• 1. Blackhawks (Last Week: 6) Welcome to the lineup, Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks' big offseason addition made his debut on Wednesday night and scored two goals in a 7-2 blowout win in San Jose. The Blackhawks are steamrolling teams right now, winning eight games in a row by a combined score of 33-13.
  
  
• 2. Sharks (2) With 18 goals in his first 26 games, Dany Heatley is on pace for the third 50-goal season of his career. Putting him on a line with one of the game's elite playmaking centers has not been a disappointment.
  
  
• 3. Capitals (1) After climbing to the top of the Rankings last week, the Caps lost three of their next four (though, two were in overtime or shootout). Alex Ovechkin had an eventful night in Wednesday's 2-0 win against Buffalo, scoring his 17th goal of the season and then earning a game misconduct for boarding Patrick Kaleta.
  
• 4. Penguins (5) They're getting healthy and playing better. Since their four-game losing streak in mid-November, the Penguins picked up wins in five of their next six games heading into Friday's tilt with the Islanders.
  
  
  
• 5. Devils (3) The Devils' lack of secondary scoring began to hurt them last week, as they lost three in a row before taking their last two. Behind Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, they aren't getting much offense. Jacques Lemaire has called out Nicklas Bergfors to step up, and Patrik Elias is finally starting to get back into shape.
  
• 6. Avalanche (4) They're still sitting near the top of the Western Conference, but the Avalanche are starting to slow down a bit after their hot start, losing six of the past eight games. Ryan O'Reilly is currently third in the rookie scoring race, trailing only John Tavares and James van Riemsdyk.
  
  
• 7. Flames (7) Miikka Kiprusoff really is an ironman in the crease, getting the start in 21 of Calgary's 24 games this season. Statistically, he's having his best season in three years.
  
• 8. Predators (20) Quietly, the Nashville Predators have ripped off wins in seven straight (and eight of their past nine) to climb into the top-six of the Western Conference standings. Since their 2-5-1 start, the Predators are 12-4.
  
• 9. Senators (15) He's no Dany Heatley, but Milan Michalek, acquired as part of this summer's blockbuster with San Jose, currently leads the Senators with 11 goals in 23 games.
  
  
• 10. Kings (11) Dustin Brown has hit a nine-game goal-less streak, while the Kings have dropped three of four heading into Friday since veteran forward Ryan Smyth went down with an upper body injury. Anze Kopitar has just one assist since Smyth has been out of the lineup.
  
• 11. Flyers (9) James Van Riemsdyk is off to a fantastic start for the Flyers, and has a strong chance to be the first player to ever be named rookie of the year in the franchise's existence.
  
  
• 12. Canucks (13) Since Roberto Luongo returned to the lineup, the Canucks have allowed just nine goals in five games (winning three). Henrik Sedin is also proving that he's just as dangerous on his own as he is with his twin brother at his side, scoring 26 points in 24 games to lead Vancouver in goals and points. I still think they're a much better team than their current record indicates.
  
  
• 13. Bruins (23) Marc Savard and Milan Lucic are back in the lineup, and they're starting to play like the team that finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference last year. Tuukka Rask has started five straight games between the pipes and been fantastic, stopping 131 of 141 shots (.929 save percentage).
  
  
• 14. Rangers (14) Marian Gaborik has taken over the league lead with 19 goals and, heading into Friday, was tied with Anze Kopitar and Joe Thornton for the lead with 33 points. They've still been an up-and-down team since their fast start out of the gate. They've won just six of their past 16.
  
• 15. Red Wings (10) More injuries for the Red Wings. This time it's defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who went down after a cheap shot from Montreal's Georges Laraque (who was suspended for five games). During their most recent five-game stretch (where they've lost four games) the Wings have scored just five goals.
  
• 16. Stars (16) Brad Richards is on pace for a career season in Big D, and is currently second in the league with 23 assists.
  
• 17. Blue Jackets (12) Which Blue Jackets are the real Blue Jackets? The team that won five of six two weeks ago? Or the team that just lost four in a row on its latest five-game road trip?
  
• 18. Sabres (8) The Sabres have hit their first slump of the season, dropping four straight. Ryan Miller is still playing lights out in the crease, but who is going to score the goals for this team?
  
• 19. Thrashers (17) Do you know which team was leading the league in goals per game heading into the weekend? Washington? Pittsburgh? Philadelphia? San Jose? Wrong. It's the Atlanta Thrashers, with an average of 3.43 goals.
  
• 20. Coyotes (19) The rough stretch continues, going 0-for-2 on the trip through Alberta. Shane Doan is leading the team in scoring with just 16 points in 25 games.
  
• 21. Canadiens (22) The "goaltender controversy" appears to be going away in Montreal as Carey Price has started 10 of the past 11 games, and played extremely well in just about all of them. They also won two games in regulation in the past week, which matches their total from the first 21 games of the season.
  
• 22. Islanders (18) After a steady rise up the rankings, the Islanders dropped three of their last four, including losses to St. Louis and Minnesota: teams that have struggled mightily in the early going. If you want to stay in the playoff race, those are the games you have to win.
  
• 23. Lightning (21) Where has Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier's goal-scoring gone? Just five in 22 games for each of them? On the plus side, Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone each have 15.
  
• 24. Panthers (25) Twice this season the Florida Panthers have taken 2-0 leads into the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with each game ending in a loss. Nathan Horton is starting to play better, tallying nine points in his past 10 games.
  
• 25. Blues (26) They've played better over the past week or so, but the standings in the NHL are so cluttered at this point it's tough to make much of a move unless you put together a huge winning streak (or a huge losing streak).
  
• 26. Blues (27) Through Thursday, Corey Perry had registered a point in 16 consecutive games, and has been held off the scoresheet just three times in 23 games this season.
  
• 27. Oilers (24) The Oilers have been ravaged by injuries this season, suffering the second-most man-games lost to injury. They're just 3-6-2 in the month of November.
  
• 28. Wild (28) Earlier this week Minnesota traded one disappointing youngster (Benoit Pouliot) for another disappointing youngster (Guillaume Latendresse). Deck chairs, meet Titanic.
  
• 29. Maple Leafs (30) Phil Kessel has played in just 11 games this season and is already tied for third on the team in goals scored (six). Toronto escapes the bottom spot thanks to wins in two of their three games in the past week.
  
• 30. Hurricanes (29) Good news: Eric Staal is back in the lineup for the Hurricanes. Bad news: They're still at the bottom of the NHL standings.
  

Streaking Blackhawks Reach the Top originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Capitals (Last Week: 4) Alex Ovechkin returned to the lineup on Tuesday night and helped lead the Capitals to a 4-2 win against the Rangers. The Caps continued winning in his absence, and have earned at least a point in 14 of their past 16 games. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 2. Sharks (1) The Sharks vacate the top spot after going 0-for-the-week, dropping games in Chicago and Nashville. Joe Thornton once again finds himself near the top of the league in assists (20), trailing only Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 3. Devils (2) New Jersey doesn't call up prospects until they're more than ready. You don't hear much about them and then, seemingly overnight, they get solid contributions from rookies like Niclas Bergfors and Matt Halischuk. The Devils are playing six rookies most nights and keep on winning. - Christopher Botta
  
• 4. Avalanche (3) The beat goes on. The Avalanche keep having lapses where it looks like they might be slipping -- becoming the bad team that everyone outside of their locker room thought they would be. Then Craig Anderson makes a huge save, someone throws a huge hit, or they get a(nother) timely goal. They keep winning, and people keep waiting for them to fail. Even if it happens, you have to give Joe Sacco and his staff credit for how they've gotten these guys to play. - Bruce Ciskie
  
  
  
• 5. Penguins (5) The Penguins received some help on the injury front when Sergei Gonchad and Max Talbot returned on Thursday, but they're still fielding what is, essentially, a minor league defense as long as Alex Goligoski, Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik and Jay McKee are out. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 6. Blackhawks (9) For the second time this season the Blackhawks had an offensive explosion against the Flames, scoring seven consecutive goals in Calgary on Thursday night. Rumors continue to fly about new contracts for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith, which leaves us asking who will be going to make room under the cap? - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 7. Flames (6) Rumors of a locker-room dispute between Dion Phaneuf and coach Brent Sutter aren't helping matters. Calgary is struggling to score consistently, as they just don't have a lot of depth up front. Unless Darryl Sutter can work some deadline magic, that isn't going to change anytime soon. - Bruce Ciskie
  
• 8. Sabres (7) Only two games this past week, including Ryan Miller's worst outing of the season in a 6-2 loss against Florida. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 9. Flyers (11) Philly has looked good lately and is in the middle of a crucial west coast swing against the other conference's best teams -- Colorado, San Jose and LA. - Kevin Schultz
  
• 10. Red Wings (10) They've rebounded nicely from a slow start and are quickly moving their way up the Western Conference standings. Henrik Zetterberg is starting to get hot with 10 points in his past four games - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 11. Kings (8) Losing Ryan Smyth is going to be costly for the Kings, as the veteran winger was having his best season in at least three years. Anze Kopitar still has a five-point lead in the scoring race. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 12. Blue Jackets (16) Columbus loaned super-prospect Nikita Filatov to the KHL, but are playing some strong hockey, winning six of eight. Rick Nash is a beast. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 13. Canucks (14) Give the Canucks credit. They lost a Sedin and Luongo, but somehow they were able to keep things together. Now, it's time for Luongo's annual "It's not October anymore" surge. The Canucks are way too leaky on defense, and if it doesn't get fixed, it will kill their playoff chances. - Bruce Ciskie
  
• 14. Rangers (12) Without Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury -- who wasn't scoring anyway -- the Rangers are reminiscent of the New York Knicks of old. The Knicks had Bernard King, the Rangers only have Marian Gaborik. Blueshirts better find solutions quick or they will sink like a stone. - Christopher Botta
  
• 15. Senators (18) They brawled with Toronto on Tuesday night, and emerged as 3-2 winners, and then dominated Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Mike Fisher had himself quite a week, scoring two goals to go with three assists. - Adam Gretz
  
• 16. Stars (15) Alternating wins and losses. The Stars have only won back-to-back games once this season, and only lost back-to-back games twice. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 17. Thrashers (21) They had won four in a row (before their shootout loss to Boston) after losing six of eight. Will the real Atlanta Thrashers please stand up? - Kevin Schultz
  
• 18. Islanders (23) Little-known fact: in Dwayne Roloson's 12 starts, the Islanders have earned points in 11. Led by unknown Matt Moulson and his well-known young friend John Tavares, the Islanders are winning behind timely goal scoring, sturdy goaltending and the re-emergence of mammoth defenseman Andy Sutton as a physical force. - Christopher Botta
  
• 19. Coyotes (13) I still want to believe in the Coyotes, but they've hit a rough stretch the past couple of weeks, dropping six of nine. Ilya Bryzgalov is still playing strong between the pipes. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 20. Predators (22) Pekka Rinne has won six of his past seven starts, while Nashville has won four in a row as a team. Offense is still a struggle as no player has more than five goals after 20 games - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 21. Lightning (17) Steven Stamkos is turning into a star. He's leading the team in goals and points, and his tally against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night was one of the best you'll see all season. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 22. Canadiens (19) Brian Gionta, eight goals in 19 games, is going to miss some time with a broken bone in his left foot. Of their 10 wins this season, only two of them have come in regulation. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 23. Bruins (20) The Bruins ended a three-game losing streak with a shootout win against Atlanta on Thursday, helping to salvage a week that included an improbable loss in Pittsburgh when they were 0.4 seconds away from a win. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 24. Oilers (24) So far, Pat Quinn has done nothing that Craig MacTavish couldn't, outside of getting Dustin Penner to be a beast again. The Oilers still aren't bringing a consistent effort, they don't have the strong defensive play they had on their Cup Finals run, and they don't have the look of a serious contender. That said, Quinn has done some good things with this team, and there's a lot of hockey left. - Bruce Ciskie
  
• 25. Panthers (27) They're starting to play better, but still find themselves near the bottom of the conference. Still waiting for Nathan Horton to turn it on in the goal-scoring department. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 26. Blues (25) Only two wins in their past nine games. Surprising stat? Defenseman Erik Johnson is leading the team in scoring with 13 points. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 27. Ducks (26) Scott Niedermayer helped the Ducks end a four-game losing streak with an overtime winner against Tampa Bay, and then watched as fans fought for his game-used stick. - Adam Gretz
  
  
• 28. Wild (28) Ouch. A Wednesday night loss to Phoenix seemed to frustrate head coach Todd Richards, who conducted an intense practice Thursday morning. Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that guys were breaking and throwing their sticks around. It's been a frustrating start for the Wild, who sit in 14th in the West. It doesn't get much better with news that Martin Havlat is dinged up, joining Petr Sykora, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Chuck Kobasew on an injured list that could probably beat the rest of the active roster. - Bruce Ciskie
  
• 29. Hurricanes (30) Epic losing streak over! Hopefully Manny Legace can keep this situation from getting uglier. - Kevin Schultz
  
• 30. Maple Leafs (29) Ugh. Back to the basement. After a brief two-game winning streak that saw them knock off Carolina and Detroit, the Leafs have since lost five in a row, including Thursday's highly entertaining loss to the 'Canes that saw them blow a 3-0 lead, as well as a 5-4 lead with 30 seconds to play. - Adam Gretz
  

Alex Ovechkin Returns to Lineup, Caps Return to No. 1 originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Sharks (Last Week: 3) San Jose takes over the top spot this week thanks to the best record in the league and wins in eight of its past 10 games. The most impressive showing of the week was their 5-0 dismantling of the Penguins on Saturday night.
  
  
• 2. Devils (9) The Devils remain perfect on the road (9-0) and make a huge jump in this weeks rankings. They've won seven in a row and 10 of 11. They haven't allowed more than two goals in a game during this current streak.
  
  
• 3. Avalanche (2) The Avs are still one of the best teams in the league, and the biggest surprise, but losses in four of their past six, including both games this past week, move them down one spot.
  
  
• 4. Capitals (6) No Ovechkin, no problem. The Capitals have put together a 3-1 record since their best player went down with an injury, and have scored 16 goals in the three wins. Granted, the wins came against the Islanders and Panthers (twice) but, hey, those guys get paid too. Even though he's missed four games, Ovechkin is still only seven points back for the league lead in points and is still tied for the league lead in goals.
  
  
  
• 5. Penguins (1) It's a testament to how dominant they were in October that the Penguins could lose four in a row and still have the fifth-most points in the league. No time to panic, though, as the following players who suited up and played key roles in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final are currently out: Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik, Tyler Kennedy, Max Talbot, Kris Letang. Ouch.
  
  
• 6. Flames (10) The Flames are starting to hit a little bit of a roll again, winning four in a row. Miikka Kiprusoff is starting to pick it up as well, allowing just two goals in his last three starts.
  
  
• 7. Sabres (3) When he's healthy and on the ice, Tim Connolly is a pretty productive player. He's showing it again this season, leading the Sabres with 15 points in 15 games.
  
