Power Rankings: Week 4

1. Washington Capitals… LW: 1
Alex Ovechkin is starting to heat up, as he has tallied seven points in the last five games. In other news, the team came up empty-handed in Edmonton and Vancouver.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins… LW: 3
James Neal went on an absolute tear in October, scoring nine goals in 13 games. Will he be able to keep it up in November?
3. San Jose Sharks… LW: 7
San Jose is gaining steam. A player that has been quietly racking up points this year is Joe Pavelski. He leads the team with 11 points, nine of which have come on his current five-game point streak.

4. Chicago Blackhawks… LW: 9
Nick Leddy is averaging 20-plus minutes a night and boasts a plus-4 rating. Still think Minnesota regrets trading him for Cam Barker?
5. Los Angeles Kings… LW: 4
Dustin Penner is off to a snail-like start. The winger has one assist in nine games. Going back to last year, he only has two goals in 28 games with Los Angeles.
6. Vancouver Canucks… LW: 6
Before Saturday’s contest, Kevin Bieksa had just one point and a minus-9 rating. Will he be able to turn things around?
7. Buffalo Sabres… LW: 5
Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are absolutely rolling. Between them, they have 29 points in 20 man games. They’ve had a combined three games where they haven’t recorded a point.
8. Philadelphia Flyers… LW: 8
What a crazy week for the Flyers. They give up nine goals and Ilya Bryzgalov says he’s “lost in the woods,” and then they drill Carolina in response.
9. Detroit Red Wings… LW: 2
The Wings have scored a total of four goals in the last four games, coming away pointless in each game. They need more Henrik Zetterberg, who has just three points.
10. Dallas Stars… LW: 10
Sheldon Souray tallied two more points on Saturday, increasing his season total to eight in 11 games. Safe to say the change of scenery has helped.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs… LW: 11
The Leafs look like the real deal. They did early on last season, too, but this team has a different feel. And it starts with Dion Phaneuf’s re-emergence.
12. Edmonton Oilers… LW: 26
The three kids – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle – are of the team’s top four point-getters. Who’s the fourth? Ryan Smyth, who has 10 points in his first 11 games back in Edmonton.
13. Colorado Avalanche… LW: 12
Matt Duchene is receiving the 7th-most ice time of all Avalanche forwards (15:39).
14. Nashville Predators… LW: 22
Early on, rookie Craig Smith (8 points in 10 games) has thrown his hat into the ring for Calder Trophy consideration.
15. Tampa Bay Lightning… LW: 17
It’s Oct. 31 and Marc-Andre Bergeron still leads the team in points (12). Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis have yet to really let loose.
16. Phoenix Coyotes… LW: 23
Recent reports suggest RFA Kyle Turris has demanded a trade. Soon after, the ‘Yotes acquired center Cal O’Reilly on Friday, a talented (but unproven) player from Nashville.
17. Anaheim Ducks… LW: 14
Randy Carlyle’s Ducks are 1-4-1 in the last six games, and the abrasive bench boss has watered down the best line in hockey by moving Bobby Ryan to the second line.
18. Ottawa Senators… LW: 28
Whether the Sens are legit or not, they are proving to be a hard club to beat during their current six-game win streak. Jason Spezza is tied for second in the NHL in points (15).
19. New York Rangers… LW: 15
The Rangers wait almost a month to make their debut at home, but hear boos from the home faithful in back-to-back losses. (Psst – Sean Avery is on re-entry waivers.)
20. New Jersey Devils… LW: 16
The power play has been a sore spot for the Devils this year. The unit is ranked 28th in the NHL and went 0-for-8 on their recent four-game trip.
21. Minnesota Wild… LW: 21
After all of his injury woes, it was nice to see Josh Harding get a 36-save shutout against Detroit over the weekend.
22. Montreal Canadiens… LW: 25
The Habs fired assistant coach Perry Pearn early last week, and suddenly they look like a different team. They swept a home-and-home, convincingly, against Boston.
23. Florida Panthers… LW: 24
Many people dogged the Panthers for acquiring Brian Campbell. All he has done is pick up nine assists and help the ‘Cats power play rise to 5th in the rankings.
24. Carolina Hurricanes… LW: 19
10 of the Hurricanes’ 15 games in November will take place on home ice. It’d be the perfect time for them to break out of their inconsistent ways.
25. Boston Bruins… LW: 13
Yeah, the Cup Hangover is real. The Bruins at times have looked disinterested. They have also lost four of five, scoring six goals in those losses.
26. St. Louis Blues… LW: 18
How underrated is Alexander Steen? The do-it-all center is leading the Blues in points (11) and has two game-winners. This isn’t the first time Steen has flown under the radar.
27. Calgary Flames… LW: 27
Miikka Kiprusoff has been solid this season, posting a 2.02 GAA and .930 save percentage in October.
28. New York Islanders… LW: 20
Like last year, after a quick start the Islanders have gone on a losing streak. This skid has hit five, and the top line is still being relied on too much.
29. Winnipeg Jets… LW: 29
How predictable was it that, after scoring nine goals, the Jets would struggle to score in the following game? They were shut out in Tampa Bay on Saturday.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets… LW: 30
The Jackets finally won their first two games last week. Is James Wisniewski making a difference? That’s an unknown, but the defenseman is averaging 28-plus minutes of ice time in four games.

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