Dolphin Ratings - National Hockey League

Explanation: Each team is listed with its record, overall score differential, and its ratings. Brief explanations of the ratings follow.

Schedule The number in this column is the effective opponent strength of a team. In other words, they would be expected to have the same record had they played all games against an opponent of this predictive rating at a neutral site. Because this calculation depends on the strength of the team in question, it is not possible to rank schedules using these values.
Expected Losses For college teams, this number is the number of losses an average ranked (top 15 hockey; otherwise top 25) team would be expected to have against the team's schedule. For pro teams, this is the number of losses an average team would be expected to have against the team's schedule. Unlike the schedule ranking, this value can be used to rank schedules.
Standard Ranks teams in an order such that a team is "probably better" than all teams ranked lower than it. This calculation uses margin of victory only for computing a team's opponents strengths; the team's rating itself is computed using only wins, losses, and ties relative to its schedule
Median Likelihood Determines the likely ratings for each team, based on its wins, losses, and ties relative to its schedule. This generally produces the same or similar ratings as the standard ranking.
Predictive Both schedule strength and rating vs. schedule strength are determined considering both the wins and losses and the score differentials. This rating contains none of the biases in the standard rating, but does weight recent games slightly more than past games since those are a better indication of the team's current strength. This rating is the best of the first three for seeing how good teams are, and thus is the best for predicting future results.
Improved RPI Rating The improved RPI formula is similar to the standard RPI, except that the schedule strength is carried out to infinite depth instead of ending with opponents' opponents, thus allows for a better comparison of isolated groups of teams than is given by the standard RPI calculation. It is similar to the simple rating, except that all games are given equal weight.
Scoring. This value indicates how many points a team would be expected to score if it played an identical team.
Offense. This combines the predictive and scoring ratings to measure how many points a team scores. The number is the predictive rating of an opponent against whom the team would be expected to score the league average number of points. This does not necessarily rate a team's offensive abilities, as a fast pace in basketball or big-play defense in football can make a team score more points.
Defense. This combines the predictive and scoring ratings to measure how many points a team allows. The number is the predictive rating of an opponent against whom the team would be expected to allow the league average number of points. The same caveat in the predictive-offense rating applies here.

In order to increase early-season stability, the three main rankings, the improved RPI, and the college pseudopoll include priors based on the previous season final predictive ratings and occasionally incorporating preseason predictions of various major publications. The other rankings for college sports do not include priors, and thus can be wildly unstable early in the year. A team whose rankings are affected by this prior is noted with a P following its rankings.

