PLUS/MINUS - 11/3/08

*PLUS/MINUS is my weekly Power Rankings Column. The + or – is based on the previous weeks rankings.

PLUS/MINUS

Joe Pavelski and Captain Patrick Marleau have helped the Sharks to Best in the West

1) San Jose Sharks {10-2-0} (+2)
–They’ve won four in a row, are beating teams from beginning to end in games, and won games against Pittsburgh, Detroit and at Colorado in the same week. Oh, and they’re off to their best start in franchise history. If you can find a reason why they shouldn’t be number one, I’ve got a bridge I want to sell you.

2) Montreal Canadiens {8-1-1} (+2)
–After a trip up to Anaheim at home, Les Habitents rebounded with a 3-0-0 week. They took down the Hurricanes at home, beat a tough Wild team in Minnesota, and had a big come from behind win @ the Islanders. You can argue that they shouldn’t have been in a 4-1 hole to a team like the Islanders, but that will happen from time to time. A great team will find a way to win, and they did.

3) New York Rangers {10-3-1} (-1)
–The Rangers would have retained the #2 spot had they not blown that game to Toronto on Saturday night. They were on a four game winning streak and were 2-0 on the week (Isles & Thrashers) before their Maple Leaf collapse. You can’t win every game, but you can’t lose a game by giving up 5 goals in a 5 minute span. Their PP needs to improve (14.3% - sound familiar Rangers fans), but their PK is still one of the best at 91.2%.

4) Minnesota Wild {7-2-1} (+2)
–Despite a rash of injuries hitting this team, Minnesota is still finding ways to win while playing their style. They went 2-2-0 on the week (beat Chicago, lost @ Dallas, vs. Montreal, won @ Phoenix) and head coach Jacques Lemaire has things under control. Their Penalty Kill is the best in the league at 91.7%. The battle for the Northwest between Minnesota and Calgary will be an interesting storyline throughout the season.

5) Detroit Red Wings {8-2-2} (EVEN)
–The Red Wings had an interesting week. They opened it up with a SO win at LA and then followed that up with back to back losses to Anaheim (in OT) and San Jose. They rebounded and closed the road trip with a win @ Vancouver. It’s odd to think that an 8-2-2 team has better hockey in them, but the Red Wings do, and it’s coming. Their PP is still clicking at a league best 30.4%.

6) Buffalo Sabres {7-2-2} (-5)
–My #1 team from a week ago took a bit of a dive this past week. The only thing that saved them from falling any further was a dominant 5-0 home win against the Ovechkin-less Capitals on Saturday night. The Sabres struggled at home against two teams they probably should have beaten. I’ll give them the Ottawa loss because I know I’m still trying to figure out that team’s identity, but the Tampa loss is inexcusable.

7) Calgary Flames {7-4-1} (+8)
–So many puns can be made with a team named the Flames and the fact that are playing so well, so I’ll spare you. Bottom line, before last night’s loss at Anaheim, they had won 6 in a row and we’re playing effective hockey. We should expect more of this Calgary team than the one that opened the season 1-3-1. HC Mike Keenan NEEDS to rest Miika Kiprusoff soon and see what they have in back-up Curtis McElhinney.

8) Boston Bruins {6-3-3} (+8)
–The Canadiens are clearly the class of the Northeast. Buffalo was a team people expected to do well. The Bruins are a more effective PK away from being a legitimate threat (74.5%). The expectations on Boston were about the same as last year. With a deep Eastern Conference, they may finish around the same position, but they are a team that’s firing on all cylinders right now. They went 2-1 on their Western Canada road swing (G Tim Thomas was amazing) and came home to smack around the Dallas Stars.

9) New Jersey Devils {6-2-2} (Even)
–Not a great week for the Devils, but not a bad week either going 1-0-2. It turned in to a real bad week when G Martin Brodeur hurt his elbow. It will be interesting to see how this team plays with Kevin Weekes between the pipes. I’ve always said he makes for a great backup and that NJ should have played him more last season to rest Marty. Maybe this will be a wake up call.

10) Pittsburgh Penguins {6-4-2} (-2)
–The Pens snapped a three game losing streak with a 6-3 road win on Saturday at St. Louis. Other than that, this was a road trip for the Penguins to forget. They dodged a bullet when Sidney Crosby only missed a half a game. Don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh is a good team, but they lost a lot of their toughness in the offseason. They can certainly outscore you, but when they get in to grind-it-out physical games, they become an average team.

