Lightning Takes League's No. 1 Spot Despite Bad Injury Luck

The Tampa Bay Lightning have climbed to the top of the NHL power rankings for the first time this season, leapfrogging the Colorado Avalanche despite facing what may be the league's most brutal injury situation.

The Lightning entered the week riding a 13-0-1 run that has them at 31-13-4 on the season. That streak comes while Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh have each missed 23 games, leaving Tampa Bay without their entire top defensive pairing for more than half the campaign.

Only three Lightning players have appeared in all 49 games this season. Forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde, and Jake Guentzel are the only ones to avoid the injury bug completely. Every other core piece has spent time on the shelf at some point.

The Avalanche still owns the better record at 34-6-9 and remains nine points ahead of Tampa Bay in the actual standings. Colorado is on pace to challenge the NHL's records for wins and points, chasing the 2022-23 Boston Bruins' marks of 65 victories and 135 points.

Recent Struggles Drop Colorado

Jan 23, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) (center) celebrates his goal with teammates in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

What pushed the Lightning past the Avalanche in the rankings was timing. Colorado has lost six of their last nine games after dominating the first three months of the season.

The slide started Jan. 4 when Gabriel Landeskog left a game against Florida with an upper-body injury. Devon Toews was already sidelined at that point, leaving the Avalanche without two key pieces. Since then, the team has won just three of seven.

The skid included a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Jan. 6, handing Colorado just their fourth regulation defeat of the season. Brandon Hagel's third-period goal gave the Lightning their eighth consecutive victory in a head-to-head matchup between the league's two best teams.

Next Man Up Mentality

The Lightning's ability to stay elite without Hedman and McDonagh speaks to their organizational depth. Players like Darren Raddysh have stepped up in expanded roles, while Andrei Vasilevskiy has carried the load in net.

McDonagh is expected back before the Olympic break next month, with Hedman targeting a February return. Getting both defensemen healthy would make Tampa Bay even more dangerous down the stretch.

The Avalanche remain the favorite for now based on their historic first-half performance and Nathan MacKinnon's flawless play, but the Lightning have proven that even league-worst injury luck cannot derail a championship-caliber roster when depth and goaltending hold strong through adversity.

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