The Buffalo Sabres went into the Christmas Break with a seven-game win streak and kept that win streak going on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins. The recent success has gotten them not only out of the basement in the Atlantic Division but right on the cusp of a playoff spot.
There is a lot of hockey left, but at what is close to the midway point of the season, these are the power rankings for the Atlantic Division.
Atlantic Division Power Rankings after the Christmas Break
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been struggling most of the season and find themselves in last place in the Atlantic Division. This is not the same team from a season ago that had the second-most points in the Eastern Conference and won the division.
They did make a coaching change prior to the holiday break by firing Marc Savard, and the initial returns were positive as they beat the Ottawa Senators 7-5. The difference surprisingly was two power play goals, and that was unexpected as the Maple Leafs have been one of the worst power play teams in the NHL.
If the Maple Leafs want to extend their playoff streak they are going to need a similar run that the Sabres went on to get back into the discussion.
The Boston Bruins entered this season expecting to be in a rebuilding type mode with new head coach Marco Strum. They have been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde as they started the season with a three-game win streak, followed by six straight losses, then went on to win nine of their next 11.
They are currently on another tough stretch as they have lost five straight, with their latest loss being against the Buffalo Sabres. This is a team that still feels like a season or two away from contending and they could be sellers at the trade deadline.
Last season, the Ottawa Senators were a surprise playoff team, and if they hope to get back again, they are going to have some work to do. They currently have 41 points and are 5-4-1 over their last 10 but have lost their last two.
This is an interesting team that certainly could make a run as they have the second-best goal differential in the Atlantic Division at +4, even though they are sixth in the division. It seems when they win, they win big, but when they lose, they keep it close. That is not a bad recipe to have and is one of the reasons they probably find themselves on the playoff bubble most of the season.
The Buffalo Sabres might be playing the best hockey in all of the NHL right now, but these power rankings are trying to take into account what each team has done all season. When that is factored in, this is probably the right spot for them at this moment.
However, they certainly could continue to rise as they have been one of the best teams in the NHL on the penalty kill. Recently, the goaltending has been better and the Sabres have been timely with their goal-scoring.
There is still work to be done, particularly in the face-off circle, as they are one of the worst in face-off percentage. New general manager Jarmo Kekalainen will almost certainly make a trade or two before the trade deadline, which hopefully will only help this team's playoff chances.
The Montreal Canadiens were another team that was a surprising playoff team last season, and they have tried to only get better from that point. They made some big additions during the offseason with the trades for Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc that have helped keep them in the playoff discussion.
For most of the season, goaltending has been the biggest concern for this team but as of late, that might have been solved by the team calling up Jacob Fowler. He has appeared in five games and gone 3-1-1 over that stretch with a goals against average of 2.40 and a save percentage of .918. If he continues to play at this level, the Canadiens could quickly move to the top of the division.
This season has not gone the way the Florida Panthers would have hoped, and they have only 42 points through 37 games and sit in fourth in the Atlantic Division. However, it is hard to drop a team that has won back-to-back Stanley Cups too far down these rankings.
Injuries have certainly been a factor here, as the Panthers lost Aleksander Barkov before the season even began, and Matthew Tkachuk has yet to play due to offseason surgery. While Barkov probably won't be available until the playoffs, Tkachuk is close to returning. He should be a big boost for this team, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Panthers go on a little run.
The Detroit Red Wings have sat in first place for most of the season and have 47 points with a 7-3 record over their last 10 games. However, they fall into the same category as the Buffalo Sabres in that they are a team that has struggled recently and they need to prove it a little more before they move into the top of the power rankings.
There is no denying they have found a way to win games, but there are certainly underlying issues that need to be addressed or could cost them down the stretch. They currently have a goal differential of -5, which is the worst in the Atlantic Division.
One of the reasons for the poor goal differential is that the goaltending hasn't been great, even after trading for John Gibson in the offseason. After the games on Saturday, the Red Wings rank 21st in goals against at 3.21.
There is no question that it is great to be in the position the Red Wings are, but with more experienced teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and even Montreal Canadiens right behind them, they are going to need to play better to remain atop the division.
There might not be a more consistent team in the Atlantic Division over the last decade than the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have finished third or better in the Atlantic Division in seven of the past eight seasons, and currently are second once again this season.
The Lightning might be one of the streakiest teams in the NHL this season, as they have had three or more losses in a row on three separate occasions, but have had win streaks of three or more on three separate occasions, including a seven-game win streak in November.
At this point, the Lightning should be considered the favorite to win the Atlantic Division but it really is anyone's division with only an eight point difference from first to last.