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
HURRICANES     12  5 64 40 -0.071  7.700    1  0.121    1  0.110    3  0.166    4 0.5365   22  1.009   13  0.049    4  0.284 P
OILERS         11  5 67 48  0.004  7.745    2  0.120    2  0.107    2  0.174    1 0.5424    8  1.272    3  0.385   19 -0.037 P
BRUINS         11  5 58 38 -0.019  7.606    4  0.113    3  0.104    4  0.134    3 0.5382   19  1.034   14  0.046    6  0.223 P
WILD           11  6 56 38  0.061  8.648    3  0.114    4  0.102    1  0.184    2 0.5403   29  0.844   20 -0.119    1  0.486 P
MAMMOTH        10  6 57 54  0.103  8.580    5  0.100    5  0.097   10  0.048    5 0.5341    7  1.275    7  0.264   25 -0.167 P
DEVILS         10  5 52 43  0.012  7.469    6  0.097    6  0.095    9  0.055    6 0.5324   15  1.057   17 -0.005    9  0.116 P
LIGHTNING       9  5 52 45  0.026  7.013    7  0.088    7  0.084    6  0.081    7 0.5305    9  1.261    6  0.279   21 -0.116 P
STARS           9  6 44 36 -0.035  7.181    8  0.056    8  0.049    8  0.058    9 0.5173   32  0.737   31 -0.355    2  0.472 P
CAPITALS        8  6 49 48  0.053  7.251    9  0.051    9  0.049   14  0.021   10 0.5165    5  1.365    5  0.359   28 -0.317 P
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 10  7 58 49 -0.026  8.184   10  0.050   10  0.046    7  0.062   11 0.5141   17  1.042   18 -0.017    8  0.141 P
TEAM            W  L PF PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
KRAKEN          8  6 52 52  0.013  7.068   11  0.034   11  0.036   19 -0.014    8 0.5201    3  1.431    2  0.417   29 -0.446 P
CANADIENS       9  6 52 47 -0.089  6.878   12  0.031   12  0.031   12  0.029   12 0.5090   13  1.162   11  0.098   20 -0.040 P
AVALANCHE       9  7 66 53 -0.058  7.473   13  0.024   13  0.023    5  0.089   13 0.5088    1  1.516    1  0.645   30 -0.467 P
SENATORS        9  7 52 51 -0.055  7.606   14  0.022   14  0.022   17 -0.000   14 0.5074   10  1.249   10  0.180   27 -0.181 P
ISLANDERS       7  7 40 39  0.034  7.162   16  0.003   15  0.005   16  0.012   18 0.4980   30  0.841   27 -0.294    3  0.318 P
RANGERS         8  8 48 47  0.034  8.159   15  0.005   16  0.004   13  0.028   15 0.5031   26  0.962   21 -0.144    7  0.200 P
PANTHERS        8  7 47 44 -0.106  6.841   17 -0.005   17 -0.005   20 -0.019   16 0.4990   24  1.002   22 -0.145   10  0.107 P
SABRES          7  7 43 49 -0.054  6.753   18 -0.010   18 -0.012   23 -0.063   17 0.4982   12  1.171   16  0.016   24 -0.143 P
BLUE JACKETS    6  7 36 41  0.053  6.829   21 -0.019   19 -0.014   22 -0.057   22 0.4909   25  0.990   25 -0.197   13  0.082 P
BLUES           7  8 45 45  0.034  7.698   19 -0.015   20 -0.017   18 -0.005   21 0.4942   14  1.127   15  0.019   18 -0.030 P
TEAM            W  L PF PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
FLAMES          7  8 38 53  0.011  7.705   22 -0.023   21 -0.018   27 -0.114   20 0.4953   28  0.933   28 -0.318   12  0.091 P
MAPLE LEAFS     8  9 62 56  0.000  8.414   20 -0.019   22 -0.021   11  0.040   19 0.4954    6  1.278    8  0.259   26 -0.179 P
PREDATORS       6  9 46 48  0.096  8.060   23 -0.044   23 -0.042   15  0.014   25 0.4814   18  1.041   19 -0.066   11  0.095 P
DUCKS           7  8 54 57 -0.076  7.095   24 -0.045   24 -0.044   25 -0.069   23 0.4855    2  1.443    4  0.380   31 -0.517 P
SHARKS          7  9 42 54 -0.017  8.095   25 -0.048   25 -0.046   30 -0.154   24 0.4834   27  0.938   30 -0.354   15  0.045 P
RED WINGS       7  9 48 50 -0.117  7.305   26 -0.061   26 -0.068   24 -0.067   26 0.4789   23  1.002   24 -0.193   14  0.058 P
KINGS           4  9 36 45  0.033  6.756   27 -0.087   27 -0.095   26 -0.078   27 0.4671   16  1.049   23 -0.148   16 -0.008 P
JETS            5 11 39 58  0.073  8.631   28 -0.089   28 -0.097   28 -0.117   28 0.4639   21  1.016   26 -0.226   17 -0.008 P
PENGUINS        5 10 49 52 -0.007  7.456   29 -0.093   29 -0.103   21 -0.020   29 0.4622   11  1.200   12  0.097   23 -0.137 P
BLACKHAWKS      4 11 33 58 -0.023  7.630   30 -0.139   30 -0.145   32 -0.240   31 0.4430   20  1.017   29 -0.349   22 -0.131 P
TEAM            W  L PF PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
FLYERS          4 13 37 58  0.060  9.083   31 -0.150   31 -0.157   29 -0.137   30 0.4475   31  0.777   32 -0.510    5  0.235 P
CANUCKS         3 14 51 77  0.069  9.240   32 -0.182   32 -0.191   31 -0.177   32 0.4348    4  1.414    9  0.229   32 -0.584 P

