The defending champs are back on top as Marc-Andre Fleury has led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-1-0 record and the top spot in our weekly power rankings.
SB Nation’s NHL Power Rankings, Week 2: Penguins Back on Top
Our top 10 rankings are in a bit of flux as voters are starting to get a good feel for how the league is shaping up. We have three new teams in the top 10 and the previous holders of the top spot -- the Capitals -- have dropped all the way to No. 5 after a shaky week in which they’ve lost four straight games.
Surprise of the week: The Los Angeles Kings jump from the bottom spot in our Conference Rankings to the No. 10 overall spot.
PLEASE READ: Western Conference rankings are determined by votes from Western Conference bloggers, Eastern Conference bloggers for Eastern rankings. The Top 10 Power Rankings are determined by a separate vote of Western and Eastern Conference bloggers.
| NHL Top Ten Power Rankings | |||||
| Rank | Last Wk | Team | Record | Comments | |
| 1 | 3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 5-1-0 | Here I was thinking losing to Phoenix would alter these rankings. I guess a big statement win over Philly (by statement I mean, one that shut up the Pronger/Emery/Pittsburgh talks till December) was all it took. Of course it also doesn't hurt that the power play looks really solid and Fleury is 5-0 as a starter. - Frank D | |
| 2 | 9 | Calgary Flames | 4-1-1 | A four game winning streak to start the season behind some balanced goal scoring, has derailed a bit with two straight losses. | |
| 3 | 5 | San Jose Sharks | 3-2-1 | Started off slow, but two straight wins have put the Sharks back on track. | |
| 4 | 2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3-1-1 | After three straight wins had Flyers fans feeling good, two losses have tempered enthusiasm a bit. | |
| 5 | 1 | Washington Capitals | 2-2-2 | That Jose Theodore is among the least of the team's concerns right now probably speaks volumes about how much else is going wrong early, namely discipline and overall focus. - J.P. | |
| 6 | - | New York Rangers | 5-1-0 | Rangers faced some tough tests this week and responded well, beating the Caps in their own building, shutting out the Ducks, and then not letting up against the winless Leafs. One of the big surprises in the early going this season. - Jim Schmiedeberg | |
| 7 | 6 | Chicago Blackhawks | 3-1-1 | Injuries are a bit of a problem and there isn't a lot of confidence yet with either goalie but the Hawks are winning games. The fact that they're not playing their best hockey yet should scare other teams. | |
| 8 | - | Columbus Blue Jackets | 3-1-0 | Mathieu Garon has stepped up and filled in admirably for a struggling Steve Mason. | |
| 9 | 9 | Detroit Red Wings | 2-2-0 | Detroit was able to re-group on home ice and get two wins against two very good teams. Even with the loss of Johan Franzen, the team was able to find some unexpected scoring and good defense against Washington. The offense may struggle at times this year but there is still great depth on the roster to keep them a top 10 team. -Mr. Norris Trophy | |
| 10 | - | Los Angeles Kings | 4-1-0 | An opening night blowout loss has transformed into four straight resounding victories, as the Kings have become the NHL's early season surprise. | |
Western Conference
Biggest Winner: Los Angeles Kings (+8)
Biggest Loser: St. Louis Blues (-10)
*Note: Voting completed before conclusion of the Calgary and Chicago game on Monday Night.
| Western Conference Power Rankings | ||||
| Rk (Prv) | Team | Record | SB Nation Blog | |
| 1 (4) | Calgary Flames | 4-1-1 | Matchsticks and Gasoline | |
| 2 (1) | San Jose Sharks | 3-2-1 | Fear The Fin | |
| 3 (6) | Columbus Blue Jackets | 3-1-0 | The Cannon | |
| 4 (2) | Chicago Blackhawks | 3-1-1 | Second City Hockey | |
| 5 (5) | Detroit Red Wings | 2-2-0 | Winging It In Motown | |
| 6 (7) | Vancouver Canucks | 2-3-0 | Nucks Misconduct | |
| 7 (15) | Los Angeles Kings | 4-1-0 | Battle of California | |
| 8 (13) | Edmonton Oilers | 3-1-1 | The Copper & Blue | |
| 9 (8) | Colorado Avalanche | 3-1-1 | Mile High Hockey | |
| 10 (11) | Anaheim Ducks | 2-2-1 | Battle of California | |
| 11 (9) | Dallas Stars | 1-0-3 | Defending Big D | |
| 12 (10) | Nashville Predators | 2-2-0 | On the Forecheck | |
| 13 (3) | St. Louis Blues | 2-2-0 | St. Louis Game Time | |
| 14 (14) | Phoenix Coyotes | 3-2-0 | Five For Howling | |
| 15 (12) | Minnesota Wild | 1-3-0 | Hockey Wilderness | |
Eastern Conference
Biggest Winner: Ottawa Senators (+9)
Biggest Loser: Montreal Canadiens (-7)
| Eastern Conference Power Rankings | ||||
| Rk (Prv) | Team | Record | SB Nation Blog | |
| 1 (3) | Pittsburgh Penguins | 5-1-0 | PensBurgh | |
| 2 (1) | Philadelphia Flyers | 3-1-1 | Broad Street Hockey | |
| 3 (2) | Washington Capitals | 2-2-2 | Japers' Rink | |
| 4 (6) | New York Rangers | 5-1-0 | Blueshirt Banter | |
| 5 (7) | Buffalo Sabres | 2-0-1 | Die By The Blade | |
| 6 (15) | Ottawa Senators | 3-2-0 | Silver Seven | |
| 7 (4) | Boston Bruins | 2-3-0 | Stanley Cup of Chowder | |
| 8 (10) | New Jersey Devils | 3-2-0 | In Lou We Trust | |
| 9 (9) | Atlanta Thrashers | 2-1-0 | Bird Watchers Anonymous | |
| 10 (11) | Carolina Hurricanes | 2-3-0 | Canes Country | |
| 11 (14) | Tampa Bay Lightning | 2-1-2 | Raw Charge | |
| 12 (5) | Montreal Canadiens | 2-3-0 | Habs Eyes On The Prize | |
| 13(12) | New York Islanders | 0-1-3 | Lighthouse Hockey | |
| 14 (8) | Florida Panthers | 1-4-0 | Litter Box Cats | |
| 15 (13) | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0-4-1 | Pension Plan Puppets | |
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