Official 2008-2009 NHL Season Thread

[a7xoff]

Personally I'm not looking for the finals yet. I mean the season just started and I must say I'm kinda surprised at a lot of things already. Detroit's welcome home got basically ruined by Toronto?! Last time I checked and heard, Toronto was not supposed to be a good team, but they went out and really outplayed the Wings. The Thrashers killed Washington 7-4. I didn't see the game so I have no idea what happened there. Columbus beat the Stars which is just flat out rare. Buffalo... One of the worst teams last year beat Montreal... So some unforseen upsets already this season.

The Devils beat the Islanders last night, in a pretty high paced game. The Devils spent a lot of time in the box which is never a good thing, but they were able to kill off a lot of that and managed to have a lot of great chances. Brodeur was like scary mid season good last night which may be a good or bad thing. I just hope the Devils don't burn him out during the regular season. Even with our better offense, our biggest asset is still that guy in the pipes

 

[a7xoff]

Alright Everyone I've decided to begin my NHL Power Rankings! Every Wednsday from here till the end of the regular season I will be ranking whom I think are the top ten teams in the league. My rankings are based on how I think each team is preforming, along with their general play. I watch hockey constantly, so these rankings should be at least half way decent. Feel free to argue them all you'd like. I love a good hockey debate anytime! Without further ado..... I give to you the... NHL POWER RANKINGS 1ST EDITION!

1.) New York Rangers: The Rangers have won all 5 of their games so far and are one of just two teams that remain undefeated and have played more than 3 games already. The Rangers have beaten all of their opponents so far and have scored 4 goals in each of the last three games against the Flyers, Blackhawks, and Devils... The Rangers look to keep dominating tonight against a seemingly much revived Buffalo Sabers

2.) San Jose Sharks: The Sharks have come off of their playoff meltdown and have so far gone 4-0. They have made team history in doing so too. They are the only team along with the Rangers whom have yet to taste defeat after playing 3 games. The Sharks are off until Friday when they play the so far winless Ducks.

3.) Montreal Canadiens: Montreal has looked great at the start of the season. They lost to Buffalo, but got a point in doing so, and have scored at least 4 goals in thier last 2 games. 12 goals in 3 games is not a bad thing at all. They play Boston tonight.


4.) Detroit Red Wings: After getting stung in the season opener against Toronto, the Red Wings have gathered it back together and have taken down both Ottowa and Carolina by scores of 3-2 and 3-1. The Wings next big challenge will come on Saturday when the Rangers roll into town. Their next game is against Vancover tomorrow night.

5.) Buffalo Sabers: The Sabers lets all face it had a terrible year after being the beast of the east the year before. The Sabers are currently 2-1 and have a win over last year's number 1 seed Montreal Canadiens. Then they went on to rip the Islanders apart 7-1. Their only loss comes from the defending champs Detroit Red Wings. They play the Rangers tonight.

6.) Phoenix Coyotes: The Coyotes have sure come a long way. Yes it's really early to say that, but I feel that Phoenix could begin to become a contender again this year. They have not scored less than three goals in either of their two games. With a coach who knows the game like the back of his hand, and a much improved roster, the Coyotes could easily become a contender for at least the number 8 position.

7.) Washington Capitals: The Caps are coming off of their best season in recent memory. They still have a very dangerous offense who's yet to score less than four goals. Outside of yielding 7 to Atlanta, the Caps defense have let by just 2 and one goal against Chicago and Vancouver. They play Pittsburgh tomorrow night.

8.) Pittsburgh Penguins: The defending Prince Of Whales trophy winners have their work cut out for them this season after loosing several key players. Gonchar being out on injury for a while certainly does not help manners at all. After loosing two straight to the likes of Ottowa and an OT loss to the Devils, the Pens finally picked up a win against the Flyers. The defending POW winners could be in a bit of trouble this year, but for now they still look like they could be a very dangerous team. They play Washington in another Crosby vs Ovechkin tomorrow night.

9.) Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks have started their season off on a good note. One problem is that they beat the same team, Calgary, twice by dominating them 6-0, then an OT win 5-4, then got beat 5-1 by Washington... Things look to possibly not improve for the Canucks as they face Detroit tomorrow night.

10.) Minnesota Wild: So far 2-0 with a fairly light schedule ahead of them with the likes of Florida and Tampa over their next two games. I think the first test for this team will be Buffalo later next week. They scored 4 goals against both Boston and Atlanta, and allowed a total of 5 goals. They play Florida tomorrow.

Well there is my first Power Rankings. Note that there are many other teams that are right there with these teams since the season is still very young. However some teams such as the Ducks and Avalanche need to do something as they are the only teams in the league without a point... Well... LET THE DISCUSSION BEGIN

 

[My$terio_Fan]

I'm really exciting and looking forward to how the Canadiens play this year. I myself am a die hard Montreal Fan(which means I hate Toronto)but have been let down year after year, but this year I think they are gonna make a good run for it. I see them making it past the first round of the playoffs and then from their who know's. I was really impressed by Carey Price and feel his is a very solid goalie. Also having Kouivu back from the start to lead the team will only help them that much more.