  
• 8. Kings (5) Anze Kopitar has opened up a six-point lead in the scoring race and is currently on pace for 60 goals and 129 points. I don't expect him to keep up such a ridiculous pace, but he's been one of the top two or three forwards in the league through the first month-and-a-half.
  
  
• 9. Blackhawks (12) Jonathan Toews has returned to the lineup and is already making an impact with a goal and an assist in his first two games back. They still hold the top spot in the division, but have the Red Wings gaining ground fast. Speaking of which...
• 10. Red Wings (13) Things are starting to get back to normal for Detroit as it cracks the top 10 for the first time this season. The Wings have won four of five, including one of the most dominating performances by any team this season with a 9-1 win against Columbus on Wednesday. With nine goals in 17 games, Tomas Holmstrom looks like he could have a career year in the goal scoring department.
  
  
• 11. Flyers (14) The only thing they've been lacking the past two years is a goalie, and maybe, just maybe, they've found one. Ray Emery has been fantastic in his past five starts and has improved his season save percentage to point .924.
  
  
• 12. Rangers (8) As a team, the Rangers have slowed down considerably after their hot start. Individually, Marian Gaborik is as good as he's ever been, putting up 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 17 games. He's six points back of Kopitar for the top spot in the scoring race, and trails Kopitar and Ovechkin by just one goal for the league lead.
  
• 13. Coyotes (7) If you like offense, Coyotes games aren't for you. Phoenix is seventh in the league in terms of preventing goals (2.39 per game), and 23rd in terms of scoring goals (2.50 per game).
  
  
• 14. Canucks (11) Such a confusing team. After going on a run where they won seven of nine, the Canucks have now dropped three in a row, scoring just three goals in the process. Andrew Raycroft had a nice run prior to Roberto Luongo's concern, and then wet the proverbial bed against St. Louis by giving up four goals in eight minutes on Tuesday.
  
  
• 15. Stars (17) Marty Turco is on his way to bouncing back from a disappointing 2008-09 campaign, and is currently in the top 10 in both goals against average and save percentage.
  
  
• 16. Blue Jackets (15) Steve Mason seems to have regressed this season, but is it all his fault? I'm still a believer in the 21-year-old goalie, and the Blue Jackets as a team. They're still only two points back for the top spot in the Central Division.
  
  
• 17. Lightning (19) It's still all about Steven Stamkos this season as the second-year forward is leading the club with 13 goals and 19 points. Victor Hedman is still searching for his first NHL goal, but is more than holding his own defensively by averaging well over 23 minutes of ice-time per game. The future looks promising with those two guys solidifying the foundation.
  
  
• 18. Senators (16) In just 16 games, Mike Fisher is already over halfway to matching his goal output from a season ago.
  
  
• 19. Canadiens (18) Thursday's win against Phoenix was just Montreal's second win in regulation this season. Things are getting entertaining off the ice in regards to the "goaltending controversy" between Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak.
  
  
• 20. Bruins (22) One of the many teams around the NHL that's been decimated by injuries (Marc Savard, Milan Lucic, David Krejci for a short period of time) and it's taken a toll on their offense. On the plus side, Tim Thomas hasn't allowed a goal in regulation in two consecutive games.
  
  
• 21. Thrashers (21) They were able to tread water without Ilya Kovalchuk, posting a 3-3 record in his absence, and were rewarded with a three-point performance in his return on Thursday. Shocking stat: Nik Antropov still doesn't have a goal.
  
  
• 22. Predators (23) J.P. Dumont has only played in 10 of Nashville's 17 games, but he still leads the team in scoring with 11 points. Only Carolina has scored fewer goals than the Predators this season.
  
  
• 23. Islanders (24) They're still losing a lot of games in extra time, but at least they're getting points. The Islanders are just one point back of a potential playoff spot
  
  
• 24. Oilers (20) Only two wins in the past 10 for the Oilers, and even Dustin Penner has cooled off a bit with three points in six games.
  
  
• 25. Blues (25) After recording his first career hat trick against Vancouver, David Perron is now leading the team with seven goals. Not a bad run for a guy that started the season with zero points in his first seven games. Wins are still hard to come by for St. Louis, winning just one of its past seven.
  
  
• 26. Ducks (26) He only has one goal, but Ryan Getzlaf is still one of the best playmakers in the league averaging almost an assist per game.
  
  
• 27. Panthers (27) Tomas Vokoun has pitched a shutout in three of his past four starts, including Thursday's 40-save performance against the Boston Bruins. If the Panthers are going to get back in this thing they're going to need him to continue to be a wall in net.
  
  
• 28. Wild (28) This probably isn't what Minnesota had in mind when it signed Martin Havlat this past summer: two goals and six assists in 16 games.
  
  
• 29. Maple Leafs (29) Jonas Gustavsson has been one of the few bright spots in Toronto in an otherwise miserable season. "The Monster" has been the starting netminder in all three of the Maple Leafs wins, and has posted a .912 save percentage. Phil Kessel has averaged a point-per-game (two goals, two assists in four games) since making his debut.
  
  
• 30. Hurricanes (30) If it were possible to rank them lower than 30, I would. The Hurricanes enter the weekend with the losing streak at 13. Can this team turn it around?
  
  

Power Rankings: Sharks Claim Top Spot originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Penguins (Last Week: 2) The Penguins finally lost their first road game of the season on Thursday night when they dropped a 5-2 decision in Los Angeles. Even with the injuries and the struggling power play they're still tied for the most points in the NHL.
  
  
• 2. Avalanche (1) Maybe it's not completely fair based on what they've done so far this season, but I felt like I needed to knock the Avalanche down one spot this week because they lost two of their past three. The two losses were road games in San Jose and Vancouver.
  
  
• 3. Sharks (9) And here come the Sharks. After winning just three of their first seven games, San Jose has now won eight of its past 10 and had a six-game winning streak snapped in Detroit (in a shootout) on Thursday. Patrick Marleau is playing tremendous hockey with 22 points, good for third in the league.
  
  
• 4. Sabres (4) No team has allowed fewer goals than the Buffalo Sabres this season (24). Granted, they've also played fewer games than anybody else, but Ryan Miller is playing like an All-Star between the pipes.
  
  
  
• 5. Kings (5) Two words: Anze Kopitar. The 22-year-old center has taken over the league lead with 26 points, and was sensational in Los Angeles' 5-2 win against Pittsburgh on Thursday. He's going to become a household name this season (if he's not already).
  
  
• 6. Capitals (3) The Capitals got their first taste of life without Alex Ovechkin this week and lost, 3-2, in New Jersey. Washington has dropped three straight, with two coming by way of the shootout.
  
  
• 7. Coyotes (6) The Coyotes are still, statistically, one of the best defensive teams in the NHL this season, allowing just 2.19 goals per game (third best in the league).
  
  
• 8. Rangers (7) Even though he's missed two games due to injury, Marian Gaborik has been amazing for the Rangers with 12 goals and 21 points. If he stays healthy he has to be considered a lock for 40 goals this season.
  
  
• 9. Devils (10) The Devils are still perfect on the road, and after dropping their first two games of the season have won nine of 11 overall. Patrik Elias is getting closer to making his debut this year.
  
  
• 10. Flames (8) Still waiting for Olli Jokinen to get hot. Two goals and seven points in 14 games probably isn't what the Flames had in mind when they acquired him from Phoenix at last year's trade deadline. Even without him scoring, they're still fifth in the league with 3.43 goals per game.
  
  
• 11. Canucks (14) Hey, Andrew Raycroft, where has this been the past five years? Taking over for an injured Roberto Luongo, Raycroft has gone 3-1 and posted a .937 save percentage for the Canucks.
  
  
• 12. blackhawks (11) With Jonathan Toews on the shelf and Marian Hossa yet to make his debut, the Blackhawks haven't been what we expected offensively.
  
  
• 13. Red Wings (19) With wins in four of their past five games, the Red Wings are finally starting to climb the rankings. Chris Osgood has allowed just two goals in his past three starts ... all Detroit wins.
  
  
• 14. Flyers (18) James van Riemsdyk is tied with New York's Michael Del Zotto for the rookie lead in points with 13. No rookie has more assists than his 11. The Flyers have won their past two games in dominating fashion, outscoring Carolina and Tampa Bay by a combined score of 12-3.
  
  
• 15. Blue Jackets (16) Steve Mason is still struggling for Columbus, but Rick Nash is a dominant force with 10 goals and 21 points.
  
  
• 16. Senators (15) Jason Spezza finally has a goal, scoring his first of the season in Ottawa's 3-2 win against Tampa Bay this week. Jonathan Cheechoo is still looking for his first.
  
  
• 17. Stars (12) The Stars have been racking up the Bettman points this season, losing six games in overtime or a shootout. James Neal is picking up where he left off in his rookie season, already tallying nine goals for Dallas.
  
  
• 18. Canadiens (17) Most shocking stat of the season? The Montreal Canadiens have eight wins, and only one of them has come in regulation (a 5-1 win against the Islanders on October 22).
  
  
• 19. Lightning (22) I'll be honest, I didn't expect to see Steven Stamkos sitting here with 12 goals after 14 games and Vincent Lecavalier stuck on two, and getting demoted to third line duty for a game. I pictured just the opposite, actually.
  
  
• 20. Oilers (13) Edmonton started strong, winning six of its first nine games, but has done a complete 180 the past two weeks losing five of six. Dustin Penner is still playing well, leading the team in goals and points.
  
  
• 21. Thrashers (21) The Thrashers picked up road wins in Ottawa and Montreal over the past week, and Rich Peverley continues to impress with a team-best 16 points in 12 games. What a find by the Atlanta front office.
  
  
• 22. Bruins (20) Not only are they without Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, but now forward David Krejci is out with swine flu. As a result, the Bruins have scored just four goals in their past five games.
  
  
• 23. Predators (24) Scoring goals is still a struggle for the Predators, as they were shutout for the fourth time this season in Anaheim. Still, with wins in four of their past six, Nashville is showing signs of life. Shea Weber is one of only two defensemen this season (Ed Jovanovski being the other) to lead his team in goals.
  
  
• 24. Islanders (26) Had to move them up based their four-game winning streak that ended on Wednesday, combined with the fact that they're still playing competitive hockey. Matt Moulson is still tied for the team lead in points.
  
  
• 25. Blues (23) We tried to figure out what was wrong in St. Louis this week but the struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to the Flames on Thursday. The Blues offense has gone missing with just one goal in their past three games.
  
  
• 26. Ducks (25) Only two wins in their past eight games and only three wins on home ice overall. Corey Perry is one of the few bright spots on this team so far, leading the team with 10 goals and 18 points.
  
  
• 27. Panthers (28) Florida has finally managed to put some wins together, thanks in large part to back-to-back shutouts from Tomas Vokoun.
  
  
• 28. Wild (29) No disrespect to Eric Belanger intended, but when he's leading your team in scoring at any point in the season ... something's not right.
  
  
• 29. Maple Leafs (30) Finally! For the first time this season the Maple Leafs climb out of the basement. Unfortunately, it's not really because of anything they did (they've still only won one game, and have lost four straight in overtime - Bettman points!) but more of what the team behind them did ... or didn't do.
  
  
• 30. Hurricanes (27) What has happened to the team that was four wins from playing for the Stanley Cup just six months ago? Carolina closed out the week with its 10th straight loss, a 3-0 shutout at the hands of Tomas Vokoun and the Florida Panthers.
  
  

Power Rankings: Pens Back on Top originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Avalanche (Last Week: 2)
  Best. Record. In. Hockey. There's something I didn't think I could say about the Colorado Avalanche this season, but here we are. No team in the league has more points than the Avs at this point, so we'll give them the top spot while we still can. How long will it last? That's anybody's guess, but James Mirtle at From The Rink had an interesting post earlier this week about the dangers of small sample sizes and hot starts.
  
• 2. Penguins (1)
  The injuries are mounting for the Penguins. First it was Max Talbot, then Sergei Gonchar, Tyler Kennedy is still day-to-day, and now Evgeni Malkin is out for a couple of weeks with a shoulder strain. They're still finding ways to win games, however, and have back-to-back games with Columbus and Minnesota this weekend.
  
• 3. Capitals (4)
  The Capitals are rolling again, having won six in a row, and their next seven games include: two meetings with the Islanders, two with Florida, and one with Minnesota. That looks like an opportunity to keep racking up the points.
  
  
• 4. Sabres (8)
  The Sabres have played just nine games this season, but they've still only lost two games overall, and only one in regulation. Ryan Miller continues to be one of the top goalies in the league.
  
• 5. Kings (9)
  The Kings haven't lost a game in regulation since October 17, and have earned points in six straight games. Anze Kopitar continues to show he's one of the top players in the game, as he trails only Alex Ovechkin with 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 14 games.
  
• 6. Coyotes (6)
  The Coyotes are off to one of their best starts ever, and Ilya Bryzgalov has been fantastic in net. He picked up another shutout, his third of the season, on Thursday. The only goaltenders that have been better this season are Ryan Miller and Craig Anderson.
  
• 7. Rangers (3)
  New York has hit its first slump of the season, losing four of five, including a pair of losses to its long-time rivals from the Island and New Jersey. Even more bad news: Marian Gaborik had his first injury scare as a member of the Rangers.
  
• 8. Flames (5)
  What's happened to Olli Jokinen this year? Once a lock for 35 goals every season, last year's big trade deadline acquisition has just two through his first 11 games.
  
• 9. Sharks (16)
  The Sharks make the biggest jump this week thanks to wins in five of their past six, including a 4-2 east coast road trip.
  
• 10. Devils (14)
  Call them road warriors. The Devils, thanks to their 2-1 win in Boston on Thursday, are now 6-0 on the road to start the season. Martin Brodeur was 10 minutes from tying Terry Sawchuk's career shutout mark on Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
  
• 11. Blackhawks (11)
  Cristobal Huet is playing his best hockey of the season over his past three starts, while the 'Hawks continue to own the top spot in the Central Division.
  
• 12. Stars (17)
  Speaking of goalies playing well recently: Marty Turco has been outstanding over his past three starts, turning aside 84 of the 90 shots he's faced in wins over Anaheim, St. Louis and Toronto, helping the Stars put together consecutive wins for the first time this season.
  
• 13. Oilers (7)
  The Oilers take a bit of a fall thanks to three losses -- including two shutouts -- in the past week. Defense and goaltending has been a problem, but Dustin Penner's resurgence continues to be a huge story. He's currently third in the NHL's scoring race, trailing only Alex Ovechkin and Anze Kopitar.
  
• 14. Canucks (20)
  Even without his twin brother, Henrik Sedin is playing fantastic hockey for the Canucks with six goals and 10 assists. Roberto Luongo will be out of the lineup for about a week, which means Andrew Raycroft will have to step up in his absence over the next couple of games, much like he did in Thursday's 2-1 win over Los Angeles.
  
• 15. Senators (10)
  At 36, Daniel Alfredsson is still going strong in Ottawa. He has 15 points in 11 games, and has been held without a point just once all season. On the other hand, Jonathan Cheechoo, acquired in the Dany Heatley trade, has been dreadful with just two assists in 11 games.
  
