NHL Power Rankings: Carter and the Flyers, Surging Red Wings Top East, West
The Red Wings have returned to the top of the NHL food chain. Reports indicate that a bubbler in their locker room contains water from the fountain of youth.
Yahoo! Sports columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika claims his man-crush, Nicklas Lidstrom, is the perfect man (http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=nc-lidstrom111710).
Philadelphia and Tampa Bay may consider playing the entire game with six skaters after an 8-7 shootout in Philly.
The Kings are having trouble scoring and the Blackhawks have not played well in their own zone.
The hockey world is a mixed-up place.
1. Detroit Red Wings
1 of 30
Last week: 4
Record: 13-3-2 (28 pts)
The Red Wings have the league's best offense, scoring 3.7 goals per game. They also are among the top 10 in goals against and special teams.
Detroit made the most of the recent homestand. The Red Wings won five of six, their only loss coming in overtime to Minnesota.
Despite playing in a tough division with a target on their back, the Wings are once again among the league's finest.
2. Philadelphia Flyers
2 of 30
Last week: 2
Record: 13-6-2 (28 pts)
The Flyers have the league's second-best offense, but have been struggling on special teams.
Sean O'Donnell, a summertime pickup, is second in the league with a plus-15.
The most recent Bolts/Flyers contest in Philly was a thriller. The two teams combined to score 15 goals. However, the home team was edged by a single goal.
3. Washington Capitals
3 of 30
Last week: 1
Record: 14-5-2 (30 pts)
It's been a career year for Alexander Semin and he—not teammates Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, who signed long-term deals with the Capitals—leads Washington with 14 goals and 26 points.
He's a major reason why the Caps are scoring 3.5 goals per game (fourth in NHL) and finding the back of the net 23.7 percent of the time (fifth in the NHL) that they have an extra man.
However, the Caps were crushed in Atlanta 5-0 and lost in a shootout to Philly in their most recent games.
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4. Montreal Canadiens
4 of 30
Last week: 5
Record: 13-6-1 (27 pts)
Montreal continues to rely on stifling defense—the Habs allow an average of only two goals per game (second in NHL) and have the league's best penalty kill (90.5 percent)—to win games.
The Canadiens have given up three goals once in their last six games, but lost that game 3-0 to Nashville.
Next week the Canadiens' defense will be tested in Philadelphia and against the LA Kings.
5. Colorado Avalanche
5 of 30
Last week: 19
Record: 12-7-1 (25 pts)
Colorado has the third-best offense in the league and a solid power play, but it continues to play poorly on defense.
However, the team continues to win.
In the recent four-game win streak, the team beat St. Louis 6-3 and San Jose 4-3 in OT.
6. Los Angeles Kings
6 of 30
Last week: 3
Record: 13-6-0 (26 pts)
The Kings continue to play out of character. Their defense is fourth in the league (2.4 goals against) and their penalty kill is fifth (87.8 percent).
However, their offense is not scoring three goals per game and their power play only converts 14.5 percent of the time (23rd in NHL).
A major reason is because Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown have not played like elite forwards. Justin Williams, however, has stepped up in their absence. He leads the team with nine goals and 20 points.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning
7 of 30
Last week: 14
Record: 11-7-2 (24 pts)
The Bolts have been outstanding on special teams.
Tampa's power play (24.4 percent) and penalty kill (89 percent) are third in the league and its offense is fifth overall.
However, the team gives up 3.2 goals per game (24th in NHL).
The Bolts have won three straight games away from the Ice Palace, including an 8-7 thriller in Philly, and they return home against Boston for a Monday night showdown on Versus.
8. Boston Bruins
8 of 30
Last week: 15
Record: 11-5-2 (24 pts)
The Boston Bruins are finally playing up to expectations.
They have the league's best defense and second-best penalty kill.
Boston's contest against the Lightning in Tampa tonight on Versus will be a defining game early in the season for the B's.
