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      63 29 341 230 -0.011 45.528    1  0.296    1  0.303    1  0.387    2 0.5423   19  1.070    1  0.364    1  0.410
HURRICANES     61 30 322 256  0.009 46.043    2  0.283    2  0.291    2  0.219    1 0.5425   10  1.128    4  0.268    6  0.170
SABRES         57 38 331 280  0.024 48.677    3  0.207    3  0.184    4  0.189    3 0.5279    7  1.162    2  0.281    9  0.098
CANADIENS      57 40 332 296  0.051 50.737    4  0.201    4  0.181    7  0.148    4 0.5268    9  1.155    6  0.231   12  0.066
LIGHTNING      53 36 305 247  0.020 45.423    5  0.190    5  0.168    3  0.205    5 0.5265   17  1.079    7  0.194    3  0.216
STARS          52 36 294 249  0.000 44.240    6  0.162    6  0.147    5  0.150    6 0.5210   21  1.053   11  0.108    4  0.192
WILD           51 42 313 279  0.025 47.617    7  0.094    7  0.094    6  0.150    7 0.5133   11  1.124    8  0.193    8  0.107
BRUINS         47 41 284 270  0.029 45.368    8  0.068    8  0.072   11  0.073    8 0.5118   16  1.104   13  0.092   14  0.054
ISLANDERS      43 39 233 241  0.002 41.542   10  0.035    9  0.037   17 -0.031   10 0.5066   29  0.947   25 -0.197    7  0.135
CAPITALS       43 39 263 244 -0.001 41.292    9  0.037   10  0.034    9  0.085    9 0.5066   15  1.107   12  0.108   13  0.062
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
FLYERS         47 45 271 267  0.025 47.416   11  0.031   11  0.033   14  0.022   12 0.5054   31  0.916   24 -0.179    2  0.224
SENATORS       44 42 283 257  0.015 43.807   12  0.030   12  0.027    8  0.112   11 0.5056   13  1.118    9  0.148   11  0.076
DEVILS         42 40 230 254  0.010 41.913   13  0.023   13  0.023   25 -0.119   13 0.5043   27  0.995   27 -0.229   20 -0.008
DUCKS          49 45 312 330 -0.023 46.776   14  0.017   14  0.016   24 -0.111   14 0.5014    1  1.275   10  0.128   31 -0.349
MAMMOTH        45 43 286 263 -0.010 44.037   15  0.015   15  0.009   13  0.041   16 0.5006   14  1.116   14  0.076   18  0.007
RED WINGS      41 41 241 258  0.006 41.709   16  0.009   16  0.002   18 -0.055   15 0.5010   22  1.036   21 -0.117   17  0.008
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 48 47 313 283 -0.024 46.941   17  0.005   17 -0.009   12  0.071   17 0.4991   18  1.075   15  0.055   10  0.087
PANTHERS       40 42 251 276  0.009 41.839   20 -0.006   18 -0.017   21 -0.086   20 0.4983    6  1.192   17  0.044   28 -0.216
PENGUINS       43 45 304 284  0.006 44.546   18 -0.001   19 -0.017   10  0.075   18 0.4987    3  1.248    3  0.277   25 -0.127
BLUE JACKETS   40 42 253 253  0.007 41.685   19 -0.005   20 -0.018   16 -0.013   19 0.4985   20  1.059   19 -0.048   15  0.022
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
OILERS         43 45 303 295 -0.040 43.010   21 -0.026   21 -0.047   15  0.014   21 0.4941    2  1.262    5  0.234   27 -0.206
SHARKS         39 43 251 292 -0.028 40.746   22 -0.046   22 -0.060   29 -0.178   22 0.4910    5  1.214   18 -0.020   29 -0.335
PREDATORS      38 44 247 269 -0.015 41.089   23 -0.055   23 -0.072   23 -0.102   23 0.4890   12  1.120   20 -0.062   26 -0.141
BLUES          37 45 231 258 -0.023 40.751   24 -0.079   24 -0.095   19 -0.070   24 0.4854   23  1.027   22 -0.143   19  0.004
JETS           35 47 231 260 -0.013 41.176   25 -0.124   25 -0.128   26 -0.125   26 0.4804   24  1.022   26 -0.205   23 -0.045
RANGERS        34 48 238 250  0.010 41.855   26 -0.129   26 -0.133   20 -0.071   25 0.4809   25  1.015   23 -0.159   16  0.017
FLAMES         34 48 212 259 -0.022 40.940   27 -0.161   27 -0.156   30 -0.196   27 0.4767   30  0.931   32 -0.380   21 -0.011
KRAKEN         34 48 226 263 -0.027 40.757   28 -0.163   28 -0.159   27 -0.145   28 0.4762   26  0.997   28 -0.254   22 -0.035
KINGS          35 51 230 260 -0.008 43.324   29 -0.165   29 -0.162   22 -0.086   29 0.4762   32  0.847   31 -0.363    5  0.190
MAPLE LEAFS    32 50 253 299  0.010 41.945   30 -0.178   30 -0.173   28 -0.148   30 0.4750    4  1.240   16  0.044   30 -0.341
TEAM            W  L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
BLACKHAWKS     29 53 213 275 -0.019 41.097   31 -0.245   31 -0.253   31 -0.230   31 0.4621   28  0.985   30 -0.353   24 -0.106
CANUCKS        25 57 216 316 -0.024 41.128   32 -0.320   32 -0.336   32 -0.396   32 0.4500    8  1.160   29 -0.307   32 -0.484