 

[RBH]

Alright Everyone I've decided to begin my NHL Power Rankings! Every Wednsday from here till the end of the regular season I will be ranking whom I think are the top ten teams in the league. My rankings are based on how I think each team is preforming, along with their general play. I watch hockey constantly, so these rankings should be at least half way decent. Feel free to argue them all you'd like. I love a good hockey debate anytime! Without further ado..... I give to you the... NHL POWER RANKINGS 1ST EDITION!

1.) New York Rangers: The Rangers have won all 5 of their games so far and are one of just two teams that remain undefeated and have played more than 3 games already. The Rangers have beaten all of their opponents so far and have scored 4 goals in each of the last three games against the Flyers, Blackhawks, and Devils... The Rangers look to keep dominating tonight against a seemingly much revived Buffalo Sabers

2.) San Jose Sharks: The Sharks have come off of their playoff meltdown and have so far gone 4-0. They have made team history in doing so too. They are the only team along with the Rangers whom have yet to taste defeat after playing 3 games. The Sharks are off until Friday when they play the so far winless Ducks.

3.) Montreal Canadiens: Montreal has looked great at the start of the season. They lost to Buffalo, but got a point in doing so, and have scored at least 4 goals in thier last 2 games. 12 goals in 3 games is not a bad thing at all. They play Boston tonight.


4.) Detroit Red Wings: After getting stung in the season opener against Toronto, the Red Wings have gathered it back together and have taken down both Ottowa and Carolina by scores of 3-2 and 3-1. The Wings next big challenge will come on Saturday when the Rangers roll into town. Their next game is against Vancover tomorrow night.

5.) Buffalo Sabers: The Sabers lets all face it had a terrible year after being the beast of the east the year before. The Sabers are currently 2-1 and have a win over last year's number 1 seed Montreal Canadiens. Then they went on to rip the Islanders apart 7-1. Their only loss comes from the defending champs Detroit Red Wings. They play the Rangers tonight.

6.) Phoenix Coyotes: The Coyotes have sure come a long way. Yes it's really early to say that, but I feel that Phoenix could begin to become a contender again this year. They have not scored less than three goals in either of their two games. With a coach who knows the game like the back of his hand, and a much improved roster, the Coyotes could easily become a contender for at least the number 8 position.

7.) Washington Capitals: The Caps are coming off of their best season in recent memory. They still have a very dangerous offense who's yet to score less than four goals. Outside of yielding 7 to Atlanta, the Caps defense have let by just 2 and one goal against Chicago and Vancouver. They play Pittsburgh tomorrow night.

8.) Pittsburgh Penguins: The defending Prince Of Whales trophy winners have their work cut out for them this season after loosing several key players. Gonchar being out on injury for a while certainly does not help manners at all. After loosing two straight to the likes of Ottowa and an OT loss to the Devils, the Pens finally picked up a win against the Flyers. The defending POW winners could be in a bit of trouble this year, but for now they still look like they could be a very dangerous team. They play Washington in another Crosby vs Ovechkin tomorrow night.

9.) Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks have started their season off on a good note. One problem is that they beat the same team, Calgary, twice by dominating them 6-0, then an OT win 5-4, then got beat 5-1 by Washington... Things look to possibly not improve for the Canucks as they face Detroit tomorrow night.

10.) Minnesota Wild: So far 2-0 with a fairly light schedule ahead of them with the likes of Florida and Tampa over their next two games. I think the first test for this team will be Buffalo later next week. They scored 4 goals against both Boston and Atlanta, and allowed a total of 5 goals. They play Florida tomorrow.

Well there is my first Power Rankings. Note that there are many other teams that are right there with these teams since the season is still very young. However some teams such as the Ducks and Avalanche need to do something as they are the only teams in the league without a point... Well... LET THE DISCUSSION BEGIN

You should have waited until the entire month of October was over. Its wayyy too early to make any sort of power ranking. The Ducks are 1-4 but do you honestly expect them to stay like that forever. They completely dominated San Jose last night, a good team. That proves right there that when its 5 on 5 hockey, the Ducks are the best clearly. The only reason why we lose any games is because we get ourselves into penalty trouble more often that not. The Ducks will win their next game as well against Carolina then its off to Toronto. I say we got a good chance against both those teams and then its Ottawa and Montreal. But yeah, the season is wayy too young man.

 

[a7xoff]

I was thinking it might be a lil early, then I saw that ESPN posted theirs as well, so I figured it'd be all right. Funny how ESPN, and myself ranked numbers one and two. As far as the claim that the Ducks are the best... I'd love to agree with you, you know I like the Ducks Hayek, but I think the real test to that is going to come from Detroit... If the Ducks can stay out of the box, then yes they very well could be the best team... However, they seem to also be the most undiciplined team in the league...

 

[a7xoff]

Without delay here are the NHL Power Rankings 2nd edition!!!!

1.) Montreal Canadiens (LW: 3rd)
Montreal takes over the number one spot as they have had a very successful week. Since getting their first OT loss at the hands of Buffalo, the Habs have been on fire scoring at least 4 goals in each of their following games including a 6-1 win over Toronto. They play the Ducks on Saturday

2.) Buffalo Sabers (LW:5th)
Buffalo has certainly returned to for so far this season as they and are on of 4 teams that have yet to loose in regulation. To say that the Sabers are not going to be a factor at this point is crazy. They have beaten both the Canadiens and the Rangers , but lost in OT to Atlanta. they head out to a very game and undefeated Minnesota tomorrow night.

