1-32 poll, one word to describe each team
We’ve entered the final week of the 2022-23 NHL regular season. While some playoff spots continue to be contested, we have seen enough of all 32 teams to distill their performances during this campaign down to one word.
So for this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings — the final set for this season — we offer the last word on each club’s 2022-23 regular season.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors rates teams against one another — taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule — and those results are tabulated to produce the list featured here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the most recent edition, published March 31. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 81.41%
Remaining games: vs. NJ (Apr. 8), @ PHI (Apr. 9), vs. WSH (Apr. 11), @ MTL (Apr. 13)
Last word: Unforgettable. Boston has collected accolades, broken records and reached elite benchmarks in a thoroughly dominant regular-season performance. Like every team, the Bruins care more about what happens when the calendar flips to playoff time, but no one inside — or outside — that organization should soon forget what Boston achieved this season.
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 69.87%
Remaining games: @ BUF (Apr. 8), @ OTT (Apr. 10), vs. DET (Apr. 11), @ FLA (Apr. 13)
Last word: Thriving. Carolina proved last season’s 116-point effort was no fluke. The Hurricanes passed the 100-point mark again this season with steady, effective contributions across the board. This is a team living its best life now, and it’s an era of prosperity in which Carolina deserves to revel.
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 68.35%
Remaining games: @ BOS (Apr. 8), vs. BUF (Apr. 11), @ WSH (Apr. 13)
Last word: Astonishing. New Jersey showcased the season’s best glow-up by going from a recent underachiever to startling playoff contender. And what fun these Devils have been to watch. The way New Jersey’s…
