NHL Power Grid: The League's Top 15

Mark Buterbaugh

Dec 4, 2009

pgrid The Power Grid our subjective ranking of the Top 15 teams in the NHL. We don’t do it weekly like other power polls or team rankings, because a week does not necessarily tell or spell out new trends with teams. Switching teams around after a week, that may only include two additional games for a team, doesn’t make much sense. This is not a full NHL ranking, but what we believe are the Top 15. So here you go . . .

1st: San Jose Sharks: For the second straight Power Grid, the Sharks maintain the number 1 spot. They lead the Western Conference (WC) by 6 points over Calgary and Chicago. They also lead the NHL overall with 43 points, 3 above Washington and Pittsburgh. The Sharks have won 3 of their last 4. They have three big home games up next, at home against Calgary, surging Dallas, and Los Angeles. Red hot Joe Thorton is riding a 9 game scoring streak in which he has recorded 2 goals and 15 assists. Ryan Clowe has an 8 game scoring streak. Joe Thorton leads the Sharks with 7 goals and 33 assists, 40 points. ( NC – 2nd week )

2nd: Washington Capitals: The Capitals got Alex Ovechkin back, now Alex Ovechkin is gone for a 2 game suspension on an inadvertent knee to knee hit on Carolina’s Tim Gleasen. Caps respond with a 6-2 hammering of Florida last night. Caps have won 4 straight games, and are the only team in the NHL that is still undefeated against their division. The Caps are in a tie for 1st in the Eastern Conference (EC) with 40 points and off to an impressive 17-5-6 start. For those out there that still retain the past notion the Caps are Ovechkin and can’t win without him, chew on this, the Caps are 5-1-1 without Alex the Great. Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps with 18 goals and 12 assists, 30 points. ( NC )

3rd: Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pens are wining and will be in even better shape soon when guys like Alex Goligoski, Kris Letang and Tim Kennedy return from injury. The Pens are on a tear, winning 6 of their last 7. Their tear has been led by Sidney Crosby who has a whopping 7 goals and 4 assists in his last 3 games. Crosby jets up to third overall in scoring. Evgeni Malkin has 4 goals and 10 assist since returning from injury on NOV 14. Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fluery lead the NHL with 17 wins (17-7). Crosby leads the Pens with 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points. ( +1 )

4th: Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks just inked contract extension to their young stars, Patrick Kane (5 years), Johnathan Toews (5 years) , and Duncan Keith (13 years). Since NOV 9, the Hawks have gone 9-1-1 and sky rocketed up the WC standings to a solid second place tie with Calgary. They have a 5 point lead over Nashville in the Central division. Another good thing going for the Hawks is they have 14 games left in December, 9 will be in Chicago. They face 2nd place Nashville tonight. Patrick Kane leads Chicago with 9 goals, 17 assists, and 26 points. Chicago is our second biggest mover since the last Power Grid, jumping 7 spots, next to the debuting Boston Bruins. ( +7 ) [Read more →]

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