NHL Power Rankings At the Quarter Mark

Tyler WildeNov 21, 2007

1 - Ottawa Senators (16-3-0) - There's no doubt the Sens have been the class of the league thus far. Daniel Alfredsson is getting better with age, and Martin Gerber filled in so well for Ray Emery while Emery was hurt that Emery can't seem to get back into the net because Gerber just does not lose.

2 - Detroit Red Wings (14-5-1) - The Red Wings win with Dom Hasek in net. The Red Wings win with Chris Osgood in net. The Red Wings might win with Dan Cloutier in net the way they've been playing. Henrik Zetterberg may be the best all around player in the league.

3 - Carolina Hurricanes (12-6-3) - After missing the playoffs last year, and making no real significant changes in the off-season the Hurricanes have found their game again. One of the deepest offensive teams in the league, with the likes of Rod Brind'Amour, Cory Stillman, Justin Williams, Eric Staal, Ray Whitney, and Matt Cullen leading the charge. Cam Ward is also back to his Stanley Cup form after an off year last year.

4 - Montreal Canadiens (11-6-3) - Maybe the biggest surprise so far is the great start of the Habs. Alex Kovalev is on pace for a 40 goal season, his best since 2000-2001 with the Pens, whether he can maintain his hot pace will be key in the direction the Habs continue to head. Carey Price is also trying his damnedest to take the starter job away from Cristobal Huet with his stellar play so far.

5 - Philadelphia Flyers (11-7-1) - After finishing last last season and making some major changes in the off-season, the Flyers have come out of the gates this year a much better hockey team. Martin Biron is playing very well, establishing himself as a true number 1 goalie in the NHL for the first time in his career. Daniel Briere has been great as well, and when Simon Gagne is healthy it will only help the Flyers.

6 - New York Rangers (12-8-1) - The Rangers are the 2nd lowest scoring team in the NHL, so why are they so high? 2 words: "King Henrik". Henrik Lundqvist is among the league leaders in every goalie stat, and the Rangers are winning because of it. If the Rangers hope to continue to win though they need to start getting better production from the likes of Jaromir Jagr (4 goals in 21 games), Scott Gomez (15 points in 21 games), and Chris Drury (3 goals, 13 points in 21 games).

7 - New York Islanders (11-6-0) - The Islanders are another surprise at the quarter pole of the season. Rick DiPietro is playing very well, and a large part of the Islanders success thus far has been their outstanding special teams (11th on the power play, and 5th on the penalty kill). Miroslav Satan is a team leading plus seven, while being tied for 2nd in points on the team with 12.

8 - Saint Louis Blues (11-7-0) - 2 years removed from finishing dead last in the NHL, the Saint Louis Blues are headed back in the right direction. A big reason for their record thus far is their league leading penalty kill (an astounding 91.2%). Paul Kariya has been a welcome addition to the Blues, scoring over a point per game thus far. Brad Boyes is flourishing with the increased ice time he is getting with the Blues, leading the team with 12 goals thus far.

9 - San Jose Sharks (11-7-3) - Inconsistent thus far...Very inconsistent. The Sharks boast one of the league's top penalty kills and are one of the best defensive teams in the league, but beyond Joe Thornton the point production is very disappointing. Patrick Marleau has just 4 goals and 11 points through 21 games. Jonathan Cheechoo is even worse with a meager 3 goals and 7 points. Jeremy Roenick is a bit of a pleasant surprise thus far, with 6 goals and 13 points in 19 games. Rookie Devin Setoguchi is also impressing with 7 goals in just 10 games.

10 - Minnesota Wild (11-7-2) - After coming out of the gates so well (7-0-1 in their first 8 games) the Wild have cooled off quite a bit since then (4-7-1 in the 12 games since). A lot of that has to do with injuries. Stars Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra have both been in and out of the lineup, and goalie Nick Backstrom has also missed time. Minnesota is stingy on defense, as always, but it is to be seen if their stars can stay healthy enough long enough for them to challenge consistently for the division lead.

11 - Chicago Blackhawks (11-8-1) - Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews are bringing this franchise back from the dead. The pair of super rookies have shocked Chicago's offense back to life and a big reason for the early success of the club is the power play (4th in the league at 22.2%). The Hawks score a lot, and get scored on a lot and it makes for exciting hockey. Off-season additions Robert Lang (19 points in 20 games) and Jason Williams (18 points in 19 games) are also fitting in nicely. The eventual return of superstar Martin Havlat will only make the Hawks already potent offense even more dangerous.