Full Ranking

                                             STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
AVALANCHE      42 19 235 153  0.005 30.393    1  0.257    1  0.256    1  0.378    1 0.5479   17  1.093    1  0.387    1  0.370
KINGS          25 36 160 182  0.015 31.182   26 -0.107   26 -0.112   21 -0.064   26 0.4791   32  0.818   30 -0.369    2  0.240
STARS          38 24 216 170 -0.018 30.515    4  0.147    4  0.140    3  0.179    5 0.5253   20  1.071   10  0.162    3  0.197
MAMMOTH        33 29 196 169  0.008 31.283   12  0.039   12  0.047    8  0.088   12 0.5091   23  0.998   20 -0.017    4  0.193
LIGHTNING      38 22 211 162  0.007 30.108    3  0.189    3  0.178    2  0.203    3 0.5343   16  1.096    7  0.215    5  0.191
ISLANDERS      35 28 186 182  0.006 31.852    9  0.068    9  0.078   15  0.018    8 0.5153   27  0.967   21 -0.123    6  0.158
KRAKEN         29 32 173 179 -0.033 29.946   22 -0.043   22 -0.051   18 -0.027   21 0.4910   29  0.930   26 -0.209    7  0.155
WILD           37 26 213 182 -0.005 31.406    6  0.116    6  0.114    5  0.139    6 0.5196   19  1.075   12  0.125    8  0.152
DEVILS         31 31 160 186  0.025 32.003   14  0.007   14  0.014   26 -0.115   14 0.5034   30  0.858   31 -0.377    9  0.146
RED WINGS      35 28 186 190  0.006 31.896   10  0.067    8  0.079   17 -0.019   10 0.5138   26  0.971   22 -0.154   10  0.116
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
FLAMES         24 37 150 185 -0.030 30.154   30 -0.164   29 -0.158   31 -0.175   30 0.4701   31  0.833   32 -0.463   11  0.113
HURRICANES     40 22 220 178 -0.007 30.832    2  0.202    2  0.191    4  0.160    2 0.5353   11  1.151    5  0.240   12  0.080
PENGUINS       31 30 205 180 -0.033 29.793   17 -0.004   17 -0.006    7  0.102   16 0.4999   15  1.109   11  0.130   13  0.074
FLYERS         28 33 177 191  0.012 31.099   21 -0.041   20 -0.048   20 -0.059   22 0.4908   24  0.989   24 -0.174   14  0.056
CAPITALS       31 32 199 189 -0.007 31.467   19 -0.013   19 -0.016   12  0.053   18 0.4990   18  1.089   17  0.057   15  0.049
RANGERS        24 37 166 192  0.030 31.621   28 -0.123   28 -0.125   28 -0.128   28 0.4775   28  0.944   29 -0.295   16  0.038
JETS           25 36 175 187 -0.004 30.711   27 -0.119   27 -0.122   23 -0.066   27 0.4778   22  1.004   23 -0.164   17  0.032
SABRES         37 25 214 184  0.015 31.421    5  0.142    5  0.137    6  0.127    4 0.5254   10  1.166    6  0.227   18  0.027
BLACKHAWKS     23 39 166 201 -0.024 30.835   31 -0.191   31 -0.185   29 -0.148   31 0.4655   25  0.984   28 -0.269   19 -0.027
BLUE JACKETS   32 29 196 193 -0.001 30.717   13  0.027   13  0.033   16  0.003   13 0.5060   14  1.131   16  0.059   20 -0.052
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 29 34 207 201 -0.015 31.309   23 -0.053   24 -0.063   14  0.019   23 0.4901   12  1.148   14  0.097   21 -0.058
BRUINS         34 27 205 194  0.001 30.658    8  0.069   10  0.076   10  0.058    9 0.5140    7  1.196    9  0.195   22 -0.080
SENATORS       30 31 205 194  0.008 30.839   18 -0.006   18 -0.007   11  0.056   19 0.4987    6  1.199    8  0.198   23 -0.085
BLUES          24 38 162 212 -0.013 31.105   29 -0.163   30 -0.158   30 -0.168   29 0.4707   21  1.054   25 -0.207   24 -0.130
PANTHERS       31 32 191 210  0.021 32.345   16 -0.001   16  0.001   22 -0.065   15 0.5014    8  1.170   18  0.039   25 -0.169
CANADIENS      33 28 218 206  0.019 31.098   11  0.055   11  0.065    9  0.064   11 0.5101    3  1.288    3  0.323   26 -0.194
PREDATORS      28 34 185 213  0.008 31.600   24 -0.053   23 -0.059   27 -0.117   24 0.4873    9  1.168   19 -0.015   27 -0.218
MAPLE LEAFS    27 36 200 221 -0.001 31.799   25 -0.088   25 -0.095   24 -0.066   25 0.4827    5  1.227   13  0.112   28 -0.245
SHARKS         30 30 188 210  0.004 30.464   15 -0.000   15  0.003   25 -0.110   17 0.4992    4  1.229   15  0.071   29 -0.291
OILERS         30 33 223 216 -0.029 30.966   20 -0.039   21 -0.048   13  0.020   20 0.4913    1  1.331    2  0.337   30 -0.298
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
DUCKS          35 27 211 217  0.008 31.494    7  0.082    7  0.090   19 -0.049    7 0.5157    2  1.316    4  0.248   31 -0.346
CANUCKS        19 43 163 233 -0.006 31.459   32 -0.257   32 -0.263   32 -0.294   32 0.4529   13  1.135   27 -0.233   32 -0.355

PACIFIC DIVISION
                                             STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
KINGS          25 36 160 182  0.015 31.182   26 -0.107   26 -0.112   21 -0.064   26 0.4791   32  0.818   30 -0.369    2  0.240
KRAKEN         29 32 173 179 -0.033 29.946   22 -0.043   22 -0.051   18 -0.027   21 0.4910   29  0.930   26 -0.209    7  0.155
FLAMES         24 37 150 185 -0.030 30.154   30 -0.164   29 -0.158   31 -0.175   30 0.4701   31  0.833   32 -0.463   11  0.113
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 29 34 207 201 -0.015 31.309   23 -0.053   24 -0.063   14  0.019   23 0.4901   12  1.148   14  0.097   21 -0.058
SHARKS         30 30 188 210  0.004 30.464   15 -0.000   15  0.003   25 -0.110   17 0.4992    4  1.229   15  0.071   29 -0.291
OILERS         30 33 223 216 -0.029 30.966   20 -0.039   21 -0.048   13  0.020   20 0.4913    1  1.331    2  0.337   30 -0.298
DUCKS          35 27 211 217  0.008 31.494    7  0.082    7  0.090   19 -0.049    7 0.5157    2  1.316    4  0.248   31 -0.346
CANUCKS        19 43 163 233 -0.006 31.459   32 -0.257   32 -0.263   32 -0.294   32 0.4529   13  1.135   27 -0.233   32 -0.355

