Six weeks have come and gone in the NHL season. Not much has changed over this last week; the NHL teams that were struggling still seem to be struggling, and the ones that aren’t aren’t. For the most part, anyway.
Let’s take a look into how this last week of NHL action played out and grade each team on their performance throughout the week.
Which teams got the highest grades in the NHL after week 6?
Anaheim Ducks Grade: C (Previous grade: D-)
A shorter week for the Ducks this week. They only played two games, splitting their results. They lost to the Knights in a competitive 3-2 game, then beat the Red Wings 6-4 in a rare offensive explosion for them. Even with John Gibson back, the Ducks still can’t seem to find any sort of spark. They look uninspired and sloppy.
Boston Bruins Grade: D (Previous grade: D-)
The Bruins went 1-1-1 this week, meaning they’ve lost three of their last four and four of their last six. After beating the Blues 3-2, they would go on to get smashed by Dallas 7-1. They would then allow St Louis to get their payback, dropping a 3-2 game in OT. The Atlantic division is fairly tight this year around, so Boston still has a chance to pull back in, but with how good the Metro has been, a wild card berth may be out the window.
Buffalo Sabres Grade: D (Previous grade: A+)
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I called it. Every single time the Sabres do anything competent, they immediately backtrack. After a really good week last week, the Sabres went back to mediocre, losing to Montreal 7-5 and the Flyers 5-2. They did manage to beat the Blues 4-3 in OT, but that was their only win this week, and they barely managed to get that one.
Calgary Flames Grade: A (Previous grade: D+)
It was a good week for the Flames, albeit a low-scoring one. They won over division rivals LA by a score of 3-1. They followed that up with a 3-1 loss to Vancouver. However, they managed to rebound and end their week on a win, beating the Predators 2-0. They’ve pulled themselves back over .500 and are tied with Vancouver in points.
Carolina Hurricanes Grade: A (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Hurricanes won 3 of 4 this week, beating the Golden Knights 5-2, the Senators 4-0, and the Blues 4-1. They lost to Utah 4-1. They’ve looked nothing short of incredible these last couple of weeks and don’t seem like they want to slow down anytime soon. They currently hold first place in the Metro, and that’s even with having played 4 fewer games than the Devils.
Chicago Blackhawks Grade: F (Previous grade: D+)
The Hawks only played two games this week, the first of which came last Thursday. They lost to the Kraken 3-1 and then lost to the Canucks 4-1. They’ve now lost four of their last five games, though it’s not really much of a surprise to anyone. They weren’t expected to be good this season, though they were expected to be better.
Also Read: Grading All 32 NHL Teams’ After Week 5 Games Of The 2024 Season
Colorado Avalanche Grade: A (Previous grade: B+)
The Avs had a three-game winning streak, which ended with a 5-2 loss to the Capitals at the end of the week. Before that, they had beaten the Kings 4-2 and the Predators 3-2 in OT. They looked very good against the Kings, almost like their former selves. They didn’t look the same against the Capitals. It’s day by day for the Avs right now.
Columbus Blue Jackets Grade: F (Previous grade: Unchanged)
The Jackets started off their week with a 5-2 loss to the Kraken, which extended their losing streak to six games. They did manage to end that streak in their next game by beating the Penguins 6-2. However, they would lose their very next game against Montreal 5-1. That’s 7 losses in their last eight games.
Dallas Stars Grade: A+ (Previous grade: C)
The Stars seem to be back on track as they won all three of their games this week against the Wild, Bruins, and Penguins. They beat the Jets 2-1, the Penguins 7-1, and the Bruins 7-2. Pretty good week as they beat a top team in their division and then dominated two lower-tier teams as they should.
Detroit Red Wings Grade: D- (Previous grade: D+)
Despite barely beating the Penguins in OT, the Red Wings would lose their next two games, which would result in them getting another low grade. They lost to the Ducks 6-4, which is bad considering they let the worst offense in the league score six goals on them. They then lost to the Kings 4-1.
