NHL predictions and rankings - January 16, 2022
Looking at the Avalanche and the Panthers, I thought that scoring was way up in the NHL this season. It’s not really the case. From Hockey Reference, the number of goals per this season is 3.03, up from 2.94 last season and 3.02 two seasons ago. So, the 2021-22 seasons is not standing out compared to recent seasons. The last time the number of goals per game significantly jumped was in the 2017-18 season when it grew up by 0.2 goal per game. I do not know the reason why but the addition of the Las Vegas Golden Knights might have contributed to it.
Predictions for the 2021-22 season
The Panthers have been playing very well recently, destroying the Blue Jackets and the Stars, and they now sit at the top of the predicted ranking. The Avalanche is the favorite to win the Cup, edging the Maple Leafs.
Table 1: Predictions for end of season standings in the NHL
Power ranking
No change from last week, the Maples Leafs are still at the top of the power ranking. The Panthers climbed to the third spot from 6th last week.
Table 2: Power ranking of NHL teams