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
OILERS         11  5 67 48  0.004  7.745    2  0.120    2  0.107    2  0.174    1 0.5424    8  1.272    3  0.385   19 -0.037 P
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 10  7 58 49 -0.026  8.184   10  0.050   10  0.046    7  0.062   11 0.5141   17  1.042   18 -0.017    8  0.141 P
KRAKEN          8  6 52 52  0.013  7.068   11  0.034   11  0.036   19 -0.014    8 0.5201    3  1.431    2  0.417   29 -0.446 P
FLAMES          7  8 38 53  0.011  7.705   22 -0.023   21 -0.018   27 -0.114   20 0.4953   28  0.933   28 -0.318   12  0.091 P
DUCKS           7  8 54 57 -0.076  7.095   24 -0.045   24 -0.044   25 -0.069   23 0.4855    2  1.443    4  0.380   31 -0.517 P
SHARKS          7  9 42 54 -0.017  8.095   25 -0.048   25 -0.046   30 -0.154   24 0.4834   27  0.938   30 -0.354   15  0.045 P
KINGS           4  9 36 45  0.033  6.756   27 -0.087   27 -0.095   26 -0.078   27 0.4671   16  1.049   23 -0.148   16 -0.008 P
CANUCKS         3 14 51 77  0.069  9.240   32 -0.182   32 -0.191   31 -0.177   32 0.4348    4  1.414    9  0.229   32 -0.584 P

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
WILD           11  6 56 38  0.061  8.648    3  0.114    4  0.102    1  0.184    2 0.5403   29  0.844   20 -0.119    1  0.486 P
MAMMOTH        10  6 57 54  0.103  8.580    5  0.100    5  0.097   10  0.048    5 0.5341    7  1.275    7  0.264   25 -0.167 P
STARS           9  6 44 36 -0.035  7.181    8  0.056    8  0.049    8  0.058    9 0.5173   32  0.737   31 -0.355    2  0.472 P
AVALANCHE       9  7 66 53 -0.058  7.473   13  0.024   13  0.023    5  0.089   13 0.5088    1  1.516    1  0.645   30 -0.467 P
BLUES           7  8 45 45  0.034  7.698   19 -0.015   20 -0.017   18 -0.005   21 0.4942   14  1.127   15  0.019   18 -0.030 P
PREDATORS       6  9 46 48  0.096  8.060   23 -0.044   23 -0.042   15  0.014   25 0.4814   18  1.041   19 -0.066   11  0.095 P
JETS            5 11 39 58  0.073  8.631   28 -0.089   28 -0.097   28 -0.117   28 0.4639   21  1.016   26 -0.226   17 -0.008 P
BLACKHAWKS      4 11 33 58 -0.023  7.630   30 -0.139   30 -0.145   32 -0.240   31 0.4430   20  1.017   29 -0.349   22 -0.131 P

