After a week away from the No. 1 spot, the San Jose Sharks are back in their rightful place. The New Jersey Devils have also rebounded from a down week and are back in the top three. Yet the Blackhawks continue to be the NHL's best team over the past few weeks, and apparently losing just one game is enough for voters to knock them off the top.
SB Nation’s NHL Power Rankings, Week 9: Newcomers Abound In Top 10
Surprises of the week: Three newcomers this week, as Nashville, Atlanta and Boston find their way into the top ten.
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 | 2 | San Jose Sharks | 18-6-4 | 4-1-0 in their last five and have rebounded from their slight slump of a few weeks ago. |
 | 2 | 1 | Chicago Blackhawks | 16-6-3 | At 8-1-1 in their past ten, the Hawks are still the NHL's hottest team. |
 | 3 | 6 | New Jersey Devils | 17-6-1 | The winning streaks continue as the Devils have once again emerged as the league's best defensive team (2.13 goals allowed per game) |
 | 4 | 3 | Washington Capitals | 16-5-6 | With another injury to Ovechkin, the Capitals will be put to the test once more. |
 | 5 | 4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 19-9-0 | Sidney Crosby (5G, 3A) led the Pens to straight wins over the Rangers. |
 | 6 | 5 | Calgary Flames | 17-6-3 | The Flames ride a four-game winning streak to 2nd in the West. |
 | 7 | 8 | Buffalo Sabres | 15-7-2 | The surprising Sabres get past a bump in the road and lead a tight race in the Northeast division. |
 | 8 | - | Nashville Predators | 15-10-1 | With a healthy lineup, good chemistry among the defense pairs, and a strong sophomore season in goal by Pekka Rinne, the Preds are pulling out close-fought games on a regular basis. |
 | 9 | - | Atlanta Thrashers | 14-7-3 | 7-1-2 in their last ten? An NHL-best +24 goal differential? Yeah, the Thrashers are surprising. |
 | 10 | - | Boston Bruins | 13-8-5 | Still winning, with just one regulation loss in their past ten games. |
Western Conference
Biggest Winner: Nashville Predators (+5)
Biggest Loser: Detroit Red Wings (-4)
| Western Conference Power Rankings | ||||
| Rk (Prv) | Team | Record | SB Nation Blog | |
| 1 (1) | Chicago Blackhawks | 16-6-3 | Second City Hockey |
| 2 (2) | San Jose Sharks | 18-6-4 | Fear The Fin |
| 3 (3) | Calgary Flames | 17-6-3 | Matchsticks and Gasoline |
| 4 (9) | Nashville Predators | 15-10-1 | On the Forecheck |
 | 5 (8) | Los Angeles Kings | 15-10-2 | Battle of California |
 | 6 (6) | Dallas Stars | 12-8-7 | Defending Big D |
 | 7 (10) | Phoenix Coyotes | 15-11-1 | Five For Howling |
 | 8 (4) | Detroit Red Wings | 13-9-4 | Winging It In Motown |
 | 9 (7) | Colorado Avalanche | 15-8-5 | Mile High Hockey |
 | 10 (11) | Vancouver Canucks | 14-12-0 | Nucks Misconduct |
 | 11 (5) | Columbus Blue Jackets | 13-9-4 | The Cannon |
 | 12 (12) | St. Louis Blues | 10-10-5 | St. Louis Game Time |
 | 13 (15) | Anaheim Ducks | 10-11-4 | Battle of California |
 | 14 (14) | Minnesota Wild | 10-12-3 | Hockey Wilderness |
 | 15 (13) | Edmonton Oilers | 10-13-4 | The Copper & Blue |
Eastern Conference
Biggest Winner: Atlanta Thrashers (+4)
Biggest Loser: Philadelphia Flyers (-6)
| Eastern Conference Power Rankings | ||||
| Rk (Prv) | Team | Record | SB Nation Blog | |
| 1 (4) | New Jersey Devils | 17-6-1 | In Lou We Trust |
| 2 (1) | Washington Capitals | 16-5-6 | Japers' Rink |
| 3 (2) | Pittsburgh Penguins | 19-9-0 | PensBurgh |
| 4 (7) | Boston Bruins | 13-8-5 | Stanley Cup of Chowder |
| 5 (9) | Atlanta Thrashers | 14-7-3 | Bird Watchers Anonymous |
| 6 (5) | Buffalo Sabres | 15-7-2 | Die By The Blade |
 | 7 (6) | Ottawa Senators | 13-7-4 | Silver Seven |
 | 8 (8) | Tampa Bay Lightning | 10-7-8 | Raw Charge |
 | 9 (3) | Philadelphia Flyers | 13-10-1 | Broad Street Hockey |
 | 10 (12) | New York Islanders | 10-10-7 | Lighthouse Hockey |
 | 11 (10) | New York Rangers | 13-13-1 | Blueshirt Banter |
 | 12 (11) | Florida Panthers | 10-12-4 | Litter Box Cats |
 | 13 (13) | Montreal Canadiens | 12-12-2 | Habs Eyes On The Prize |
 | 14 (15) | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6-12-7 | Pension Plan Puppets |
 | 15 (14) | Carolina Hurricanes | 5-17-5 | Canes Country |
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