9. Phoenix Coyotes
9 of 30
Last week: 9
Record: 10-5-5 (25 pts)
The Phoenix Coyotes are in the bottom half of the league in all four major categories, but they continue to hang in there.
The team has won six straight, including wins over Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis and Vancouver.
10. St. Louis Blues
10 of 30
Last week: 7
Record: 11-5-3 (25 pts)
The Blues have slumped in the absence of T.J. Oshie.
The team is 20th in the league in goals per game (2.6) and power-play percentage (15.3 percent).
St. Louis dropped five straight before crushing Ottawa 5-2 on Friday.
A Wednesday night game in Nashville on Versus will provide a great opportunity for this team to show it is still among the league's best.
11. Columbus Blue Jackets
11 of 30
Last week: 12
Record: 12-6-0 (24 pts)
The Jackets have the league's fifth-best defense due in part to defensive-defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who leads the league with a plus-16 rating.
Klesla, the first player drafted by the Blue Jackets organization (fourth overall in 2000), is finally making a major impact in Ohio.
The Jackets have won three straight away from Columbus, but they face Detroit twice next week.
12. Pittsburgh Penguins
12 of 30
Record: 8
Last week: 11-8-2 (24 pts)
With all the offensive firepower this team has, the Penguins should not have the league's 25th power play (13.5 percent).
However, the team is scoring three goals a game (seventh in NHL) and killing penalties at an 88.5-percent rate (fourth in NHL).
Sidney Crosby is doing his part. He's second behind Tampa's Steven Stamkos with 14 goals and 33 points.
13. Chicago Blackhawks
13 of 30
Last week: 17
Record: 11-10-2 (24 pts)
Like LA, Chicago is playing out of character. The team's offense is among the league's top 10, but the defense is in the bottom half.
The team is in a middle of a six-game road trip that has consisted of a 5-0 win over reeling Edmonton, 7-2 loss to the old men in Calgary and a 7-1 win in Vancouver.
No idea how the rest of the road trip, in which it plays all three California teams, will go.
14. Vancouver Canucks
14 of 30
Last week: 6
Record: 10-7-3 (23 pts)
The Canucks have the league's best power play and are in the top 10 in goals against and penalty kill, but they are struggling to score on even strength.
Despite looking solid on paper, the 'Nucks have dropped four straight, including a 7-1 stinker against Chicago.
15. New York Rangers
15 of 30
Last week: 18
Record: 11-9-1 (23 pts)
The Rangers have stepped it up offensively, scoring three goals per game, but they need to work on their special teams and defense in order to enter the league's elite.
New York has bounced back well after being crushed 5-1 by Colorado, lighting up Minnesota 5-2 in Marian Gaborik's return to the Twin Cities.
16. Atlanta Thrashers
16 of 30
Last week: 20
Record: 9-9-3 (21 pts)
Andrew Ladd, not Dustin Byfuglien, has been the biggest offseason pickup for the Thrashers.
He leads the team with 14 assists and 21 points.
If the Thrashers could play defense, they would be able to pull off more wins like their 5-0 rout of the Caps in Washington last Friday.
17. San Jose Sharks
17 of 30
Last week: 13
Record: 9-6-4 (22 pts)
The Sharks are still hurting from their rough start, but they are continuing to return to form.
San Jose dropped two in overtime before being routed by Columbus 3-0 in the Bay Area.
Games against Chicago and in Vancouver will give fans an indication of where the team goes on its path of recovery.
18. Nashville Predators
18 of 30
Last week: 16
Current record: 9-6-3 (21 pts)
The Predators have brutal special teams—they are in the lower third of the league—and struggle offensively, but they were able to roll Montreal north of the border, 3-0, on Thursday.
Nashville will be tested next week with division games in Columbus and on Versus in the Cellblock against St. Louis.
19. Minnesota Wild
19 of 30
Last week: 21
Record: 10-7-2 (22 pts)
If the Wild could score on even strength, they could make a legitimate run for the Northwest crown.