3.)San Jose Sharks (LW: 2nd)
The Sharks have tasted defeat at the hands of the Ducks making them 5-1. Over the course of two games, the Sharks have given up 8 goals. That's not a good thing, but as long as they are able to score 5 goals as they did against Philly they should be okay. When the Sharks tighten up their D again, they will again be a huge force. They play Philly again tonight.


4.)New York Rangers (LW: 1st)
Since beating the Devils, the Rangers have gone 1-4. That's not the greatest record over the course of 5 games, but the Rangers are still playing rather well, it's just that their opponents have been playing better. The Rangers are going to need to step it back up if they hope to continue to dominate their division. They play Columbus Friday.

5.) Detroit Red Wings (LW: 4th)
Detroit continues to quietly pick up wins. No real problems plaguing the defending the Stanley Cup champs. Wish Chelios a speedy recovery. They play the Blues tonight

6.) Pittsburgh Penguins (LW: 8th)
Crosby and the Pens may have lost to the Caps earlier last week, but have picked up two wins against Toronto and a shootout win against Boston. Forgot to mention that Toronto and Boston only scored one goal a piece. The Pens have a few real tests in front of them with Carolina tomorrow night then the Rangers, and Sharks.

7.) Washington Capitals (LW 7th)
Since loosing to the Devils in OT, the Caps dropped a 2-1 tilt to the Flames. The Caps kind of looked like the Ducks with bad penalties during the game, once they patch that up they will I think be back to form. They play the Coyotes tomorrow night.

8.)Wild (LW: 10th)
The Wild are the other team yet to loose a game. Granted they've played 4 games. The Wild shut out Tampa on Saturday, but their real first test of the season comes tomorrow as they play Buffalo.

9.) Carolina Hurricanes (LW NR)
Probably the wild card of the league this year. The Canes look great one game then terrible the next. The Canes look like they could be very dangerous and they are 3-1-1, but the two losses came consecutive followed by a win over the Ducks. So who knows, right now though they are all over the place and play the Penguins tomorrow.Minnesota

9.) Edmonton Oilers (LW: NR)
The Oilers are one of just two teams that have yet to taste defeat. Granted they have not had the toughest schedule with back to back wins against the Flames, and a win over the Ducks and Avs. They play Chicago tonight before another round against the Avs. tomorrow.

10.) Saint Louis Blues (LW: NR)
The Blues are off to a decent start going 4-1 over 5 games. They've scored 22 goals which is right up there with some of the top right now. They play the Red Wings tonight

Goodbye to...
Vancouver Canucks: As expected Vancouver's good start came to an end and now sit 3-4

Pheonix Coyotes: Started off good, but have dropped 3 straight...

Others near the top 10:
New Jersey Devils
Colorado Avalanche

 

[RBH]

Well my friend....look who just swept their entire road trip! The Anaheim Ducks are now 5-5 and just 4 points behind San Jose. It seems like the Ducks have finally woken up. We have a date with Detroit Wednesday and I for one cannot wait to beat those Red Wings. The Ducks outplayed the Senators, Canadiens and Blue Jackets on the road. The Maple Leafs outplayed us and we still beat them. If we can keep it up, we look to be a great team.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

A7xoff, agree about Montreal. They really have been on fire and have shown that they are a very strong team all around(offence, defense, goal tending). Also Mr. Hayek, the Ducks have been on a roll as of late and you can never count them out. The season is still very much early but I say to keep an eye out for Montreal, Buffalo, Sharks, and Ottawa as well even though they are not doing the best right now, I think they will get stronger as the season get's going. Also the Penguins can never be counted out with Crosby and the gang.

 

[a7xoff]

Tomorrow is going to be an interesting night for Devils fans. It's confirmed that Brodeur will NOT play against against Buffalo. Mind you Buffalo is one of the top teams in the league right now and have an equal goals against as the Devils. So that should be an interesting game and if the Devils get the win nobody can say it's only cause of our goalie.

The Ducks, thank God, finally woke the Hell up and are actually playing some hockey now. They have gone 6 straight games with getting at least a point and have 5 out of 6 wins in their last 6 games. They are actually leading Calgary right now 3-1 going into the 3rd period. Welcome back to hockey Anaheim!

Speaking of the Flames, they too have come alive a bit and have won 5 straight. It's lookin kinda bleak for the 6th one at the moment, but for a team that looked just terrible at the start they're lookin alive a bit now too.

So does anyone think Dallas is going to amount to anything this year? Every game I've seen them play, they just look God awful. It just does not look like the team it's been for so long now. Kind of a shame so far, but it's allowing the West to become a bit more competitive.

Hottest team in the league at the moment... Montreal Canadiens

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

I'm happy to see The Ducks picking up their play recently and again look like an elite team in the tough West.

As for Dallas, I thought they got very lucky in the playoffs last year, but I still think they are a playoff team, but nothing more.

Ya Montreal is doing good right now, but I still don't think they are Stanley Cup caliber.