• 16. Blue Jackets (12)
  Is it time to worry about Steve Mason yet? Well, no, no it's not, but the only goaltender that's been worse this season as far as goals against average and save percentage are concerned is Toronto's Vesa Toskala. Ouch.
  
• 17. Canadiens (22)
  Jaroslav Halak's four-game winning streak came to a dismal end when he surrendered four goals on 23 shots in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Carey Price returns to the lineup this weekend in Chicago.
  
• 18. Flyers (15)
  After a 3-0 start the Flyers have won just two of their next six. As expected, the goaltending has been mediocre at best, but rookie James vanRiemsdyk is averaging a point-per-game.
  
• 19. Red Wings (18)
  The Wings finally picked up a road win thanks to their come-from-behind effort in Vancouver, but the injuries and goaltending concerns are mounting. Valterri Filppula is the latest player to go down for Detroit, suffering a broken wrist. He's expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
  
• 20. Bruins(19)
  Still an up-and-down roller coaster of a season for a team that has yet to win back-to-back games (or lose back-to-back games). Patrice Bergeron already has four goals in 11 games for the Bruins. He scored 8 a season ago.
  
• 21. Thrashers (13)
  After a nice 4-1 start the Thrashers have now lost four straight games, along with their best player, Ilya Kovalchuk.
  
• 22. Lightning (21)
  Vincent Lecavalier finally scored his first goal of the season, while Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos keep filling the net. Malone already has eight goals in 10 games, while Stamkos has nine goals and 14 points. Just as a quick comparison, through his first 10 games a year ago, Stamkos had two goals and two assists.
  
• 23. Blues (24)
  We have a David Perron sighting! Perron opened the season with zero points in his first seven games, and has since racked up three goals and three points in the next six contests.
  
• 24. Predators (25)
  After a sluggish start, especially offensively, the Predators are finally starting to earn some wins and score some goals. Pekka Rinne picked up his first shutout against Chicago on Thursday.
  
• 25. Ducks (23)
  One of the most disappointing teams in the league so far? With just three wins in 10 games the Ducks find themselves at the bottom of the Pacific Division.
  
• 26. Islanders (28)
  Sure, they're racking up a lot of Bettman points by losing in overtime and shootouts, but you have to give the young Islanders some credit for at least being competitive. Matt Moulson continues to be a pleasant surprise, leading the team with six goals and 10 points.
  
• 27. Hurricanes (26)
  Carolina closes out the week riding a seven-game losing streak. The Hurricanes have scored more than three goals just once during their current streak.
  
• 28. Panthers (27)
  Still recovering from the European trip to open the season? Or a team that's simply not very good? No team has scored fewer goals than the Panthers' 22, while Steven Reinprecht is the team's leading scorer with just seven points.
  
• 29. Wild (29)
  Minnesota has logged quite a few miles on the road this season, playing eight of its first 11 games away from the Xcel Energy Center. The problem? The Wild are 0-8 in away games.
  
• 30. Maple Leafs (30)
  Well, they're no longer winless, but Toronto still finds itself at the bottom of the pile with a 1-7-2 mark. Jonas Gustavsson has returned to the lineup and made some highlight reel saves, and it's possible that Phil Kessel could be making his debut within the week. So they've got that going for them.
  

Power Rankings: Celebrating the Avs While We Still Can originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Penguins (Last Week: 2)
  The Penguins in the top spot is pretty much a no-brainer this week. Not only do the Pens have the best record in the league at 8-1, they've won six in a row and are coming off back-to-back dominant performances. The most recent win against St. Louis came with a price, however, as they lost Sergei Gonchar for over a month.
  
• 2. Avalanche (3)
  Colorado continues its improbable and unexpected start, losing just one game in regulation. Kyle Quincey, acquired in the Ryan Smyth trade this offseason, is currently tied for the team lead in points (eight) and is averaging over 25 minutes of ice-time per game. Kind of incredible this team is 6-1-1 and Paul Stastny hasn't started to score yet.
  
• 3. Rangers (1)
  The Rangers get knocked out of the top spot due to back-to-back losses at home. Michael Del Zotto is putting his name in the early-season Calder Trophy discussions with nine points (four goals, five assists) in 10 games.
  
  
• 4. Capitals (5)
  The Capitals are back on track after their three-game skid a couple of weeks ago, winning three in a row. They still managed to score five goals on Thursday against Atlanta without the services of Alexander Semin.
  
• 5. Flames (6)
  Flames games have been exciting to watch this season if you're a fan of high-scoring hockey. Calgary has scored the most goals per game and allowed the fourth-most goals per game. Rene Bourque is off to a great start with 11 points in eight games.
  
• 6. Coyotes (10)
  A fast start that seems to be sliding under the radar. Phoenix is now 6-2 and has allowed fewer goals (12) than any team in the league. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov is leading the league in both goals against average and save percentage.
  
• 7. Oilers (16)
  If Dustin Penner would have played like this three years ago nobody would have made any jokes about the contract Kevin Lowe signed him to. The 27-year-old winger has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in nine games, and is coming off a dominating performance against Columbus on Thursday, scoring two goals, adding three assists and recording 11 shots on goal. Where has this been hiding?
  
• 8. Sabres (9)
  Ryan Miller is playing some tremendous hockey in Buffalo, opening with a 5-0 record and a .942 save percentage to lead the Sabres to a 5-1-1 start.
  
• 9. Kings (12)
  Is this going to be the year Anze Kopitar puts himself on the map as one of the game's best players? Looks that way through the first four weeks of the season as the 22-year-old center already has 16 points in 10 games. He's on pace to set new career-highs in just about every category.
  
• 10. Senators (15)
  Five goals in the third period still wasn't enough to get Ottawa a win on Thursday, but Chris Phillips' last-second shorthanded goal at least earned the Sens a point.
  
• 11. Blackhawks (4)
  Do we have a goaltending controversy in Chicago? After his first four starts, Antti Niemi is outplaying Cristobal Huet, who is near the bottom of the league in just about every statistical category for goalies.
  
• 12. Blue Jackets (8)
  Steve Mason, the reigning Calder Trophy winner, is off to a slow start in net for the Jackets, but they're still finding a way to win games. I refuse to use the phrase "sophomore slump," and fully expect Mason to bounce back soon enough.
• 13. Thrashers (19)
  Poor Ondrej Pavelec. He's this year's Vesa Toskala thanks to the fluke bounces he encountered this week. Still, it's hard not to like what Atlanta has shown so far. Ilya Kovalchuk looks like he might challenge Alex Ovechkin for the Rocket Richard Award.
  
• 14. Devils (17)
  The Devils are starting to get on a roll, winning five of their last six and they still have Patrik Elias waiting in the wings. Martin Brodeur is closing in on yet another milestone as he's just one shutout behind Terry Sawchuk on the all-time list.
  
• 15. Flyers (7)
  Philadelphia has lost three of its past four after a 3-0 start. Ray Emery has started every game in goal for the Flyers and has been OK with a .900 save percentage. I still think this is what does-in an otherwise great team this year.
  
• 16. Sharks (18)
  Joe Thornton looks like he could challenge for 90 assists again this season. He's already done it twice in his career, and now that he's clicking with Dany Heatley, a two-time 50-goal scorer, that 90 mark isn't out of the question.
  
• 17. Stars (14)
  Inconsistent. Dallas has alternated wins and losses all season, and has yet to string together back-to-back wins.
  
• 18. Red Wings (11)
  Just three wins in eight games for the Wings, and they've watched third period leads turn into losses in each of the past two games, including an overtime loss in Phoenix on Thursday night. Some good news? Pavel Datsyuk returned to the lineup and tallied his first goal of the year. Still very early, they won't be here for long.
  
• 19. Bruins (21)
  Some bad injury news in Boston this week with Marc Savard and Milan Lucic set to miss some significant time. It's probably safe to assume at this point that Boston won't finish the No. 1 team in the East this season.
  
• 20. Canucks (23)
  The Canucks are slowly starting to get back on track. Willie Mitchell has the highlight of the week for his crushing (and clean!) hit on Jonathan Toews in Vancouver's 3-2 win. Roberto Luongo probably can't wait for October to end. Not his best month on the ice.
  
• 21. Lightning (24)
  Vincent Lecavalier still doesn't have a goal in Tampa Bay, but Steve Stamkos, Ryan Malone and Martin St. Louis are picking up the slack offensively. Mike Smith finally picked up his first win on Thursday against San Jose.
  
• 22. Canadiens (25)
  Two wins in a row helps, but here's a bad combination for the Canadiens: Carey Price is struggling, again, and the team isn't scoring much offensively.
  
• 23. Ducks (13)
  Another surprising slow start in the West, as the Ducks find themselves at the bottom of the Pacific Division. Only one goal in eight games for Ryan Getzlaf.
  
• 24. Blues (20)
  St. Louis took a big step forward with a 5-0 win in Anaheim, then followed it up with an absolute clunker of a game in Pittsburgh, losing 5-1. Europe hangover? The Blues have won just one game since Sweden.
  
• 25. Predators (27)
  The Predators finally had an offensive outburst, scoring six goals in an overtime win against the Senators. Still, the Preds remain the lowest scoring team in the league in terms of goals per game. Congratulations to Colin Wilson for his first NHL goal on Wednesday.
  
• 26. Hurricanes (22)
  Cam Ward is fantastic, but what about the rest of the team? Eric Staal is off to a slow start, and the 'Canes as a team are averaging just 2.13 goals-per-game. I don't care how good your goalie is, that's not enough offense.
  
• 27. Panthers (29)
  Another team that's struggling after opening the season in Europe. Scott Clemmensen had the shortest outing of his career against Buffalo, playing just two minutes before being pulled after giving up two goals on three shots.
  
• 28. Islanders (26)
  How good can John Tavares be? Look at it this way: in his first eight games he's helped Matt Moulson, a former ninth-round pick that's bounced around between Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and New York, score five goals and lead the team in scoring.
  
• 29. Wild (28)
  Does Minnesota miss Jacques Lemaire? Defensively, it might. The Wild are just 2-6 and have given up nine more goals than it did at the same time a year ago.
  
• 30. Maple Leafs (30)
  The good news for the Maple Leafs is they didn't lose in the past week. They also didn't play any games, but thanks to the Islanders' win against Carolina, Toronto is still the only team in the league searching for a win. The Leafs open a five-game road trip starting Saturday night in Vancouver.
  

Power Rankings: Pens Claim Top Spot originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Rangers (Last Week: 3)
  The Rangers are on a tear right now, winning six in a row entering the weekend. They haven't lost since the first game of the season (a 3-2 loss in Pittsburgh) and currently have the best goal-differential in the league. Even better? Marian Gaborik's groin is still in one piece and he's scoring goals (six, to be exact).
  
• 2. Penguins (5)
  After getting shut out at home by Phoenix, the Penguins haven't lost in four straight, sweeping a road trip through Philadelphia, Toronto, Ottawa and Carolina. Dating back to last season, and including the playoffs, Pittsburgh is 40-12-4 in its past 56 games (all under Dan Bylsma).
  
• 3. Avalanche (7)
  I'm not sure how long this is going to last for the Avalanche, but it's impossible to ignore what they've done over the first three weeks of the season, winning five of seven games. They travel to Detroit on Saturday, and while it may not have the excitement of the late '90s and early 2000s games, it's always fun when those two teams get together.
  
  
• 4. Blackhawks (16)
  We know this much about the Blackhawks: No deficit is too large to overcome. Chicago has won four in a row and is off to an impressive 5-1-1 start. Just wait until they get Marian Hossa in the lineup.
  
• 5. Capitals (4)
  The Capitals cooled off a bit after roaring out of the starting gate, losing four in a row (only two in regulation) but got back to their winning ways on Thursday against San Jose. Alex Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin still comprise the most dominant line in hockey.
  
• 6. Flames (1)
  Speaking of cooling off ... after opening the season with four straight wins, the Flames have lost three in a row including an historic collapse in Chicago, blowing a 5-0 lead.
  
• 7. Flyers (2)
  The Flyers lost their first game against cross-state rival Pittsburgh despite some bite from Scott Hartnell, and followed it up by blowing a 2-0 third period lead against Anaheim.
  
• 8. Blue Jackets (10)
  Great start for the folks in Columbus, as the Blue Jackets have opened the season winning four of their first five games. We know Rick Nash can score goals, but it appears he's improved his playmaking skills as well, already recording seven assists.
  
• 9. Sabres (17)
  The Sabres had quite a scare earlier this week when Thomas Vanek exited their win against Detroit with an upper body injury. Lindy Ruff initially said it could be "weeks," but that appears to have been a premature assessment. Buffalo remains unbeaten in regulation.
  
• 10. Coyotes (11)
  Not many people saw their overtime win against St. Louis on Thursday (the AP estimates 5,000 people were in the building) and it's kind of a shame, because the Coyotes look to be an improved team in the early going. They've only allowed nine goals in six games and have two shutouts.
  
• 11. Red Wings (15)
  The Wings have won three of four since returning from Sweden, including Thursday's 5-2 win over Los Angeles. They still don't look like the Red Wings we're used to seeing, but, once again, this is still a team to fear.
  
• 12. Kings (12)
  The Anze Kopitar-Ryan Smyth connection is clicking in Los Angeles, but as expected goaltending has been the one question mark with this club. They currently rank 25th in the league in save percentage.
  
• 13. Ducks (19)
  Jonas Hiller has picked up right where he left off in last year's playoffs, opening the season with a .936 save percentage.
  
• 14. Stars (23)
  The Stars closed out the week as one of two teams still unbeaten in regulation (Buffalo being the other) and are coming off a dominating 6-0 win in Nashville. Brad Richards is on fire with nine points in five games.
  
• 15. Senators (14)
  After no goals in his first five games, Milan Michalek has erupted with four goals in Ottawa's past two games, including a hat trick, the first of his career, in its 7-1 dismantling of Tampa Bay on Thursday.
  
• 16. Oilers (20)
  All three losses have been by one goal, including a pair of tough games against Calgary, and Nikolai Khabibulin's return to Chicago where the Blackhawks peppered him with 38 shots in a 4-3 win. Player I'm watching that could prove to be a nice, under-the-radar pickup: Gilbert Brule.
  
• 17. Devils (25)
  The Devils dropped their first two games of the season at home, and responded with a three-game sweep on a road trip through Florida and Washington, including a come-from-behind win against the Capitals.
  
• 18. Sharks (13)
  Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton haven't disappointed on the top line, but the Sharks have been an up-and-down team through the first three weeks.
  
• 19. Thrashers (6)
  Somehow, the Thrashers have played only three games in three weeks, so it's kind of impossible to know just what this team is going to be this season. I still like this team on paper and think it's one worth watching in the East.
  
• 20. Blues (9)
  Expectations should be high in St. Louis, and, after a 2-0 start, the Blues have struggled in their return to North American soil, dropping three in a row. With only one goal in four games, Patrik Berglund was a surprise healthy scratch against Los Angeles on Saturday.
  