CENTRAL DIVISION
                                             STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
AVALANCHE      42 19 235 153  0.005 30.393    1  0.257    1  0.256    1  0.378    1 0.5479   17  1.093    1  0.387    1  0.370
STARS          38 24 216 170 -0.018 30.515    4  0.147    4  0.140    3  0.179    5 0.5253   20  1.071   10  0.162    3  0.197
MAMMOTH        33 29 196 169  0.008 31.283   12  0.039   12  0.047    8  0.088   12 0.5091   23  0.998   20 -0.017    4  0.193
WILD           37 26 213 182 -0.005 31.406    6  0.116    6  0.114    5  0.139    6 0.5196   19  1.075   12  0.125    8  0.152
JETS           25 36 175 187 -0.004 30.711   27 -0.119   27 -0.122   23 -0.066   27 0.4778   22  1.004   23 -0.164   17  0.032
BLACKHAWKS     23 39 166 201 -0.024 30.835   31 -0.191   31 -0.185   29 -0.148   31 0.4655   25  0.984   28 -0.269   19 -0.027
BLUES          24 38 162 212 -0.013 31.105   29 -0.163   30 -0.158   30 -0.168   29 0.4707   21  1.054   25 -0.207   24 -0.130
PREDATORS      28 34 185 213  0.008 31.600   24 -0.053   23 -0.059   27 -0.117   24 0.4873    9  1.168   19 -0.015   27 -0.218

METROPOLITAN DIVISION
                                             STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
ISLANDERS      35 28 186 182  0.006 31.852    9  0.068    9  0.078   15  0.018    8 0.5153   27  0.967   21 -0.123    6  0.158
DEVILS         31 31 160 186  0.025 32.003   14  0.007   14  0.014   26 -0.115   14 0.5034   30  0.858   31 -0.377    9  0.146
HURRICANES     40 22 220 178 -0.007 30.832    2  0.202    2  0.191    4  0.160    2 0.5353   11  1.151    5  0.240   12  0.080
PENGUINS       31 30 205 180 -0.033 29.793   17 -0.004   17 -0.006    7  0.102   16 0.4999   15  1.109   11  0.130   13  0.074
FLYERS         28 33 177 191  0.012 31.099   21 -0.041   20 -0.048   20 -0.059   22 0.4908   24  0.989   24 -0.174   14  0.056
CAPITALS       31 32 199 189 -0.007 31.467   19 -0.013   19 -0.016   12  0.053   18 0.4990   18  1.089   17  0.057   15  0.049
RANGERS        24 37 166 192  0.030 31.621   28 -0.123   28 -0.125   28 -0.128   28 0.4775   28  0.944   29 -0.295   16  0.038
BLUE JACKETS   32 29 196 193 -0.001 30.717   13  0.027   13  0.033   16  0.003   13 0.5060   14  1.131   16  0.059   20 -0.052

ATLANTIC DIVISION
                                             STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
LIGHTNING      38 22 211 162  0.007 30.108    3  0.189    3  0.178    2  0.203    3 0.5343   16  1.096    7  0.215    5  0.191
RED WINGS      35 28 186 190  0.006 31.896   10  0.067    8  0.079   17 -0.019   10 0.5138   26  0.971   22 -0.154   10  0.116
SABRES         37 25 214 184  0.015 31.421    5  0.142    5  0.137    6  0.127    4 0.5254   10  1.166    6  0.227   18  0.027
BRUINS         34 27 205 194  0.001 30.658    8  0.069   10  0.076   10  0.058    9 0.5140    7  1.196    9  0.195   22 -0.080
SENATORS       30 31 205 194  0.008 30.839   18 -0.006   18 -0.007   11  0.056   19 0.4987    6  1.199    8  0.198   23 -0.085
PANTHERS       31 32 191 210  0.021 32.345   16 -0.001   16  0.001   22 -0.065   15 0.5014    8  1.170   18  0.039   25 -0.169
CANADIENS      33 28 218 206  0.019 31.098   11  0.055   11  0.065    9  0.064   11 0.5101    3  1.288    3  0.323   26 -0.194
MAPLE LEAFS    27 36 200 221 -0.001 31.799   25 -0.088   25 -0.095   24 -0.066   25 0.4827    5  1.227   13  0.112   28 -0.245

DIVISION                W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
ATLANTIC DIVISION     265 229 0.536    1  0.071
CENTRAL DIVISION      250 245 0.505    2  0.054
METROPOLITAN DIVISION 252 242 0.510    3  0.006
PACIFIC DIVISION      221 272 0.448    4 -0.133

Home field advantage amounts to:
     0.061 points in main ratings (0.079 for semineutral)
     0.008 points in improved RPI (0.008 for semineutral)
Average of 1.00 points per score

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Sat Mar  7 05:30:12 2026
games through: Fri Mar  6 2026

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