I am happy to see that my Leafs are doing quite well to start the season. Noone expected much from them, but they are putting up a great fight so far. Hopefully they can keep this up for the rest of the season. They do have to make a trade and get rid of a defenceman though since they are overstocked with them. White, Coliacovo, and Frogren seem to be odd men out right now with Stralman maybe switching places with Frogren but either way a trade needs to be made. White and Coliacovo actually played today and White scored, but I don't think that should matter.

Overall, I love the start of the season so far and looks to be wide open all around the league.

 

[a7xoff]

Ya so far to me the Leafs are the biggest positive shock of the season. I don't think anyone expected them to do as good as they are doing right now. I watched them play the Devils and Rangers. That team I'd like to call the comeback team of the start of the season. They came back and beat the Devils in a shootout, and basically humiliated the Rangers whom if I recall had a 2 goal lead heading into the 3rd. Ya the Leafs are doing rather well right now, but I really do hope that they keep it up. Some of the best games I've been to were Devils vs Leafs a few years back when the Leafs were a very dangerous team. Hopefully they can keep it up.

 

[a7xoff]

So tomorrow I'll be once again hard pressed for time, and I'll more than likely be ranting about the Devils most of the day, so here it is early... WZ NHL Power Rankings 3rd Edition!

1.) Montreal Canadiens (LW: 1st)
The Habs continue to impress early on in the season. They are one of, if not the hottest teams in the league and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. They're ranked 5th in the league right now, but have played at least 2 games less than everyone in front of them. They play Columbus on Friday

2.) San Jose Sharks (LW: 3rd)
The Sharks have only suffered 2 losses so far this season. One to the Ducks, and on to the Panthers. Did I forget to mention the Sharks have beaten both of last years Stanley Cup finalists in a row and actually delivered Detroit's first regulation loss of the season since the home opener back in early October. They play a very game Minnesota tonight.

3.) Detroit Red Wings (LW: 5th)
The Wings have gotten their second taste of defeat in regulation, it only took 9 games for a team to do it. Though the Wings keep on picking up the wins, it seems as if the team is not as dominant as last year as the the scores show. None the less they are the defending cup champs and are picking up points just about every game. They play the ailing Devils on Saturday.

4.) New York Rangers (LW: 4th)
The Rangers had won four straight games, and looked like they had gotten their acts back together. They were about to move back up the list until they posted back to back losses. One went to the very lowly Islanders, and the other, a huge 5 goal period for Toronto. They'll take on Tampa Bay on Thursday.

5.) Buffalo Sabers (LW: 2nd)
The Sabers, lets face it had a real tough week. They gave up 10 goals in the course of 2 games and scored a whopping 4. Buffalo looked a lot like last season... That is until Ryan Miller posted 2 straight shutouts against Washington and New Jersey. Had it not been for the success of Detroit and San Jose, they'd either be 3rd or 4th. They'll play Atlanta on Friday.

6.) Minnesota Wild (LW 8th)
The Wild are really off to an impressive start. I keep saying it, but I honestly didn't expect them to be doing as good as they are. However, they did loose back to back games against Monteal and Dallas. They since recovered and beat Pheonix. We'll see if the Wild are going to remain with just 2 losses as they face San Jose tonight.

7.) Anaheim Ducks (LW: NR)
The Ducks have finally arrived in the NHL 2008-2009 season. The Ducks are riding a 7 game point streak, have won 7 of their last ten, and have not lost in regulation since October 19th. Did I not mention that the Ducks suddenly are sitting just 1 goal behind Detroit for the league lead in goals scored? They'll try to take that spot from Detroit as they play the Kings tonight.

8.) Calgary Flames (LW: NR)
Where did these guys come from? One minute they're basically at the bottom of the barrel then they get on a 6 game win streak. That streak was snapped by the Ducks, but none the less the Flames have suddenly been lit. They hope to bounce back from their first loss in about 2 weeks with a win tonight against Pheonix.

9.) Chicago Blackhawks (LW: NR)
Sitting in 8th in the standings, the Blackhawks are working towards their best season in quite some time. I must say it's good to see Chicago back into the hunt. They have a young team, that odds are is only going to improve over the next couple of seasons. They may be 6-1-3 over their last 10, but those are still 3 very important points. They play Calgary on Sunday.

10.) Pittsburgh Penguins (LW: 6th)
The Penguins have had a tough go of it lately. They rode a 3 game win streak right into a 3 game loosing streak. They snapped that big time against the Blues, but still the Penguins look kind of disorganized at the moment. They have two games between Edmonton and the Islanders, in which they should win before facing Detroit. They'll face Edmonton on Thursday.

Goodbye to: Washington Capitals: It seems as if Ovechkin is literally the whole team. They are just not the same without him.

Edmonton Oilers: Just a victim of circumstance. They'll probably be back

Carolina Hurricanes: So far a really roller coaster season. Need to put more pucks in the back of the net.

Others near top 10: Edmonton Oilers: As I said, basically a victim of circumstance this week.

Boston Bruins: Was last year really a fluke?

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Montreal is such a frighteningly balanced team. Their offense, defense, starting and backup goaltending, special teams, coaching, fan base, etc. It's crazy, and they should win the East with room to spare.

I wouldn't be shocked to see a very highly rated original-six match up in the Stanley Cup Finals, likely Montreal vs Detroit. Mainstream hockey needs the original six to step up and return to prominance - thank God for the Blackhawks resurgence - and it looks like it may start this year.

