We are well into the season so it’s hard to dismiss the teams who were suppose to be at the bottom of my list but have managed to stay in or near the top 10 week in week out. The same goes for those underachievers who find themselves at the bottom. Are you ready fo My NHL Blog’s Power Rankings?
Once again I missed a few weeks but have actually watched more hockey in the last month than the previous month and a half. There are still a few teams I just can’t figure out but for the most part the top five are easy picks.
Here we go…and as always, you can weigh in here and tell me I’m full of it.
– By Leafs Fan (Yes…I know being a Leaf Fan is sad)
2009-2010 Power Rankings: Week 10
1. San Jose Sharks. Still at the top even after the debacle vs the Hawks. The top line keeps rolling.
2. Washington Capitals. Two wins this week. OV is the man!
3. Chicago Blackhawks. Hossa looked great in his debut as a Hawk. Two goals! Too bad the team had a let down vs the Ducks.
4. New Jersey Devils. Winners of three straight…Martin Brodeur breaks the all-time record for minutes played by a goalie.
5. Calgary Flames. Beating the Wings these days isn’t as hard as it used to be but the Flames did it in easy fashion with a shutout win on Saturday.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins. Still hurting but still finding a way.
7. Los Angeles Kings. One of the teams I was talking about in the intro. Nice to see a good team in LA.
8. Colorado Avalanche. On a bit of a slide but another one of the teams I was talking about in the intro.
9. Nashville Predators. On a tear! Eight wins in their last ten.
10. Buffalo Sabres. Hanging on to a top ten spot…barely! Hope they lose tomorrow to my Leafs
11. Dallas Stars. This team is a little under the radar and is silently building up a nice point total.
12. Boston Bruins. Things are looking up in B Town. Amassing 15 of a possible 20 pts in their last 10 games.
13. Phoenix Coyotes. Still playing solid hockey…who would have thought?
14. Ottawa Senators. It’s hard to have the Sens ranked 15th in the power rankings with my Leafs at the bottom but they deserve it.
15. Detroit Red Wings. In the thick of it. They will right the ship.
16. Atlanta Thrashers. A big win Saturday night against a tough Philadelphia club.
17. Philadelphia Flyers. Can you say up and down! Down right now.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets. Nash is amazing to watch. Too bad I have to watch him in a Jackets uniform.
19. New York Islanders. What a couple of weeks can do to a club!!! I wish my Leafs would take some notes.
20. Tampa Bay Lightning. Bolts have garnered points in nine of their past 10 games. Scoring balance is an issue, but Bolts’ defensive game is impressive.
21. Vancouver Canucks. Another up and down team.
22. New York Rangers. Going the wrong way despite Gaborik’s strong play.
23. Montreal Canadiens. Price still playing well and the rest of the team not so much. Cammalleri is the exception.
The American Hockey League isn’t a punishment. At the start of the NHL season, 570 players — or 84 percent of all NHLers — spent time in the AHL, including more than 200 former first- and second-round draft picks.
Keeping Colton Gillies in Houston for a full season is the best thing the Wild can do for its former first-round draft pick. By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune
Here is a link to a great article by Michael Russo, who had a chance to spend some time with Wild minor-leaguer Colton Gilles. As some of you may remember Gilles spent the season with the big club last year. New ownership and new coaching felt the best approach was to have him learn in the minors, getting valuable minutes, time on the power play and build confidence in his game before making the next step.
This is the third meeting between the Wild and the Av’s, and the second in just over 24 hours. Minnesota leads the season series 2-1. Yesterday afternoon Minnesota won 5-3, getting a hat trick from Chuck Kobasew and the game-winning goal from Andrew Brunette.
Who’s Hot – Kobasew is coming off a hat trick, so he might get going now, which would be a huge boost to the Wild’s offense. Mikko Koivu had three assists in Friday’s game and now has a goal and six assists in the last five games.
For the Avs, Chris Stewart had a goal and an assist Friday and now has four points in his last three games after gaining just six points through his first 17 games.
-Pierre LeBrun of ESPN on the Benoit Pouliot – Guillaume Latendresse trade.
In the end, I think the Wild made the safer investment here. Size doesn’t grow on trees. I think Latendresse will become a solid, second-line, power-winger type for years to come. The Canadiens got the guy that can still possibly become a first-line offensive threat, but they also took on more risk if he’s unable to figure out what it takes to apply his talent at this level.
Fantasic freshmen, super sophomores and amazing finishes highlight the NHL’s opening quarter.
As the 1,230-game schedule passes the quarter mark with tonight’s games, seven clubs that did not qualify for the 2008-09 Stanley Cup Playoffs currently hold a top-eight Conference position – four in the Western Conference (#2 Colorado, #4 Los Angeles, #7 Phoenix and #8 Dallas) and three in the East (#3 Buffalo, #6 Ottawa and #7 Tampa Bay). The Islanders and Thrashers are a whisker behind the Eastern pack through a first quarter-season that saw outstanding individual and team performances along with stunning last-minute, game-changing dramatics.
Let’s get this out of the way right off the top: This isn’t a list of the best individual teams that didn’t win a Stanley Cup.
This isn’t a list that will feature the 2000-01 New Jersey Devils, 2001-02 Carolina Hurricanes, 2002-03 Anaheim Ducks, 2007-08 Pittsburgh Penguins or 2008-09 Detroit Red Wings — those four teams (or franchises) got their rings this decade.
This list is about the franchises that have excelled this past decade, but for one reason or another came up short in their quest for a title. Listed here are President Trophy winners, conference champions and annual Cup contenders that couldn’t finish the job. They hold the fan bases that had their high expectations dashed by a less than fruitful spring.
The KHL is fast becoming a 21st-century version of the World Hockey Association, with the launch of the English version of its website, it is a great place to keep up on the the Jagrs (16 points in 21 games), and Federov’s (13 points in 23 games) that have moved on from the NHL.
Here is a list of the top 10 scorers in the KHL:
10. Sergei Mozyakin, Atlant Mytishchi, 10 goals, 15 assists, 25 points
The 28-year-old was the 263rd pick of the 2002 draft by Columbus and, according to the Internet Hockey Database played four games for Val d’Or of the Quebec League in the late 1990s. He led the Russian circuit in scoring last season with 76 points.
The Avs and Canucks faceoff tonight for the fourth time this season and the second in less than a week. The Canucks lead the season series 2-1, winning the last matchup 8-2.
Who’s hot – Colorado right wing Milan Hejduk has three goals in his last two games, including the game winner against Calgary on Tuesday. Hejduk also leads the Avs with 57 shots. Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin has quelled all speculation that he would be unable to score without twin brother Daniel. With his hat trick on Saturday, the center leads the Canucks in goals and assists for 23 points and has had seven points in his last six games.
THE BATTLE OF 1ST – First draft pick that is…wait a minute…Toronto traded that pick away. The battle for the basement was an exciting game full of goals…and giveaways.
I really don’t know what to say here other than it looks like Toronto will be back in the basement in my next edition of the NHL Power Rankings.
To see highlights of this game go to the NHL Website.
The Minnesota Wild may not be one of the most exciting teams in the NHL to watch but don’t tell Cal Clutterbuck that. He is doing what he can night in and night out to keep the Minnesota fans on their feet. Last year he led the NHL in hits with 356 hits, and set a new single season record. This year he is one of the leaders once again …
We are well into the season so it’s hard to dismiss the teams who were suppose to be at the bottom of my list but have managed to stay in or near the top 10 week in week out. The same goes for those underachievers who find themselves at the bottom. Are you ready fo My NHL Blog’s Power Rankings?