12 - Colorado Avalanche (11-8-1) - A tale of two teams. The Avalanche are virtually unbeatable at home sporting a 9-1-0 record, but their road record leaves much to be desired at 2-6-1. Colorado doesn't really stand out in any one area. They score and give up an average amount of goals, they're average on the power play, and mediocre on the penalty kill. Super sophomore Paul Stastny leads the team with 22 points, with the ageless Joe Sakic right behind with 18. Major off-season signing Ryan Smyth has proven to be a bit of a non factor registering only 13 points and 6 goals thus far. Goaltending is also of concern for the Av's as on any given night both Peter Budaj and Jose Theodore can play like a vezina candidate, or an AHL backup.

13 - Boston Bruins (10-7-2) - Despite being told time and time again he isn't a starting goaltender (bringing in Manny Fernandez in the off-season) all Tim Thomas seems to do is play like he is a starting goaltender. Thomas boasts the league's best save percentage thus far at an unbelievable .941. Despite boasting one of the league's worst penalty kills (76.6%) Boston is in the top 10 in the NHL in goals against. The bulk of the credit goes to the stellar goal tending of Thomas. Marc Savard continues to be the most underrated play-maker in the league with 21 points in 18 games.

14 - Vancouver Canucks (10-8-2) - After a terrible start in which the Canucks lacked a full 60 minute effort on most nights and could not win at home, the Canucks have turned it around after seemingly hitting "rock bottom" losing top defensemen Sami Salo and Kevin Bieksa in the same game. Roberto Luongo has much to do with the resurgence of the team lately, as does the play of defenseman Alexander Edler who is taking on increased minutes with all the defensemen the Canucks are missing. The Sedin Twins and Markus Naslund are again carrying the bulk of the offensive load for the Canucks.

15 - Tampa Bay Lightning (10-8-2) - Boasting the league's best offense and leading scorer (Vincent Lecavalier - 34 points in 20 games), you'd think the Lightning would be a little better than hovering around the .500 mark. Goaltending in Tampa Bay is the Achilles heel of an otherwise outstanding team. Losing star defenseman Dan Boyle to a freak accident at the beginning of the season is another huge blow to the Lightning.

16 - Anaheim Ducks (10-8-3) - The Stanley Cup Champions of 2006-2007 seemed to come out of the gates with a bad Stanley Cup hangover. It is evident thus far that the Ducks dearly miss their top 2 goal scorers from last year Teemu Selanne and Dustin Penner, as well as future hall of famer Scott Niedermayer, as evident by the fact that Anaheim scores a meager 2.38 goals per game and is among the worst power plays in the league at 13.1%. They've started to find ways to win as of late, though, and with rumors of Niedermayer's possible return, it might not be long before the Ducks are among the class of the league again.

17 - Columbus Blue Jackets (9-7-4) - The Blue Jackets got off to their best start in franchise history going 8-3-2 in their first 13 games, but have since tailed right off going just 1-4-2 in the 7 games since. Much of the early success was the result of the amazing play of goaltender Pascal Leclaire (who recorded an amazing 5 shutouts in the team's first 13 games), and Rick Nash (who looks like the player that scored 41 goals in 2003-2004, and more). The Blue Jackets sport the 3rd best penalty kill in the league (89.7%) and give up the 4th fewest goals per game (2.30), but much of that is thanks to Leclaire's 5 shutouts.

18 - Dallas Stars (9-7-4) - The Stars have hovered around .500 virtually all season. In a bizarre move earlier this month they fired general manager Doug Armstrong, and named Brett Hull co-general manager. Despite having little to no goal scoring talent upon first glance, the Stars are the 9th highest scoring team in the league, thanks in large part to their 3rd ranked power play (clicking at 24%). Brenden Morrow, Mike Ribeiro, Jere Lehtinen, and Sergei Zubov are leading the offensive charge for the Stars.

19 - Nashville Predators (10-8-2) - After an abysmal start to the season which saw the Predators sit in last in the Western Conference for a short while, they seem to have righted the ship recently and are back in contention for a playoff spot in the West. Chris Mason briefly lost the starters job to Dan Ellis, after a combination of Mason's poor play and Ellis' strong play led to Ellis starting a string of games. Mason has the starting job back and seems to be playing well again. Nashville has the league's 3rd worst power play (13%) and improving on that would only continue to help Nashville get back in the hunt in the Western Conference.

20 - Atlanta Thrashers (10-10-0) - The Thrashers floundered as one of the worst teams in the league for the entire month of October. Starter Kari Lehtonen got hurt, superstars Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa looked uninspired and it looked like it was going to be a long season in Atlanta...and then Don Waddell fired Bob Hartley and took over the coaching duties himself. Ever since then the Thrashers have been one of the hottest teams in the league, Kovalchuk has gone on a tear and is now leading the league in goals, and Marian Hossa is quickly heating up. Makes you think something must have been up there. Atlanta still gives up the most goals in the league and has the worst penalty kill at 73.1%, but they're also scoring at a tremendous pace lately as well and as long as Kovalchuk and Hossa stay hot, they'll continue to win.