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     12  5 64 40 -0.071  7.700    1  0.121    1  0.110    3  0.166    4 0.5365   22  1.009   13  0.049    4  0.284 P
DEVILS         10  5 52 43  0.012  7.469    6  0.097    6  0.095    9  0.055    6 0.5324   15  1.057   17 -0.005    9  0.116 P
CAPITALS        8  6 49 48  0.053  7.251    9  0.051    9  0.049   14  0.021   10 0.5165    5  1.365    5  0.359   28 -0.317 P
ISLANDERS       7  7 40 39  0.034  7.162   16  0.003   15  0.005   16  0.012   18 0.4980   30  0.841   27 -0.294    3  0.318 P
RANGERS         8  8 48 47  0.034  8.159   15  0.005   16  0.004   13  0.028   15 0.5031   26  0.962   21 -0.144    7  0.200 P
BLUE JACKETS    6  7 36 41  0.053  6.829   21 -0.019   19 -0.014   22 -0.057   22 0.4909   25  0.990   25 -0.197   13  0.082 P
PENGUINS        5 10 49 52 -0.007  7.456   29 -0.093   29 -0.103   21 -0.020   29 0.4622   11  1.200   12  0.097   23 -0.137 P
FLYERS          4 13 37 58  0.060  9.083   31 -0.150   31 -0.157   29 -0.137   30 0.4475   31  0.777   32 -0.510    5  0.235 P

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
BRUINS         11  5 58 38 -0.019  7.606    4  0.113    3  0.104    4  0.134    3 0.5382   19  1.034   14  0.046    6  0.223 P
LIGHTNING       9  5 52 45  0.026  7.013    7  0.088    7  0.084    6  0.081    7 0.5305    9  1.261    6  0.279   21 -0.116 P
CANADIENS       9  6 52 47 -0.089  6.878   12  0.031   12  0.031   12  0.029   12 0.5090   13  1.162   11  0.098   20 -0.040 P
SENATORS        9  7 52 51 -0.055  7.606   14  0.022   14  0.022   17 -0.000   14 0.5074   10  1.249   10  0.180   27 -0.181 P
PANTHERS        8  7 47 44 -0.106  6.841   17 -0.005   17 -0.005   20 -0.019   16 0.4990   24  1.002   22 -0.145   10  0.107 P
SABRES          7  7 43 49 -0.054  6.753   18 -0.010   18 -0.012   23 -0.063   17 0.4982   12  1.171   16  0.016   24 -0.143 P
MAPLE LEAFS     8  9 62 56  0.000  8.414   20 -0.019   22 -0.021   11  0.040   19 0.4954    6  1.278    8  0.259   26 -0.179 P
RED WINGS       7  9 48 50 -0.117  7.305   26 -0.061   26 -0.068   24 -0.067   26 0.4789   23  1.002   24 -0.193   14  0.058 P

DIVISION               W  L   PCT  RNK RATING
ATLANTIC DIVISION     68 55 0.553    1  0.054
METROPOLITAN DIVISION 60 61 0.496    2  0.030
CENTRAL DIVISION      61 64 0.488    3  0.021
PACIFIC DIVISION      57 66 0.463    4 -0.123

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Wed Nov  4 05:30:11 2026
games through: Tue Nov  3 2026

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