The new calendar year means it's time for a reset in the NHL. Before the season, the Bovada sportsbook in Las Vegas set the lines for each team's projected point totals. For this week's Power Rankings -- voted on, as always, by ESPN's panel of experts -- we checked in on those forecasts to see how close each team is to hitting, missing or exceeding its mark. It seems only fitting that the team Vegas (and everyone else) was most wrong about was ... Vegas.
How we rank: We use a panel of voters, and these rankings reflect which teams voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked teams are favored over lower-ranked teams. A run of wins doesn't guarantee a jump, and a couple of losses doesn't guarantee a fall.
Previous rankings: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
Record: 29-8-2
Week 12 Ranking: No. 1
Preseason point projection: 102.5. Current projection: over. Tampa Bay was supposed to rebound from its 2016-17 season, which was derailed by Steven Stamkos' injuries. But my oh my have the Lightning been impressive. Andrei Vasilevskiy (1.95 GAA, six shutouts) is the best goalie nobody is talking about.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
Record: 27-9-2
Week 12 Ranking: No. 2
Preseason point projection: 68. Current projection: over. The Golden Knights have a 13-game point streak and an eight-game winning streak, and, well, nothing should surprise us about them anymore. Let's give it up for the best expansion team in history -- perhaps across all sports.
3. Nashville Predators
Record: 23-11-5
Week 12 Ranking: No. 4
Preseason point projection: 97.5. Current projection: over. This is a dominant team that keeps getting boosts. First, it was Kyle Turris, who has been exceptional since debuting on Nov. 11. Now the Predators welcome defenseman Ryan Ellis to the lineup; he was rehabbing knee surgery after his career season in 2016-17.
4. Winnipeg Jets
Record: 23-11-7
Week 12 Ranking: No. 3
Preseason point projection: 91.5. Current projection: over. There's a lot to like about these Jets. Connor Hellebuyck is back on track after a minor bump. Plus, the loss of Mark Scheifele is softened because three other players (Blake Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine) have more than 31 points each.
5. Washington Capitals
Record: 25-13-3
Week 12 Ranking: No. 10
Preseason point projection: 104. Current projection: over. Ovechkin has now reached 25 goals in each of his 13 career NHL seasons. Even scarier for the rest of the NHL? He's on pace for 50 again, and most of his tallies have come in the clutch.
6. St. Louis Blues
Record: 25-15-2
Week 12 Ranking: No. 5
Preseason point projection: 95. Current projection: over. The Blues have a nice cushion, but they're starting to get banged up. Don't be surprised if GM Doug Armstrong makes some moves for scorers around the trade deadline.
7. New Jersey Devils
Record: 22-10-7
Week 12 Ranking: No. 6
Preseason point projection: 74.5. Current projection: over. It's not just about the young guys in New Jersey (although they've been terrific, too). Journeyman pro Brian Gibbons is second on the team in goals, with 12, and 33-year-old Brian Boyle, diagnosed with cancer before the season, has 10.
8. Los Angeles Kings
Record: 24-11-5
Week 12 Ranking: No. 8
Preseason point projection: 89.5. Current projection: over. We've talked so much about what a surprise this team is offensively. But what makes the Kings a true Stanley Cup contender is their stinginess on D. They've allowed the league's fewest goals (91).
9. Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 23-16-2
Week 12 Ranking: No. 7
Preseason point projection: 95.5. Current projection: over. Toronto's 2-0 loss to the Lightning this week showed us the Maple Leafs might not be ready to compete with the elites just yet. But we were entertained. Raise your hand if you'd sign up for a Leafs-Lightning playoff series.
10. Boston Bruins
Record: 22-10-6
Week 12 Ranking: No. 11
Preseason point projection: 92.5. Current projection: over. This would have sounded absurd three weeks ago -- I'm, ahem, speaking from experience -- but Boston legitimately looks like a contender. The Bruins have elite top-end talent, solid goaltending and rookies playing with a ton of poise.
11. Minnesota Wild
Record: 21-16-3
Week 12 Ranking: No. 16
Preseason point projection: 96.5. Current projection: under. The Wild are heating up, and Zach Parise's long-awaited debut comes at a great time. But injuries that plagued Minnesota early in the season still have this team playing catch-up in the Central.
12. New York Rangers
Record: 21-14-5
Week 12 Ranking: No. 12
Preseason point projection: 95.5. Current projection: over. Those rumors about Alain Vigneault's job security feel like forever ago. The Rangers have been one of the league's best teams since the beginning of November.
13. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 23-15-3
Week 12 Ranking: No. 9
Preseason point projection: 96.5. Current projection: under. Should we be worried about Sergei Bobrovsky? Probably not. The reigning Vezina winner just endured a fluky bad stretch. Be more concerned about Columbus' offense, which has scored more than two goals just four times in its past 12 games.
14. Dallas Stars
Record: 22-16-3
Week 12 Ranking: No. 14
Preseason point projection: 97. Current projection: under. With all the acquisitions this team made in the offseason, we expected it to compete for the Central Division title. The Stars are finally playing like contenders, but their point total suffers because it took some time to adjust to coach Ken Hitchcock's new system (and demands).
