The NHL's small-sample shock teams: Who has under- and overperformed?

Sports can provoke all sorts of emotions.

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad, for example, couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry after his team was shut out in their first three home games of the season -- something that had never happened previously in NHL history.

Overall, the Rangers are currently 2-3-0 under new coach Mike Sullivan; but those two wins came against the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, so the jury is still out on whether the Rangers can be goal-scoring threats (who pumped in 10 over their pair of road victories) or if they can't covert against tougher competition (specifically in their own barn).

Consider New York an early-season enigma. And they're not the only group drawing all manner of overreaction from around the hockey world.

That's our time-honored sporting tradition though, to build up and tear down teams after only a few outings in a months-long season. The 2025-26 NHL campaign is only in its second week, and there are things to discuss -- such as, what clubs are overachieving early? Which ones are cringe-inducing off the bat? And of course, what's going on in the mushy middle?

It's a short shelf life for observations of a tiny sample size. Get the takes while they're hot in a quick spin around the league to highlight a few teams in each category -- starting with the happy ones.

POSITIVE SURPRISES

Boston Bruins
Record: 3-1-0

What's happened: Boston jumped out to a 3-0-0 record -- matching the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for the best statistical start of the season. Not bad for a Bruins team that finished with 76 points last season, missed the playoffs and generally wasn't saddled with high expectations going into this new season. Boston is wearing its underdog status with pride.

Why it happened: Well, it's worth mentioning that last season was ... odd in Beantown.

Jeremy Swayman vastly underperformed after a combative contract negotiation bled into the preseason. Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm suffered injuries that cratered Boston's blue line prospects, and by March there wasn't much GM Don Sweeney could do but send players elsewhere -- including Brad Marchand to the aforementioned Panthers.

Somehow the lower expectations heading into 2025-26 have been freeing. Boston has benefitted from a light schedule thus far, topping the Chicago Blackhawks and Sabres out of the gate, but hey, you play who's on the schedule. The Bruins are fifth in goals against, giving up just 2.25 per game, and that's with Lindholm being out with an injury again.

David Pastrnak is averaging over a point per game, an excellent sign for Boston's offense. And Swayman is 2-0, with a .966 save percentage. Even though the Bruins fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday for their first defeat of the season, it wasn't an altogether bad effort. Just an indication that if Boston wants to stay on track, they'll need to not be too self-satisfied by what they have achieved.

Will it continue? It would be easy to dismiss the B's after their Lightning loss as incapable of stacking up against tougher foes. That may prove to be the case -- especially when their starts are that lethargic. The best-case scenario for the Bruins from here is staying in the playoff contention mix, and working in as many prospects as they can to get experience when stakes are lower than they've been in some time for a perennial contender. They haven't resigned themselves to falling for top draft prospect Gavin McKenna just yet.

Seattle Kraken
Record: 2-0-1

What's happened: Seattle went from bringing up the Pacific Division's rear last season to scrambling their way up the standings with a strong push into this new campaign. That's included already topping one key divisional opponent -- the Vegas Golden Knights -- and doing so without a singular superstar in the mix. Intriguing!

Why it happened: The Kraken have cracked down defensively. Seattle is tied for sixth-fewest goals against per game (2.33) and they're averaging fewer than 30 shots on goal per game. Even when the Kraken are making errors, it's in wildly entertaining games like their overtime thriller in Montreal that ended with Seattle's first loss of the season.

The Kraken have gotten strong goaltending from Joey Daccord (.918 SV%), but the impressive thing about Seattle is they don't exactly have a stable of top-end skaters. They appear to excel by the committee approach. Jared McCann and Vince Dunn pace the team with four points each, and the Kraken already have seven different goal scorers.

Seattle wasn't meant to be a head-turner this season, but their slow and steady approach could yield more positive dividends.

Will it continue? The Kraken's lack of elite talent may eventually catch up to them as other squads get their defensive games in order. Seattle has an uphill battle given who's in their division -- hello, Edmonton! -- and they'll need to keep proving themselves against tougher competition. The same could be said for other teams, though. Consider the Kraken to be an underdog who will at least contemplate making additions instead of subtractions prior to the trade deadline.

