Goalie Tim Thomas and forward Patrice Bergeron celebrate Boston's leap into second on Nabil's NHL Power Rankings. As well as a shutout in Montreal to make it a nine-game winning streak. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)
Sid's back and his Pens take the weekly crown. How long will they hold it for? Boston is right there, too. The Leafs and Oilers continue to drop, while the Stars and Capitals make a dip of their own. It's a discussion, so have fun and chat it up: @NabilKarimCBC
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1. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (12-6-3) Welcome back Sid. You've been missed. It was an impressive return for the Penguins captain with four points. Sure, his squad was facing the hapless Islanders, but still, Crosby looked dominant and confident all over the ice. It will be interesting to see how he does against stiffer competition. Up next: Blues, Senators, Canadiens, Rangers. How long before Sidney catches Alex Ovechkin in scoring? (Last Week: 2) |
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2. BOSTON BRUINS (12-7-0)Make that nine wins in a row for the Boston Bruins. This is a team that couldn't buy a goal in the first few weeks, now they're scoring 3.32 goals per game, while their stellar goaltending/defence only gives up 2.05 GAA. The Bruins aren't beating teams ... they're destroying them, outscoring their opponents 42-14 during their win streak. Boston's best players have been their best players. The top 10 scorers are a combined plus- 83. (Last Week: 10) |
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3. SAN JOSE SHARKS (12-5-1) The Sharks are riding a three-game win streak. Patrick Marleau is red-hot in his last couple games, notching five points (three goals, two assists). Can they extend it? It won't be easy with the Blackhawks, Canucks, Kings and Canadiens up next. (Last Week: 9) |
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4. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (12-6-3) The Hawks started their West Coast trip in style, beating up on the Canucks (their favourite thing to do), but then dropped the ball against Calgary and Edmonton. Chicago gave up 14 goals in Alberta, including nine in Edmonton. The Blackhawks GAA has ballooned to 3.10 now. (Last Week: 1) |
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5. MINNESOTA WILD (12-5-3) The Minnesota Wild continue to turn heads, winning their last four. A key statistic: Minny has played in 13 one-goal games this season, picking up points in 11 of those contests (including eight wins). (Last Week: 12) |
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6. NEW YORK RANGERS (10-4-3)Well, the run had to end at some point. The Rangers fell to the Canadiens 4-0, ending a seven-game win streak. The Rangers have played just 17 games (fewest in NHL). The power play needs some work, operating at a dysfunctional 12.9 per cent. I was at the Montreal game and boy did the fans give it to Sean Avery. There was the usual name calling, but a more charitable endeavour took place outside the Bell Centre. For a dollar you could throw an egg at a person dressed-up in Avery's Rangers gear. Fun stuff, unless you're the dude dressed up in Avery's Rangers gear. (Last Week: 6) |
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7. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (11-6-3) Before losing to Winnipeg, the Flyers hadn't lost in regulation in nine games, and had won three straight game. They followed that up with a 4-2 loss to Carolina. Jaromir Jagr is playing it safe with his groin (insert joke here), and did not play against the Hurricanes. He expects to return against the Islanders. Undrafted rookie Matt Read has been impressive with nine goals, five assists and plus-7 in 17 games this season. (Last Week: 5) |
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8. PHOENIX COYOTES (10-6-3) Paul Bissonnette scored his first goal of the season (game winner) vs. Buffalo. This one was extra special for @BizNasty2point0. Bissonnette's mother was at the game. It was the first time she's seen him in NHL action. The Coyotes ended their five-game road trip on a sour note, blowing a two-goal lead and eventually losing to the struggling Caps. (Last Week: 8) |
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9. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (10-5-4)): Despite losing to Columbus in OT (Preds are 1-3 in OT this season), it's been a pretty solid month for Nashville (5-3 record). Yes, he had a funny gaffe vs. Toronto (missing breakaway open netter), but rookie Craig Smith has been outstanding with 15 points. The numbers for Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are gaudy: 27 points combined, and a plus-34. One area of concern: Nashville is, on average, being outshot by six shots a game. Well, maybe it's not a concern. Pekka Rinne is 10-4-4, 2.22 GAA and .935 save percentage. (Last Week: 13) |
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10. ST. LOUIS BLUES (10-7-2) TJ Oshie jammed his finger vs. Minnesota. He came back to score, but is now listed as day-to-day. If Oshie can't go, you'll get a look at Brett Sterling, who has been called up. The 27-year-old forward is tied for the AHL lead in goals (12) and second in points (22). Blues continue to play well under Hitchcock. (Last Week: 19) |
