One look at the Atlantic Division standings at the Holiday break certainly is eye-opening. The top of the division features some interesting teams, while some teams near the bottom are not used to being there.

With that said, the post-Holiday break is Saturday when games resume. There is still a lot of hockey left, but given how compact the standings are, a losing streak here or there could be devastating for any of the teams. As the regular season resumes on Saturday, here are some power rankings for Atlantic Division teams in terms of their playoff chances.

Power ranking Atlantic Division teams playoff chances for 2025-26

Yes, the Buffalo Sabres are on a seven-game winning streak going into their post-holiday matchup with the Boston Bruins, but are they really that talented and going to make a run at a postseason berth? They could very well pass the Black and Gold with a win, but like the Bruins, how sustainable is it for the rest of the season?

Are the Bruins the team we saw show up over their dreadful 1-3-1 homestand before the break, or is the one that we saw in November and early December that vaulted to the top of the division standings for a short period of time? I’m leaning toward the one we saw before the break. This five-game road trip could very well make or break the Bruins’ place in the standings for the rest of the season.

Are the Maple Leafs going to sputter all season long? There is still too much talent for them to be in the basement of the Atlantic Division at this point in the season, but here we are. They fired assistant coach Marc Savard before the break, but their problems are a lot bigger than firing the guy who ran their power play. They beat the Pittsburgh Penguins before the break, and we’ll see how they come out of it.

The Ottawa Senators absolutely owned the Bruins this season. They went 3-0-1, and two of the games were not close or very competitive. As mighty as they look against Boston, the season series is already done. Ottawa is finding out what Boston fans already knew: Linus Ullmark will play great for a stretch, and then he’ll come crashing back to earth. He needs to stay consistent if they are going to get into the postseason.

You could really flip the Montreal Canadiens and Senators if we’re being honest. Both teams are smack dab in the middle of the division, and it feels like that’s the way things will end up. Both are better than the Bruins. Montreal made the playoffs last season and will be in the mix at the end of this season as well.

I mean, if the postseason drought doesn’t end this season in Motown, when will it ever? The Detroit Red Wings are sitting in first place at the break and have been playing some consistent hockey. They swept the Washington Capitals in a home-and-home before the break and are poised to end the postseason drought this season. The wait should finally be over.

I mean, the Tampa Bay Lightning have the best goaltender in the division in Andrei Vasilevskiy, and goaltending is a big factor in winning and losing games. Just ask the Bruins. Tampa’s offense isn’t as fierce as it once was, but they have enough to finish in the top 3 in the division as long as Vasilevskiy stays healthy.

Until someone unseats them, the Florida Panthers are still the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs. They have struggled this season, but they are due to get healthier, and when they do, they are still as good as anyone in the division. Let’s put it this way, it would be shocking if they are not in the playoffs when mid-April comes around.