winning streak since early October. Joel Hofer shut out the Mammoth in the second game.
30. Vancouver Canucks (-5)
Trade rumors are surrounding the Canucks, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the team is willing to discuss veteran players.
31. Calgary Flames (+1)
The Flames moved out of last place in the league and gave two-year contract extensions to general manager Craig Conroy and other executives.
32. Nashville Predators (-1)
General manager Barry Trotz gave a vote of confidence to coach Andrew Brunette and said he needed more from the players. The Predators lost the first game afterward 8-3 but have gone 2-1 since.
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