• 21. Bruins (24)
  We're still waiting to see the team that finished No. 1 in the Eastern Conference a season ago. After Tim Thomas struggled in his first three starts, Tuukka Rask started Boston's past two games.
  
• 22. Hurricanes (28)
  Cam Ward's highlight reel save against Bill Guerin saved Carolina a point in the standings, but it still wasn't enough to get the Hurricanes a win against the defending champs.
  
• 23. Canucks (27)
  The Canucks received some bad injury news regarding Daniel Sedin, but they've at least found the "W" column, winning back-to-back games against Montreal and Dallas. Still my pick for the Stanley Cup.
  
• 24. Lightning (29)
  Vincent Lecavalier has no goals through six games, but Ryan Malone is off to a tremendous start in Tampa Bay with six goals. His line -- including Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis -- seems to be the only one really contributing so far.
  
• 25. Canadiens (18)
  I'm a fan of Jacques Martin's new seven-man strategy, though, I'm not sure if it's going to catch on around the league unless referees continue to look the other way.
  
• 26. Islanders (22)
  Even though they haven't won a game yet, the Islanders are at least competing, losing all four games by one goal, including three in overtime or a shootout. John Tavares has a team-high five points.
  
• 27. Predators (8)
  Jason Arnott has three goals. The rest of the team has ... four goals. Nashville is just 1-for-20 on the power play and has been outscored 20-6, including 16-2 during its current four-game losing streak. Yikes.
  
• 28. Wild (26)
  What's to blame for Minnesota's slow start? Our resident Wild expert, Bruce Ciskie, says not everything can attributed to a new coaching staff and a new system.
  
• 29. Panthers (21)
  Tomas Vokoun has been facing quite a bit of rubber so far this season, and the Panthers have lost four in a row since their come-from-behind win in the season opener.
  
• 30. Maple Leafs (30)
  No wins in six games, and things aren't getting any easier on Saturday when the white-hot New York Rangers visit the ACC. The last time the two teams met -- a 7-2 Rangers win at the Garden -- Ron Wilson cut his post-game presser short, and the Leafs followed it up with a 4-1 loss to Colorado that included a goal that sums up the entire season to this point in Toronto.
  

Power Rankings: Rangers on Top originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Flames
  The Flames are an early season favorite to contend for the Western Conference title, and they're off to a good start at 4-0, including a pair of wins against their rivals in Edmonton ... thanks in large part to Nikolai Khabibulin some last-second magic.
  
• 2. Flyers
  After a 3-0 start, the Flyers dropped a barnburner at home against Pittsburgh that ended with the type of insanity you'd expect in a Keystone State meeting: Chaos. Perhaps the best collection of forwards in the league from top-to-bottom.
  
• 3. Rangers
  After dropping their season opener in Pittsburgh when the Stanley Cup banner went up, the Rangers have won three in a row, including back-to-back road games in New Jersey and Washington.
  
  
• 4. Capitals
  The line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin is clearly the best in hockey right now, and if they stay together all season they all have a legitimate shot to reach the 100-point plateau.
  
• 5. Penguins
  The Penguins are 3-1, but they haven't looked overly impressive in any of the games so far with the exception of their most recent win against Philadelphia. Getting blanked at home against Phoenix and being taken to a shootout by the Islanders drops them a bit. Still, a win is a win is a win.
  
  
• 6. Thrashers
  Hey, after two games the Thrashers are still unbeaten and there might actually be some reasons for optimism in Atlanta. Hats off to Ilya Kovalchuk for scoring career goal No. 300 on Thursday. Seems like he's been around forever but he's still only 26 years old.
  
• 7. Avalanche
  Joe Sacco doesn't care about your preseason predictions, and the Avalanche, led by the stellar play of goaltender Craig Anderson, are one of the surprise teams in the opening weeks of the season.
  
• 8. Predators
  Great start for Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis, as the 29-year-old has turned aside 60 of 64 shots in net for the Predators.
  
• 9. Blues
  The Blues had an impressive start to the season in Stockholm, Sweden, rallying for back-to-back wins against the reigning Western Conference champion Red Wings. If this team avoids the injuries they encountered last year, they look like a dangerous club.
  
• 10. Blue Jackets
  They were the first team to really feel the power of the Joe Thornton-Dany Heatley combination on Thursday, but their wins against Minnesota, and their scoring outburst against Roberto Luongo to open the season are enough to help them debut in the top 10.
  
• 11. Coyotes
  Hard to imagine a better start for the Coyotes. Knock off a division rival, shutout the defending champs on the road, and, perhaps even better, sell out the home opener in Phoenix.
  
• 12. Kings
  Expectations are growing in Los Angeles, and while dropping the season opener to Phoenix hurt, the Kings have rebounded nicely with back-to-back wins against San Jose and Minnesota. They're also averaging an impressive five goals per game.
  
• 13. Sharks
  Here comes Dany Heatley... he now has four goals in his past two games, including a hat trick against Columbus, and his nine points have him in a four-way tie for the No. 2 spot in the league. They won't be this low for long.
  
• 14. Senators
  Goals have been somewhat hard to come by in the early going for the Senators (seven in three games), but Pascal Leclaire has been strong between the pipes, especially in Ottawa's two wins.
  
• 15. Red Wings
  Once again ... don't get used to seeing this team here. The Red Wings picked up their first win against Chicago on Thursday, but a rough start overseas against the Blues -- including two blown leads -- drops them in the rankings. Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard look like they'll keep the door open for questions about the goaltending for another year ... until April when Osgood once again flips the switch takes his game to another level.
  
• 16. Blackhawks
  After returning from their trip across the pond, and loss at Detroit on Thursday, the Blackhawks play eight of their next 10 games at home.
  
• 17. Sabres
  One of the many teams that's almost impossible to have a read on at this point, but after two games the Sabres have three of a possible four points. Thomas Vanek scored his first of the season on Thursday with less than four minutes to play to give Buffalo its first win of the season.
  
• 18. Canadiens
  Montreal has dropped two in a row, and after four games the Canadiens are tied for the second-worst goal-differential (minus-five) in the league, though, most of that can be attributed to their 7-1 loss at the hands of Vancouver.
  
• 19. Ducks
  Anaheim picked up its first win on Thursday with an impressive 6-1 win in Boston thanks to a pair of two-goal performances from Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne.
  
• 20. Oilers
  The Oilers are so close to being unbeaten, yet so far away. Nikolai Khabibulin is going to have nightmares about the Calgary Flames, as they've twice beaten him in the closing seconds, both resulting in losses for the Oil.
  
• 21. Panthers
  Florida returns to the ice on Friday after not playing since their trip to Finland, and they get quite a welcome back with three games in four nights. Bold prediction that I reserve the right to deny if it doesn't happen: David Booth comes close to 40 goals this season.
  
• 22. Islanders
  They have their franchise player, now can they get him a new home? John Tavares scored in his first NHL game against Pittsburgh and he has three points in two games. The Islanders have played hard early on, dropping a pair of overtime games to start the season.
  
• 23. Stars
  Like the Islanders, the Stars have come out on the losing end in shootouts to open the season. Unlike the Islanders, the Stars should be able to contend for a playoff spot when all is said and done.
  
• 24. Bruins
  It's been a tale of two teams when it comes to the Bruins so far. They've either been blown out at home, or blown out a team on the road. They've been outscored 10-2 at the Garden, and beat the Hurricanes 7-2 at Carolina. Still, this is a strong team, nothing to worry about here.
  
• 25. Devils
  The Devils were 0.2 seconds away from an 0-3 start. Travis Zajac's buzzer beater gave the Devils an opportunity to get in the "W" column on Thursday with a shootout win against Tampa Bay. Patrik Elias returning to the lineup will be quite a boost for this group.
  
• 26. Wild
  The good news: Minnesota's power play has been stellar in their first three games, going 6-for-13 with the man advantage. The bad news? Minnesota has scored just two goals at even-strength.
  
• 27. Canucks
  I picked the Canucks to win the Stanley Cup this season, and darn it, I'm sticking with it. But after four games their performance isn't quite what I expected, especially from franchise netminder Roberto Luongo, who was lifted after giving up four goals on 12 shots in third start of the season.
  
• 28. Hurricanes
  After a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, the Hurricanes have stumbled out of the gate, scoring just four goals in three games.
  
• 29. Lightning
  2008 No. 1 overall pick Steven Stamkos is off to a nice start with two goals and two assists for the Lightning. Unfortunately, outside of Martin St. Louis and Victor Hedman (three assists) nobody else in the lineup is producing much of anything.
  
• 30. Maple Leafs
  Vesa Toskala had a couple of rough starts to open the season, and while Jonas Gustavsson has looked impressive, he's currently on IR with a groin injury. Toronto will be a much-improved team this season, I think, and they won't be in the basement for long.
  

Power Rankings: Early Season Edition originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Sharks (Last Week: 4)
  The Sharks had an opportunity to clinch their first ever President's Trophy on Thursday night, but fell to Al Montoya and the Phoenix Coyotes. The Sharks are still looking like a lock to finish as the league's best team in the regular season, but will this be the year the Stanley Cup comes to San Jose?
  
• 2. Bruins (Last Week: 5)
  The Bruins enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they're playing some pretty strong hockey, having won six of their past seven games. The last time the Bruins finished as the top seed they fell to the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round. If the playoffs started this weekend, the Bruins would be playing the Canadiens in the first round.
  
• 3. Red Wings (Last Week: 1)
  For the fourth straight season, the Detroit Red Wings will finish the regular season with at least 50 wins. The Red Wings have four 30-goal scorers this season with Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen.
  
• 4. Capitals (Last Week: 4)
  The Capitals claim their second straight Southeast Division title and win 50 games for the first time since 1985-86. Alex Ovechkin is taking home another Rocket Richard award as the league's leading goal-scorer, but will he win the Hart Trophy as league MVP once again?
  
• 5. Devils (Last Week: 7)
  Despite playing, perhaps, their worst hockey of the season in recent weeks -- bad time to slump, guys -- the Devils clinched the Atlantic Division title on Thursday with a 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators. Possible first round matchup: a Pittsburgh team that dismantled New Jersey, 6-1, a week ago.
  
• 6. Blackhawks (Last Week: 13)
  The Blackhawks ended their six-year playoff drought, and set a franchise record for attendance in the process. Not only that, but Chicago is also looking like it will get home-ice advantage in the opening round. Welcome back, Chicago, we missed you.
  
• 7. Canucks (Last Week: 6)
  The Canucks are still fighting for the Northwest Division title, entering the weekend with a two-point advantage over the Calgary Flames, who have two games remaining with the Edmonton Oilers. Vancouver closes its regular season on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, the worst team in the Western Conference.
  
• 8. Flyers (Last Week: 9)
  The Flyers can still claim home-ice in the opening round, and face the possibility of a throw down with their cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch.
  
• 9. Hurricanes (Last Week: 8)
  Hottest team in the NHL. The Hurricanes had their nine-game winning streak snapped with a 5-1 loss to Buffalo on Thursday, but that doesn't change the fact there are few -- if any -- teams playing better hockey heading into the postseason. Earlier this week, they crushed the Islanders, 9-0, in the most one-sided game we've seen in the NHL this season.
  
• 10. Penguins (Last Week: 5)
  Another team hitting its stride at the right time, Pittsburgh can't finish any lower than sixth in the Eastern Conference and still has a shot at claiming the No. 4 seed. Evgeni Malkin holds a four-point lead over Washington's Alex Ovechkin with one game to play, as he looks to become the fourth different Penguin to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.
  
• 11. Flames (Last Week: 11)
  The Flames went from being Stanley Cup favorites in early March, thanks to their shopping spree at the deadline, to a team that can't string together consecutive wins heading into the playoffs. The Flames haven't won back-to-back games in over a month, and close out their regular season with a home-and-home series against the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers would love nothing more than to keep their long-time rivals from winning a division title.
  
• 12. Rangers (Last Week: 13)
  The Rangers clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. The only thing still to be determined is if their opening round opponent will be the Boston Bruins or the Washington Capitals.
  
• 13. Canadiens (Last Week: 15)
  We still don't know what happened with Mathieu Schneider's shoulder, but the bottom line is he's on the ice, and he scored a goal on Thursday as the Canadiens clinched a playoff spot in their 5-4 overtime loss in Boston. If they face Boston in the first round, it would be the third time the original six rivals have faced off in the opening round in the past seven years. The Canadiens won the previous two series.
  
• 14. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 10)
  Welcome to the playoff party, Columbus. The Blue Jackets clinched their first ever playoff berth on Wednesday by defeating Chicago, 4-3, in a shootout. It's been a long time coming, but fans in Columbus seem to be pumped about the idea of playoff hockey.
  
• 15. Panthers (Last Week: 17)
  Even with their 3-2 win on Thursday, the Panthers were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. It's likely that Jay Bouwmeester has played his last game as a member of the Panthers, as the 25-year-old defenseman is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
  
• 16. Ducks (Last Week: 14)
  With two games remaining in the regular season, the Ducks are in a three-way fight with Nashville and St. Louis for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. The good news for the Ducks, of course, is that their two remaining games are against the Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes, two teams out of the playoff picture.
  
• 17. Blues (Last Week: 18)
  If the Blues can sneak into the postseason, after being decimated by injuries all season, it will certainly be one of the most fascinating stories in the NHL this season. The Blues have two games remaining against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche.
  
• 18. Predators (Last Week: 16)
  The Predators are looking for their fifth straight trip to the postseason, and if they can get in, they're facing an opening round match up against either the San Jose Sharks or Detroit Red Wings.
  
• 19. Sabres (Last Week: 20)
  The injury to Ryan Miller in late February was too much for the Sabres to overcome, as the team went 4-9 with him out of the lineup. That stretch did enough damage to keep Buffalo out of the postseason for the second straight year.
  
• 20. Wild(Last Week: 19)
  The Wild enter play on Friday in playoff contention, at least in terms of the math. In terms of reality, it's probably not going to happen, as they need to win their final two games and get some help.
  
• 21. Oilers (Last Week: 21)
  The Oilers are going to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year -- and fourth time in the past five years -- but they can still deliver a damaging blow to the Calgary Flames with two games that could decide the Northwest Division crown. Will Craig MacTavish be the first coach to go this offseason?
  
• 22. Senators (Last Week: 25)
  Cory Clouston was rewarded with a two-year contract extension for the Senators midseason turnaround. Will the strong finish build some momentum heading into next season?
  
• 23. Stars (Last Week: 22)
  Two words: Mike. Ribero. What a goal.
  
• 24. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 23)
  What will Brian Burke do in his first offseason in charge of the Maple Leafs? Jay Bouwmeester? A reunion with the Sedins? Christian Hanson, recently signed by the team, scored his first NHL goal in Toronto's 4-1 over New Jersey on Tuesday.
  
• 25. Coyotes (Last Week: 26)
  The Coyotes entered this season with hopes for the playoffs, but for the sixth straight year they're going to be watching from home. Still plenty of young talent, and potential, in the desert. Al Montoya, former first-round pick of the New York Rangers, has been give a chance to play down the stretch and has won three of his four starts, while posting an impressive .925 save percentage.
  
