The Hottest and Coldest NHL Teams Right Now (2024)

In the National Hockey League this season, streaks have made some of the biggest headlines.

The Columbus Blue Jackets flirted with history when they won 16 straight games, but since the Washington Capitals broke the spell January 5, John Tortorella's team has been a rather pedestrian 2-3-0.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Vancouver Canucks racked up nine straight losses earlier this season, but a six-game post-Christmas winning streak has pulled them back into the thick of the playoff race.

Columbus and Vancouver have both trended strongly this season, but right now neither team is among the hottest or the coldest in the league.

Most teams have put together at least some solid stretches of play this year, which has led to a logjam around the playoff cut lines. Not many teams have been ice cold for sustained periods of time.

With two weeks to go before the All-Star break, here's a look at which teams have been making the biggest moves up and down the standings over their past 10 games.

Season to Date:42 GP, 28-9-5, 61 PTS, second in Metropolitan Division

Record in Last 10 Games:8-1-1

How They Got So Hot:After an uncharacteristically inconsistent start to the season, the Washington Capitals are once again starting to resemble the group that captured the Presidents' Trophy as the top regular-season team of the 2015-16 season.

The Caps are currently the hottest team in the league, riding an eight-game winning streak. The offense is starting to flow, and Alex Ovechkin is heating up like he usually does after Christmas—he has six goals and 12 points in the 10 games since the holiday break.

Overall, the Caps have outscored their opponents 37-16 over those 10 games. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby has been particularly sharp, posting a 6-1-1 record in nine appearances during that span. In his last five games, Holtby has recorded three shutouts and given up just three goals—all on the power play.

Biggest Reason for Concern:It's nitpicky, but Washington'spower play isn't everything it could be, especially considering the high-powered personnel coach Barry Trotz can deploy. After ranking fifth last season with a 21.9 percent success rate, the Caps are a surprising 16th this year, connecting on just 18 percent of their chances.

The power play becomes more important than ever once the playoffs arrive. It's something the Capitals will need to improve if they hope to set themselves up for a deep postseason run this year.

Season to Date:40 GP, 13-26-1, 27 PTS, seventh in Central Division

Record in Last 10 Games:2-8-0

Why They're So Cold:Injuries have been an issue this season for the Colorado Avalanche. Captain Gabriel Landeskog, leading goal-scorer Matt duch*ene, starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov and top-pairing defenseman Erik Johnson have all missed time. Johnson's still sidelined with his broken leg.

But the Avs have also spun their wheels after scrambling to replace coach Patrick Roy, who announced his resignation in late summer 2016. Despite a rich collection of skilled young talent, Colorado is averaging a dismal two goals a game, tied for last in the league. They're also giving up a league-worst 3.33 goals per game.

Biggest Reason for Optimism:Now three years removed from the unexpected 112-point season that led the Central Division in 2013-14, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic and his group seem to have come to terms with the idea that big changes need to be made to get the Avalanche back onto a winning track.

Sakic started small, dipping his toe into the trade pond on January 13 when he dealt long-serving tough guy Cody McLeod to the Nashville Predators, per Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.

LeBrun says that stars like Landeskog and duch*ene could also end up being moved for the right price, though the timeline for such deals remains uncertain. If and when they happen, those will be trades that have the potential to reset the direction of a once-proud franchise.

Season to Date:40 GP, 26-9-5, 57 PTS, second in Central Division

Record in Last 10 Games:8-1-1

How They Got So Hot:For almost a month and a half, the Minnesota Wild have been playing near-perfect hockey. In 17 games since December 4, the Wild are 15-1-1. Their only regulation loss came on New Year's Eve against the similarly streaking Columbus Blue Jackets.

Historically, the Wild can have trouble scoring, but they're currently fourth in the league with 3.23 goals per game—thanks in no small part to a resurgent Eric Staal, with his team-leading 14 goals and 38 points.

Even more importantly, 2014-15 Vezina Trophy finalist Devan Dubnyk has returned to form. His .940 save percentage and 1.77 goals-against average are even better than the stellar numbers he put up when he first joined the Wild less than two years ago.

Biggest Reason for Concern:So far, it looks like new coach Bruce Boudreau has been a good fit in Minnesota and, after a period of adjustment, the team's systems are now working well.

As long as the Wild stay healthy, the true litmus test for this season will come at playoff time, when they try to push past the second round for just the second time in franchise history.

Season to Date:44 GP, 22-16-6, 50 PTS, fifth in Metropolitan Division

Record in Last 10 Games:3-5-2

Why They're So Cold:In isolation, the Philadelphia Flyers' current position in the standings looks pretty decent. They finished in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference last season, and that's where they sit right now.

But the Flyers have slipped over the last month after some impressive early-season play. Their 10-game winning streak that ran from November 27 to December 14 is now a distant memory—they're gone a grim 3-6-3 since it ended.

Even more worrisome, starting goaltender Steve Mason has struggled since the streak ended. He hasn't recorded a win since December 21 and is 0-5-2 in his last eight appearances. Mason was pulled from Philadelphia's last game against the Vancouver Canucks on January 12 after giving up four goals in 40 minutes.

Biggest Reasons for Optimism:Michal Neuvirth's performance against Vancouver was terrific—he stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third period, all four in overtime and all three in the shootout. After sitting on the bench watching Mason play 23 straight games between November 14 and January 4, Neuvirth is making the most of his opportunity to play. He's now 2-0 in his two January appearances to date.