11) Carolina Hurricanes {6-3-2} (-1)
– A 2-1-1 week is right about where this team should be. The only reason they drop in the rankings because other teams moved up. What we’re seeing out of the Hurricanes now is what fans should expect all year long. If they could improve their PP (12%, 3rd worst in the league), they would be a real force in the East. Every Hurricanes-Capitals game will be huge, considering the other three teams don’t appear to be making a run at it any time soon.

12) Chicago Blackhawks {5-3-3} (+1)
– Whether you liked Denis Savard or not, HC Joel Quenneville has this team moving in the right direction. A 2-1 week (loss @ Minnesota, win vs. Dallas, SO win @ Columbus) gives Quenneville a 4-1-2 record since taking over. Chicago is still playing pick’em with who their starting goalie is. Cristobal Huet seems to have settled in, so they’ll continue to play Nikolai Khabibulin when they can to shop him around.

13) Anaheim Ducks {7-5-1} (+4)
– A 7-6 SO loss to Vancouver prevented this team from going higher in the rankings. They went 3-0-1 (@ Columbus, vs. Detroit, vs. Calgary are the wins) for the week should rise even higher next week. They are still one of the hottest teams in the NHL. They will get the chance to continue their hot streak with their next four opponents all struggling right now (@ LA, vs. St. Louis, vs. Dallas, vs. Florida)

14) Nashville Predators {6-4-1} (+6)
– After a see saw start, HC Barry Trotz has the Preds playing solid hockey again. They started off the week with a SO loss @ Washington, but rebounded with home wins against Edmonton and Florida. G Pekka Rinne is filling in nicely for Dan Ellis, but Ellis should return this week. Nashville begins a six game road trip in Vancouver tomorrow night.

15) Edmonton Oilers {6-4-1} (-1)
– Edmonton started off the week with two rough losses (OT vs. Boston and @ Nashville), but rebounded with a weekend sweep @ Carolina and @ Philly. I didn’t move them up or down because I still don’t know what to make of this team yet. I think they are a better team than the performance from their previous week, and they’ll get a chance to show it when they continue their 7 game road trip this week.

16) Toronto Maple Leafs {5-4-3} (+2)
–A 2-2 week was highlighted by a big SO win in NJ and a huge come from behind win against the Rangers at home. This team seems to be building chemistry after this first month of the season. With the exception of an early loss to Montreal and a road game against the Penguins, the leafs have been in every game this season so far.

17) Washington Capitals {5-4-1} (-5)
–Having Alexander Ovechkin out of the lineup is never a good thing. Luckily it came on a week where the Capitals only had two games and managed to go 1-1. They beat the Predators in a shootout but were embarrassed at Buffalo 5-0. As good as their offense is, they have struggled against teams that like to grind and be physical. This team will go as far as Jose Theodore can carry them in net.

18) Vancouver Canucks {6-6-0} (+3)
–The Canucks finished the week breaking even at 2-2-0. They had no shot against a hot Tim Thomas when they lost to Boston. They rebounded with a solid 4-0 win over the Kings and a wild 7-6 SO win over the Ducks. They ran in to a Red Wings team that lost two in a row, so they were doomed from the start in that game. Get used to an up and down year Canucks fans.

19) Philadelphia Flyers {4-4-3} (+6)
–The Philadelphia Flyers looked like the Flyers we knew from last season. They won four in a row before having their winning streak snapped by the Oilers. The home and home sweep over the Devils was nice, but the 7-0 win against a bad Thrashers team was when the Flyers really showed how much damage they can do. Philly is 2nd in the league in goals scored, but has also allowed the 5th most goals in the league. With Brodeur hurt, look for the Flyers to challenge near the top of the standings soon.

20) Colorado Avalanche {5-6-0} (-12)
–With the Avalanche, it boils down to their offense. The only way they win is if they keep the scoreboard busy. Their defense needs to settle down and they need to begin back-checking more. Colorado’s goaltending options doesn’t provide them with much stability between the pipes. Unless the Avs can get at least 3-4 goals a night and improve their PK (league worst 74.3%), it’s going to be a long season in Denver.

