Another awesome week in the NHL is done. There were lots of surprises, turn-arounds, and significant jumps in the rankings. The first number (smaller one) indicated the team's previous ranking, while the bigger number is this week's ranking. Enjoy.
2/ 1. San Jose Sharks . . . 7-0-1
Still no regulation losses for a team that's just barely edging out the Blackhawks for first place. The difference here is San Jose's commanding +16 goal differential. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau continue to lead the way on this team, with Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture not far behind.
1/ 2. Chicago Blackhawks . . . 7-0-2
With points in all nine of their games so far this season, Chicago is well deserving of the top spot, if not for San Jose's dominance thusfar. These two teams have a match-up this week which should help clarify who the number 1 position truly belongs to.
4/ 3. Tampa Bay Lightning . . . 6-2-0
If Tampa's offense doesn't scare the shit out of you, then the only explanation is you probably don't have any shit in you. 15 goals in 3 games this week for 39 on the year so far. The closest team to them is still 8 goals behind.
3/ 4. St. Louis Blues . . . 6-2-0
Rookie Vladimir Tarasenko continues to lead this unbelievably balanced team, whose only losses have come against Chicago and Detroit so far. Bonus points for Wade Redden having just as many goals as Ovechkin.
8/ 5. Montreal Canadiens . . . 6-2-0
This team's been a big surprise so far. After finishing last in the conference last season, Montreal's out to a terrific start. Only one loss since their defeat opening night. If you look up the word "solid" in the dictionary, it'll probably say "see Carey Price".
10/ 6. Pittsburgh Penguins . . 6-3-0
After a tough loss to the Islanders, the Pens picked up 3 convincing wins over rival teams. The new faces in Pittsburgh are fitting in well, and their contributions have been huge. Fleury's been good in net, but Vokoun has been even better.
5/ 7. Boston Bruins . . . 6-1-1
Boston's been almost unbeatable until a 7-4 breakdown against Buffalo and narrowly edging out Toronto on Saturday. Still, 6 wins in 8 games is pretty impressive. Overall, this team's been great, but there's a few that have been just a little better recently.
12/ 8. Anaheim Ducks . . . 5-1-1
Things are coming together in Anaheim. Their forwards are getting going and as a result, the Ducks have points in each of their last four games. The team's record speaks for itself.
6/ 9. New Jersey Devils . . . 4-1-3
Devils fans will say only 1 regulation loss in 8 games. Most anyone else would say only 4 wins in 8 games. Even though the team's been losing more than other top 10 teams, they've been picking up points in their losses. After giving up 10 goals in 2 games, New Jersey cleaned up with a 3-0 win Sunday.
19/ 10. Vancouver Canucks . . . 4-2-2
The scoring's been off to a slow start for Vancouver, but that's okay, because Luongo has re-emerged as Vancouver's number 1 goalie. His 1.46 GAA is second only to Craig Anderson. In their last game, Vancouver took down the mighty Chicago Blackhawks.
9/ 11. Ottawa Senators . . . 5-3-1
Lots of players have stepped up and played really well for Ottawa, especially Kyle Turris, whose racked up 8 points in 9 games. The story of this team though is Craig Anderson. He's only giving up about a goal per game and is rocking a mind-blowing .964 save percentage.
17/ 12. New York Rangers . . . 4-4-0
Gaborik, Richards and Nash lead the offense for the Blueshirts, who have 3 wins in their last 4 games. Their next game comes against the rival Devils, who beat them in the Eastern Conference final last season. This will be a huge test for a team that has something to prove after their slow start to the season.
13/ 13. New York Islanders . . . 4-3-1
The Islanders picked up two big wins over Pittsburgh and New Jersey last week. Evgeni Nabakov's proven he's still capable of being a reliable starter in the NHL, and John Tavares has been leading the way for one of the better offensive teams in the league so far.
20/ 14. Detroit Red Wings . . . 4-3-1
Detroit's picked up points in 4 of their last 5 games, which includes 3 wins, one of them being over St. Louis. The absence of Lidstrom on the blue line still isn't doing the team any favors, however, they seem to be adjusting.
15/ 15. Colorado Avalanche . . . 4-4-0
The goalies have played well, and so have the top forwards. After 3 straight losses, this team's looked good with 2 big wins. However, Colorado needs more depth contributions.
