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
RANGERS        4 1 16  8  0.098  2.620    1  0.106    1  0.096    2  0.108    1 0.5499   28  0.809   24 -0.176    4  0.393 P
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 1 21 13 -0.188  2.022    2  0.093    4  0.069    5  0.079    4 0.5361   10  1.183    7  0.229   18 -0.072 P
LIGHTNING      3 1 11  9  0.053  2.010    3  0.089    3  0.074    3  0.091    2 0.5415   23  0.994   16  0.011    8  0.170 P
JETS           3 1 12 10  0.181  2.255    4  0.085    2  0.076   11  0.062    3 0.5390   27  0.822   28 -0.209    5  0.333 P
AVALANCHE      3 1 23 11 -0.087  1.731    5  0.079    5  0.064    1  0.173    6 0.5319    2  1.513    1  0.779   28 -0.432 P
SENATORS       3 1 12  9 -0.003  1.941    6  0.072    6  0.056   12  0.044    9 0.5266   19  1.067   13  0.051   12  0.037 P
BRUINS         3 2 15 12  0.179  2.810    7  0.050    7  0.051    8  0.073    5 0.5324   21  1.011   15  0.014   11  0.132 P
CAPITALS       2 1 11  8  0.254  1.781    8  0.048    8  0.050   10  0.067    8 0.5299   16  1.112   10  0.130   16  0.005 P
OILERS         3 1 22 16 -0.138  1.706    9  0.046    9  0.046    6  0.076    7 0.5303    1  1.545    2  0.730   30 -0.578 P
HURRICANES     3 2 18 14 -0.091  2.236   10  0.037   11  0.030    7  0.074   12 0.5135   15  1.117    9  0.143   15  0.006 P
TEAM           W L PF PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
SHARKS         3 1 12 14 -0.007  2.022   11  0.026   10  0.033   29 -0.140   15 0.5077    9  1.183   17  0.011   25 -0.291 P
WILD           2 2 11  8  0.148  2.190   12  0.015   14  0.014    4  0.080   11 0.5137   29  0.730   29 -0.285    3  0.446 P
DUCKS          2 1  9 10  0.119  1.654   13  0.015   13  0.018   25 -0.076   13 0.5128   14  1.123   19 -0.001   20 -0.152 P
MAMMOTH        3 2 18 14  0.003  2.446   14  0.013   12  0.020   15  0.028   10 0.5145   12  1.158    8  0.147   19 -0.091 P
PANTHERS       2 2  8  8  0.029  2.004   15  0.008   15  0.004   14  0.036   14 0.5089   32  0.238   32 -0.758    1  0.831 P
STARS          2 2 10  6 -0.135  1.708   16  0.000   17 -0.007    9  0.072   16 0.5031   31  0.530   30 -0.484    2  0.627 P
PENGUINS       2 2 18 13 -0.022  1.913   17 -0.003   18 -0.008   13  0.042   17 0.4960    5  1.419    4  0.511   27 -0.426 P
SABRES         2 2 10 15 -0.138  1.784   18 -0.004   19 -0.014   26 -0.080   18 0.4929    8  1.204   12  0.097   24 -0.258 P
PREDATORS      2 2 12 11  0.072  2.097   19 -0.007   16 -0.006   17 -0.008   20 0.4908   17  1.090   14  0.027   17 -0.043 P
ISLANDERS      2 2 13  8 -0.113  1.759   20 -0.018   20 -0.020   16  0.027   19 0.4917   26  0.909   23 -0.149    7  0.203 P
TEAM           W L PF PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
BLUE JACKETS   1 1  7  7 -0.200  0.828   21 -0.021   21 -0.023   23 -0.057   21 0.4907    7  1.208   11  0.126   22 -0.240 P
KRAKEN         2 2 15 11 -0.167  1.705   22 -0.027   22 -0.030   19 -0.023   23 0.4845   20  1.034   20 -0.055   14  0.009 P