Edmonton Oilers Grade: B+ (Previous grade: D+)
The Oilers had back-to-back OT wins over the Islanders and Predators. They then ended their week with a 4-3 OT loss to the Maple Leafs. It was not a terrible week for this NHL team, but they could certainly be winning more convincingly. Connor McDavid also netted his 1000th career point, so congratulations are in order for him.
Florida Panthers Grade: D+ (Previous grade: A+)
The Panthers managed to salvage their week with a dominant 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Before that, they had lost back-to-back games to the Devils by scores of 4-1 and 6-2, respectively. If it wasn’t for the Winnipeg game, Florida probably would’ve gotten an F for the week, given their fairly poor performances against New Jersey. A win against Winnipeg is solid, though, especially one so dominant.
Los Angeles Kings Grade: D (Previous grade: A)
It was a rougher week for the Kings. They lost their first two games of the week to the Avs and Flames, losing to the Flames 3-1 and the Avs 4-2. On top of that, Darcy Kumeper is injured once again. They continue to play well on home ice, though, beating Detroit in the Crypto.com arena 4-1 to improve their home record to 5-1-1 on the season.
Minnesota Wild Grade: C (Previous grade: C+)
It wasn’t a very busy week for the Wild. They played two games against the Stars and Canadiens and split the results. They would lose to Dallas in a hard-fought 2-1 defeat and then rebound 3-0 over Montreal. They continue to be the surprise of the season, though, amassing an impressive 11-3-3 record.
Montreal Canadiens Grade: B (Previous grade: F)
It was an okay rebound week for Montreal and a much-needed one. While they did lose to the Wild 3-0, they won their other two games of the week. They beat the Sabres 7-5 in what was a very exciting game and then dominated the Jackets 5-1. It’s way too early to say if they’ll bounce back fully or not, but at least they had a better week than the last one.
Nashville Predators Grade: D (Previous grade: D-)
It was another hard week for the Music City. Despite ending their week on a 5-3 win over Vancouver, which, to be fair,r was a very solid win, they would lose the three games they had before it. They lost to the Flames 2-0, the Oilers 3-2 in OT, and the Avalanche 3-2 in OT. They did manage to amass some points in this tough week, though, so there’s credit for that.
New Jersey Devils Grade: B (Previous grade: A-)
The Devils managed to wash out the taste of being shut out by the Sharks last week by scoring two very good wins over the Panthers, by scores of 4-1 and 6-2, respectively. They then ended their week by losing to the other Florida team, The Lightning, 4-0. At least they weren’t shut out on home ice this time. Any improvement is an improvement.
New York Islanders Grade: C- (Previous grade: B-)
The Islanders played the Oilers, Canucks, and Kraken this week and lost to two of them. They surprisingly beat the Canucks 5-2 and only lost to the Oilers in OT. They then lost a hard-fought 3-2 game against the Kraken. They may have lost two of three, but they got 3 of a possible six points and never looked terrible in any game.
New York Rangers Grade: B+ (Previous grade: D)
When the Rangers started off their week with a 6-2 loss to the Jets, it looked like they may have continued their rough week last week into this one. That wasn’t the case, however, as they would bounce back and win their next two games. They beat the Sharks 3-2 and then would have a solid defensive performance in a 2-0 win over the Kraken, giving Jonathan Quick his second shutout of the season and the 62nd of his career.
Ottawa Senators Grade: D+ (Previous grade: D)
An impressive 3-0 win over the Leafs is the only thing saving Ottawa from an F grade this week. They followed up that impressive win with a 5-4 OT loss to the Flyers in what was a very exciting game. They then followed up that loss with a 4-0 loss to the Hurricanes, in which they were completely shut down in every regard.
Philadelphia Flyers Grade: A (Previous grade: D+)
The Flyers are sneakily creeping their way back. They won all three of their games this week, beating the Senators, Sabres, and Sharks. They beat the Senators 5-4 in OT, beat the Sharks 4-3 in a shootout, and beat the Sabres 5-2. That also made four wins in their last five games and put them on a five-game point streak, as their one loss in those five games came in OT.
