Happy Holidays to everyone!  The 2017-18 NHL regular season is moving along through the holiday season.  2018 is getting close, and the standings are beginning to take shape in the new year.  Which teams are in the top 10 as we enter 2018?

Let’s look at the new top 10:

1. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (1)
2. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (4)
3. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (2)
4. LOS ANGELES KINGS (5)
5. ST. LOUIS BLUES (3)
6. NEW JERSEY DEVILS (10)
7. WINNIPEG JETS (7)
8. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (6)
9. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (9)
10. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (8)

Note: These rankings will change every week
*(#) indicates last week’s ranking
*”NR” indicates “Not Ranked”

THOUGHTS ON THIS WEEK’S TOP 10

-Vegas had a great 5-game homestand before the Christmas holiday.  They took 9 out of 10 points in front of their home fans.  What makes this recent homestand even more impressive is the teams that they defeated.  The Golden Knights defeated Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Washington over the past week at home.  They are tied with Tampa for the most amount of wins at home (15).  The Golden Knights are truly making history in their first season, and it is truly fun to watch.

-The New Jersey Devils have risen in the recent rankings.  They are winners of 4 straight games. Brian Boyle has been a tremendous story this year for the Devils, and he is currently lighting up the recent score sheets.  He has 4 goals and 8 points in his last 4 games.  The Devils are currently sitting at the top of the very competitive Metropolitan Division.

-The Blues had a tough go through Western Canada last week.  They went 1-3 on their 4-game road trip.  They only scored 6 goals on their 4-game road trip.  The Blues are hurting with the major injuries to forwards Jaden Schwartz and Robby Fabbri.  What is saving the Blues is their young talented blueline.  Rookie defenseman Vince Dunn is playing valuable minutes for the Blues, while veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has been on the injury shelf.  Third-year pro Joel Edmundson is also absorbing many more minutes for the Blues as his development continues.  The Blues blueline will keep them afloat, but if everyone is healthy all at once, the Blues are in good shape to make any transactions they need to boost other positions in their lineup.

-The Washington Capitals slipped a little bit in the rankings, due to a recent poor road trip.  The Capitals let points slip away, as they lost to Arizona and Vegas on their recent road trip.  Alex Ovechkin is still among the league leaders with 23 goals, and Evgeny Kuznetsov still leads the Capitals with 38 points.  The Capitals have a tough week ahead as they head to New York to face the Rangers, and they also have the Bruins and Devils at home.

By: George Foussekis