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11. FLORIDA PANTHERS (11-6-3) I can't get over Kris Versteeg's offensive number out of the gate. He's tied for third in league scoring with 25 points. He's on pace for 103. That would shatter his previous best of 53 points back in 2008-09 with the Chicago Blackhawks. Even if he slows down, he's going to finish with career best numbers.(Last Week: 20) |
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12. DETROIT RED WINGS (11-7-1)The Red Wings have been consistently inconsistent this season. And it's not just the fringe players. The superstars are guilty too. Pavel Datysuk hasn't scored in 12 games. Henrik Zetterberg has just four goals this season. In fact, team scoring is down from 3.13 goals per game last season to 2.79 so far. However, there are some bright spots: Nick Lidstrom is ageless (14 points, plus-6), Johan Franzen (20 points) and Valtteri Filppula (14 points). Jimmy Howard is playing out of this world right now with a miniscule 1.85 GAA. (Last Week: 11) |
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13. BUFFALO SABRES (12-8-0) Not the most impressive week for Buffalo, beating Carolina and losing to the Devils and Coyotes. It's important for the Sabres to get off to a good start. Their winning percentage when leading after one period is (.857), compared to when trailing after one period (.444). High priced free agent Ville Leino has been a bust so far: 20 games, two goals, three assists, and is minus-6. And to make things worse: defenceman Tyler Myers is gone for at least a month with a broken wrist.(Last Week: 7) |
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14. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (11-7-1) What is going on in Washington? Alex Semin was a healthy scratch for the first time since his rookie season (2003-04). Alex Ovechkin can't seem to get it going. Elliotte Friedman has an interesting take on what needs to be done with Ovie on cbcsports.ca. What about the special teams? The Caps are 15th on the PP (Mike Green has missed five straight) and 25th on PK. They did snap a four-game losing streak against Phoenix, and in the process coach Bruce Boudreau picked up career win number 200. (Last Week: 4) |
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15. DALLAS STARS (12-8-0) Reality check: Have the Stars fallen back to earth? Well, it would seem so. Dallas finally broke their five-game losing streak, beating the Oilers. One glaring area of concern: The Star's inability to score. In the losing streak, the boys from the Lone Star State managed just four goals in five games. Their goals per game has now dropped to 2.55. (Last Week: 3) |
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16. NEW JERSEY DEVILS (10-8-1)Zach Parise has made it very clear: he wants to win a Stanley Cup. Bad. And he'll go out and chase that Cup with the team he feels has the best shot, which means he could test the free agent waters this summer. That's bad news for the Devils. At the same time, he's making $6 million US this year, but if he wants that salary to spike, he'll have to start producing. The Devils captain has 11 points in 19 games this season.(Last Week: 17) |
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17. LOS ANGELES KINGS (10-7-3) Solid week for the Kings, beating Anaheim twice, but falling to Detroit. Mike Richards has scored shorthanded in back-to-back games. He became the first King to score a short-handed goal in two straight games since Ziggy Palffy managed that feat on March 2001.(Last Week: 21) |
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18. VANCOUVER CANUCKS (10-9-1) Did Ryan Kesler return too soon? He's struggled with just two goals in 15 games (both PP goals). While it's easy to speculate from the sidelines, Kelser said there's only one way to find out if he's back: "There's no machine to tell you if you're ready to come back or not. With me, I'm a guy who wants to push it and I wanted to play the first game of the season. Could I have? No. Who knows if I was right? I didn't think I was getting anything more out of practice and that's why I came back when I did." Vancouver has won four of their last six. (Last Week: 16) |
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19. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (11-8-2)Things have certainly cooled in the Big Smoke. The Leafs have just two wins in their last eight games. Injuries to key players have hurt, but the Buds aren't making it easy on themselves. Toronto has been outshot 82-54 in their last two games. Sure, they hammered Washington in one of those games, but if the trend continues, it may not be so pretty for Ben Scrivens and Jonus Gustavsson (combined 51 goals against in 18 games). (Last Week: 15) |
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20. EDMONTON OILERS (10-8-2) Like the Stars, the Oilers have been humbled the past few weeks. Even with a big win against the Blackhawks, Edmonton has struggled in the month of November, with a record of 3-6. The schedule doesn't get any easier. They have a couple of meetings with the Wild and Predators. Now that their goaltending has become a little more human (2.35 GAA), the Oilers goal scoring woes are even more prominent. They rank 23rd in goals per game (2.50) and last in shots per game also (25.2). Sam Gagner's time in Edmonton may be running out. He's been offset by some injuries, but has produced just two assists in 13 games. (Last Week: 14) |