Pittsburgh Penguins Grade: F (Previous grade: D+)
Unfortunately, a 4-3 shootout win over the Sharks at the end of the week isn’t going to help the Pens with their grade. That’s because they preceded that win with three straight losses. They lost to the Stars 7-1, lost to the Red Wings 3-2 in OT, and then lost to the Blue Jackets 6-2. The Pens now have the worst goal differential in the league at -25, having allowed a horrific 80 goals so far this season.
San Jose Sharks Grade: D (Previous grade: A)
The Sharks lost all three of their games this week but managed to get a point in two of them. They lost to the Flyers 4-3 in a shootout, then lost to the Rangers 3-2, which was their only regulation loss of the week. They ended the loss with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Penguins. It was not the worst week they’ve had this season, but it was a bummer for sure after they were just starting to gather momentum.
Seattle Kraken Grade: A (Previous grade: C)
Much like the Flyers, the Kraken are sneakily making their way back up the ranks. Starting with the Golden Knights last week, the Kraken amassed four straight wins, winning three of them this week. They beat the Blue Jackets 5-2, beat the Blackhawks 3-1, and then beat the Islanders 3-2. They would end their week on a 2-0 loss to the Rangers, but things have been heading in the right direction.
St Louis Blues Grade: F (Previous grade: D-)
The Blues had another bad week. They only got one win in four games played, which brings them to one win in their last six games. They lost to the Bruins 3-2, then followed that up with an OT loss to the Sabres. They then managed to end their losing streak by getting revenge on the Bruins in OT. They didn’t have much time to celebrate, though, as they would go on to lose 4-1 to the Hurricanes.
Tampa Bay Lightning Grade: A (Previous grade: F)
The Bolts had a week off between their first game this week and their final game last week, and it looked like they needed it a lot. They came back revitalized, shooting off two straight wins against high-level NHL teams. They would beat the Jets 4-1 and then beat the Devils 4-0. They’ll want to carry that momentum into next week.
Toronto Maple Leafs Grade: B (Previous grade: A+)
The Leafs won two of three games this week but got deducted some points due to their inability to win in regulation. They started off the week with a 3-0 loss to Ontario rivals the Senators. They then rebounded with a 4-3 OT win over the Capitals and then closed out their week with a 4-3 OT win over the Oilers. Not a bad week, but you feel as if this NHL team could do better.
Utah Hockey Club Grade: C- (Previous grade: D)
I bumped up Utah’s grade a bit this week because they looked decent against high-level competition despite only playing two games. They went 1-1-0 in those two games. They lost to the Golden Knights 4-2, but they had a really impressive 4-1 win over the Hurricanes. I feel like Utah has a lot of potential, but they’ve been unable to truly realize it so far this week.
Vancouver Canucks Grade: C (Previous grade: B-)
The Canucks had a relatively mediocre week. They did manage to beat the Blackhawks 4-1 and the Flames 3-1. But they also lost to the Predators 5-3 and the Islanders 5-2. The Oilers and Flames are nipping at Vancouver’s heels, so they might want to think about pressing on the accelerator a bit before they get left behind.
Vegas Golden Knights Grade: C+ (Previous grade: B-)
Vegas had a decent week, going 2-2-0. They beat the Ducks 3-2 and beat Utah 4-2. They struggled against the higher-caliber NHL teams this week, though. They lost to the Hurricanes 5-2 and lost to Washington by the same score. They still lead the division, although LA really isn’t all that far behind them.
Washington Capitals Grade: A (Previous grade: B-)
The Caps won two of three games this week but got points in all three. Their one loss was a 4-3 OT loss to the Maple Leafs. Outside of that, they beat Vegas 5-2 and beat the Avalanche by the same score. They continue to get good results and prove naysayers wrong this season as their captain gets closer and closer to that Gretzky goal record.
Winnipeg Jets Grade: D+ (Previous grade: A+)
For the first time this season, the Jets have shown mortality. The week started off with much of the same, as they beat the Rangers 6-3. However, they would follow that up with two straight losses, giving up nine uncharacteristic goals in the process. They would lose to the Lightning 4-1 and then lose to the Panthers 5-0 to close out their week. They will be looking to rebound next week.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NHL Teams After Week 6 Games