And calling the Devils "ailing" is an understatement. Marty Brodeur going down with an injury and leaving the load on Kevin Weekes is going to shake a team that has only missed the playoffs once in 18 years.

 

[a7xoff]

And calling the Devils "ailing" is an understatement. Marty Brodeur going down with an injury and leaving the load on Kevin Weekes is going to shake a team that has only missed the playoffs once in 18 years.

Alright then allow me to reword that... The Devils are screwed. That better? Seriously though we are in baaaaaad shape now. At least when we couldn't score goals, we had Marty in the pipes to keep us in the game. I don't want to knock Weekes cause he is a good goalie, I mean he basically got Carolina to the finals a few years ago, but he is no Brodeur. We need to desperately tighten our defense now otherwise entire games are going to look like the 1st period against Buffalo... 20 shots to like 3...

 

[a7xoff]

So here's a question that I would love some opinions on. What do you think the fate of the Stars, and Flyers are going to be this year. Both teams last year made it to their respective conference finals. So far this season though neither team has really produced much in the way of impressive gameplay.

Dallas has played a whopping 12 games, are 4-6-2, have 35 goals... and.. 50 goals against! Yes 50 already. Turco is having a piss poor start to the season with a 4.34 goals against average. Personally I would think that eventually this season Dallas will tighten back up, but the way that they are playing right now is simply put, not good. Overall they still look like a great team name wise, but it really has not shown yet at all.

The Flyers after making it to the conference finals last year have also struggled during the start of the season. They are 4-4-3, have scored 41 goals, but have given up 43. Biron has a 3.79 GAA right now, which sure doesn't help, but I cant blame it all on him. From what I've seen so far from the Flyers is that they need to really clamp down on their D. Otherwise I see them going nowhere this season. Do I think they are a playoff team? Yes I think they can make it, but I sure don't think they'll get as far as they did last year.

 

[a7xoff]

NHL Power Rankings 4th Edition
1.) Montreal Canadians (LW 1st)
Montreal continues to do things right. Yes they lost 6-3 against Toronto, but they came right back and got a 4-0 shut out against another Canadian team by the name of the Ottowa Senators. Rangers better look out for this team as they now sit just 4 points behind the Rangers. They'll play Boston tomorrow.

2.) Detroit Red Wings (LW 3rd)
Detroit is making their presence known once again out West. After a quiet start to the season, the team picking up wins, Detroit finds themselves sitting just 6 points behind the Sharks. They have lost just 1 game in regulation in their last 11 games. They play Tampa Bay tomorrow.

3.) San Jose Sharks (LW 2nd)
San Jose is another one of those teams that look incredibly solid. The Sharks hae knocked the Rangers off the top of the League, and have the most goals in the league, but are on a 2 game loosing streak. They need to snap that without Nabakov as they play against Calgary tomorrow.

4.) Buffalo Sabers (LW 5th)
Buffalo continues to show that last season was a mistake. After their back to back shut outs they went on and lost two straight games. One was in OT. Buffalo just has to settle back down and they will fully be back to form. They lead the Blues 3-2.

5.) New York Rangers (LW 4th)
The Rangers continue to slip and slide around and watched their league lead dissapear. With that being said, the Rangers are 5-4-1 over their last 10. They lead the literally broken Devils 4-1.

6.) Anaheim Ducks (LW 7th)
The Ducks continue to impress. Problem is they've dropped two straight to two very lowly teams in the form of the Florida Panthers as well as the Dallas Stars. The Ducks have a bit of a break as they played on Sunday, but won't play until Friday against Nashville.

7.) Pittsburgh Penguins (LW 10th)
The Penguins were in need of something big to happen. Perhaps a 7-6 win over the Red Wings was just what they needed. The Penguins are riding a 4 game winning streak as they play the Flyers tomorrow.

8.)Boston Bruins (LW NR)
The Bruins have been on fire lately and find themselves gone 6-2-2 over their last 10 and ride a 3 game win streak. Boston has scored just 42 goals, but are right up their and have the same goals against as Montreal with 34. Boston is playing Chicago right now and is tied at 0.

9.) Chicago Blackhawks (LW 9th)
Chicago keeps their play solid and keeps picking up wins. Did I mention 12 goals in the last two games? Chicago could take a huge leap in the rankings next week if they keep this kind of play up. They are playing another pleasat surprise of the season, Boston and are still tied 0-0

10.) Edmonton Oilers (LW NR)
The Oilers have continued to impress this season as their road trip to the east coast began with a win over Philly, a loss to Pittsburgh, then beat the Rangers and Devils. They'll play the Maple Leafs tomorrow before leaving the East.

Goodbye to:Calgary Flames: The Flames are still up there, but have cooled off a bit loosing two straight, but won over the Preadators. They may be back next week.

Minnesota Wild: The Wild need to fix whatever they have been doing wrong. They are in desperate need of scoring as they are just 2 goals away from being last in the league in scoring.

Others Near the top: Calgary Flames: Again, just need to pick it up a little.
Carolina Hurricanes: The roller coaster continues.

Question Of The Week
Over the course of last season we saw certain teams fall apart or surge. This season so far many of those teams have either recovered or continued to struggle. Which team do you think has had the greatest resurgence from last season or which team do you think has continued to improve?

