NHL predictions and rankings - August 26, 2020


The Canadiens outplayed the Flyers but lost in the first round. Luck is important in hockey and the Flyers had more of it.

The second round of the playoffs is on. So far, all series are competitive. It’s surprising to see the Stars are 2-0 against the Avalanche.

The following is based on games played up to August 25th.

Predictions for the 2019-20 season

Despite being down 2-0 against the Stars, the Avalanche is still favorite to win the cup after dominating in the first round. The Stars might just be a good matchup to the Avalanche. The second favorite are the Islanders who have been playing well.

Table 1: Predictions for end of season standings in the NHL

Power ranking

Seven of the top ten teams are still in the playoffs. The exception are the Stars at number 12. They might climb into the top ten if they continue their strong play against the Avalanche.

Table 2: Power ranking of NHL teams