It's impossible to ignore the strong starts of the Golden Knights, Devils and Kings — three teams with low expectations coming into the season — nor the ugly play of teams like the Rangers and Canadiens when compiling this week's NHL power rankings.
Here's the breakdown on the second NHL power rankings of the 2017-18 regular season.
PREVIOUS POWER RANKINGS: Preseason | Week 1
NHL Power Rankings 2.0
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
6-1-0, 12 pts (last week: 1)
Impressive 2-0 shutout win over Capitals helps keep Leafs in top spot.
MORE: Tenacity, perseverance keys to Hyman's rise with Maple Leafs
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3-1-1, 7 pts (last week: 2)
Top team in the West played only twice last week, but did rally for hard-fought 2-1 overtime win over Predators. How about Brandon Saad with six goals?
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
5-1-1, 11 pts (last week: 5)
Four-game winning streak snapped in 5-4 overtime loss to Devils Tuesday. Nikita Kucherov has scored a goal in all seven games, five shy of Mario Lemieux's NHL record of scoring in the first 12 games to start a season.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
4-2-1, 9 pts (last week: 6)
They keep outscoring all of their defensive miscues. Did you see how they rallied to beat the Rangers in OT Tuesday?
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
5-1-0, 10 pts (last week: 9)
Blue Jackets have won four straight and Sergei Bobrovsky owns a 1.47 GAA, so far.
2017-18 KHL SEASON: Teams, players, division, Gagarin Cup, how to watch
6. Los Angeles Kings
5-0-1, 11 pts (last week: 12)
The only NHL team yet to lose in regulation this season. They're a surprise, but allowing only nine goals in five games will get you some wins.
7. Calgary Flames
4-2-0, 8 pts (last week: 10)
Solid road wins in Los Angeles (OT) and Vancouver last week.
8. Washington Capitals
3-3-1, 7 pts (last week: 2)
Have lost two straight and three of four, but still too good to fall out of top 10. At least not yet.
9. Vegas Golden Knights
5-1-0, 10 pts (last week: 21)
Fair is fair. Expansion team roster or not, the Golden Knights keep on winning, even with Malcolm Subban stepping in for the injured Marc-Andre Fleury.
MORE: Marc-Andre Fleury thrust into role as 'Face of the Golden Knights'
10. Philadelphia Flyers
4-2-0, 8 pts (last week: 13)
Returned from road trip with a vengeance, scoring 13 goals in a pair of home-ice victories.
11. St. Louis Blues
5-2-0, 10 pts (last week: 4)
A pair of losses to close out four-game road trip somewhat soils 4-0-0 start to season.
12. Ottawa Senators
3-1-2, 8 pts (last week: 18)
Three-game winning streak snapped Tuesday, ironically coinciding with Erik Karlsson's return.
MORE: How the Senators thrived without Erik Karlsson in lineup
13. Nashville Predators
3-2-1, 7 pts (last week: 15)
Have grabbed seven of eight points in last four games after losing first two games. P.K. Subban playing nearly 27 minutes a night.
MORE: Out of obscurity, Predators learning to live in NHL spotlight
14. New Jersey Devils
5-1-0, 10 pts (last week: 19)
Followed first loss of season to Capitals with exciting come-from-behind wins over Rangers and Lightning. This team plays exciting hockey and is fun to watch.
MORE: Will Butcher a cut above in historic start with Devils
15. Anaheim Ducks
2-3-1, 5 pts (last week: 7)
Need to get Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Eaves 100 percent healthy.
MORE: NHL's worst injuries of 2017-18
16. Dallas Stars
3-3-0, 6 pts (last week: 16)
They've won two straight, and Alex Radulov finally scored his first goal Tuesday.
17. Winnipeg Jets
3-3-0, 6 pts (last week: 17)
Three-game winning streak snapped as Steve Mason continues to struggle in goal. Nikolaj Ehlers NHL's first star of the week.
MORE: Kyle Connor gets chance with Jets as Mathieu Perreault sidelined with injury
18. Edmonton Oilers
1-4-0, 2 pts (last week: 8)
Losing streak sits at four as Cam Talbot fights it at one end of the ice and the Oil have 11 goals in five games at the other.
19. Detroit Red Wings
4-3-0, 8 pts (last week: 22)
Still the only team to beat the Vegas Golden Knights.
MORE: NHL milestones within reach in 2017-18
20. Minnesota Wild
1-1-2, 4 pts (last week: 11)
Zach Parise setback not good news, though Wild do have 15 goals in four games. Bigger problem is they've allowed 16.
21. Colorado Avalanche
4-3-0, 8 pts (last week: 25)
You do realize the Avs are only a point out of first place in the Central, right?
22. Carolina Hurricanes
2-1-1, 5 pts (last week: 20)
Coming off 5-3 road win in Edmonton. Schedule picks up a bit the next two weeks.
23. New York Islanders
2-3-1, 5 pts (last week: 14)
Lost two of three out west. Three winnable games coming up against Rangers, Sharks and Coyotes to gain some traction.
24. Boston Bruins
2-3-0, 4 pts (last week: 24)
Five rookies playing regular shifts in the lineup.
MORE: Bruins' Brandon Carlo comes back from concussion ready for bigger role
25. Florida Panthers
2-3-0, 4 pts (last week: 27)
Pretty ugly defensively, so far.
26. New York Rangers
1-5-1, 3 pts (last week: 23)
Inability to play 60 minutes a night. Consistently falling behind in first minute(s) of games. One of the league's biggest disappointments, so far.
MORE: Ondrej Pavelec has big backup skates to fill with Rangers
27. San Jose Sharks
2-3-0, 4 pts (last week: 28)
Logan Couture with four points Tuesday as Sharks pick up second win in last three games. East Coast road trip awaits this week.
28. Montreal Canadiens
1-5-1, 3 pts (last week: 26)
Habs scored only ten goals in first six games and they have a minus-12 goal differential.
29. Vancouver Canucks
2-2-1, 5 pts (last week: 29)
Anders Nilsson earns shutout victory in Canucks debut Tuesday.
MORE: Travis Green opens up about playing career shaping coach
30. Buffalo Sabres
1-4-2, 4 pts (last week: 31)
Three-goal rally in third period Tuesday versus Vegas got them a point, but not two.
31. Arizona Coyotes
0-5-1, 1 pt (last week: 30)
Only winless team in the NHL.