Power Rankings: Week 2

1. Washington Capitals… LW: 1
Crazy mid-October stat: Jason Chimera, Dennis Wideman and Marcus Johansson each have more goals than Alex Ovechkin.
2. Detroit Red Wings… LW: 5
Jimmy Howard has been strong for the unbeaten Red Wings, posting a 3-0 record and 1.63 GAA, along with a shutout.
3. Philadelphia Flyers… LW: 7
Captain Chris Pronger has five points in four games and is averaging over 24 minutes a night. What back injury?
4. Pittsburgh Penguins… LW: 2
Who is tied for the NHL lead in goals? James Neal, with five. The forward has been strong thus far, and may only get better once Sidney Crosby returns to action.
5. Buffalo Sabres… LW: 6
One of the handful of rookies that have impressed in October is Luke Adam. The 21-year-old Sabres forward has six points in four games.
6. Vancouver Canucks… LW: 4
Roberto Luongo seems to be having his usual early-season slump (1-1-1, 3.60 GAA). In his career, Luongo boasts an uncharacteristic 2.62 GAA and .914 save percentage in October.
7. San Jose Sharks… LW: 3
Thomas Greiss has been solid filling in for the shelved Antti Niemi, but didn’t get much support this week. Later this week, the Sharks embark on a six-game eastern swing.
8. Los Angeles Kings… LW: 10
The Kings came away with a gutsy win in Philadelphia on Saturday, but it was costly. Drew Doughty will miss at least a week with an upper-body injury.
9. Boston Bruins… LW: 8
Sophomore Tyler Seguin has been given a chance to fill the slot left by currently-injured David Krejci. Seguin has taken advantage and leads the team in points with five.
10. Chicago Blackhawks… LW: 9
Bryan Bickell has brought a physical presence, leading the ‘Hawks in hits with 15. They need more of that kind of play from Bickell.
11. Anaheim Ducks… LW: 13
The Ducks have to like the start to the season from goaltender Jonas Hiller, who battled vertigo late last year. Hiller has been their best player, going 3-1 with a 1.71 GAA.
12. Toronto Maple Leafs… LW: 15
Phil Kessel has been uber-impressive in three games, scoring five times and racking up eight points. If he stays healthy, 40 goals could become a reality for the Leafs sniper.
13. Dallas Stars… LW: 21
Brad Richards who? The underappreciated Mike Ribeiro has five assists, which has contributed to the Stars’ fast start.
14. Colorado Avalanche… LW: 28
Balanced production and stellar goaltending from Semyon Varlamov have the Avalanche proving doubters wrong. Additionally, they are second in the NHL in goals. It is still early, though.
15. New Jersey Devils… LW: 19
Who has all three of New Jersey’s wins? Not Martin Brodeur, but Johan Hedberg, who has a .945 save percentage in three games.
16. New York Islanders… LW: 22
John Tavares has been stealing all the headlines early on. However, his lights-out performance has overshadowed line-mate P.A. Parenteau, who has seven points.
17. Nashville Predators… LW: 11
Colin Wilson has looked like a man on a mission, scoring in consecutive games. The overall team play has been a disappointment, though, minus special teams.
18. Carolina Hurricanes… LW: 20
After dropping their first three games, the ‘Canes were impressive in one-goal wins over Boston and Buffalo.
19. New York Rangers… LW: 14
The Blueshirts continue their tour of the globe this week with a trip to Western Canada. They do so still seeking their first victory.
20. Tampa Bay Lightning… LW: 12
Tampa Bay has lost four in a row, looking unimpressive in the process. Mathieu Garon has out-performed Dwayne Roloson, and Marc-Andre Bergeron leads the team in points.
21. St. Louis Blues… LW: 18
The power play is ranked 26th, the penalty kill 30th. Teams with such poor special teams usually don’t win many games.
22. Minnesota Wild… LW: 17
Minnesota lost three of four games this week. In two of those losses, they blew a two-goal third period lead.
23. Phoenix Coyotes… LW: 29
Dave Tippett’s gang had a nice week, picking up five of a possible six points. In the last 10-plus periods, Mike Smith and Jason LaBarbera have combined for a 1.17 GAA.
24. Montreal Canadiens… LW: 16
If the Habs want to be a playoff team, Carey Price has to be better. In four games, he has a 2.96 GAA and .880 save percentage.
25. Florida Panthers… LW: 26
The new-look Panthers, who have played with a lot of new energy thus far, will be put to the test with a back-to-back in Tampa Bay and Washington this week.
26. Calgary Flames… LW: 23
Will a six-game home-stand act as a launching pad for the Flames? Don’t count it. This team has been stale for the last two years, so why should we expect anything different?
27. Edmonton Oilers… LW: 27
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has four goals through three games. At this point last year, Taylor Hall had one assist.
28. Columbus Blue Jackets… LW: 25
A wise man once said that the Jackets were the doormat of the Central Division. They have lived up to that billing with a winless opening two weeks. When will they decide to find a real starting goaltender?
29. Winnipeg Jets… LW: 24
Winnipeg is an abysmal 0-for-13 on the power play, which has contributed to their 0-3 start. How much longer will the honeymoon last?
30. Ottawa Senators… LW: 30
The Senators penalty kill has been atrocious, surrendering eight goals on 25 chances. I have a feeling they won’t be leaving the cellar anytime soon.

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