Minnesota has the third-best defense (2.4 goals against), second-best power play (26.3 percent), and eighth-best penalty kill (84.7 percent) in the league.
Unfortunately, without a solid offensive effort each night, the team has been inconsistent.
In the Wild's last four games, they beat the Lightning in Florida (4-1), almost lost to Anaheim (2-1 OT), beat the Wings in Detroit (4-3 OT) and lost to the Rangers in Gaborik's return to the Twin Cities (5-2).
20. Anaheim Ducks
20 of 30
Last week: 10
Record: 10-10-3 (23 pts)
Corey Perry continues to play solid hockey for the Ducks. He leads the team with 10 goals and 23 points, but the team struggles on even strength and relies on its power play too often.
As a result the Ducks have dropped five straight.
21. Carolina Hurricanes
21 of 30
Last week: 24
Record: 9-9-2 (20 pts)
Like many young teams, the 'Canes have a great offense (fifth in NHL) but get lit up every night (28th defense in the league).
Their special teams are really hurting them as well.
However, the team hangs in there. It lost in shootouts to Pittsburgh and Nashville last week and rolled Ottawa 7-1 in Raleigh.
22. Dallas Stars
22 of 30
Last week: 23
Record: 10-7-1 (21 pts)
Led by Brad Richards, Dallas has a top 10 offense but is struggling on special teams and is playing poor defense.
The Stars have a home-and-home against St. Louis next week, which will give fans an idea of where this team is at this year.
23. Buffalo Sabres
23 of 30
Last week: 22
Record: 8-11-3 (19 pts)
Led by Derek Roy and Ryan Miller, the new-look Sabres continue to climb their way out of the cellar.
Buffalo has beat Washington, Vancouver and Los Angeles in the last five games and would gain a huge morale boost if it can beat Pittsburgh and Montreal next week.
24. Florida Panthers
24 of 30
Last week: 25
Record: 9-9-0 (18 pts)
Savvy defense keeps the young Cats out of the cellar. They have the sixth-best defense and penalty kill in the league.
Unfortunately for South Floridians, the team has little offensive firepower and the NHL's worst power play.
25. Ottawa Senators
25 of 30
Last week: 11
Record: 9-10-1 (19 pts)
After winning five of six contests early in November, the Sens have been blown out in three straight away from Canada's capital.
It gets tougher ahead: Ottawa faces LA and Pittsburgh next week.
26. Calgary Flames
26 of 30
Last week: 26
Record: 8-10-1 (17 pts)
The elderly Flames have dropped four of five, but crushed Chicago 7-2 in the United Center and took Detroit to overtime.
Jarome Iginla had a hat trick against Chicago and two goals against Detroit, proving that he can still play at an advanced age.
27. Toronto Maple Leafs
27 of 30
Last week: 27
Record: 7-9-3 (17 pts)
The Leafs looked like they might start heading in the right direction after dropping eight in a row.
They beat Nashville in Tennessee 5-4 and dropped New Jersey 3-1.
Then they were blanked in a big game in Montreal.
28. New Jersey Devils
28 of 30
Last week: 30
Record: 5-13-2 (12 pts)
Even with Patrik Elias, Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, the Devils have the league's worst offense and cannot score on the power play (10.2 percent).
They've dropped three straight after beating Edmonton in New Jersey.
However, after Washington on Monday, the Devils get the Flames and Islanders.
29. Edmonton Oilers
29 of 30
Last week: 28
Record: 5-10-4 (14 pts)
The Oilers have the league's worst defense, almost giving up four goals a game, and its worst penalty kill (68.4 percent).
They've only won two games this month.
However, on the bright side, they are riding a one-game win streak...and they aren't the worst team in the league.
30. New York Islanders
30 of 30
Last week: 29
Record: 4-12-4 (12 pts)
The Islanders have lost 13 straight and have yet to win in the month of November.
They have two more games on the Island to change that.
If they don't, I suggest that the whole team has to wear pink equipment until they win.
Downtrodden goaltender Rick DiPietro seems to agree.
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