The Flyers are also having a much easier time scoring goals this season—they're tied with the Edmonton Oilers for eighth in the league at 2.82 goals per game after generating just 2.57 goals a game last season. If Neuvirth can successfully fill in until Mason gets his mojo back, the Flyers should be able to hang on to that hard-earned playoff spot for a second straight year.

Season to Date:40 GP, 19-13-8, 46 PTS, fourth in Atlantic Division

Record in Last 10 Games:7-2-1

How They Got So Hot: Somebody forgot to tell Toronto's fresh-faced crop of rookie talent that adjusting to the NHL level is supposed to take some time.

The Leafs stripped down their roster over the last two seasons, which has opened up plenty of ice time for the kids. Not only are Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander lighting the lamp consistently, the team is also getting strong two-way play out of forwards Connor Brown and Zach Hyman, plus solid blue-line minutes from Nikita Zaitsev.

Strong goaltending from new acquisition Frederik Andersen has helped too. The Leafs have climbed from the 25th-ranked team in the league defensively in 2015-16 to No. 18 this season.

The Leafs' recent surge has visions of playoffs dancing in the heads of long-suffering Torontonians. The team now sits just two points behind Ottawa, currently third in the Atlantic Division.

Biggest Reason for Concern:Have you seen some of Toronto's late-game collapses? The youngsters can get themselves into trouble just as quickly as they can build big leads.

The Leafs' record of 11-4-4 when leading after one period gives them a winning percentage of just .579—second-worst in the league behind Arizona. The situation improves if Toronto hangs on to the lead through 40 minutes—a record of 17-1-4 for .773, but that's still fourth-worst in the league for teams taking a lead into the third period.

Toronto has been getting better at locking down wins in recent games. The team will need to keep that up if it hopes to stay in the playoff hunt down the stretch.

Season to Date:41 GP, 13-22-6, 32 PTS, seventh in Pacific Division

Record in Last 10 Games:2-7-1

Why They're So Cold:Like the Maple Leafs, the Arizona Coyotes were supposed to turn the corner this season based on savvy free-agent signings, a fresh approach by management and a cropful of young talent.

But the pieces haven't come together in Glendale, on either side of the puck. The Coyotes are averaging a dismal two goals a game, tied for last in the league, and are 29th overall with just 27.6 shots generated per game. Meanwhile, their 33.1 shots allowed is the most in the league, and that has led to a second-worst 3.10 goals-against average per game.

Special teams have also been a problem—Arizona's in the bottom five of the league on both the power play and the penalty kill.

The Coyotes are 2-0-1 in their last three games, but the eight-game losing streak that came right before has cemented the team's spot in the Pacific Division cellar. At the midpoint of its season, Arizona's already 13 points behind sixth-place Vancouver and virtually guaranteed to miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year.

Biggest Reason for Optimism:This is a team that can unabashedly cast itself as a seller at the trade deadline. Veterans Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata and blueliner Michael Stone are all impending unrestricted free agents who could be converted into more young players or draft choices for the ever-developing team.

Don't expect to see Shane Doan waive his no-movement clause, though. The captain has deep roots in the desert and will most likely end his career—whenever that may be—with the organization that drafted him as a member of the original Winnipeg Jets back in 1995.

Season to Date:44 GP, 23-13-8, 54 PTS, first in Pacific Division

Record in Last 10 Games:6-1-3

How They Got So Hot:The Anaheim Ducks don't always deliver regulation wins, but they've been getting at least a point out of nearly every game they play. Since December 22, the Ducks' only outright loss came against a team that's even hotter than they are—a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Wild on January 8.

Once again, a hot goaltender has been a major contributor. John Gibson has played every minute of the Ducks' last 10 games and has allowed just 17 goals during that span, also recording two shutouts along the way.

Biggest Reason for Concern:Plenty of teams are leaning hard on one goaltender this season, but is Randy Carlyle overplaying his hand? Gibson's busiest season to date came in 2015-16, when he appeared in 40 games; he's already at 34 just past this year's midpoint.

Carlyle will look like a genius if the Ducks go deep into the playoffs after finally starting with Gibson as their undisputed No. 1. But if Gibson falters or is injured, Ducks fans will be in for another summer of frustration.

Season to Date:44 GP, 20-20-4, 44 PTS, sixth in Atlantic Division

Record in Last 10 Games:3-6-1

Why They're So Cold: The Tampa Bay Lightning are another team that has been hit hard by injuries this season. Most impactfully, captain Steven Stamkos managed just 17 games before being knocked to the sidelines and is rehabbing from knee surgery.

Though he hasn't played up to his usual high standards this season, goaltender Ben Bishop's absence was also strongly felt when he missed nine games after suffering a groin injury on December 20. Heir apparent Andrei Vasilevskiy started out well in Bishop's absence, going 3-1-1, but he gave up 20 goals in four straight losses before Bishop's return—and put the Lightning's playoff chances in jeopardy.

With the wild-card spots all but out of reach for Atlantic Division teams this year due to the lights-out play of the group in the Metropolitan, it looks like the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Lightning will be spending the second half of the season fighting it out for the third and final guaranteed playoff berth in their division.

Biggest Reason for Optimism:Bishop is back in action and picked up a win in his return, a solid 4-2 decision over the Buffalo Sabres on January 12. Bishop's health problems usually don't surface till playoff time. Perhaps this year he has gotten his annual issue out of the way early and will be back in prime form down the stretch and into the postseason?

The Lightning have gained a lot of playoff experience over the last two years. If they can get to the dance, they should be able to do some damage with a healthy Bishop—especially if Stamkos is able to return to action before the end of the regular season.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com, current through games completed Friday, January 13.