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
DUCKS          21 16 129 126 -0.004 18.844    6  0.043    6  0.052   16 -0.012    6 0.5166    1  1.317    1  0.310   32 -0.335
OILERS         18 19 125 127 -0.000 18.887   17 -0.008   18 -0.012   13  0.001   16 0.4981    2  1.281    3  0.274   31 -0.272
CANADIENS      19 17 117 122 -0.038 17.845   14  0.009   13  0.009   19 -0.023   15 0.4994    3  1.217    7  0.166   30 -0.212
SENATORS       18 17 117 110 -0.012 17.662   15  0.008   15  0.006   10  0.020   14 0.5020    4  1.210    4  0.200   23 -0.159
PANTHERS       19 16 112 112  0.011 18.006   10  0.030   10  0.035   12  0.001   10 0.5114    5  1.209    6  0.180   25 -0.178
BRUINS         20 17 120 120  0.019 19.169    9  0.032    9  0.039   11  0.011    9 0.5132    6  1.189    8  0.164   21 -0.142
MAPLE LEAFS    15 20 109 118 -0.051 17.206   28 -0.065   28 -0.071   23 -0.055   28 0.4782    7  1.178   11  0.083   28 -0.194
SHARKS         17 19 107 122  0.037 19.032   16 -0.005   16 -0.009   26 -0.074   18 0.4965    8  1.170   14  0.055   29 -0.203
RED WINGS      21 16 116 119 -0.061 18.017   11  0.028   11  0.034   22 -0.042   11 0.5111    9  1.167   10  0.083   24 -0.168
SABRES         17 18 109 115 -0.001 17.915   18 -0.008   17 -0.012   21 -0.039   17 0.4973   10  1.158   12  0.075   22 -0.153
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
CANUCKS        15 21 103 122  0.014 18.736   25 -0.057   25 -0.060   31 -0.091   23 0.4821   11  1.142   18  0.003   27 -0.185
BLUE JACKETS   15 21 108 125  0.013 18.697   26 -0.058   26 -0.061   30 -0.088   26 0.4817   12  1.141   17  0.005   26 -0.181
HURRICANES     22 13 119 101  0.022 18.049    3  0.102    3  0.105    6  0.082    3 0.5339   13  1.120    9  0.149   15  0.016
PENGUINS       15 20 107 113 -0.038 17.345   27 -0.060   27 -0.066   18 -0.020   27 0.4797   14  1.120   15  0.046   18 -0.086
PREDATORS      15 20 100 119  0.013 18.198   22 -0.045   22 -0.050   28 -0.082   22 0.4827   15  1.115   20 -0.021   20 -0.142
STARS          25 12 133  97 -0.003 18.580    2  0.146    2  0.137    2  0.162    2 0.5421   16  1.094    5  0.196   10  0.127
JETS           15 20 103 107  0.008 18.036   24 -0.048   23 -0.053   20 -0.032   24 0.4820   17  1.091   19 -0.001   17 -0.063
AVALANCHE      26  9 141  80  0.003 17.524    1  0.207    1  0.186    1  0.305    1 0.5618   18  1.066    2  0.306    3  0.305
BLACKHAWKS     13 22  98 111 -0.050 17.238   31 -0.113   31 -0.114   25 -0.068   31 0.4644   19  1.044   24 -0.094   16 -0.042
LIGHTNING      20 16 117  95  0.017 18.478    7  0.042    7  0.047    4  0.101    7 0.5163   20  1.041   13  0.072    9  0.130
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
BLUES          14 24  95 131 -0.047 18.827   32 -0.126   32 -0.122   32 -0.140   32 0.4632   21  1.031   28 -0.182   19 -0.098
MAMMOTH        18 20 116 111 -0.013 19.194   21 -0.021   21 -0.025   14  0.000   21 0.4938   22  1.027   22 -0.046   14  0.047
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 16 18 103 102 -0.001 17.300   19 -0.017   20 -0.023    8  0.025   19 0.4958   23  1.010   21 -0.041   12  0.091
CAPITALS       19 17 114  96  0.002 18.265   12  0.022   12  0.021    5  0.100   12 0.5079   24  0.997   16  0.019    5  0.182
FLAMES         15 21  97 108 -0.051 17.731   30 -0.075   30 -0.081   27 -0.076   30 0.4736   25  0.959   29 -0.201   13  0.050
DEVILS         20 16 102 108  0.040 18.992    5  0.048    5  0.056   17 -0.018    5 0.5185   26  0.958   27 -0.144   11  0.108
FLYERS         18 17 108 101 -0.006 17.742   13  0.011   14  0.008    9  0.022   13 0.5046   27  0.957   26 -0.106    8  0.149
ISLANDERS      19 17 105 103  0.062 19.223    8  0.034    8  0.041    7  0.035    8 0.5139   28  0.948   25 -0.103    6  0.173
WILD           22 15 115  96  0.016 18.923    4  0.073    4  0.079    3  0.117    4 0.5227   29  0.907   23 -0.068    4  0.301
KRAKEN         14 20  86 105 -0.017 17.238   29 -0.067   29 -0.072   29 -0.084   29 0.4770   30  0.843   30 -0.338    7  0.169
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
RANGERS        18 20  97 102  0.007 19.600   20 -0.017   19 -0.019   24 -0.060   20 0.4947   31  0.724   32 -0.437    2  0.317
KINGS          15 20  89  93  0.006 17.955   23 -0.047   24 -0.053   15 -0.002   25 0.4819   32  0.668   31 -0.434    1  0.430