My opinion has to be the Buffalo Sabers. That team last year was just flat out awful. So far this year they have shown mass improvement in just about every area of play. So I give the resurgence nod to Buffalo. Overall though Boston has really stepped it up to a level, that I have never seen them have. I've been watching hockey for around 10 years and can honestly say I've never seen Boston play quite like they are now

 

[IrishCanadian25]

a7, you make a fantastic point about the Sabres. They have totally turned themselves around in a year, and Ryan Miller is looking like the Vezina candidate who led the team to the Presidents Trophy only 2 years ago.

But to be different, I am buying the continued resurgence of the Chicago Blackhawks. This team is so young and so dynamic, they are scary. And if the ownership finally commits a few bucks to the team, a return to Stanley Cup contendership isn't too far behind, nor is a Norris Trophy for Drew Dougty in about 5 years.

The only thing Chi-town needs is a solid #1 goalie. The Huet / Khabibulin connection, "goalie by committee," won't work over time. The great teams of the last 15 years have had a solid #1 in net (Brodeur, Osgood, Gigure, etc) except for the Carolina Hurricanes of 2004 who lost their starter in the playoffs and watched Kevin Weekes lead the way.

Blackhawks are coming for the West Teams, and in a BIG WAY!

 

[a7xoff]

IC, I couldn't agree with you more. The Blackhawks are certainly back, and in a big way. When I think of teams that are going to be good this year I keep having to remind myself that there is a new force out West. Like you said, if Chicago gets a good solid goalie that will be with the team for a while, then that team is going to be a serious problem for everyone, and I mean everyone, Detroit included. I mean ya last night they lost to Boston in a shootout, but they still got a point for it and they still looked very dangerous the whole game. Boston themselves are also lookin pretty deadly this season.

 

[a7xoff]

NHL Power Rankings 5th Edition***** Starting next week 5 teams will be added making this a top 15*****

1.) San Jose Sharks (LW: 3rd)
The Sharks have won three straight including a win over the impressive Chicago Blackhawks. At the 20 game marker the Sharks hold a 3 point lead over the rest of the league. Not to mention they've scored at least 9 more goals than their closest competitor, Detroit. They meet Washington on Saturday.

2.) Detroit Red Wings (LW: 2nd)
The champs keep on chasing San Jose. They too are on a three game win streak. If San Jose can give them a break and loose a game, look out cause we may have a new points leader.

3.) Boston Bruins (LW: 8th)
No one can deny that the Bruins have been on a huge tear as of late. They are by far one of the hottest teams in the league right now and have beaten the likes of the Canadians, Buffalo, and Chicago. In fact their only loss this month came in a shootout against the Rangers. They play Florida on Friday.

4.) Montreal Canadians (LW: 1st)
It's really been a tough go of it as of late for Montreal. 2 wins in 6 games is not something to be happy about, espically when your a team as good as Montreal can be. They've been scoring a lot still, but have allowed 18 goals over 6 games, that has proven very costly. They'll play Ottowa tomorrow night.

5.) New York Rangers (LW: 5th)
The Rangers rode a three game win streak, poised to move up in the rankings, then loose 6-3 to Vancouver. Biggest problem the Rangers now face is consistancy. Since blowing out the broken Devils 5-2, they've beaten both Boston and Ottowa, but both games required a shootout to be decided. All the stumbling has allowed Boston to come just 2 points away... They play Ottowa on Saturday.

6.) Pittsburgh Penguins (LW: 7th)
The comeback kids are at it again. After a bumpy start to the season, the Pens have gotten it back together, have gone 6-2-2 over their last ten, and have picked up points in 7 games straight. If there is one thing that the Pens do need to tighten a bit more on, it would be the defense. They'll play Atlanta tomorrow night.

7.) Washington Capitals (LW: NR)
The Caps are another team that have been rolling as of late. In fact so much that they've returned to the rankings with a number 7. The Caps were on a 5 game win streak until a crazy game in New Jersey saw the Devils shutdown Washington in a shootout. Did I mention Ovechkin scored with literally 1 second left in the game to send it to OT? Theodore also looks like he's finally started to find his groove in Washington. They are playing the Ducks right now.

8.) Buffalo Sabers (LW: 4th)
What's with these guys? One minute their up, the next they're down. Since getting back to back shutouts this month, Buffalo has 1 win in 6 games. Not for nothing, but that's not a good sign, but a lighter Atlantic Division schedule could help a bit before they meet Boston again. To win consistantly you have to score more goals than you allow... Buffalo has allowed and scored 54. They'll play the Flyers on Friday.

9.) Vancouver Canucks (LW: NR)
Vancouver is a team that started strong, quickly faded, but now is back in contention. Luongo can be thanked for a lot of that as they have one of the best GAA in the league at this point.

10.) Minnesota Wild (LW: NR)
The Wild get back on the list as they continue to do rather well for themselves so far this season. They have the best GA with just 31. Problem is they've only scored 42. If the Wild get some more goals look out!

Goodbye To: Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers,

Question Of The Week
With the way the schedule has panned out so far this year, do you think one team is really going to be able to dominate the entire league as Detroit did last year. At the 20 game mark, San Jose leads the league with just a 3 point lead. 7 Teams are currently within ten points, and it's just ten points from 6th to 30th in the league. So do you think that the schedule will continue to hold these teams so close or not.