15. San Jose Sharks
Record: 21-12-4
Week 12 Ranking: No. 13
Preseason point projection: 96. Current projection: over. Start paying attention to Timo Meier. The 21-year-old has played top-line minutes, scoring five goals in his past eight games as the Sharks swim above water toward another playoff berth.
16. New York Islanders
Record: 20-16-4
Week 12 Ranking: No. 15
Preseason point projection: 88.5. Current projection: over. After a stellar start to the season, the Islanders have cooled. They still should exceed this point projection, but not by much. Mathew Barzal (36 points in 40 games) remains in Calder contention.
17. Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 20-18-3
Week 12 Ranking: No. 19
Preseason point projection: 105. Current projection: under. How to snap out of a season-long malaise? Perhaps stud prospect Daniel Sprong will add a spark, but significant changes are likely needed -- and could be coming.
18. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 19-14-8
Week 12 Ranking: No. 18
Preseason point projection: 106. Current projection: under. Even in a best-case scenario for the Ducks -- everyone gets healthy, and they dominate the Pacific Division -- it's hard to imagine Anaheim coming close to 100 points this season.
19. Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 19-14-6
Week 12 Ranking: No. 17
Preseason point projection: 100.5. Current projection: under. The biggest thing concerning us right now about the Blackhawks is Corey Crawford's nagging injuries. The goaltender has been the only constant on a team that, in January, is desperately seeking consistency -- or at least a string of more than two consecutive wins.
20. Carolina Hurricanes
Record: 18-13-8
Week 12 Ranking: No. 24
Preseason point projection: 92.5. Current projection: under. Though the Canes seem to be turning a corner lately, we expected them to take a bigger jump this season. It doesn't help that the Metropolitan Division is ubercompetitive.
21. Florida Panthers
Record: 17-17-5
Week 12 Ranking: No. 27
Preseason point projection: 86.5. Current projection: under. The Panthers' start was nothing to write home about. But Florida, which has won five of its past six games, might have found a rhythm with James Reimer in net. He's 5-1 with a .956 save percentage and a 1.5 GAA in that span.
22. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 17-20-3
Week 12 Ranking: No. 21
Preseason point projection: 104. Current projection: under. Just when you think the Oilers are ready to pivot, they regress again. And yet, Connor McDavid is still producing. The kid could be looking at another 100-point season.
23. Calgary Flames
Record: 19-16-4
Week 12 Ranking: No. 23
Preseason point projection: 95. Current projection: under. The Flames really should be contending for the Pacific Division right now. It has been a bit too uneven in Calgary, but the Flames are bracing for a big week: back-to-back contests against conference foes, the Kings and Ducks.
24. Detroit Red Wings
Record: 16-16-7
Week 12 Ranking: No. 29
Preseason point projection: 78. Current projection: over. The Wings are still, technically, in the hunt, but we expect them to be sellers come the trade deadline.
25. Colorado Avalanche
Record: 20-16-3
Week 12 Ranking: No. 25
Preseason point projection: 70.5. Current projection: over. The defense has been shaky, but Colorado has been fun to watch on offense. Nathan MacKinnon might even tally 100 points this season.
26. Montreal Canadiens
Record: 16-20-4
Week 12 Ranking: No. 20
Preseason point projection: 99.5. Current projection: under. Things are so bad in Montreal that everyone is searching for a scapegoat. First it was Carey Price. Now it's the captain, Max Pacioretty, who has scored just once since Nov. 14, a span of 22 games. Cue the trade rumors.
27. Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 16-15-8
Week 12 Ranking: No. 22
Preseason point projection: 100.5. Current projection: under. The Flyers have played good hockey since their 10-game losing streak. Claude Giroux's position switch looks genius now; he has 46 points in 39 games. But it all might be moot; this team doesn't appear to be poised for the playoffs.
28. Vancouver Canucks
Record: 16-19-5
Week 12 Ranking: No. 26
Preseason point projection: 100.5. Current projection: over. After an auspicious start, it's going to be another long season in Vancouver. But hey, at least the Canucks have Brock Boeser.
29. Ottawa Senators
Record: 12-17-9
Week 12 Ranking: No. 28
Preseason point projection: 91.5. Current projection: under. It's already a lost season in Ottawa. The Senators have four wins since Nov. 16, and Guy Boucher, who could be coaching for his job, needs to clean up his defense. The Sens have allowed 25 goals over their past six games.
30. Buffalo Sabres
Record: 10-20-9
Week 12 Ranking: No. 30
Preseason point projection: 78. Current projection: under. This projection felt a bit high for a team with Jack Eichel, Evander Kane and not much else to be excited about (except for maybe Casey Mittelstadt, though he's not on the roster yet).
31. Arizona Coyotes
Record: 9-27-5
Week 12 Ranking: No. 31
Preseason point projection: 75. Current projection: under. Arizona has promising talent, and its offseason acquisitions should have added a boost. But most nights, the Coyotes are just overmatched.