16/ 16. Minnesota Wild . . . 4-3-1
Minnesota won 2 of their 3 games last week, including a win over Chicago. Zach Parise leads the team in points and Backstrom's been better in net. The Wild have a light schedule this week and should be able to improve their position among the top 16.
18/ 17. Edmonton Oilers . . . 4-3-1
Edmonton's been playing a lot of close games, and are picking up points more often than not. The top 6 forwards have been the primary reason this team is playing well. But like last week, they still need an all-around bigger team effort to tip more of the scales in their favor in all these close games.
24/ 18. Toronto Maple Leafs . . . 4-4-0
Toronto won 2 out of 3 this week, and played a close game against Boston. Reimer's played well in net. Their top offensive guys are off to a slow start though, especially Phil Kessel. No goals in the first 8 games isn't going to cut it.
29/ 19. Phoenix Coyotes . . . 3-4-2
Phoenix secured 2 wins and points in all 4 games last week. Both wins were shutouts courtesy of Chad Johnson and Mike Smith. The Coyotes seem to have sorted out their early defensive struggles, and the return of Mike Smith should really help with that. They're also getting offensive contributions from all over the line-up, and are averaging a strong 3 goals for per game.
21/ 20. Nashville Predators . . . 3-2-3
The team's played okay, and 8 games into the season, have already found themselves in 5 shootouts. The up-side is they're picking up enough points to remain in the playoff hunt. The down-side is they only have 1 win in regulation and got shutout by Phoenix.
14/ 21.Carolina Hurricanes . . . 3-4-0
Only one win last week for the Hurricanes who can't seem to get it going. The Staal brothers have been the best component for a talented team that's struggling early. Their special teams have been the thorn in their side this season. They're in the bottom 5 for both the powerplay and penalty kill.
7/ 22. Winnipeg Jets . . . 3-4-1
After such a promising start, the Jets have fallen on hard times. They've lost their last 3 straight games and have given up 18 goals in the process. The good news is that they're not having problems scoring themselves. The bad news is, well, everything else. Penalty kill is operating at a league-worst 59.3%
22/ 23. Buffalo Sabres . . . 3-5-1
Since winning their first two games, Buffalo's only picked up 1 more win and 3 more points. Defensively, they've struggled. However, Thomas Vanek leads the league with 19 points in just 8 games. Pominville and Hodgson have also been playing very well.
11/ 24. Dallas Stars . . . 3-5-1
The Dallas Stars have 1 win in their last 6 games. The goaltending's been good, but goal scoring has been a big problem. This team is the second worst in that department so far.
25/ 25. Philadelphia Flyers . . . 3-6-0
The Flyers broke a three game losing streak with a 5-3 win over Carolina. Bryzgalov's been good in net, and once this club finally gets it's offense going, they may be a force to be reckoned with again.
28/ 26. Columbus Blue Jackets . . . 3-5-1
Columbus picked up 2 wins last week and are playing better defensively. In fact, they're one of the best penalty killing teams in the league. However, they're only averaging 2 goals per game and will be stuck near the bottom of the standings again if they can't step it up and start to string a few wins together.
23/ 27. Los Angeles Kings . . . 2-3-2
This is not the start the Kings envisioned. They managed to collect 3 points this week, but were also lit up for 7 goals by the Ducks. Everything on this team has been average, except for their scoring. (Or lack there-of.) That's been below average.
26/ 28. Calgary Flames . . . 1-3-2
Calgary's been playing well at times, it just hasn't shown yet. They were only in action twice last week, and despite not being able to get a win, they did take the Blackhawks to a shootout. They've played well defensively but Mikka Kiprusoff's been weak in net. With only 1 win in 6 games, there's lots of room for improvement in Calgary.
30/ 29. Florida Panthers . . . 3-5-0
After an embarrassing 5 game losing streak, the Panthers picked up 2 wins and seem to have found a scoring touch. The problem is making it last. Their powerplay's improved, but there's still a number of problems in Sunrise.
27/ 30. Washington Capitals . . . 2-6-1
Braden Holtby is not the goalie he was last season, and with Ovechkin playing the way he is, the Caps don't look to be a contender this year. With just 2 wins in 9 games, the Capitals have dug themselves a deep hole early.
So that's it for week two. Disagree with my list? Think your team is ranked too low? Leave a comment and let me know why. Be sure to check back in next week and see the updated rankings.
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