Personally I think that the league will remain this tight. So far there has been a lot of upsets, and all the teams now at least have one good line, the Blues, like the Devils have been injury plagued, but I believe that once those injuries are over both of them will join the fray once again. Just about all of the teams are within ten points of each other, and we're roughly 20 games in and no one seems able to really dominate game after game.

 

[a7xoff]

NHL Power Rankings 6th Edition
1.) Boston Bruins (LW 3rd)
No one can deny that Boston is on a tear. They are 9-0-1 over their last ten games and show no signs of slowing down. Their one loss came in a shootout. It's not like they've even had that easy of a schedule as they have played Chicago, Montreal twice, Buffalo twice, and Toronto twice and beat them all. Last year was no mistake, this team is serious. They play Buffalo again tonight.

2.) San Jose Sharks (LW 1st)
San Jose keeps on winning and still holds a narrow 3 point lead over both Detroit and Boston. Over the course of the next three games, they shouldn't have too many problems as the play Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix. The Sharks are boasting 80 goals for and 51 against. 30+ more goals over against is a good sign as to this teams ability to play both offense and defense. They take on Chicago tonight.

3.) Detroit Red Wings (LW 2nd)
Dropping a spot due to Boston is Detroit. The Wings have not lost a game in regulation since October, unfortunatly for them though the Sharks were the team that beat them in the end of October causing their current 7-1-2 record. Biggest problem for the Wings right now is that San Jose is winning just as much as they are, and goal tending does not seem as good as it was last year. Are the goalies to blame for that, or the defense.

4.) Vancouver Canuks (LW 9th)
Vancouver is on a tear very similar to Boston's in fact they are 8-0-2. Without Luongo this team keeps on trucking. They've beaten the likes of the Rangers, Penguins, and the Red Wings. The fact that this team beat the Wings without Luongo says a lot about this team, as we all know Detroit is no push over, and Vancouver did not look this good on paper. They play Calgary tomorrow.

5.) Pittsburgh Penguins (LW 6th)
The Pens keep playing good hockey. They lost to Vancouver, but before doing so they had gotten points in each of their last 7 games. With Crosby starting to find the back of the net a little more the Pens look to continue being one of the hottest teams in the league. If this team can gain a little more consistancy over the next few games look out. Malkin already has a 30 point season going for him, and Crosby is not far off of that. The rest of the team has around 15, so it's time for a lot of them to step it up. They play the Islanders tonight.

6.) New York Rangers (LW 5th)
The Rangers still can't seem to find a consistant way of playing. They finally got a win against the Coyotes on Monday, but had not won a game in regulation since beating the Devils earlier in the month. The Rangers also are at least 2 games up on most of the league. They'll play Tampa Bay tonight.

7.) Anaheim Ducks (LW NR)
The Ducks fell off the rankings after only having 3 games in 8 days. They continue to play well and have really recovered from the rut that they were in at the start of the season. Anaheim has scored a lot of goals at 69, but they have let the same number in... One can only imagine that with the likes of Gigurere in net and guys like Niedermyer on defense, that will eventually correct itself. They play Chicago on Friday

8.) Chicago Blackhawks (LW NR)
Chicago continues to have one of it's best seasons in a long time. So far in November they have collected at least a point in all but one game. That would be 9 games with at least a point. They play the team that did not allow them to get a point tonight. That team is none other than the San Jose Sharks. Chicago is just one of 3 teams to break the 70 mark on goals so far this season.

9.) Minnesota Wild (LW 10th)
For a team without 50 goals, the Wild sit in 5th place in the West. That doesn't mean that the West has no goal scoring at all... Just look at the Wilds goals against. 39. Which is by far the best in the league. When your only giving up 1-2 goals a game it's not too hard to win. Problem for the Wild is that they desperatly need to score more. They play Dallas tonight.

10.) New Jersey Devils (LW NR)
Welcome to the list Devils! The Devils have won four straight games with a still badly beaten up roster. You can make the argument that they haven't played too good of teams, but one thing cannot be said. It can not be said that the Devils have not scored. Nor have they played against bad goalies. They've scored 12 goals in 2 games and look to add to that as they play Florida tonight. Congrats to Zubrus on his first 4 goal game he had against Tampa.

11.) Philadelphia Flyers (LW NR)
The Flyers are still trying to shake out the cobwebs from their very poor start of the season. Things are starting to look up for them though as they have won 5 straight. If there is one thing the Flyers need to work on it's goalkeeping and defense as they have allowed 63 goals and scored 69. I'm sure they would like to see the distance between those 2 numbers increase a bit. They hope to go for 6 in a row against Carolina tonight.

12.) Washington Capitals (LW 7th)
I feel bad for this team. Here they are rocketing up in the rankings, then they get four injuries in one game. Since then this team has not looked the same. They've only scored 7 goals in their last three games and have allowed 16. They play the Thrashers tonight.

13.) Calgary Flames (LW NR)
The Flames keep plugging along winning some and loosing some. Hard to believe that this team has allowed 70 goals and scored 65. Kiprusoff has been a little shakey so far this season, but we all know what him and the Flames are capable of doing. They play Vancouver tomorrow.