21) St. Louis Blues {5-5-0} (-10)
–Things were already on a downturn in St. Louis and they only got worse. They went 0-2 on the week. They were shutout by Carolina 1-0 and lost to the Penguins 6-3. The Blues got off to a fast start this season but have faced some serious goalie injuries. Chris Mason has yet to win a game this year and better figure it out quick. The lone bright spot is St. Louis’ 2nd ranked PP (29.5%)

22) Ottawa Senators {4-5-2} (+6)
–What a difference a week makes. I was beginning to write this team off as the worst in the Northeast, but a 2-0-1 week will do wonders in the standings this early in the season. Impressive road wins at Buffalo and Florida were followed up by a tough SO loss in Tampa. Alex Auld is doing all that you want and need from a backup and their power play is 3rd best in the NHL at 25%. Extending Daniel Alfredsson for another four years helps team morale, too.

23) Columbus Blue Jackets {4-6-1} (EVEN)
–A 1-1-1 week will usually keep you even in PLUS/MINUS. They lost to a hot Ducks team, won @ Colorado thanks to a great defensive effort (see Avalanche), and dropped a heart-breaker to the Blackhawks in a SO. Frederik Norrena has been solid since Pascal Leclaire went down, but the Blue Jackets need to give him more goal support.

24) Dallas Stars {4-6-2} (-2)
–What in the world is going on with the Stars? This was a team that made Detroit sweat in the Conference Finals last year but just can’t seem to get anything going this year. An improved PP would help them (13.8%) a lot. A 1-2 week isn’t bad when you consider the opponents (won vs. Minnesota, lost @ Chicago & Boston). Dallas will get a chance to make up some ground in the Pacific with a 3 game California road trip this week.

25) Florida Panthers {4-5-1} (-6)
–Beating the Sharks at home must have been a curse in disguise. Since then, they are 0-3-1. The problem is offense and they need to be scoring more. The only game they scored more than 2 goals was against Atlanta, and that’s nothing to brag about. The league-worst 9.8% on the PP HAS to increase soon.

26) Tampa Bay Lightning {4-3-3} (+4)
–Other than the Sharks shutting them out at home, Tampa has been on a roll lately. They have won 3 in a row (@ Toronto, @ Buffalo, vs. Ottawa) since that loss and it seems like Barry Melrose has finally got his line combinations clicking. The Lightning will get tested on a tough 5-game road trip, beginning in NJ this week.

27) Phoenix Coyotes {4-5-0} (-3)
–Not a bad week for the Coyotes (1-1-0), but they haven’t really wowed anyone this year either. The 4-1 win over the Penguins was probably their best win of the year and the 3-2 loss to Minnesota was probably their toughest. Phoenix has some good tools in the shed and it will be interesting to see if they can take advantage of Dallas’ slow start to compete for the 3rd spot in the Pacific.

28) Los Angeles Kings {3-6-1} (-2)
–An 0-2-1 week and a four game losing streak is a sure way to make you fall in the rankings. All of their losses have come to tough teams (@ Nashville, vs. Detroit in a SO, vs. Vancouver, vs. Calgary) on the losing streak. I know not much is to be expected from the Kings this year, but they have shown flashes of good play in their three wins this year.

29) Atlanta Thrashers {2-7-2} (-2)
–A week that started really bad (7-0 loss to Philly) ended with a solid win in the division (5-3 over the Panthers on Sunday). In between, Atlanta went 0-2 on a NYR/NJ road trip. The Thrashers defensemen are a good group and Ilya Kovalchuk/Slava Kozlov will get you some goals, but that’s all Atlanta has.

30) New York Islanders {2-7-1} (-1)
–If there’s a team that just can’t get it right this year, it’s the Isles. They opened up the week with a hard-fought loss to the Rangers, followed that up with a 3-2 OT loss to Philly, and then blew a 4-1 3rd period lead to Montreal. Rick DiPietro’s extended absence will only hurt this team even more than they already are.

BIGGEST GAINER = Calgary Flames (+8) & Boston Bruins (+8) – 2nd week in a row Calgary is a top gainer
BIGGEST LOSER = Colorado Avalanche (-12)
-13 Teams Moved Up
-14 Teams Moved Down
-3 Remained Even