21 - Calgary Flames (9-9-3) - About the only thing going right in Calgary is Jarome Iginla. The star winger has 11 goals and 26 points in 20 games...That's about where the positives end for the Flames thus far. For a team that on paper looks among the best in the league, they aren't playing up to that potential. Even star goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is struggling sporting an ugly .885 save%. The Flames special teams may hold the key to their problems, as they're 2nd last on the penalty kill (75.2%) and 17th on the power play (15.8%). You also have to wonder how Mike Keenan's style of coaching is going over with the players the way the Flames have struggled so far.

22 - Toronto Maple Leafs (8-9-5) - Another year, another "starting" goaltender in Toronto. This year it's Vesa Toskala, who, through a quarter of the season has yet to fully establish himself as the team's #1 guy over Andrew Raycroft. Both guys have very similar stats, and both guys seem to be very hit or miss thus far. Toronto also has problems with their defense giving the other team far too many quality scoring chances per game. Toronto is among the league's best in goals per game (5th with 3.14 goals per game) and the league's worst in goals against (29th with 3.43 goals against per game). Some stability on the defensive side of the puck is much needed for the Leafs to even begin to show any kind of consistency.

23 - Pittsburgh Penguins (8-10-2) - For a team with such amazing top end talent with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Ryan Whitney, and others it's a shame the Penguins can't find their game a quarter into the season. Starter Marc-Andre Fleury has been outplayed by little known backup Dany Sabourin, which is a big reason for the Pens struggles thus far. Another reason could be the play of veterans Marc Recchi and Gary Roberts who between them have a pitiful 3 goals. Jordan Staal is also greatly struggling recording only 1 goal and 1 assist through the first 20 games of the season.

24 - New Jersey Devils (8-10-2) - Do the Devils really miss Brian Rafalski and Scott Gomez that much? It looks like it. The Devils have struggled to score goals this season, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. What should is the fact that they are not in the top 15 in the NHL in goals against. Marty Brodeur has been uncharacteristically un-Brodeur like. Special teams are absolutely killing the Devils as they rank 29th on the power play (12.5% success rate) and 27th on the penalty kill (76.7% success rate). It's not all bad news though, as the Devils seem to be playing better as of late, and you can never count Martin Brodeur out for too long. Increased production from stars Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta would help.

25 - Florida Panthers (9-12-1) - Florida is struggling in spite of decent special teams (8th ranked power play and 15th ranked penalty kill). Despite having a decent power play, Florida struggles to score goals ranking 23rd in the NHL in goals per game. Offseason acquisition Tomas Vokoun has been good, but not great, and for Florida to challenge for a playoff spot, he'll need to be great. Olli Jokinen is producing above a point a game, as always, and remains one of the lone bright spots on the team.

26 - Los Angeles Kings (8-11-1) - The Kings are a young team, and it shows. There are flashes where they will play like they're a playoff team, and then they'll lose 3 or 4 in a row. Putting the puck in the net is not a problem, but keeping it out is. Goaltender Jason Labarbera has performed admirably as the starter but it's obvious he's either not ready or good enough to be one. Forwards Mike Cammalleri, Alexander Frolov, and Anze Kopitar have all been good for the Kings thus far.

27 - Buffalo Sabres (7-10-1) - It's very disappointing that the Sabres have faltered this much this far into the season. Everyone knew it was a blow losing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, but I don't think anyone anticipated it being this bad. The Sabres are not that bad in team goals for or against per game, and boast the 7th best penalty kill in the league, but they give up timely goals and just aren't finding ways to win. Goaltender Ryan Miller has played decent, but not great. Players like Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Tim Connolly, Ales Kotalik, and especially Thomas Vanek (who has an abysmal 4 goals thus far) really need to step up and start providing more offense.

28 - Phoenix Coyotes (8-10-0) - Phoenix has virtually no offensive talent, and it shows. The Coyotes are a dismal 27th in the league in goals per game, and don't sport the defense or goaltending to make up for it (although the recent acquisition of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov will help). There's a lot of work to be done here.

29 - Edmonton Oilers (8-12-1) - The Oilers defense has been decimated by injury, Dwayne Roloson has played poorly, and the Oilers are dead last in the league in goals per game. All this leads up to a bad start out of the gates. The Oilers also sport the worst power play in the league at under 10%. Off-season RFA signing Dustin Penner has been disappointing at best scoring only 4 goals and 10 points thus far. The bright spots for the Oilers include the play of youngsters Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner, and Tom Gilbert.

30 - Washington Capitals (6-13-1) - I think it's safe to say adding Michael Nylander, Viktor Kozlov, and Tom Poti isn't really helping in Washington for whatever reason. Fixing the special teams would help. Ovechkin continues to shine despite playing on a terrible team.