• 26. Kings (Last Week: 27)
  Speaking of young talent and potential, could the Los Angeles Kings be next year's Chicago Blackhawks? Why not? A strong group of young forwards and a defense anchored Kyle Quincey and 19-year-old rookie Drew Doughty.
  
• 27. Thrashers (Last Week: 24)
  Aside from Ilya Kovalchuk scoring 40 goals again, the development of recent first-round picks Bryan Little (31 goals) and rookie defenseman Zach Bogosian (18 points in just 46 games) have to be considered positives for the Thrashers.
  
• 28. Avalanche (Last Week: 30)
  Colorado has lost 10 of its past 11 games, and closes out its regular season with a pair of games against the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues. What's it mean? A really, really bad finish in the mile high city.
  
• 29. Lightning (Last Week: 28)
  Tampa Bay has dropped eight straight down the stretch, and is headed toward another lottery pick this offseason. Speaking of lottery picks, Steven Stamkos looks like he's going to be a good one, as the 18-year-old rookie scored his 22nd goal of the season in Tampa's 4-2 loss to Washington on Thursday. Could the Lightning be in line to add a young, franchise defenseman from Sweden in the NHL draft? They could certainly use the help -- and stability -- on the blue line.
  
• 30. Islanders (Last Week: 29)
  The Islanders still have to win the draft lottery to earn the right to select Canadian phenom John Tavares, but after all the losing they've done this season, they certainly deserve to win something. The Islanders have lost four of their past five games, while being outscored 26-8.
  

Power Rankings: How They Might Finish originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Sharks (Last Week: 4)
  The Sharks currently occupy the top spot in the NHL with 113 points, looking to claim the first President's Trophy in franchise history. San Jose still has five games remaining on its schedule, while the final three are against Los Angeles, Phoenix and Colorado ... three of the worst teams in the Western Conference.
  
• 2. Bruins (Last Week: 5)
  The Bruins are all but locked into the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference and, after a brief slump in late February and early March, they've been back on track recently, winning five in a row.
  
• 3. Red Wings (Last Week: 1)
  Mike Babcock recently came out and said the defending Stanley Cup champions were not ready for the playoffs, while the team recently lost three in a row and four of five. Combine those two and it results in a slight drop for the Red Wings.
  
• 4. Capitals (Last Week: 4)
  Mike Green recently became just the eighth defenseman in NHL history to record 30 goals in a season, and the first since former Capital Kevin Hatcher did it back in 1992-93. With 70 points in just 63 games he's clearly the best offensive defenseman in the league right now.
  
• 5. Penguins (Last Week: 6)
  The Penguins continued their second-half surge with a 6-1 dismantling of New Jersey on Wednesday night. Earlier this season the concern around Pittsburgh was that the team lacked quality depth, especially at the forward positions. Those concerns have been quieted, as the Penguins now boast six 20-goal scorers.
  
• 6. Canucks (Last Week: 7)
  The Canucks recently took over the top spot in the Northwest Division, while they've been one of the best teams in the NHL since the All-Star break. Pierre Lebrun of ESPN.com writes about how Vancouver has gone from being a playoff dark horse to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
  
• 7. Devils (Last Week: 2)
  A six-game losing streak, capped off with a dismal showing in Pittsburgh, drops the Devils five spots in this week's rankings. Head coach Brent Sutter accepted the blame for the slump, saying "I'm putting the heat on myself to get us through this. And we will."
  
• 8. Hurricanes (Last Week: 9)
  The Hurricanes continue their white-hot play with a seven-game winning streak, setting up a monster contest on Saturday night against Pittsburgh.
  
• 9. Flyers (Last Week: 8)
  The Flyers are still fighting for home-ice in the first-round, currently in a three-way battle with Pittsburgh and Carolina. Philadelphia has dropped three of its past four, but still has a game in hand on both teams.
  
• 10. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 10)
  Everyone associated with the Blue Jackets is filled with excitement over the possibility of the franchise's first playoff berth. Well, almost everyone. Those following the Syracuse Crunch, the team's AHL affailiate, were slightly annoyed the team called up top prospect Nikita Filatov. Just as a reminder: you're the minor league team and you're there to serve the parent club. Nothing more, nothing less.
  
• 11. Flames (Last Week: 11)
  Such a confusing team. The Flames have been terrible since loading up at the trade deadline in early March, failing to win back-to-back games since March 3-5. Calgary is now in danger of losing the division title to Vancouver, while also facing the possibility of losing home-ice advantage in the first round.
  
• 12. Rangers (Last Week: 13)
  The Rangers had some problems with the officiating in their 4-3 loss in Pittsburgh this past Saturday, but their criticisms were largely unfounded. New York rebounded on Monday with an impressive 3-0 win over the slumping Devils.
  
• 13. Blackhawks (Last Week: 13)
  Chicago finds itself in the battle for the No. 4 spot in the West, as the Blackhawks have struggled since late February, going 7-12 over their past 19 games.
  
• 14. Ducks (Last Week: 16)
  The Ducks have been on fire since the middle of March, winning eight of their past nine games, including a 6-5 shootout win over Vancouver on Thursday. Rookie Bobby Ryan is second on the team with 28 goals despite playing in just 60 games.
  
• 15. Canadiens (Last Week: 15)
  The Canadiens continue to cling to that final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and just when it appears they're about to let go, they manage to string together a few wins to stay in the hunt.
  
• 16. Predators (Last Week: 14)
  The Predators had won three in a row, including wins over Detroit and San Jose, before dropping an important game in Columbus. Nashville is in the free-for-all at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture with a brutal schedule the rest of the way -- two games with Chicago, one with Columbus, and one with Detroit.
  
• 17. Panthers (Last Week: 19)
  The Panthers nearly buried themselves with a slump during the month of March, but have recently started to dig themselves out with a three-game winning streak. Three of Florida's final five games are at home, including Sunday's game with Pittsburgh.
  
• 18. Blues (Last Week: 20)
  St. Louis continues to beat the odds by hanging around in the playoff race. The Blues' recent home-and-home sweep of Columbus was helpful, but a 3-1 loss in Chicago on Wednesday proved to be costly, though the Blues quickly made up for it with an impressive 5-4 win in Detroit. Bad news: three of the Blues final four games are on the road. Good news: two of them are against Colorado and Phoenix.
  
• 19. Wild (Last Week: 18)
  Inconsistent. Minnesota is still looking for its first winning streak of any kind -- even two games -- since February.
  
• 20. Sabres(Last Week: 23)
  Ryan Miller is back in net for the Sabres, but is it going to be enough to sneak Buffalo into the postseason? It's still a long shot, even with Buffalo's recent three-game winning streak. Getting a point in Atlanta on Wednesday was big, but a win in that situation was a must for the Sabres.
  
• 21. Oilers (Last Week: 17)
  Losing six of their past seven has put a huge dent in the Oilers playoff hopes. Random fact: Edmonton's goal-differential of -16 is the worst of any team still in contention for a playoff spot (we're assuming Dallas is not in serious playoff contention at this point).
  
• 22. Stars (Last Week: 21)
  Dallas' recent seven-game losing streak was probably enough to end its postseason dreams. Still, you have to give a tip of the cap to the Stars for managing to stay in the hunt as long as they did, seeing as how this team was absolutely decimated by injuries this season, including Brenden Morrow, Sergei Zubov and Brad Richards. Difficult to overcome that.
  
• 23. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 24)
  The Maple Leafs may have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, but that's not stopping them from playing the role of spoiler. Toronto can play a large role in the outcome of the Eastern Conference playoff race with games against Philadelphia, Montreal and Buffalo.
  
• 24. Thrashers (Last Week: 25)
  Ilya Kovalchuk hit the 40-goal mark once again, while Atlanta has won four of its past five, including overtime wins against playoff hopefuls New York and Buffalo. Zach Bogosian, the Thrashers' 18-year-old first-round pick this season, is quickly developing into quite a player for Atlanta.
  
• 25. Senators (Last Week: 22)
  After winning nine of 10 games, the Senators have now dropped four of five. Still, the Senators should some dramatic improvement under interim head coach Cory Clouston, and perhaps set the tone for next season.
  
• 26. Coyotes (Last Week: 28)
  Remember Al Montoya, former first-round pick of the New York Rangers? Of course you do. He recently made his NHL debut and posted a shutout in the process, stopping 23 shots in a 3-0 win over Colorado. That's how you enter the NHL.
  
• 27. Kings (Last Week: 26)
  It's going to be another season without the playoffs in Los Angeles, but you have to think better days are ahead. Just way too much young talent on this team, including exciting rookie defenseman Drew Doughty. The 18-year-old rookie is leading all rookie defensemen with 25 points.
  
• 28. Lightning (Last Week: 27)
  The Lightning have lost four in a row while they've also learned Vincent Lecavalier is going to miss the remainder of the season due to wrist surgery. Are you looking forward to the inevitable offseason trade rumors involving the Tampa Bay captain and a certain team based in Montreal? Neither are we.
  
• 29. Islanders (Last Week: 29)
  What a player Kyle Okposo is turning into. Not only is he leading the Islanders with 18 goals, but he's also fifth in the NHL with 76 takeaways, while only being credited with 28 giveaways. The young Islanders picked up an impressive 2-0 win over Detroit a week ago, while Joey MacDonald stopped 42 shots in the win.
  
• 30. Avalanche (Last Week: 30)
  Avalanche beat writer Aaron Dater made mention this past week of a Phoenix Coyotes official suggesting Colorado is going in the tank, as the Avalanche have been outscored 25-11 during their current eight-game losing streak. They're either going in the tank or they're simply a bad hockey team. We're leaning toward bad hockey team.
  

Power Rankings: San Jose on Top originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Red Wings (Last Week: 2)
  Winners of six of their past seven, the Red Wings take over the top spot in power rankings as they continue their quest for yet another Presidents Trophy. Random fact: going back to the start of last year's playoffs, Johan Franzen has 44 goals in 79 games.
  
• 2. Devils (Last Week: 1)
  The Devils lose their claim at the top of the rankings due to a two-game losing skid this past week, while also losing three of their past four. Zach Parise is getting some mention as a possible Hart Trophy candidate with his 41 goals and 88 points. Can he overtake the dynamic Russian duo of Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin? Doubtful.
  
• 3. Sharks (Last Week: 4)
  San Jose heads into the weekend tied with the Red Wings for the top spot in the NHL with 107 points. Even with their 3-2 loss in Nashville on Thursday, the Sharks have still picked up a point in six of their past eight games. Captain Patrick Marleau is just three goals shy of his first career 40-goal season.
  
• 4. Capitals (Last Week: 3)
  Bruce Boudreau sounded off on reporters continuing to badger him about Alex Ovechkin's goal celebrations, and for good reason. Ovechkin is starting to be known more for his celebrations than he is for the goals that leads to the celebrations ... and it's not his fault. Washington has dropped three of its past five, including a shootout loss in Toronto.
  
• 5. Bruins (Last Week: 3)
  Boston hasn't played since its 4-1 win over New Jersey on Sunday. Will the week layoff hurt them, or will it give the Bruins an opportunity to regroup and get back on track? David Krejci has one goal in his past 16 games, while Marc Savard has two in his past 19. Boston, as a team, is slumping at the wrong time of the season.
  
• 6. Penguins (Last Week: 8)
  The Penguins are playing so well right now that people are willing to trade their wedding dress for tickets. Random oddity: Marc-Andre Fleury has recorded a shutout on the 25th of March in three straight seasons.
  
• 7. Canucks (Last Week: 7)
  The Canucks have won five of their past seven games and still have a legitimate shot at stealing home-ice advantage away from Chicago in the opening round of the playoffs. The two teams face off on Sunday night.
  
• 8. Flyers (Last Week: 8)
  The Flyers lost to Florida, 4-2, on Scott Hartnell Night. That's the hockey gods punishing the Flyers for giving an active player his own "night." Philadelphia helped solidify its spot as the No. 4 seed in the East with its 2-1 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
  
• 9. Hurricanes (Last Week: 12)
  Is it time to give the Hurricanes the label "the team nobody wants to play?" Perhaps. Carolina has won five in a row and picked up at least a point in 11 of its past 12 games, as the 'Canes have climbed all the way up to the No. 5 spot in the East.
  
• 10. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 10)
  An exciting time in Columbus, as the Blue Jackets continue to solidify their playoff status with points in four straight games. Steve Mason continues his Calder Trophy campaign with his league-leading 10th shutout of the season against Calgary. No other goalie has more than seven shutouts.
  
• 11. Flames (Last Week: 8)
  The Flames continue to be a rollercoaster of emotions for their fans, failing to win consecutive games since March 3-5. Calgary closed out its week getting shut out in back-to-back nights with a 2-0 loss in Pittsburgh and a 5-0 drubbing in Columbus.
  
• 12. Blackhawks (Last Week: 11)
  Chicago continues to maintain a slight edge for home-ice advantage in the first round, but its play in recent weeks have been somewhat of a concern. The Blackhawks have won two in a row, which comes after they dropped six of their previous seven.
  
• 13. Rangers (Last Week: 14)
  Blowing a 4-1 lead against Atlanta was somewhat embarrassing, and led to the backup goalie calling the team out for not having any "killer instinct." Nik Antropov has proven to be a strong pickup, as the massive forward has registered nine points in 11 games with the Rangers.
  
• 14. Predators (Last Week: 15)
  The Predators racked up the Bettman points this past week, losing three games in overtime before picking up a gigantic 3-2 win against San Jose on Thursday. Pekka Rinne is going to give Columbus' Steve Mason a run for his money in the Calder voting, as he currently has seven shutouts and boasts a .922 save percentage.
  
• 15. Canadiens (Last Week: 16)
  There have been some moments of panic in Montreal the past week, while the Canadiens almost sent the city into a state of chaos when it blew a 2-0 lead against Tampa Bay on Thursday. Fortunately Saku Koivu scored the game-winner in overtime to salvage the week. Montreal still holds a two-point lead over Florida for the final playoff spot in the East, with an important game in hand.
  
• 16. Ducks (Last Week: 21)
  The Ducks continue their meteoric rise up the standings with a five-game winning streak, including a 7-2 thrashing of Colorado earlier this week. Anaheim has two games with Edmonton in the coming week, which could go a long way toward determining the playoff fate of each franchise.
  
• 17. Oilers (Last Week: 14)
  Edmonton's dropped three straight games, including a 3-2 loss in Phoenix on Thursday night. If the Oilers want to make the playoffs, their games with Anaheim on Friday and Tuesday are essentially must-win games.
  
• 18. Wild (Last Week: 18)
  Minnesota remains a model of inconsistency, as the Wild haven't pieced together consecutive wins since late February, while winning only five games in the month of March. Marian Gaborik is back on the ice and adding some offense, while Cal Clutterbuck is setting records for smashing people into the glass.
  