MAPLE LEAFS    2 3 14 15 -0.018  2.431   23 -0.031   23 -0.036   18 -0.012   24 0.4836   24  0.916   26 -0.181    9  0.156 P
RED WINGS      1 2  7  8  0.063  1.575   24 -0.037   24 -0.040   24 -0.060   22 0.4874   22  0.997   22 -0.135   13  0.016 P
CANUCKS        2 3 21 25  0.011  2.554   25 -0.042   25 -0.043   27 -0.085   25 0.4812    3  1.513    3  0.521   32 -0.690 P
DEVILS         1 2  6 13 -0.149  1.343   26 -0.044   26 -0.050   28 -0.122   27 0.4691   11  1.164   18  0.005   23 -0.250 P
CANADIENS      1 3 14 19  0.067  2.105   27 -0.055   27 -0.062   22 -0.051   28 0.4650    4  1.461    5  0.479   31 -0.581 P
BLUES          1 3  9 13  0.002  2.004   28 -0.060   28 -0.067   20 -0.035   26 0.4704   25  0.912   27 -0.207   10  0.137 P
KINGS          0 3  9 15  0.096  1.622   29 -0.079   29 -0.089   21 -0.045   29 0.4580    6  1.404    6  0.403   29 -0.492 P
BLACKHAWKS     1 4 10 21  0.053  2.683   30 -0.102   30 -0.107   31 -0.203   30 0.4490   18  1.080   25 -0.180   21 -0.226 P
TEAM           W L PF PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
FLAMES         0 4  6 23 -0.006  2.055   31 -0.119   31 -0.130   32 -0.214   32 0.4315   13  1.138   21 -0.119   26 -0.308 P
FLYERS         0 5  6 19  0.064  2.685   32 -0.136   32 -0.150   30 -0.157   31 0.4322   30  0.607   31 -0.643    6  0.328 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
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 1 21 13 -0.188  2.022    2  0.093    4  0.069    5  0.079    4 0.5361   10  1.183    7  0.229   18 -0.072 P
OILERS         3 1 22 16 -0.138  1.706    9  0.046    9  0.046    6  0.076    7 0.5303    1  1.545    2  0.730   30 -0.578 P
SHARKS         3 1 12 14 -0.007  2.022   11  0.026   10  0.033   29 -0.140   15 0.5077    9  1.183   17  0.011   25 -0.291 P
DUCKS          2 1  9 10  0.119  1.654   13  0.015   13  0.018   25 -0.076   13 0.5128   14  1.123   19 -0.001   20 -0.152 P
KRAKEN         2 2 15 11 -0.167  1.705   22 -0.027   22 -0.030   19 -0.023   23 0.4845   20  1.034   20 -0.055   14  0.009 P
CANUCKS        2 3 21 25  0.011  2.554   25 -0.042   25 -0.043   27 -0.085   25 0.4812    3  1.513    3  0.521   32 -0.690 P
KINGS          0 3  9 15  0.096  1.622   29 -0.079   29 -0.089   21 -0.045   29 0.4580    6  1.404    6  0.403   29 -0.492 P
FLAMES         0 4  6 23 -0.006  2.055   31 -0.119   31 -0.130   32 -0.214   32 0.4315   13  1.138   21 -0.119   26 -0.308 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
JETS           3 1 12 10  0.181  2.255    4  0.085    2  0.076   11  0.062    3 0.5390   27  0.822   28 -0.209    5  0.333 P
AVALANCHE      3 1 23 11 -0.087  1.731    5  0.079    5  0.064    1  0.173    6 0.5319    2  1.513    1  0.779   28 -0.432 P
WILD           2 2 11  8  0.148  2.190   12  0.015   14  0.014    4  0.080   11 0.5137   29  0.730   29 -0.285    3  0.446 P
MAMMOTH        3 2 18 14  0.003  2.446   14  0.013   12  0.020   15  0.028   10 0.5145   12  1.158    8  0.147   19 -0.091 P