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
DUCKS          21 16 129 126 -0.004 18.844    6  0.043    6  0.052   16 -0.012    6 0.5166    1  1.317    1  0.310   32 -0.335
OILERS         18 19 125 127 -0.000 18.887   17 -0.008   18 -0.012   13  0.001   16 0.4981    2  1.281    3  0.274   31 -0.272
SHARKS         17 19 107 122  0.037 19.032   16 -0.005   16 -0.009   26 -0.074   18 0.4965    8  1.170   14  0.055   29 -0.203
CANUCKS        15 21 103 122  0.014 18.736   25 -0.057   25 -0.060   31 -0.091   23 0.4821   11  1.142   18  0.003   27 -0.185
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 16 18 103 102 -0.001 17.300   19 -0.017   20 -0.023    8  0.025   19 0.4958   23  1.010   21 -0.041   12  0.091
FLAMES         15 21  97 108 -0.051 17.731   30 -0.075   30 -0.081   27 -0.076   30 0.4736   25  0.959   29 -0.201   13  0.050
KRAKEN         14 20  86 105 -0.017 17.238   29 -0.067   29 -0.072   29 -0.084   29 0.4770   30  0.843   30 -0.338    7  0.169
KINGS          15 20  89  93  0.006 17.955   23 -0.047   24 -0.053   15 -0.002   25 0.4819   32  0.668   31 -0.434    1  0.430

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
PREDATORS      15 20 100 119  0.013 18.198   22 -0.045   22 -0.050   28 -0.082   22 0.4827   15  1.115   20 -0.021   20 -0.142
STARS          25 12 133  97 -0.003 18.580    2  0.146    2  0.137    2  0.162    2 0.5421   16  1.094    5  0.196   10  0.127
JETS           15 20 103 107  0.008 18.036   24 -0.048   23 -0.053   20 -0.032   24 0.4820   17  1.091   19 -0.001   17 -0.063
AVALANCHE      26  9 141  80  0.003 17.524    1  0.207    1  0.186    1  0.305    1 0.5618   18  1.066    2  0.306    3  0.305
BLACKHAWKS     13 22  98 111 -0.050 17.238   31 -0.113   31 -0.114   25 -0.068   31 0.4644   19  1.044   24 -0.094   16 -0.042
BLUES          14 24  95 131 -0.047 18.827   32 -0.126   32 -0.122   32 -0.140   32 0.4632   21  1.031   28 -0.182   19 -0.098
MAMMOTH        18 20 116 111 -0.013 19.194   21 -0.021   21 -0.025   14  0.000   21 0.4938   22  1.027   22 -0.046   14  0.047
WILD           22 15 115  96  0.016 18.923    4  0.073    4  0.079    3  0.117    4 0.5227   29  0.907   23 -0.068    4  0.301

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
BLUE JACKETS   15 21 108 125  0.013 18.697   26 -0.058   26 -0.061   30 -0.088   26 0.4817   12  1.141   17  0.005   26 -0.181
HURRICANES     22 13 119 101  0.022 18.049    3  0.102    3  0.105    6  0.082    3 0.5339   13  1.120    9  0.149   15  0.016
PENGUINS       15 20 107 113 -0.038 17.345   27 -0.060   27 -0.066   18 -0.020   27 0.4797   14  1.120   15  0.046   18 -0.086
CAPITALS       19 17 114  96  0.002 18.265   12  0.022   12  0.021    5  0.100   12 0.5079   24  0.997   16  0.019    5  0.182
DEVILS         20 16 102 108  0.040 18.992    5  0.048    5  0.056   17 -0.018    5 0.5185   26  0.958   27 -0.144   11  0.108
FLYERS         18 17 108 101 -0.006 17.742   13  0.011   14  0.008    9  0.022   13 0.5046   27  0.957   26 -0.106    8  0.149
ISLANDERS      19 17 105 103  0.062 19.223    8  0.034    8  0.041    7  0.035    8 0.5139   28  0.948   25 -0.103    6  0.173
RANGERS        18 20  97 102  0.007 19.600   20 -0.017   19 -0.019   24 -0.060   20 0.4947   31  0.724   32 -0.437    2  0.317

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
CANADIENS      19 17 117 122 -0.038 17.845   14  0.009   13  0.009   19 -0.023   15 0.4994    3  1.217    7  0.166   30 -0.212
SENATORS       18 17 117 110 -0.012 17.662   15  0.008   15  0.006   10  0.020   14 0.5020    4  1.210    4  0.200   23 -0.159
PANTHERS       19 16 112 112  0.011 18.006   10  0.030   10  0.035   12  0.001   10 0.5114    5  1.209    6  0.180   25 -0.178
BRUINS         20 17 120 120  0.019 19.169    9  0.032    9  0.039   11  0.011    9 0.5132    6  1.189    8  0.164   21 -0.142
MAPLE LEAFS    15 20 109 118 -0.051 17.206   28 -0.065   28 -0.071   23 -0.055   28 0.4782    7  1.178   11  0.083   28 -0.194
RED WINGS      21 16 116 119 -0.061 18.017   11  0.028   11  0.034   22 -0.042   11 0.5111    9  1.167   10  0.083   24 -0.168
SABRES         17 18 109 115 -0.001 17.915   18 -0.008   17 -0.012   21 -0.039   17 0.4973   10  1.158   12  0.075   22 -0.153
LIGHTNING      20 16 117  95  0.017 18.478    7  0.042    7  0.047    4  0.101    7 0.5163   20  1.041   13  0.072    9  0.130

DIVISION                W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
CENTRAL DIVISION      148 142 0.510    1  0.076
METROPOLITAN DIVISION 146 141 0.509    2  0.018
ATLANTIC DIVISION     149 137 0.521    3 -0.007
PACIFIC DIVISION      131 154 0.460    4 -0.095

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Tue Dec 23 05:30:12 2025
games through: Mon Dec 22 2025

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