• 19. Panthers (Last Week: 17)
  Keeping defenseman Jay Bouwmeester at the trade deadline was supposed to help propel the Panthers to their first trip to the playoffs in nearly a decade. Instead, Florida has been mired in a terrible slump, losing eight of its 11 games since the deadline. On the plus side, Panthers games now feature more nudity than any other team in the league.
  
• 20. Blues (Last Week: 22)
  With three straight wins, including a 4-2 win over Vancouver on Thursday night, the Blues are not going away quietly as they continue their playoff push. Chris Mason has been fantastic in net, as St. Louis continues to ride him until the wheels fall off. He's appeared in every Blues game going all the way back to January 17.
  
• 21. Stars (Last Week: 19)
  While Dallas ownership has vowed to make sure its future players aren't crazy, its current players have to be driving the Stars fan-base up the wall with a season of maddening inconsistency. In their defense, the Stars have been ravaged by injury this season while they continue to remain in the playoff hunt, though just barely. Five consecutive losses might be too much for Dallas to overcome.
  
• 22. Senators (Last Week: 23)
  The Senators gave their fans some excitement with a five-game winning streak, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive on a day-to-day basis, but Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Carolina was probably the knockout punch to Ottawa's season.
  
• 23. Sabres (Last Week: 20)
  Buffalo picked up a much-needed win against Florida on Wednesday night to stay alive, and Ryan Miller is expected back in net on Friday night. Probably a case of too little, too late, as the Sabres find themselves seven points back of Montreal. The two teams play on Saturday, while Buffalo has a difficult schedule the rest of the way, featuring games with New Jersey, Detroit, Boston, Washington and Carolina. The playoffs are still possible, but some large hurdles remain.
  
• 24. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 24)
  Curtis Joseph, coming off the bench following Martin Gerber's tantrum on Tuesday night, played like it was the year 2000 in Toronto's 3-2 shootout win over Washington, earning first star honors for his eight minutes of action. Gerber was issued a three-game suspension for his on-ice meltdown. The Leafs can continue to play their role of spoiler with two games remaining against Buffalo, and one with their long-time rivals in Montreal.
  
• 25. Thrashers (Last Week: 26)
  Atlanta showed a lot of heart coming back from a 4-1 deficit against the Rangers on Thursday to pick up a 5-4 shootout win. Rich Peverley has cooled off in recent weeks, but still has 28 points in 32 games since being claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators.
  
• 26. Kings (Last Week: 23)
  The Kings earned a 1-0 shootout win against Dallas on Thursday to snap a three-game losing streak. It's looking like Los Angeles will miss the playoffs yet again, but with an impressive young core of talent the future is still looking bright.
  
• 27. Lightning (Last Week: 29)
  First overall pick Steven Stamkos continues to show improvement, registering 13 points in 12 games during the month of March. Meanwhile, Vincent Lecavalier has slumped, scoring just four goals in his past 19 games.
  
• 28. Coyotes (Last Week: 30)
  Phoenix climbs out of the cellar thanks to wins over Vancouver and Edmonton. The Coyotes blasted the Canucks, 5-1, and then helped play spoiler with a 3-2 win over the Oilers on Thursday.
  
• 29. Islanders (Last Week: 28)
  After showing some improvement in recent weeks, the Islanders drop down a spot thanks to losses in four of their past five games, including a three-game losing streak where they've been outscored by a 16-8 margin.
  
• 30. Avalanche (Last Week: 27)
  Colorado had to make two different goaltender changes in its 7-2 loss to Anaheim, while it's the second time in a week the Avalanche have been blown out on home ice. Andrew Raycroft had a rather forgetable performance in Wednesday's game, giving up four goals on just eight shots in his one period of work.
  

Power Rankings: Red Wings Back on Top originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Devils (Last Week: 1)
  The Devils have had the best record in the NHL during the second half of the season, and they continued their torrid pace this past week by winning two of three. It was a rather historic week for the Devils, as goaltender Martin Brodeur set a new standard for goalies, while Patrick Elias became the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
  
• 2. Red Wings (Last Week: 2)
  The Wings stay at the No. 2 spot and were a toss-up for top billing in the power rankings. The Wings went 3-0 the past week, becoming the first team in NHL history to hit the 100-point mark in nine consecutive seasons.
• 3. Capitals (Last Week: 4)
  Despite some concerns about their recent play, the Capitals had a strong week, winning three of four games. The only setback was a dismal performance in Atlanta, as Jose Theodore was chased after giving up four goals on just 19 shots. Alex Ovechkin highlighted the week by scoring his 50th goal of the season in Thursday's win over Tampa Bay.
  
• 4. Sharks (Last Week: 5)
  San Jose moves up a spot by winning three of its four games this week, including Thursday's 3-2 shootout win over Nashville. The Sharks still have a legitimate shot to earn the No. 1 seed in the West, ending the week just one point behind Detroit.
  
• 5. Bruins (Last Week: 3)
  The Bruins hit the 100-point mark for the first time since the lockout, but they're clearly not playing the type of hockey they were earlier this season. After sneaking past the Islanders this past Saturday, Boston dropped two in a row to Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. Marc Savard tried to get under Sidney Crosby's skin on Sunday, only to have it backfire.
  
• 6. Penguins (Last Week: 8)
  Pittsburgh continues its rise up the rankings under Dan Bylsma, jumping up two spots thanks to wins over Boston and Atlanta. Evgeni Malkin is running away with the scoring race, earning his 100th point in a five-point performance against the Thrashers on Tuesday.
  
• 7. Canucks (Last Week: 14)
  Perhaps the hottest team in the NHL right now, the Canucks jump seven spots in this week's rankings. Vancouver has won three in a row and 15 of its past 19, as it currently holds the No. 4 spot in the West. The Canucks trail Calgary by just three points in the Northwest Division, while they have a somewhat favorable schedule remaining, including one game with the Flames. A division title is not out of reach.
  
• 8. Flames (Last Week: 6)
  Suddenly the Flames have Vancouver breathing down their necks, as Calgary has not won back-to-backs in over two weeks. The Flames earned a 2-1 win over Dallas this past week, but gave up an incredible eight goals in a loss to Toronto.
  
• 9. Flyers (Last Week: 7)
  Philadelphia dropped both of its games this week, including a 3-2 decision in Detroit that came apart in the third period. Busy schedule this week, as the Flyers have six games in 10 days including road games in Buffalo and Pittsburgh this weekend.
  
• 10. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 11)
  Columbus continues to look like a legitimate playoff team, losing only one game over the past two weeks. Antoine Vermette has been a tremendous pickup, having scored four goals, including the game-winner in the Blue Jackets 4-3 win over Chicago on Wednesday.
  
• 11. Blackhawks (Last Week: 9)
  Not only have the Blackhawks lost four in a row, they've also lost their claim on home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, dropping to the No. 5 spot in the West. Fortunately, there's still another month before the playoffs begin, and time for Chicago to turn things around.
  
• 12. Hurricanes (Last Week: 10)
  Carolina appears as if its prepared to ride Cam Ward until the wheels come off, as the 25-year-old netminder has appeared in 36 of the past 37 games. The Hurricanes have a huge game on Monday when they travel to Florida.
  
• 13. Rangers (Last Week: 13)
  Sean Avery seems to be motivated to be back in New York, getting his first two-goal game with the Rangers in a 4-1 win over the Flyers this past Sunday. He has four goals in seven games. Nik Antropov also seems to be fitting in, scoring four goals and adding two assists in his first seven games with the Rangers.
  
• 14. Oilers (Last Week: 16)
  The Oilers have picked up a point in five consecutive games, and earned back-to-back wins over St. Louis and Colorado on Tuesday and Thursday. The win over the Blues was big due to its possible playoff implications, while Thursday's win over Colorado was an 8-1 dismantling to close out the week.
  
• 15. Predators (Last Week: 20)
  Nashville finished its West Coast road trip with a shootout loss in San Jose. The Predators gained six of a possible eight points on their four-game swing.
  
• 16. Canadiens (Last Week: 12)
  The Canadiens' disappointing season continues with a four-game losing streak, as they now find themselves tied for the No. 8 spot, only one point ahead of ninth-seeded Florida.
  
• 17. Panthers (Last Week: 15)
  The Panthers snapped their four-game winless streak with a 3-1 victory against Toronto on Thursday, while Tomas Vokoun stood on his head, making 37 saves. Florida is just one point out of a potential playoff spot with a huge game against Carolina coming up on Monday.
  
• 18. Wild (Last Week: 17)
  The bad news is Minnesota has lost four of its past five. The good news is three of those losses came in overtime or a shootout, so the Wild still have a couple of Bettman points to show for their struggles. They enter the weekend as part of a three-way tie with Dallas and Anaheim for the No. 9 spot.
  
• 19. Stars (Last Week: 18)
  The Stars' Jekyll and Hyde season continues with a pair of losses in Vancouver and Calgary. On the plus side, at least Loui Eriksson has put together a strong season in Dallas.
  
• 20. Sabres (Last Week: 19)
  The Sabres haven't done themselves any favors, losing four of their past five. Buffalo is just 3-5-2 since Ryan Miller went down with his ankle injury.
  
• 21. Ducks (Last Week: 22)
  Anaheim keeps pace out West, winning three of four. The Ducks are three points behind the Predators, with a game in hand and a trip to Nashville still on the horizon.
  
• 22. Blues (Last Week: 21)
  For a while, it was looking like the Blues were putting themselves in a position to qualify for the playoffs. Their current West Coast road trip has proven to be troublesome, as they've dropped the first two games in Edmonton and Vancouver.
  
• 23. Senators (Last Week: 25)
  The Senators helped continue Montreal's misery on Thursday with a 5-4 win, as Ottawa has now won seven of its past eight games. After getting busted with an illegal stick against Toronto, Jason Spezza has gone on a tear, registering nine points in the following five games.
  
• 24. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 24)
  We have a Jeff Hamilton sighting in Toronto. Since being signed by Toronto on March 5, the veteran forward has chipped in two goals and two assists in eight games. Meanwhile, Jason Blake and Mikhail Grabovski had another "incident" in practice.
  
• 25. Thrashers (Last Week: 26)
  Despite not having Ilya Kovalchuk, the Thrashers still went on a franchise-record six-game winning streak, highlighted by a 5-1 win over division rival Washington.
  
• 26. Kings (Last Week: 23)
  The Kings' playoff hopes are slowly slipping away, as they now find themselves seven points back with four teams sitting between them. With only 12 games remaining, that's asking a lot. On the plus side, five of their remaining games are against teams directly ahead of them in the standings.
  
• 27. Avalanche (Last Week: 27)
  Avalanche beat writer Aaron Dater recently suggested -- perhaps jokingly, perhaps not -- the team needs to do whatever it can to lose as many games as possible the remainder of the season. Why? To get the No. 1 pick -- or a chance at the No. 1 pick. While a team of professional athletes, many of who are playing for jobs next season, would never take part in such shenanigans, Thursday's 8-1 dismantling at the hands of Edmonton was about as ugly a performance a team can put on.
  
• 28. Islanders (Last Week: 29)
  The Islanders continue to show some improvement, hanging with the Bruins on Saturday and then beating Chicago on Sunday. They still occupy the NHL's basement in the standings, but they get rewarded in the power rankings for not tanking on the season. Twenty-five-year-old rookie Peter Mannino made his first career start against the Blackhawks, making 40 saves to earn the win.
  
• 29. Lightning (Last Week: 30)
  After a disappointing start to his career, which made him a frequent target of former head coach Barry Melrose, Steven Stamkos has been one of Tampa Bay's best players the past couple of weeks, averaging nearly a point per game since the start of February.
  
• 30. Coyotes (Last Week: 28)
  When this season began, the Coyotes looked like a potential playoff team, especially with the addition of Olli Jokinen. Hasn't gone to plan, as Jokinen is now playing in Calgary and the Coyotes have won only five of their past 23 games. Still plenty of young talent on this team, but it obviously needs a little more time to put up some wins.

Power Rankings: Devils Stay on Top originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Devils (Last Week's Ranking: 2)
  The Devils suffered a rather humiliating defeat at home to the Islanders on Saturday, but they rebounded with back-to-back wins over Calgary and Phoenix. With Martin Brodeur back in the lineup this team could be a force in the Eastern Conference
• 2. Red Wings (Last Week: 1)
  The Red Wings fall from the top spot after getting blown out, 8-2, by Columbus on Saturday, and then blowing a 4-2 lead against Calgary on Thursday. Despite their struggles this week and the question mark in goal, the Red Wings still hold the No. 1 seed out West.
• 3. Bruins (Last Week: 6)
  After their worst stretch of the season, the Bruins showed some signs of returning to the form they've shown most of the year, picking up wins against the Blackhawks and Senators. They're still sitting comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference.
  
• 4. Capitals (Last Week: 5)
  Washington finally snapped its four-game losing streak with a 2-1 win in Nashville on Tuesday night. The Capitals managed to pick up five of a possible six points this week, moving up one spot in the rankings.
  
• 5. Sharks (Last Week: 3)
  San Jose has been mired in a slump, losing six of its past eight games, including two of three this past week. The Sharks salvaged something this week by picking up a 5-4 win in Minnesota, sandwiched between losses to Vancouver and St. Louis.
  
• 6. Flames (Last Week: 4)
  Calgary suffered a three-game losing streak to open the week, including a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Carolina, followed by a surprising 5-2 loss in Atlanta. The Flames ended the week on a high note with an impressive come-from-behind win in Detroit.
  
• 7. Flyers (Last Week: 7)
  The Flyers hold steady at the No. 7 spot thanks to impressive wins over Nashville and Buffalo. Philadelphia hosts the Rangers on Saturday before starting a four-game road trip against the Rangers, Red Wings, Sabres, and Penguins.
  
• 8. Penguins (Last Week: 12)
  The Penguins continue to climb the rankings as they play their best hockey of the season under interim head coach Dan Bylsma. With their new aggressive play in the offensive zone, the Penguins have managed to overcome third period deficits of two and three goals to keep pace in the highly competitive Eastern Conference.
  
• 9. Blackhawks (Last Week: 8)
  Chicago drops a spot by losing two of three this week. Losing to Boston is forgivable, getting blown out by a struggling Avalanche team is tough to swallow. The Blackhawks have a six-point edge over Vancouver for the final home ice spot in the opening round.
  
• 10. Hurricanes (Last Week: 17)
  The Hurricanes make a huge jump in the standings thanks to an impressive hot streak that saw them light the lamp with a machine-like efficiency. Carolina has gained points in five of its past six games, and its recent run was highlighted by a nine-goal outburst in Tampa Bay this past Saturday.
  
• 11. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 16)
  Love this Blue Jackets team. They've won three in a row over Detroit, Boston and Pittsburgh, which is as impressive as it gets as Columbus looks to clinch its first ever playoff berth. Steve Mason continues to play like a veteran, while Rick Nash picked up his second hat trick of the season in Detroit. He became the first player in over 60 years to pick up an entirely unassisted hat trick.
  
