NHL Weekly Fives from the Sports Mac: October 27, 2010

Five Stories Making News this Past Week

1. In a big blow to the Colorado Avalanche, goalie Craig Anderson injured his knee in pregame warmups. There is no timetable for his return.

2. The NHL has decided to impose no additional punishment for Los Angeles Kings D Dustin Brown after his big hit on Antti Miettinin.

3. Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville changed things up and dropped Patrick Kane to the third line. Tomas Kopecky will now center the second line.

4. Early on, the Central Division looks like it will be a rough-and-tumble affair as all five teams already have 10 points, and three points separate first from fifth.

5. Teams that missed the playoffs last season continue to surprise, as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars have started off strong.

Best Five Teams Right Now

1. Nashville Predators (5-0-3, 13 points): Definitely the surprise of the season, they still have not lost in regulation.

2. Los Angeles Kings (6-2-0, 12 points): The young Kings are off to a strong start as they are in the middle of a Midwest road trip.

3. Calgary Flames (6-3-0, 12 points): They’ve been hot; winners of three in a row. They are 4-1 at home.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-3-1, 11 points): After their early struggles at home, they’ve found success on the road, going 3-0-1 in four contests this season.

5. Detroit Red Wings (5-1-1, 11 points): The Red Wings are off to their usual good start, having lost only once. They have yet to lose at home in regulation.

Worst Five Teams Right Now

1. New Jersey Devils (2-6-1, 5 points): The defensive problems continue for New Jersey as they have now allowed 30 goals in nine games, or an average of 3.33 per game.

2. Edmonton Oilers (2-4-1, 5 points): The Oilers have their own defensive woes, giving up 26 goals in their first seven games. Winning teams do not give up nearly four goals per game.

3. Florida Panthers (3-4-0, 6 points): Florida may be next-to-last in the Eastern Conference, but they have actually outscored teams, 18-15, so far.

4. Ottawa Senators (3-5-1, 7 points): Ottawa’s problems have been on the road, where they are just 1-3-1.

5. Atlanta Thrashers (3-4-1, 7 points): All their new acquisitions in the offseason haven't begun to jell yet.

Five League Leaders To Track

1. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning C: He continues to be the key to Tampa Bay’s good start, tied for most goals in the league, with eight.

2. John-Michael Liles, Avalanche D: As his 11 assists have proven, he's still one the best helpers in the league. That’s a big number for a defenseman.

3. Brad Richards, Stars C: The Dallas captain is tied with four other players, two of them teammates, in accumulating a plus-eight when he is on the ice this season.

4. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins G: The Boston goaltender continues to be a wall, having allowed only three goals so far to lead with a .978 save percentage and a 0.75 GAA.

5. Jonathan Quick, Kings G: He’s been a key in five of the Kings' six wins this season.

Five Games to Watch (All Times Eastern)

1. St. Louis Blues (4-1-2) at Nashville Predators (5-0-3), 8:00 PM, Thursday: Can Nashville remain perfect in regulation when St. Louis come calling for an early-season Central Division showdown?

2. Montreal Canadiens (5-2-1) at New York Islanders (4-2-2), 7:00 PM, Friday: New York tries to continue its improved play while getting a visit from Montreal and leading scorer Andrei Kostitsyn.

3. Washington Capitals (5-3-0) at Calgary Flames (6-3-0), 10:00 PM, Saturday: Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals make the long trek to Alberta to face Calgary and Miikka Kiprusoff.

4. Chicago Blackhawks (5-4-1) at New York Rangers (4-2-1), 7:00 PM, Monday: An Original Six matchup that features Chicago traveling to the Garden to take on New York and King Henrik.

5. Montreal Canadiens (5-2-1) at Columbus Blue Jackets (5-3-0), 7:00 PM, Tuesday: Columbus, which is off to a solid start despite only four points from Rick Nash, welcomes Montreal to the Midwest.