NHL FUN INDEX

RANKING THE MUST-WATCH TEAMS

One of the goals of the NHL All-Star Game is to put on an entertaining display of hockey in order to grab the attention of people who normally wouldn't spend much of their free time watching the sport. Let's say you were one of those folks and seek the most possible fun you can have watching the league at large. How would you go about picking a team to watch for the remainder of the 2018-19 season? What if you're a seasoned hockey fan just looking for the best game to stream every night?

We have your answer.

When aiming for the highest amount of joy per 60 minutes of hockey, we would all look for lots of action. We would look for teams who are playing games with the most shots, scoring chances and goals, and teams that dominate the power play and have goalies making spectacular saves.

In order to give us a look at which teams are the most fun to watch, we looked at how every team ranked in those areas by using the following metrics (via Natural Stat Trick):

• Combined even-strength shot attempts per 60 minutes: This gives us an idea of a team's tempo, and whether both clubs are flying up and down the ice or plodding along.
• Combined even-strength goals per 60: Is a given game more likely to be 6-5 or 2-1? The total scoring per game will tell us.
• Combined even-strength high-danger chances per 60: Not everyone throws pucks at the net for 60 minutes, but some clubs are great at producing scoring chances. If a team gets close shots and allows them that adds up to a high rate of entertainment.
• Individual team high-danger save percentage: What's better than a goalie standing on his head? Does your squad's netminder bail out his team when opponents create chances?
• Individual power-play scoring rate: The energy in any NHL building ramps up when a high-skill team can move the puck around and take advantage of power plays on a regular basis.

By adding these rankings together, we came up with the five most fun and five least fun teams to watch on a nightly basis.

THE NHL'S MOST FUN TEAMS

1. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Shot attempts: fifth
Goals: sixth
High-danger chances: second
High-danger save percentage: 16th
Power play: fifth

There may have been some bumps in the road during the first 48 games of the Penguins' season, but they aren't a team that can ever be ignored. The combination of offensive firepower and defensive issues makes for back-and-forth shootouts for Sidney Crosby & Co. They rank 10th in shot attempts for, and have allowed the sixth-most shot attempts against. For every 60 minutes of even-strength hockey, the Pens and their opponents are combining for an average of 117 shot attempts, and 24 high-danger shots. Simply put: Don't blink during Pens games.

Star power boosts Pittsburgh's case. Crosby is having one of the best seasons of a generational career, with 57 points in 45 games. He's also leading all forwards in goals for his team when he's on the ice. Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel are also producing more than one point per game. Kris Letang is sixth among defensemen in scoring.

2. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Shot attempts: first
Goals: seventh
High-danger chances: seventh
High-danger save percentage: 12th
Power play: ninth

The Leafs were fun to watch last season, and the addition of John Tavares has taken their entertainment value to another level. Tavares ranks fifth in scoring and has helped Toronto become the best even-strength scoring team in the league. Mike Babcock's team is flying up and down the ice, taking the fifth-most shot attempts and giving up the fifth most as well. The explosion of offense has come despite a lack of production from William Nylander, who has only one goal in 21 games. If he gets hot, they will be even more dangerous and fun to watch.

Most people don't connect the Leafs and goaltending, but thanks to Frederik Andersen's heroics, they are eighth in even-strength goals allowed despite giving up 32.5 shots on goal, and more than 10 high-danger shots per game.

3. SAN JOSE SHARKS

Shot attempts: sixth
Goals: third
High-danger chances: third
High-danger save percentage: 27th
Power play: sixth

The Sharks have two of the top three defensemen in terms of shooting this season, in Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. Plus, Burns has been on ice for more high-danger chances for his team than anyone else. Those two are worth the price of admission alone -- before you add in the fact that the Sharks have three 20-plus-goal scorers and two more 19-goal scorers in the lineup. The addition of winger Evander Kane at last year's deadline (and re-signing him last summer) has paid off in exciting fashion, as the former Thrasher/Jet and Sabre has put 189 shots on goal and scored 17 times at even strength.

The Sharks would be the most compelling team in hockey with improved goaltending. Starter Martin Jones has just an .892 even-strength save percentage in 38 games.

4. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Shot attempts: ninth
Goals: eighth
High-danger chances: fourth
High-danger save percentage: ninth
Power play: 14th

You don't always have to be a top Stanley Cup contender to play captivating hockey games. Exhibit A is the Blackhawks, who have the NHL's fifth-leading scorer in Patrick Kane, but also give up the most high-danger chances and second-most even-strength goals per 60 in the league.

Kane is an all-world talent, but only three other Blackhawks (Jonathan Toews, Alex DeBrincat and Brandon Saad) have scored double-digit goals. When Kane is off the ice, Chicago's goal-scoring rate at even strength is reduced by 1.45 goals per 60, which is basically chopping it in half. Overall, the Hawks' goaltending ranks 18th at even strength, yet they are getting some clutch saves, sitting eighth in high-danger save percentage.

So the Blackhawks' fun factor boils down to one superstar doing his thing ... and a near-complete inability to keep opponents away from their net.

5. WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Shot attempts: seventh
Goals: fourth
High-danger chances: fifth
High-danger save percentage: 20th
Power play: 12th

No list of lively squads would be complete without the defending Cup champions. For his entire career, Alex Ovechkin has made the Caps worth watching, and this season is no different. Ovi has an incredible 37 goals in 50 games, 27 of which have come at even strength. Even at 33 years old, he is playing 21 minutes per game.

While Ovechkin is the main attraction, the Capitals' defensive woes offer another layer to the enjoyment rate. Washington is allowing 60.1 shot attempts against per 60 minutes, the fourth-highest clip in the league. They also have the third-most high-danger chances allowed. Unfortunately for fans looking for big saves, the Caps haven't gotten many of those thus far.

Braden Holtby has seen a dramatic slide over the past two seasons, with overall save percentages of .907 and .905 after two straight years as a Vezina Trophy finalist.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Tampa Bay Lightning: The league's best team was only a shade behind Washington in our rankings, but the 29th-best high-danger save percentage sunk their chances of finishing in the top five.

Colorado Avalanche: If this was a competition for the most entertaining top line, the Avs would be No. 1. As a whole, however, they are just a midpack scoring team.

Montreal Canadiens: Montreal has the second-most total shots per 60 minutes at even strength, but its 29th-ranked scoring rate on the power play kept the Habs off the list.

Winnipeg Jets: The Jets are good in a lot of areas, but not great in any particular statistical category. They have loads of offensive talent and an exciting power play, which ranks fourth in goals per 60.

Carolina Hurricanes: The No. 1 team in combined shot attempts just doesn't see enough of those shots end up in the back of the net. They do deserve bonus points for the epic postgame celebrations.

THE NHL'S LEAST FUN TEAMS

27. VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Shot attempts: 30th
Goals: 21st
High-danger chances: 25th
High-danger save percentage: eighth
Power play: 21st

At least the Canucks have Elias Pettersson and his 23 goals in 40 games. Otherwise, it has been a snooze fest in Vancouver. Between the plodding pace and sorry special teams, there hasn't been much to write home about aside from the call-up of franchise goaltender of the future Thatcher Demko.

The Canucks are headed in the right direction overall, with solid pieces to build around. For now, they are not a top choice for entertainment value -- except when Pettersson is on the ice.

28. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Shot attempts: 16th
Goals: 10th
High-danger chances: 29th
High-danger save percentage: 21st
Power play: 31st

The Flyers have had more goalies this season than they have double-digit goal scorers. That isn't a hyperbolic punch line. It's true. Seven different netminders have gotten the nod, while six players have 10 or more goals.

If Philly's offensive output lived up to the amount of talent they have, we might be talking about a top-notch team in entertainment value. Instead, the Flyers have received underwhelming scoring from players like Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakub Voracek, all of whom have been prolific in the past.

29. ST. LOUIS BLUES

Shot attempts: 31st
Goals: 15th
High-danger chances: 23rd
High-danger save percentage: 26th
Power play: 16th

The funny thing about the Blues is that their offseason trade for Ryan O'Reilly has worked out quite well, and somehow they aren't even in the conversation for the Central Division crown. An All-Star this season, O'Reilly has 50 points and is pushing 60 percent in the faceoff circle, while the rest of his team sputters to produce. If St. Louis' most dynamic player, Vladimir Tarasenko, was having an average campaign by his standards, maybe they wouldn't be a bottom-five team in terms of excitement. The Blues are 14th in goals per 60 despite Tarasenko notching just nine even-strength tallies.

Goaltending issues in the first half crushed the Blues' chances of making a major push. Jordan Binnington has given them a glimmer of hope as of late, with a .924 save percentage in seven starts. As a team, the Blues have just under a .900 save percentage this season.

30. MINNESOTA WILD

Shot attempts: 18th
Goals: 24th
High-danger chances: 27th
High-danger save percentage: 31st
Power play: 15th

Bruce Boudreau has the Wild in the playoff mix once again, but he doesn't have them setting any world records for wow factor. Minnesota has done a remarkably good job at keeping teams away from high-danger chances, which is good because they are dead, last in stopping shots from in tight.

This group's résumé is par for the course for the past decade of Wild hockey. They are midpack (21st) in goals scored per 60 at even strength, midpack in goals allowed (12th), they don't have a top-20 goal scorer or point producer, and they have an average power play. Instead of green, Minnesota should be wearing vanilla.

31. LOS ANGELES KINGS

Shot attempts: 20th
Goals: 31st
High-danger chances: 31st
High-danger save percentage: 10th
Power play: 25th

Los Angeles is one of three teams scoring fewer than two goals per 60 minutes at even strength. The Kings also give up just 2.05 goals per 60 minutes. You have to be a really big fan of defensive hockey to get behind that.

In a season where offense is up around the league, L.A. doesn't have a single scorer who has cleared 15 goals or 35 points. The addition of Ilya Kovalchuk was supposed to infuse instant offense into the Kings' lineup, but he has potted only nine goals in 40 games and looks nothing like the guy who has a 52-goal season on his résumé from his first NHL stint.

Goaltending enthusiasts will enjoy Jack Campbell's performance this season. He has a magnificent .934 even-strength save percentage. Yet the L.A. offense is so bad, he has won just six of 15 starts.