• 12. Canadiens (Last Week: 10)
  Guy Carbonneau paid the price for Montreal's disappointing season, while the Canadiens are 1-1 under interim coach Bob Gainey. Some people are having trouble pointing the finger at the coach, as the Canadiens are no longer a lock to qualify for the postseason.
  
• 13. Rangers (Last Week: 13)
  The Rangers win three of four this week, with their only loss coming with Henrik Lundqvist out of the lineup. Sean Avery netted his first goal as a Ranger in their 4-2 win over Nashville on Thursday. Despite their strong play this past week, the Rangers briefly found themselves outside of the top eight in the East.
  
• 14. Canucks (Last Week: 9)
  Vancouver takes a bit of a tumble in the rankings thanks to back-to-back losses to Anaheim and Los Angeles, teams the Canucks are in direct competition with for playoff spots. They're still holding steady in the top six, but it's a tight race and wins against your division rivals are a must at this point.
  
• 15. Panthers (Last Week: 11)
  Florida ends the week on a down note with two straight losses on the road, including a 4-3 come-from-ahead loss in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The Panthers held a 3-1 lead heading into the third period, before getting dominated by a relentless Pittsburgh forecheck. Tomas Vokoun managed to steal a point for them and get the game to overtime, but if they miss playoffs, losses like this will sting.
  
• 16. Oilers (Last Week: 20)
  The bad news is the Oilers dropped a pair of games this past week. The good news is they did so in overtime so they at least picked up a pair of "Bettman points" to keep pace out West. Dustin Penner is in the doghouse once again, but Patrick O'Sullivan managed to pick up his first goal as a member of the Oilers.
  
• 17. Wild (Last Week: 19)
  Minnesota picks up four of six points this week to move within one point of the top eight. Marian Gaborik hopes to be back by the end of the month, which should give the Wild a boost ... as long as he's on the ice, that is.
  
• 18. Stars (Last Week: 18)
  It's been an up-and-down season for the Stars, as they had a strong second-half resurgence after a dismal start. They've slowed down the past two weeks, but still hold the No. 8 spot in the West.
  
• 19. Sabres (Last Week: 18)
  Patrick Lalime has held down the fort in net for Buffalo in the absence of Ryan Miller, while the Sabres continue to fight for a playoff spot. After dropping games in Ottawa and Philadelphia, Buffalo managed to score a big 3-1 win against Florida on Thursday.
  
• 20. Predators (Last Week: 15)
  After dropping three in a row this past week, Nashville gets ready to leave on a four-game road trip that could make or break its season. The Predators travel to Phoenix, Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose this week, as they enter play on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture.
  
• 21. Blues (Last Week: 23)
  Despite being decimated by injuries all season, the St. Louis Blues are still right in the thick of the playoff race, just two points back of the No. 8 spot. The Blues certainly helped their cause this past week with a pair of wins, while they've won six of their past eight. Where would this team be with Erik Johnson, Paul Kariya, Eric Brewer and Andy McDonald all season? Great young team.
  
• 22. Ducks (Last Week: 21)
  The Ducks held onto their assets at the trade deadline in an effort to make the playoffs, but they've lost two of three since, as four teams separate them from the eighth and final playoff spot.
  
• 23. Kings (Last Week: 24)
  The Kings still have playoff hopes thanks to their current three-game winning streak, but it's going to be a tall mountain to climb as they need to leap over five teams to crack the top eight. Despite that, they're still only five points back of Dallas.
  
• 24. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 22)
  The Leafs have scored only 10 goals in six games during the month of March, losing four. Toronto has been using the two-headed monster of Martin Gerber and Curtis Joseph in net, while 12 of their final 13 games are against playoff teams or teams fighting for playoff spots. There is still some time for them to get into the John Tavares/Victor Hedman race.
  
• 25. Senators (Last Week: 25)
  Ottawa holds steady in the No. 25 spot after a four-game winning streak, including a 2-1 win over rival Toronto that was almost ruined by Jason Spezza's illegal stick, even if they aren't exactly sure of the rule.
  
• 26. Thrashers (Last Week: 28)
  Atlanta ownership came out this past week and claimed it was committed to keeping star forward Ilya Kovalchuk. That's certainly good news for Thrashers fans, as if the fact they haven't quit on the season, winning four in a row, including two shutouts from goaltender Kari Lehtonen.
  
• 27. Avalanche (Last Week: 27)
  Colorado snapped a six-game losing streak with an impressive 5-1 win in Chicago on Sunday, and managed to pick up a 2-1 shootout win in Minnesota on Thursday. Unfortunately, those are the Avalanche's only two wins over their past seven games, as they occupy the basement of the Western Conference.
  
• 28. Coyotes (Last Week: 26)
  Scottie Upshall has been a solid pickup for the Coyotes, scoring three goals in five games since going to Phoenix in the Daniel Carcillo trade. Unfortunately, his new teammates aren't offering much assistance as Phoenix has dropped four in a row.
  
• 29. Islanders (Last Week: 30)
  You have to give the Islanders credit for not giving up on the season, winning five of their past seven, including an impressive 7-3 dismantling of New Jersey on Saturday. New York has some young talent with Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey, and a legitimate all-star in defenseman Mark Streit. The cupboard isn't totally bare on the Island, and it's going to get re-stocked this offseason with two first-round draft picks, including a likely top-two selection.
  
• 30. Lightning (Last Week: 28)
  The Lightning take over the basement in the power rankings, dropping two spots, thanks to their current stretch where they've lost 15 of 20. On Saturday, they watched Carolina's Eric Staal light the lamp four times (and pick up two assists) in an embarrassing 9-3 loss at home.

Power Rankings: Devils Claim Top Spot originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Red Wings (Last Week's Ranking: 1)
  The Red Wings stand pat over through this year's deadline, but still, even with Marian Hossa suffering a scary injury against the Blues, Detroit has won four of its last five to pull even with the Sharks on top of the NHL standings in the race for home ice throughout the playoffs.
  
• 2. Devils (Last Week: 2)
  Martin Brodeur is rolling towards Patrick Roy's all-time wins record, which he could break next Saturday in his hometown of Montreal, as he is just three win shy of Roy's 551 win total. The Devils also have a good shot at catching faltering Boston for the top seed in the East.
• 3. Sharks (Last Week: 4)
  San Jose has lost four of five, and slip into a first-place tie in the Western Conference. With the team having some serious Stanley Cup aspirations, the Sharks elect to stand pat at the deadline, hoping their four losses in five games is just a March swoon rather than a trend.
  
• 4. Flames (Last Week: 7)
  Calgary looks to make its bid to be considered one of the top teams in the West, picking up Olli Jokinen from the Coyotes and Jordan Leopold back from the Avalanche. While the Flames aren't quite at Detroit or San Jose's talent level, they could be very dangerous come April.
  
• 5. Capitals (Last Week: 5)
  After bouncing the best team in the East last Saturday in an overtime thriller, the Caps return home and turn in three terrible performances in front of the home fans. Washington also doesn't make any upgrade on defense or in net, raising some eyebrows in the nation's capital.
  
• 6. Bruins (Last Week: 6)
  The Bruins are starting to look vulnerable at the top of the East, as New Jersey pulls just six back of Boston. Mark Recchi is a depth forward pick-up, although having another stud defenseman to go with Zdeno Chara could have gone a long way towards ending the 37-year Cup drought.
  
• 7. Flyers (Last Week: 3)
  The Flyers make some minor moves at the deadline, although their lack of upgrade in goal could really come back to bite Philadelphia down the road. With the Devils red-hot and with Philly losing three out of four, the team seems locked into the four seed with a month to play.
  
• 8. Blackhawks (Last Week: 8)
  Like Philadelphia, Chicago is another team in limbo for the last month of the season, not low enough to really worry about missing the playoffs, but not high enough to make a run at Detroit for the Central Division title. The 'Hawks stand mostly pat, happy to keep two decent goalies.
  
• 9. Canucks (Last Week: 11)
  Vancouver's hot February run spills over into March, as the team has dropped just two of their last 13 games to give themselves some breathing room in the tight playoff race out west. With that, the Canucks stand pat, and not making any major moves heading down the stretch.
  
• 10. Canadiens (Last Week: 9)
  Montreal finally appears interested in landing a playoff berth, although the team standing pat at the deadline likely won't help the Habs get very far in the postseason. Mathieu Schnieder was a decent addition, but the Canadiens likely won't have a 100th anniversary Stanley Cup parade.
  
• 11. Panthers (Last Week: 10)
  The 'Cats send a clear message to their fans that they want to land their first playoff berth since 2000 by not shipping Jay Bouwmeester elsewhere. Now it's up to the players to make sure the front office doesn't look foolish in not upgrading for the future to earn this year's postseason spot.
  
• 12. Penguins (Last Week: 16)
  The addition of forwards Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin will certainly help the Penguins' chances of getting into the postseason, and Pittsburgh has now won five straight. Now, the big question in the Steel City is if this edition can repeat last year's heroics once the playoffs begin in six weeks.
  
• 13. Rangers (Last Week: 18)
  The Rangers are doing their best to shake up the franchise, adding Derek Morris, Nik Antropov and Sean Avery to look to bolster the team's playoff hopes. While New York looks like it will avoid missing the playoffs, they may have paid a heavy price for a a probable short stay there.
  
• 14. Sabres (Last Week: 12)
  Buffalo picks up forward Dominic Moore and adds Mikael Tellqvist as insurance in net, but failed to really give themselves an edge in the tough playoff chase. They certainly didn't lose much in the upgrades, but will it be enough to get the Sabres into the postseason? Probably not.
  
• 15. Predators (Last Week: 19)
  The Predators are riding a six-game winning streak with a big win over Columbus to put themselves into a sixth-place tie in the Western Conference. Now, can the Preds earn themselves another unlikely playoff berth with a surprising finish to the season?
  
• 16. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 13)
  With a chance to snag the team's first-ever playoff berth, the Jackets make a minor deal, picking up Antoine Vermette from the Senators for Pascal Leclaire. While it doesn't take much away from this year's team, it wasn't a bold move with the team just two points into the postseason.
  
• 17. Hurricanes (Last Week: 14)
  Carolina's getting the band back together, reacquiring Erik Cole in a complex deal with Los Angeles and Edmonton to send Justin Williams out of town. Still, the 'Canes are three points out of a spot and will need a good finish to get into the playoffs for the first time since lifting the Cup.
  
• 18. Stars (Last Week: 15)
  The Stars are quiet at the deadline, and then go out and lose a valuable point in Los Angeles to remain tied for the West's final playoff spot with the Oilers and Ducks. A banged-up team, Dallas could have a tough time carrying out their nice recovery to its abysmal start to the campaign.
  
• 19. Wild (Last Week: 20)
  While Minnesota locks up their young netminder Niklas Backstrom, they also raise some questions over if the team should have moved Marian Gaborik to get something in return before the star likely leaves the Wild this summer.
  
• 20. Oilers (Last Week: 21)
  Edmonton sends the disappointing Erik Cole back to Carolina, and picks up Ales Kotalik and Patrick O'Sullivan to try and make a run at a playoff spot. It'll be tough to say if it's going enough for the Oilers to sneak into the West's final playoff berth, but they seem to be a longshot to qualify.
  
• 21. Ducks (Last Week: 17)
  The Ducks don't send Chris Pronger out of town -- although not that they weren't talking to teams about possibly dealing him -- but only a strong finish will keep this disappointing Anaheim team from missing the postseason for the first time since the lockout.
  
• 22. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 26)
  Brian Burke ships off some of Toronto's assets, as although the Leafs now have points in eight straight (5-0-3), the team has too much ground to make up and too many teams to pass to be thinking about ending their playoff drought this year -- but they are giving fans a reason to cheer.
  
• 23. Blues (Last Week: 23)
  Even without making a big splash at the deadline, the Blues hope their young team can make a run at one of the last Western playoff spots. Although St. Louis has been much better than expected, it's going to be exceedingly tough for this team to make up the ground on the pack.
  
• 24. Kings (Last Week: 22)
  The Kings finally break their four-game slide against the Stars, but the damage already has been done to the team's playoff hopes. Still, the team acquires Justin Williams from Carolina in a four-way deal that saw Patrick O'Sullivan leave Los Angeles.
  
• 25. Senators (Last Week: 27)
  The Senators make a minor deal in acquiring goaltender Pascal Leclaire, but keep Filip Kuba with a three-year deal and can't find a good price for Chris Neil. Still, Ottawa will have to look to be rebuilding their team in the upcoming offseason in Canada's capital .
  
• 26. Coyotes (Last Week: 24)
  Phoenix cuts ties with their big free-agent acquisition of last summer, sending Olli Jokinen up to Calgary, and pretty much raises the white flag on trying to chase down a playoff berth with the team shipping off defenseman Derek Morris to New York and Mikael Tellqvist to Buffalo.
  
• 27. Avalanche (Last Week: 25)
  The Avs ship Jordan Leopold back to Calgary, but don't make any other moves to try to bolster the team for the future after Colorado's disastrous trip out East put the end to any playoff talk in Denver. With Colorado in the West basement, critics wonder if that's a wise move for the future.
  
• 28. Lightning (Last Week: 28)
  After a lot of trade talk over the past two months, the Bolts end up hanging onto both Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, although they certainly make one of the strangest deals at the deadline sending injured goaltender Olaf Kolzig to Toronto in order to save on some salary.
  
• 29. Thrashers (Last Week: 29)
  Despite some of the Thrashers' big names being bandied in trade talk -- Kari Lethonen and Ilya Kovalchuk -- the Thrashers don't make any major moves at the deadline to help the team return to prominence in the NHL, with only Mathieu Schnieder and Niklas Havelid leaving Atlanta.
  
• 30. Islanders (Last Week: 30)
  The sad-sack Islanders are left holding the bag at the deadline, as a potential Bill Guerin trade falls apart in ugly fashion over the weekend, forcing Garth Snow to ship their former captain off to Pittsburgh hours before the deadline for just a conditional draft pick.

Power Rankings: Post-Deadline Edition originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Red Wings (Last Week's Ranking: 2)
  Detroit gets another statement win over San Jose, serving notice that it's still the defending champs. Now, the question is to see what the Wings have up their sleeve at the deadline, as general manager Ken Holland always seems to have something up his sleeve this time of year.
  
• 2. Devils (Last Week: 3)
  Martin Brodeur returns to the net for his 99th career shutout, and should pass Patrick Roy's NHL-record mark for wins in March -- perhaps in Montreal in the middle of the month. With him back, the Devils could be sending Kevin Weekes elsewhere -- and looking for defensive help.
• 3. Flyers (Last Week: 7)
  Had it not been for Martin Biron's fumbled puck against the Penguins, the Flyers very well could have a seven-game winning streak going right now. Now, the big question in Philadelphia is if the Flyers be able to upgrade their goaltending situation for the stretch drive.
  
• 4. Sharks (Last Week: 4)
  Only a loss to Detroit is a blemish on the Sharks' last six games, as the team still hasn't hit double-digits in regulation losses with one game left to play in February. Now, San Jose could be looking for some more depth to see if it can finally break through in the postseason.
  
