Here is the Alan Bass NHL power rankings for the mid-point of the 2008-2009 NHL campaign!
1. Detroit Red Wings (29-7-5, 63 points)
No matter how many points San Jose or Boston have, the Wings still are playing like the best team in the league, especially as of recent, as they are 8-1-1 in their last ten. They also are among the league leaders in offense.
2. Boston Bruins (31-7-4, 66 points)
Boston is the team that is never short on hard work. Even when they lose, they go down fighting. Boston is a shockingly big surprise this season, and will surprise even more in the second half of the season.
3. San Jose Sharks (31-5-5, 67 points)
The Sharks most likely have the best raw talent out of any team in the league this season, but as of recent, they do not look to be as good as they were at the beginning of the season, hence the third spot.
4. Montreal Canadiens (25-10-6, 56 points)
Les Canadiens are fresh off discovering that four of their players will be headed to the All Star game (or staying put, for that matter). Their play is responding, being 8-1-1 in their last ten games, and dominating almost everyone that they play.
5. Washington Capitals (27-13-3, 57 points)
The Caps are leading their division now, rather than on the last day of the season (like last year). They have one of the best top lines in hockey, but their lack of third and fourth line depth is often a problem.
6. Philadelphia Flyers (23-10-9, 55 points)
The Flyers are one of the most inconsistent teams in the season for the 2008-2009 campaign, but when they play to their full potential, they can seldom be stopped. Look for them to win the Atlantic and make another run to the third round.
7. Calgary Flames (25-12-4, 54 points)
Most people would have told you before the season that Calgary would “enjoy” another season of mediocrity. But did you think that they were going to be a consistently good team, especially being 8-1-1 in their last ten games?
8. Chicago Blackhawks (22-10-7, 51 points)
Chicago is reborn, both the team and the city. After a great Winter Classic that was a huge success, Chicago is looking forward to their first playoffs in a long time, and their first time being Stanley Cup contenders. If only they could get past the Red Wings and the Sharks…
9. New Jersey Devils (24-14-3, 51 points)
The Devils are not playing their best hockey recently, but they are still managing just fine without their hall of fame goaltender.
10. New York Rangers (25-15-4, 54 points)
The Rangers may be second place in the Atlantic Division, but as of recent, they are not playing like it, being 4-4-2 in their last ten games.
11. Buffalo Sabres (21-16-5, 49 points)
The recipients of last season’s Winter Classic, the Sabres are silently sneaking up on the members of the Northeast Division.
12. Vancouver Canucks (22-17-5, 49 points)
The Canucks are an interesting team; some people said they would stink, others said they would dominate. They are not doing either, but I would not count this team out halfway through the season. They are playing great hockey.
13. Carolina Hurricanes (21-17-5, 47 points)
Paul Maurice, taking over his former team, has helped bring this team back where they should be; challenging for the Southeast Division lead.
14. Colorado Avalanche (22-19-1, 45 points)
Colorado is trying as hard as they can while they succumb to the injury bug, but you cannot expect them to do that much without their top two centers and the lack of a great starting goalie. Where is Patrick Roy when you need him?
15. Anaheim Ducks (21-17-5, 47 points)
The Ducks seem to be struggling without Brian Burke leading their front office staff, going 3-5-2 in their last ten games, and playing as if they were the Islanders.
16. Florida Panthers (20-16-6, 46 points)
The Panthers are not good. That is a fact. But they are playing better than anyone expected. Being over .500 right now is a blessing for them.
17. Columbus Blue Jackets (20-18-4, 44 points)
The Jackets are doing fine, but I expected them to be better at this point. After the Derick Brassard injury, they never seemed to recover, and now they are slowly sinking towards the bottom.
18. Dallas Stars (17-17-6, 40 points)
Dallas’ record does not show who they truly are. They are at .500, but they are only a few points out of eighth place in the West. They could easily make the playoffs if they, too can get over the injury bug.
19. Phoenix Coyotes (21-17-5, 47 points)
The Great One’s team is not too great, but they are playing better than most people would think. They have a few good rookies in Kyle Turris and Mikkel Boedker, both playing in the Youngstars game this season, and Victor Tikhonov. Expect them to be good in another two years or so.
20. Edmonton Oilers (19-18-3, 41 points)
Edmonton is a mystery. They seem like they could be good, then they let you down. Which team are we going to see in the second half?
21. Minnesota Wild (20-18-3, 43 points)
The Wild should be much higher on this list, even without Marian Gaborik, because they are used to him being out. But if that really is the reason they are not succeeding this season, they better think of a replacement after Gaborik leaves this summer.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-19-4, 44 points)
Pittsburgh is one of the best teams in the league, but is playing its worst hockey since possibly before the lockout, going 2-8 in their last ten games.
23. Tampa Bay Lightning (12-19-10, 34 points)
The Lightning were expected to be the Flyers of this season, jumping back to the playoffs, but after Steven Stamkos did not perform like he was expected to, the Lightning faltered with their newfound rookie.
24. Nashville Predators (19-19-3, 41 points)
The Predators somehow always manage to sneak into the playoffs with Barry Trotz as their coach, so expect them to do it again this season, even while being 4-6 recently.
25. St. Louis Blues (16-21-3, 35 points)
The Blues are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and they do not seem like they will be moving up anytime soon.
26. Los Angeles Kings (17-18-6, 40 points)
The Kings have some phenomenal rookies and prospects, including Drew Doughty, Oscar Moller, and goalie Jonathan Bernier. Expect them to dominate…in a few years.
27. Toronto Maple Leafs (16-20-6, 38 points)
The Leafs are not as bad as their record shows. They play hard every night and seem to dominate the play often. But they have many a defensive breakdown throughout their games, and their goaltending has not been very reliable.
28. Atlanta Thrashers (14-24-5, 33 points)
Losing rookie defensive phenom Zack Bogosian did not affect the Thrashers at all. They were bad before, and they are still bad.
29. Ottawa Senators (13-21-6, 32 points)
Ottawa is one of the strangest collapses that the hockey world has seen in the past few years. They have a dominant first line, but that first line has failed to produce, just like their second through fourth lines and goaltending.
30. New York Islanders (12-26-4, 28 points)
Hedman or Tavares?
Be sure to check out Michael Wagner's power rankings as well!
Alan Bass is a Senior Writer for Bleacher Report and the Community Leader for the NHL and Philadelphia Flyers’ section; a writer for Prohockeynews.com, he is also the co-host of NHL 2Day, a weekly radio show on Youcastr.com. You can contact him at ALN424@aol.com. You can also check out his BR archives here.
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