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          49 45 312 330 -0.023 46.776   14  0.017   14  0.016   24 -0.111   14 0.5014    1  1.275   10  0.128   31 -0.349
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 48 47 313 283 -0.024 46.941   17  0.005   17 -0.009   12  0.071   17 0.4991   18  1.075   15  0.055   10  0.087
OILERS         43 45 303 295 -0.040 43.010   21 -0.026   21 -0.047   15  0.014   21 0.4941    2  1.262    5  0.234   27 -0.206
SHARKS         39 43 251 292 -0.028 40.746   22 -0.046   22 -0.060   29 -0.178   22 0.4910    5  1.214   18 -0.020   29 -0.335
FLAMES         34 48 212 259 -0.022 40.940   27 -0.161   27 -0.156   30 -0.196   27 0.4767   30  0.931   32 -0.380   21 -0.011
KRAKEN         34 48 226 263 -0.027 40.757   28 -0.163   28 -0.159   27 -0.145   28 0.4762   26  0.997   28 -0.254   22 -0.035
KINGS          35 51 230 260 -0.008 43.324   29 -0.165   29 -0.162   22 -0.086   29 0.4762   32  0.847   31 -0.363    5  0.190
CANUCKS        25 57 216 316 -0.024 41.128   32 -0.320   32 -0.336   32 -0.396   32 0.4500    8  1.160   29 -0.307   32 -0.484

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      63 29 341 230 -0.011 45.528    1  0.296    1  0.303    1  0.387    2 0.5423   19  1.070    1  0.364    1  0.410
STARS          52 36 294 249  0.000 44.240    6  0.162    6  0.147    5  0.150    6 0.5210   21  1.053   11  0.108    4  0.192
WILD           51 42 313 279  0.025 47.617    7  0.094    7  0.094    6  0.150    7 0.5133   11  1.124    8  0.193    8  0.107
MAMMOTH        45 43 286 263 -0.010 44.037   15  0.015   15  0.009   13  0.041   16 0.5006   14  1.116   14  0.076   18  0.007
PREDATORS      38 44 247 269 -0.015 41.089   23 -0.055   23 -0.072   23 -0.102   23 0.4890   12  1.120   20 -0.062   26 -0.141
BLUES          37 45 231 258 -0.023 40.751   24 -0.079   24 -0.095   19 -0.070   24 0.4854   23  1.027   22 -0.143   19  0.004
JETS           35 47 231 260 -0.013 41.176   25 -0.124   25 -0.128   26 -0.125   26 0.4804   24  1.022   26 -0.205   23 -0.045
BLACKHAWKS     29 53 213 275 -0.019 41.097   31 -0.245   31 -0.253   31 -0.230   31 0.4621   28  0.985   30 -0.353   24 -0.106

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
HURRICANES     61 30 322 256  0.009 46.043    2  0.283    2  0.291    2  0.219    1 0.5425   10  1.128    4  0.268    6  0.170
ISLANDERS      43 39 233 241  0.002 41.542   10  0.035    9  0.037   17 -0.031   10 0.5066   29  0.947   25 -0.197    7  0.135
CAPITALS       43 39 263 244 -0.001 41.292    9  0.037   10  0.034    9  0.085    9 0.5066   15  1.107   12  0.108   13  0.062
FLYERS         47 45 271 267  0.025 47.416   11  0.031   11  0.033   14  0.022   12 0.5054   31  0.916   24 -0.179    2  0.224
DEVILS         42 40 230 254  0.010 41.913   13  0.023   13  0.023   25 -0.119   13 0.5043   27  0.995   27 -0.229   20 -0.008
PENGUINS       43 45 304 284  0.006 44.546   18 -0.001   19 -0.017   10  0.075   18 0.4987    3  1.248    3  0.277   25 -0.127
BLUE JACKETS   40 42 253 253  0.007 41.685   19 -0.005   20 -0.018   16 -0.013   19 0.4985   20  1.059   19 -0.048   15  0.022
RANGERS        34 48 238 250  0.010 41.855   26 -0.129   26 -0.133   20 -0.071   25 0.4809   25  1.015   23 -0.159   16  0.017

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
SABRES         57 38 331 280  0.024 48.677    3  0.207    3  0.184    4  0.189    3 0.5279    7  1.162    2  0.281    9  0.098
CANADIENS      57 40 332 296  0.051 50.737    4  0.201    4  0.181    7  0.148    4 0.5268    9  1.155    6  0.231   12  0.066
LIGHTNING      53 36 305 247  0.020 45.423    5  0.190    5  0.168    3  0.205    5 0.5265   17  1.079    7  0.194    3  0.216
BRUINS         47 41 284 270  0.029 45.368    8  0.068    8  0.072   11  0.073    8 0.5118   16  1.104   13  0.092   14  0.054
SENATORS       44 42 283 257  0.015 43.807   12  0.030   12  0.027    8  0.112   11 0.5056   13  1.118    9  0.148   11  0.076
RED WINGS      41 41 241 258  0.006 41.709   16  0.009   16  0.002   18 -0.055   15 0.5010   22  1.036   21 -0.117   17  0.008
PANTHERS       40 42 251 276  0.009 41.839   20 -0.006   18 -0.017   21 -0.086   20 0.4983    6  1.192   17  0.044   28 -0.216
MAPLE LEAFS    32 50 253 299  0.010 41.945   30 -0.178   30 -0.173   28 -0.148   30 0.4750    4  1.240   16  0.044   30 -0.341

DIVISION                W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
ATLANTIC DIVISION     371 330 0.529    1  0.074
CENTRAL DIVISION      350 339 0.508    2  0.032
METROPOLITAN DIVISION 353 328 0.518    3  0.029
PACIFIC DIVISION      307 384 0.444    4 -0.170

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Fri May 22 05:30:09 2026
games through: Thu May 21 2026

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