• 5. Capitals (Last Week: 1)
  The Caps hit some potholes with losses to Colorado and Philadelphia, but Alex Ovechkin gets the best of Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. The Caps are interested in getting some help on the blueline, not to mention a backup goaltender in case anything happens to Jose Theodore.
  
• 6. Bruins (Last Week: 6)
  After a tough trip to Florida, the Bruins bounce back with convincing wins over the Panthers and Ducks at home. Will Boston make a real splash at the deadline for a power forward at the deadline to bolster its strong bid to end the city's 36-year-old Stanley Cup drought?
  
• 7. Flames (Last Week: 8)
  Calgary continues to play well, winning three in a row and building up a 10-point edge in the Northwest Division. The Flames may look to add a bit more punch as they are one of the few Western clubs seemingly safely ticketed for a playoff spot.
  
• 8. Blackhawks (Last Week: 5)
  With some tough competition out West, the 'Hawks could probably land a mint for goaltender Nikolai Khabiboulin if they chose to do so, although right now, it looks like the team's happy to go with their current tandem and perhaps trying upgrading their forward corps other ways.
  
• 9. Canadiens (Last Week: 11)
  Controversy? What controversy? After Alexei Kovalev's benching and the bad press for the Kostitsyn brothers, the Habs bounce back with wins over the Senators and Canucks to grab a slight edge in the now-tightly packed Eastern race.
  
• 10. Panthers (Last Week: 14)
  The Panthers are in the thick of the Eastern playoff chase with a home win over the Bruins and a win at Madison Square Garden, with Florida looking to end a seven-year playoff absence. Now, will the team really deal Jay Bouwmeester at the deadline, or keep him and hope for the best?
  
• 11. Canucks (Last Week: 13)
  After a wretched January, the Canucks are putting the finishing touches on an 8-2-0 February with one game yet to play in the month. But Vancouver faces some tough questions over what to do next week with free agency looming for several players this summer.
  
• 12. Sabres (Last Week: 9)
  Ryan Miller's injury really puts the Sabres' playoff hopes in doubt, as Buffalo will be one of many teams needing to upgrade their goaltending situation at the deadline. The bright spot for the Sabres is Thomas Vanek may be back sooner than expected to help in the playoff push.
  
• 13. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 16)
  The Blue Jackets are making a bid for the team's first-ever playoff berth, and you figure the team will try to make a splash to try and make it a reality. With Steve Mason in net, Columbus is certainly a team that could do some damage in the postseason - if it can get there.
  
• 14. Hurricanes (Last Week: 18)
  With a shootout win over the Sabres, the 'Canes draw even in points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Jim Rutherford is well-known for doing some tinkering with his club at the trade deadline, and always looking to bolster the team's hopes of a playoff return.
  
• 15. Stars (Last Week: 10)
  The Stars slump at the wrong time, and now sit in a three-way tie for the eighth seed in the West. With a tough cap salary situation to go with the injuries, there may not be the ton Dallas can do to without some major surgery, which likely means it'll probably go with what they have.
  
• 16. Penguins (Last Week: 17)
  The Penguins have won three of their last four, and with them sending Ryan Whitney west for Chris Kunitz - and help for Sidney Crosby - it'll be interesting to see if the Pens make another deadline splash in acquiring more offensive help.
  
• 17. Ducks (Last Week: 12)
  With the Ducks in a precarious position in a tie for the last playoff spot, the team acquires Ryan Whitney from the Penguins. The addition of the blueliner just helps fuels the rumors that Anaheim may deal either Chris Pronger or Scott Niedermayer to an Eastern contender.
  
• 18. Rangers (Last Week: 15)
  John Tortorella comes on board to replace Tom Renney, but New York continues to slide down the standings, grabbing just two wins so far in February. Glen Sather may have to make a big move on the ice as well in order to keep the team from getting bounced from the playoff picture.
  
• 19. Predators (Last Week: 23)
  The Predators win three in a row to put themselves just a point out of the playoffs, and have shown a penchant for coming back in the third period to pull out victories. Now, the question is if GM David Poile thinks this team can really qualify in a very tough Western Conference race.
  
• 20. Wild (Last Week: 20)
  The Wild could do a lot at the deadline, as they have some tough decisions to make if they ship Marian Gaborik - or even Niklas Backstrom - out of St. Paul, meaning Minnesota could have a radically different look next week with a team fighting for one of the last playoff spots.
  
• 21. Oilers (Last Week: 21)
  The Oilers hit a skid, losing four of five to slide into a logjam for the last playoff spot. With forward Erik Cole as bait, Edmonton could make a pretty major move at the deadline to help bolster its chances of getting into the postseason.
  
• 22. Kings (Last Week: 19)
  After a great road trip to begin the month, the Kings have stumbled badly, winning just two of their last eight games to fall four points out of the Western playoff's final spot. Now, Los Angeles has to decide if it's going to make a run or reload for next season.
  
• 23. Blues (Last Week: 25)
  With five wins in their last seven games, the Blues have pulled three points back of the eighth spot, giving St. Louis pause if they're going to end up dealing Keith Tkachuk for help down the road or look to try and chase down a playoff berth.
  
• 24. Coyotes (Last Week: 24)
  While Phoenix slides down the standings, Coyotes fans have at least to be relieved the team's future in the desert seems a bit more secure with the city of Glendale helping out the financially floundering franchise in some difficult financial times.
  
• 25. Avalanche (Last Week: 22)
  While the Avs started their six-game road trip on a solid note, three straight losses pretty much ensures Colorado will be selling off some assets next week. Jordan Leopold, Andrew Raycroft and perhaps even Ryan Smyth could be on the move as the team falls into the West basement.
  
• 26. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 27)
  While it's too late for this year, the Leafs put together a nice three-game sweep of the New York-area teams to move to the top of the bottom-feeders of the Eastern Conference. Now, what will the non-Twittering Brian Burke do to help Toronto's future at the deadline?
  
• 27. Senators (Last Week: 26)
  If GM Bryan Murray thought the Sens really had a shot at the playoffs, losing four out of five certainly took care of that. Now, Ottawa will look to rebuild and reload for next season with some assets to move at the deadline.
  
• 28. Lightning (Last Week: 28)
  It's starting to look like the Bolts may not make a major move at the deadline, but still, there will be plenty of change-of-address cards handed out in Tampa Bay next week with the team's recent slump to put them nine games below .500.
  
• 29. Thrashers (Last Week: 29)
  The Thrashers could deal Ilya Kovalchuk, but it's more likely Atlanta will move some smaller pieces to the roster and hope their red-hot Russian star decides to resign with the team before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.
  
• 30. Islanders (Last Week: 30)
  With Mike Comrie gone to Ottawa and Bill Guerin reportedly waiving his no-trade clause, it appears that a fire sale will be going on in Long Island as the team tries to stockpile draft picks and secure one of the top two selections in the upcoming NHL Draft.

Power Rankings: Clock Strikes Midnight originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 1. Capitals (Last Week's Ranking: 2)
  Thanks to Alex Ovechkin's brilliant performance in the last week, the Caps put together a three-game win streak. Despite the East's second-best offense, Washington will look for depth on the blueline and perhaps a backup to Jose Theodore with Brent Johnson out with an injury.
  
• 2. Red Wings (Last Week: 1)
  While the Wings usually are busy on deadline day, it's going to be tough to see if Ken Holland will have something up his sleeve with a team that's already fairly deep in all facets of the game. Still, if the Wings can find a deal that helps the team's chances of a repeat, he'll make it.
  
• 3. Devils (Last Week: 6)
  The Devils have a nice weekend with big wins over the Bruins and Sharks, although they come up a bit flat in a two-game swing through the Sunshine State. Now, with Martin Brodeur set to come back soon, will the Devils grab another defenseman to try and make a long Cup run?
• 4. Sharks (Last Week: 4)
  After getting just one win on its five-game road swing out East, San Jose returns home to grab two straight victories over Edmonton and Los Angeles. The Sharks have been one of the most complete teams in the NHL, but may add a veteran presence for what they hope is a playoff run.
  
• 5. Blackhawks (Last Week: 3)
  In a year that started with the Blackhawks actively looking to trade Nikolai Khabibulin, with him and Cristobal Huet playing well, both like they'll be staying put. Now, what Chicago will be looking to add is a forward to help out in what it hopes a long playoff run.
  
• 6. Bruins (Last Week: 5)
  Boston finally snaps out of its funk with a 5-1 win on Glen Wesley night in Carolina, but it'll be interesting to see if management wants to tinker with the chemistry that has the Bruins with a wide lead in the East - but with a real chance at a title, they just might try and grab a forward.
  
• 7. Flyers (Last Week: 8)
  With five wins in their last six games, the Flyers are making a bid to snag one of the top seeds in the East, and is putting the pressure on the Devils in the Atlantic chase. Now, Philadelphia wants to settle its goaltending situation and also look for some more help on the blueline.
  
• 8. Flames (Last Week: 7)
  With points in six straight games (4-0-2), the Flames are looking to hold off the Canucks for the Northwest Division title. Calgary might look for a bit more punch up front as they could be a real dark horse in a loaded Western Conference playoff picture.
  
• 9. Sabres (Last Week: 9)
  The Sabres will have to decide if they need help with Thomas Vanek's injury, as despite beating San Jose and Toronto, losses to Carolina and Philadelphia hurt their chances to move up. Buffalo does have Maxim Afinogenov to deal - if they can find a taker for the enigmatic forward.
  
• 10. Stars (Last Week: 11)
  With the Stars losing Brad Richards to injury, now the question is if the setback derails what has been a tremendous rally to climb into a playoff spot after the team's horrible start. The team could opt to find a replacement, or just shuffle lines and hope the rise continues.
  
• 11. Canadiens (Last Week: 10)
  Things are getting ugly in Montreal with three players linked to an accused gang member. With the team already sliding down the playoff picture with losses in seven of its last eight games, would Bob Gainey decide to make a daring move at the deadline to save Montreal's season?
  
• 12. Ducks (Last Week: 12)
  With two straight losses knocking them out of a playoff spot at the moment, the question is if Anaheim will be selling some of its defensemen - including Chris Pronger - if the Ducks think they won't be able to make the cut in the West.
  
• 13. Canucks (Last Week: 15)
  The Canucks rise to fifth spot in the West with a winning streak, but are in a bit of a bind with the Sedin twins and Mattias Ohlund heading for free agency in the offseason, meaning they really can't really be wheeling and dealing too much at the deadline.
  
• 14. Panthers (Last Week: 16)
  While the Panthers are cooling off a bit, they have pulled themselves to within just two points of fifth place in the bunched Eastern Conference race. But with Jay Bouwmeester hitting the market this July with the team chasing an elusive playoff berth, the 'Cats have a tough choice to make.
  
• 15. Rangers (Last Week: 13)
  The Rangers are struggling to put together wins as Tom Renney's future behind the bench is very much in doubt. While the team may make some tweaks to try and boost the team's fortune on the roster, the likely big change will be coming if Jim Schoenfeld takes over on Broadway.
  
• 16. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 20)
  The Jackets have won six of their last seven games, and now find themselves in a playoff position with two months to go in the season. With that in mind - and Steve Mason playing well - the team might take a big gamble to shoot for the team's first-ever playoff berth.
  
• 17. Penguins (Last Week: 14)
  With a coaching change in Pittsburgh to try and shock the Penguins into their old form, the Pens might look to make another big splash at the deadline with the team needing a boost to try and just qualify for the playoffs this year.
  
• 18. Hurricanes (Last Week: 17)
  Carolina keeps itself in the hunt with wins over the Sabres and Islanders, but a loss to the Bruins shows the team still has lots of room for improvement. If Jim Rutherford thinks his team can make a run, he'll acquire a piece or two at the deadline to try and catch a falling contender.
  
• 19. Kings (Last Week: 19)
  The Kings cool off after returning back home, dropping four of five games and preventing them from getting a spot the top eight - so far. Still, with a rare chance for the Kings to skate in late April, will the team take a shot at landing one of those last playoff spots?
  
• 20. Wild (Last Week: 18)
  With the Wild slipping out of the top eight in the West, they might be willing to ship off Marian Gaborik if they think they can get a decent return. But things right now aren't going Minnesota's way with a three-game losing streak with the team needing points badly to climb back in it.
  
• 21. Oilers (Last Week: 21)
  With the Oilers splitting a four-game road trip and just clinging on to the final playoff spot in the West, Edmonton will have to decide if they're going to sell off Erik Cole to a team looking for a decent scoring option - while not killing its chances of making the postseason.
  
• 22. Avalanche (Last Week: 24)
  The Avs keep from falling completely out of the playoff race with wins against Detroit and Ottawa, and will get Paul Stastny soon and Joe Sakic back before the end of the year. Still, if Colorado can get a return for Jordan Leopold, don't be surprised if they make some moves for the future.
  
• 23. Predators (Last Week: 22)
  Nashville's losing skid is putting a return to the playoffs in danger, but David Poile probably won't break apart the core of the club. Still, losing five of seven games won't help put the Preds in the playoffs in the tightly packed Western Conference.
  
• 24. Coyotes (Last Week: 23)
  The Coyotes snap their losing streak against Atlanta, but Phoenix's chance of making a true run at the playoffs might be undone with all the financial uncertainty around the franchise. The team might be a big seller to try and shed some contracts and make itself attractive to a buyer.
  
• 25. Blues (Last Week: 25)
  It's deja vu all over again in St. Louis, as the team's best bargaining chip at the deadline is gritty forward Keith Tkachuk, who might draw interest from a team looking for depth for the playoffs. Of course, getting Tkachuk didn't work out so well two years ago for Atlanta.
  
• 26. Senators (Last Week: 26)
  With the playoffs out of Ottawa's reach, the Sens might do some dealing at the deadline to look forward to the future. Ottawa has upcoming free agents Chris Neil and Filip Kuba who could add depth to a contender, but the Senators' core likely will remain intact.
  
• 27. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 28)
  Nik Antropov is the big name that will almost certainly be moving on in less than two weeks, as new GM Brian Burke has to look to the future with the Leafs once again destined to sit the Stanley Cup playoffs out for yet another season.
  
• 28. Lightning (Last Week: 27)
  Most of the intrigue in Tampa will be if the Bolts actually do decide to trade Martin St. Louis to Pittsburgh or Vinny Lecavalier to Montreal. Even if they don't deal one of their stars, Gary Roberts is a good role player and Mark Recchi also can help a contender.
  
• 29. Thrashers (Last Week: 29)
  Ilya Kovalchuk will draw a lot of interest from teams, but with the Russian sniper still having one more year under contract, it'll take a big offer to get Don Waddel to ship him out of Georgia. Still, the Thrashers have some depth players for a contender to pick up for the stretch drive.
  
• 30. Islanders (Last Week: 30)
  With an eight-point edge on the next-worst team in the NHL, John Tavares or Victor Hedman almost certainly be skating in Uniondale next fall. Now, the Isles will see what they can get in return if they can trade off Mike Comrie, Bill Guerin or the banged-up Doug Weight.