STARS          2 2 10  6 -0.135  1.708   16  0.000   17 -0.007    9  0.072   16 0.5031   31  0.530   30 -0.484    2  0.627 P
PREDATORS      2 2 12 11  0.072  2.097   19 -0.007   16 -0.006   17 -0.008   20 0.4908   17  1.090   14  0.027   17 -0.043 P
BLUES          1 3  9 13  0.002  2.004   28 -0.060   28 -0.067   20 -0.035   26 0.4704   25  0.912   27 -0.207   10  0.137 P
BLACKHAWKS     1 4 10 21  0.053  2.683   30 -0.102   30 -0.107   31 -0.203   30 0.4490   18  1.080   25 -0.180   21 -0.226 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
RANGERS        4 1 16  8  0.098  2.620    1  0.106    1  0.096    2  0.108    1 0.5499   28  0.809   24 -0.176    4  0.393 P
CAPITALS       2 1 11  8  0.254  1.781    8  0.048    8  0.050   10  0.067    8 0.5299   16  1.112   10  0.130   16  0.005 P
HURRICANES     3 2 18 14 -0.091  2.236   10  0.037   11  0.030    7  0.074   12 0.5135   15  1.117    9  0.143   15  0.006 P
PENGUINS       2 2 18 13 -0.022  1.913   17 -0.003   18 -0.008   13  0.042   17 0.4960    5  1.419    4  0.511   27 -0.426 P
ISLANDERS      2 2 13  8 -0.113  1.759   20 -0.018   20 -0.020   16  0.027   19 0.4917   26  0.909   23 -0.149    7  0.203 P
BLUE JACKETS   1 1  7  7 -0.200  0.828   21 -0.021   21 -0.023   23 -0.057   21 0.4907    7  1.208   11  0.126   22 -0.240 P
DEVILS         1 2  6 13 -0.149  1.343   26 -0.044   26 -0.050   28 -0.122   27 0.4691   11  1.164   18  0.005   23 -0.250 P
FLYERS         0 5  6 19  0.064  2.685   32 -0.136   32 -0.150   30 -0.157   31 0.4322   30  0.607   31 -0.643    6  0.328 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
LIGHTNING      3 1 11  9  0.053  2.010    3  0.089    3  0.074    3  0.091    2 0.5415   23  0.994   16  0.011    8  0.170 P
SENATORS       3 1 12  9 -0.003  1.941    6  0.072    6  0.056   12  0.044    9 0.5266   19  1.067   13  0.051   12  0.037 P
BRUINS         3 2 15 12  0.179  2.810    7  0.050    7  0.051    8  0.073    5 0.5324   21  1.011   15  0.014   11  0.132 P
PANTHERS       2 2  8  8  0.029  2.004   15  0.008   15  0.004   14  0.036   14 0.5089   32  0.238   32 -0.758    1  0.831 P
SABRES         2 2 10 15 -0.138  1.784   18 -0.004   19 -0.014   26 -0.080   18 0.4929    8  1.204   12  0.097   24 -0.258 P
MAPLE LEAFS    2 3 14 15 -0.018  2.431   23 -0.031   23 -0.036   18 -0.012   24 0.4836   24  0.916   26 -0.181    9  0.156 P
RED WINGS      1 2  7  8  0.063  1.575   24 -0.037   24 -0.040   24 -0.060   22 0.4874   22  0.997   22 -0.135   13  0.016 P
CANADIENS      1 3 14 19  0.067  2.105   27 -0.055   27 -0.062   22 -0.051   28 0.4650    4  1.461    5  0.479   31 -0.581 P

DIVISION               W  L   PCT  RNK RATING
CENTRAL DIVISION      17 17 0.500    1  0.084
ATLANTIC DIVISION     17 16 0.515    2  0.027
METROPOLITAN DIVISION 15 16 0.484    3  0.009
PACIFIC DIVISION      16 16 0.500    4 -0.138

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Fri Oct  9 05:30:14 2026
games through: Thu Oct  8 2026

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