Nashville Predators
Record: 2-1-1

What's happened: Nashville was not a good surprise last season. That could change this season.

The Predators sputtered about in 2024-25 despite Steven Stamkos coming aboard -- in what was, admittedly, a disappointing individual campaign for him. Nashville vowed to regroup under now second-year head coach Andrew Brunette, and the Predators have looked (mostly) true to their word with a 2-1-1 record, a sensational goaltender, and stars ready to stay alight.

Why it happened: Don't let that third period against Toronto define your opinion of the Predators. They were tied 2-2 with the Maple Leafs going into the third period on the second half of a back-to-back with No. 2 netminder Justus Annunen making his first start of the season. Nashville showed resiliency coming back from a 2-0 deficit and they grinded to the finish line.

What's been working for the Predators is spreading the wealth offensively. Ryan O'Reilly is a commanding top-line center (with two goals in four games), while Erik Haula and Jonathan Marchessault (both with a pair of markers) are clicking on their third unit.

The real revelation though is goaltender Juuse Saros. He's off to a 2-0-1 start with a .947 SV%. Saros has been Nashville's savior in years past, and it's hurt them to rely too heavily on his contributions. If Nashville can supplement it's goaltending with solid defense -- led by the often-impeccable Roman Josi -- and even more offensive firepower -- Stamkos and Filip Forsberg are still coming along -- then the Predators can stay on the right side of surprise this time.

Will it continue? Nashville can't afford to be one-dimensional. Saros can't carry them to the point that they are winning one-goal games every time out. And at some point, the power play will have to get rolling (5.9% isn't going to cut it).

What Nashville is showing so far is character. They've got some juice. How far does it take them? Possibly to a wild-card playoff spot -- the Central Division is a beast, after all -- and that's more likely to happen if the Preds dedicate as strongly on the defensive side as they do offensively.

Honorable mention: Anaheim Ducks

This team is having a whole lot of fun (and not just because they passed out some incredible Wild Wing-inspired masks to fans this week). Anaheim seems to have found new life under first-year head coach Joel Quenneville.

And so too has veteran forward Chris Kreider, who joined Anaheim in an offseason trade from the Rangers, and has four goals through three games. He's been aided by rising star Leo Carlsson -- one of those high draftees (second overall in 2023) who seemed destined to always be deemed "underrated" by those less engaged with the Western Conference -- and Cutter Gauthier -- who has found the fresh start he was looking for outside Philadelphia. The Ducks have the league's fourth-ranked offense (averaging four goals per game) and the second-best power play, at 36.4%.

To splash a little water on the party, Anaheim is also allowing the sixth-most goals per game, and they aren't exactly a defensive powerhouse yet, despite some seasoned veterans like Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba on the blue line. Their 2-1-0 record to open the season is something to note as the Ducks perhaps begin sprinting towards daylight at the end of their rebuild.

SURPRISING STRUGGLERS

Buffalo Sabres
Record: 1-3-0

What's happened: The Sabres weren't necessarily counted among the elite Stanley Cup contenders heading into this season. But it took Buffalo fans all of three games to start "Fire Adams!" chants and wear paper bag adornments on their heads. So, aside from an out-of-character outburst on Wednesday night, not much good is going on right now.

Why it happened: Injuries have certainly played a role in Buffalo's bumbling. Josh Norris -- who arrived with health concerns when the Sabres acquired him in a trade last season for forward Dylan Cozens -- is sidelined for at least eight weeks with an upper-body injury. Zach Benson was unavailable the first three games, defensemen Michael Kesselring and Mattias Samuelsson are out, starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is ailing and Jordan Greenway is still rehabbing from a summer surgery. That's quite the full infirmary.

Regardless, Buffalo still has most of its top players available, and they aren't doing nearly enough. The Sabres were outscored 10-2 in their opening 0-3-0 skid (to average a league-worst 0.67 goals per game). Their power play went 0-for-11 in that span. Alex Lyon has stepped up in net with Luukonen out, but he can't make up for the Sabres' lack of offense.

Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch have one goal apiece; Jason Zucker is the real standout, with three (!). and Rasmus Dahlin has tossed in a trio of assists. However, most of that output came in Wednesday's game against Ottawa, where Buffalo showed signs of life against a team depleted by the loss of captain Brady Tkachuk.

Can that momentum translate against other clubs? We shall see. The Sabres haven't shown they necessarily have the depth to account for their injured parties and it's an indictment on Adams' management (hence those jerseys flying onto the ice). Buffalo doesn't have the defensive details to hold their opponents at bay without further goal support. And it's put them behind the eight ball early.

Will it continue? The Sabres aren't hurting for talent; they're starved for execution. Benson returned for Wednesday's game and that was a boost Buffalo needed. One bad week (or two) won't define a season for Thompson, Tuch or Dahlin. It's really whether the Sabres can command confidence through their struggles that might determine success from here.

It's been 14 years since Buffalo made the playoffs. It's not a benchmark players want to hear about every day, but that's what comes up when your start is this shaky. Negativity can galvanize a group, though. If the Sabres can rally around one another and push back against their critics, they can stop their slide before it avalanches. Unfortunately, history isn't exactly on their side.

Vancouver Canucks
Record: 1-2-0

What's happened: The Canucks' sputtering stars have led to a lackluster start that's fallen well below what level their talent should be capable of achieving. As it is, Vancouver is 1-2-0 to hold a share of the Pacific Division basement.

Why it happened: Vancouver's top line has been a disaster. Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser clearly don't complement one another. There's no real "worker" on that unit to go in the corner and dig pucks out; all three are looking to score. Which is good -- but only if you've got the puck long enough to do so.

In general, Pettersson isn't proving to be the true first-unit pivot that Vancouver needs. The Canucks' highest-paid player is coming off a woeful 2024-25 season where he scored just 15 goals in 64 games. Vancouver isn't exactly reveling in a bounce-back showing now. Pettersson -- with one assist and three shots to his credit -- is mostly invisible on the ice offensively (although he's only been on for one goal against). The Canucks can't thrive without him finding a rhythm, with or without his current linemates.

Vancouver's power play has yet to convert too, and that's left them to languish with the league's 24th-ranked offense (averaging 2.67 goals per game). The Canucks are fortunate to have an all-world defenseman in Quinn Hughes and a possible Team USA Olympian goaltender in Thatcher Demko, who is 1-1-0, with a .944 SV%. Until Vancouver's offense generates a spark, the defensive efforts won't be enough to carry the Canucks up the standings.

Will it continue? It's fair to say there are growing pains for plenty of teams with a new coach. Adam Foote took over this season, and he's still putting his mark on this group. Vancouver has the raw material. The Canucks' fourth line has been particularly solid. Vancouver needs more of that work ethic from the rest of their skaters.

Self-inflicted wounds and giving up response goals have hurt the Canucks as well. It's their details more than anything that aren't sharp. Scoring breeds confidence though, and if Vancouver can light the lamp a little more -- and serve up fewer odd-man opportunities the other way to torpedo their progress -- there will be brighter days ahead here.

(Dis)honorable mention: Vegas Golden Knights

If we're going to call out the Canucks for top-line chemistry issues, it's only fair to note they are not the only Pacific Division club dealing with those difficulties.

The Golden Knights acquired Mitch Marner in a trade with Toronto then signed him to a massive eight-year, $96 million extension, with the intention Marner would ride shotgun with Jack Eichel to dominate offensively. That hasn't happened -- yet.

Eichel and Marner worked together throughout the preseason but after three games, coach Bruce Cassidy had to separate his stars -- as least temporarily. Those two are pass-first players (and excellent ones at that), but someone must do the scoring, and it can't be on Ivan Barbashev alone to get that job done when they're a trio.

Cassidy must find some way to get Marner and Eichel to click. Vegas starting 1-2-0 probably wasn't what GM Kelly McCrimmon was envisioning when he went after the star winger. The good news is that Vegas has endless potential; all that's required is tapping into it.