14.) New York Islanders (LW NR)
The Isles have gone 6-3-1 over their last ten which is a lot better than some of the other teams in the league. In fact they have won 5 of their last 6 and hope to beat the Penguins tonight in what could be a very interesting game should the Islanders play like they have over the course of the last 10.

15.) Columbus Blue Jackets (LW NR)
The Blue Jackets are having a little bit of a tough time in OT as they have lost 3 games in OT over the past 10 games. At the beginning of the month/ end of October the Jackets went 6 straight point getting games. They look to return to form tonight against the Coyotes.

Goodbye to: Montreal Canadians, Buffalo Sabers (How the mighty are falling)

Question Of The Week
Now that we have generally reached the 20 game marker. Who has impressed you the most so far, and who do you think will improve during the second quarter?

I've been really impressed with the play of both Boston and Chicago. Boston due to the fact that they were called a fluke so much last year and nobody expected them to do much this year, yet here they are fighting for first in the league. Then there's Chicago who is having a really amazing season so far. This team went from being one of the worst in the league to being able to contend with the likes of Detroit and Boston. I can only see that team continue to improve which is the scary part. I feel that the Devils are going to show a massive improvement over the course of the next 20 games. That team is so plagued with injuries, it's not even funny. Fortunatly though many of those guys are going to be coming back over the course of the next several weeks. No Brodeur has really not been too much of a problem now that the Devils realize that if they shoot the puck good things happen. Have a happy Thanksgiving WZers

 

[My$terio_Fan]

I agree about Boston, they really have stepped up their game this season and they have already show signs of becoming a strong threat for the cop. Thomas really is doing his thing and is being a great goaltender. My Montreal Canadiens have started strong but have been sort of sluggish as of late. Their shootout loss to Boston was upsetting, and I feel like something is not jelling right with them right now. Also look for the Sharks to be a real threat this year for the cup. The team has been solid so far and are looking good.

After 20 games(or more)here is how the teams ranked in their respective confrences.
Eastern Confrence:
1 Boston Bruins
2 New York Rangers
3 Washington Capitals
4 Pittsburgh Penguins
5 Montréal Canadiens
6 New Jersey Devils
7 Philadelphia Flyers
8 Carolina Hurricanes

Western Confrence:
1 San Jose Sharks
2 Detroit Red Wings
3 Vancouver Canucks
4 Anaheim Ducks
5 Minnesota Wild
6 Chicago Blackhawks
7 Calgary Flames
8 Nashville Predators
Note: Only the top 8 since only 8 teams from the division make the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if all 16 teams can keep up the winning and make the post season.

 

[a7xoff]

So let me get this straight... Montreal has been doing horrible as of late. When I say horrible I mean to the point where it would be hard to imagine this team getting to the playoffs... Then they go out last night and beat Detroit 3-1. If you came up to me and I didn't know how bad Montreal was doing over the last 10 or so games and told me they beat Detroit 3-1 and made it look kinda easy, I'd be like "Damn that team's going to make it far this year again."

Problem is over the last 10 they have not done well at all. I'd like to say though that a win over Detroit should give the team a little bit of confidence and hopefully for them a start of a turn around, cause the way the league is right now it won't e long before they are dropped from being in the top 8 to being well outside of it.

 

[RBH]

I was kinda upset that I am off the whole week from school and I only get to see one Ducks game (because they are playing at 1 PM western time on friday and I am working). They have no Jean Sebastian Gigerre for a few days because of personal reasons. I hope there isn't anything wrong with someone in his family. The Ducks would be the best team right now if they conquered their home woes. They currently have a 6-6-3 record at home I believe and have lost some games they should have won. They currently are one of the best road teams but even I know that cannot last. They have to start taking care of business at the Hona Center and establish themselves as a team that you dont want to play in their own building.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

NHL Power Rankings 6th Edition
1.)Question Of The Week
Now that we have generally reached the 20 game marker. Who has impressed you the most so far, and who do you think will improve during the second quarter?

Boston, absolutely. Lucic and company, as well as Tim Thomas, have been stellar. That's a tough team, and one that WILL make playoff noise.

I've been thrilled with Brian Boucher in the absence of Nabokov, mainly because I grabbed him off waivers in my fantasy league (got Curtis Sanford, too) and he's come up HUGE.

I've been disappointed with my fantasy teams. Brodeur, Semin, Stillman, Kotalik, and now Jokinen - ALL INJURED! Pissing me off.

Pittsburgh is really starting to fire away. I look for them to find the twine more and more each week, and I look for Jordan Staal to be a part of it.

And the trade deadline- can't wait. I wanna see where Gaborik winds up.

 

[a7xoff]

Well there's certainly some bad news for Ducks fans with Gigeure leaving for a few games. I hope and pray that everything is going to be all right with his family.

IC, perhaps you should stop picking top notch players... They all apparently get injured when you do... I have to agree though that the Pens look a lot stronger than they did at the start of the season, and are looking much more solid than before. I'm also with you on Staal being a part of it... A rather large part at that.

For the life of me I still can't figure out what is up with Dallas. Honestly did I miss something? I mean is Avery like a curse or something. Last time I checked early indications (off season) had Dallas being near a top contender again... I don't get it...