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21. MONTREAL CANADIENS (9-9-3) The Canadiens finished an up-and-down week with a loss to the red-hot Boston Bruins. Carey Price has posted shutouts in two of his last four games and has given up just seven in the last five outings. PK Subban just marked his 100th career game. The Habs have drastically improved their penalty kill, which now fourth in the league, but still need to jolt the power play (14.6 per cent) in order to up their goal totals (2.52 per game). (Last Week: 18) |
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22. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (9-8-2) Coach Guy Boucher admitted that's he's being tough on Brett Connolly. Boucher's beef with the 19-year old is his defensive play. He says the team needs to address it now or it will hurt him three or four years down the line. Connolly played a season low six minutes, eight seconds vs. Pittsburgh last week. To Connolly's credit, Boucher said he was one of four players that actually showed up in a loss to New Jersey in the next game. (Last Week: 22) |
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23. OTTAWA SENATORS (10-9-2) The Sens have to be one of the streakiest teams in the league, if not the most. After winning just one game in their first six, the Sens won six, then lost five, and now have points in four straight. The power play has also been inconsistent. Earlier this month it was sitting atop the NHL, but now it's dropped to seventh. Milan Michalek (12 goals) and Erik Karlsson (18 points) continue to be impressive. (Last Week: 23) |
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24. WINNIPEG JETS (8-9-3)Giant killers. Okay, maybe that's exaggerating, but the Jets are in a groove right now, with a three-game win streak. It's the teams they've beaten which is impressive: Tampa Bay, Washington, and Philadelphia. Let me ask you this: Should the Jets' faithful be pleasantly surprised or horribly worried that Kyle Wellwood is the team's leading scorer? The shifty winger has 15 points in 20 games in less than 15 minutes of ice time. Not bad for a guy making $700,000 this season. (Last Week: 28) |
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25. CALGARY FLAMES (8-10-1) The Flames were looking to build off a win over Chicago on their four-game road trip, but couldn't get backup Henrik Karlsson his first win in Columbus. Calgary's special teams have been on target, with the third best power play (27.3), and second best penalty kill on the road (92.9). (Last Week: 25) |
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26. CAROLINA HURRICANES (8-11-3)The Hurricanes pulled off back-to-back wins, buying their coach Paul Maurice a little time before possibly getting axed. Cam Ward has openly said he's frustrated just like everyone else. He's got to be a catalyst in the turnaround, as does Eric Staal, who seems to slowly be coming around. Meanwhile, Jussi Jokinen has been one of a few positives. He's the only Hurricane that's a plus-player (plus-3). (Last Week: 26) |
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27.COLORADO AVALANCHE (9-11-1)The Avs continue to drop week after week. This week is no different. Colorado managed just one win in four games, albeit losing to good teams (Pittsburgh, Minnesota and San Jose). See if you can figure this one out: The Avs take five more shots per game than they give up. Their winning percentage when outshooting their opponent is .308, and when being outshot its .625. Go figure. (Last Week: 24) |
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28. ANAHEIM DUCKS (6-10-4) Feeling ripped off in your playoff pool? Well, then you must have one of three quack-less Ducks (Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan). The trio have combined for 35 points and a minus-20 in 20 games this season. After notching 50 goals last year, Perry has just seven this year. The encouraging sign: He's taking plenty of shots (ranked 5th in the league with 73). You don't shoot, you definitely can't score. (Last Week: 27) |
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29. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (5-13-2) Are the Jackets finally starting to turn things around? They're 3-2 in their last five games, outscoring their opponents 13-11. Good news: Jeff Carter is contributing with six points in 10 games. Bad news: Steve Mason took a Rick Nash shot off the helmet. He's day-to-day with an upper body injury. (Last Week: 30) |
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30. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (5-10-3) So the Isles already had a tough schedule this past week and to add a little salt to the wound, guess who decides to come back on Monday? Crosby made some of the Isles look like pylons. They have much bigger problems. They have just two wins in their last 14 games and are last in goals for (1.94) and second last in goals against (3.33). Something's gotta give. Wasn't this supposed to be the choice of many hockey observers to surprise in 2011-12? So far, nothing's changed.(Last Week: 29) |
Nabil Karim
Nabil is the Host of Hockey Night in Canada Online, Morning Sports Anchor for CBC News Network and Hockey contributor to CBCSports.ca.
Nabil has worked on a variety of projects with CBC, most recently covering the 2011
Stanley Cup Finals for CBC News Network in Vancouver and reporting court-side in Montreal
for the 2011 Rogers Cup Men's Tennis Final.
Nabil also hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup Post-Game Show on CBC
along with the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
