Power Rankings: Pens Back on Top

Even with their 5-2 loss in Los Angeles on Thursday, the Penguins re-claim the top spot in this week's power rankings, taking it over from the Colorado Avalanche. Also, a new entrant break into the top three, and for the first time this season we have a new team in the basement which is good news for Toronto ... but bad news for someone else.

Also: Penguins Power Play Struggles Without Gonchar, Malkin

1. Penguins (Last Week: 2) The Penguins finally lost their first road game of the season on Thursday night when they dropped a 5-2 decision in Los Angeles. Even with the injuries and the struggling power play they're still tied for the most points in the NHL.
2. Avalanche (1) Maybe it's not completely fair based on what they've done so far this season, but I felt like I needed to knock the Avalanche down one spot this week because they lost two of their past three. The two losses were road games in San Jose and Vancouver.

3. Sharks (9) And here come the Sharks. After winning just three of their first seven games, San Jose has now won eight of its past 10 and had a six-game winning streak snapped in Detroit (in a shootout) on Thursday. Patrick Marleau is playing tremendous hockey with 22 points, good for third in the league.

4. Sabres (4) No team has allowed fewer goals than the Buffalo Sabres this season (24). Granted, they've also played fewer games than anybody else, but Ryan Miller is playing like an All-Star between the pipes.
5. Kings (5) Two words: Anze Kopitar. The 22-year-old center has taken over the league lead with 26 points, and was sensational in Los Angeles' 5-2 win against Pittsburgh on Thursday. He's going to become a household name this season (if he's not already).
6. Capitals (3) The Capitals got their first taste of life without Alex Ovechkin this week and lost, 3-2, in New Jersey. Washington has dropped three straight, with two coming by way of the shootout.
7. Coyotes (6) The Coyotes are still, statistically, one of the best defensive teams in the NHL this season, allowing just 2.19 goals per game (third best in the league).
8. Rangers (7) Even though he's missed two games due to injury, Marian Gaborik has been amazing for the Rangers with 12 goals and 21 points. If he stays healthy he has to be considered a lock for 40 goals this season.
9. Devils (10) The Devils are still perfect on the road, and after dropping their first two games of the season have won nine of 11 overall. Patrik Elias is getting closer to making his debut this year.

10. Flames (8) Still waiting for Olli Jokinen to get hot. Two goals and seven points in 14 games probably isn't what the Flames had in mind when they acquired him from Phoenix at last year's trade deadline. Even without him scoring, they're still fifth in the league with 3.43 goals per game.

11. Canucks (14) Hey, Andrew Raycroft, where has this been the past five years? Taking over for an injured Roberto Luongo, Raycroft has gone 3-1 and posted a .937 save percentage for the Canucks.

12. blackhawks (11) With Jonathan Toews on the shelf and Marian Hossa yet to make his debut, the Blackhawks haven't been what we expected offensively.
13. Red Wings (19) With wins in four of their past five games, the Red Wings are finally starting to climb the rankings. Chris Osgood has allowed just two goals in his past three starts ... all Detroit wins.
14. Flyers (18) James van Riemsdyk is tied with New York's Michael Del Zotto for the rookie lead in points with 13. No rookie has more assists than his 11. The Flyers have won their past two games in dominating fashion, outscoring Carolina and Tampa Bay by a combined score of 12-3.
15. Blue Jackets (16) Steve Mason is still struggling for Columbus, but Rick Nash is a dominant force with 10 goals and 21 points.
16. Senators (15) Jason Spezza finally has a goal, scoring his first of the season in Ottawa's 3-2 win against Tampa Bay this week. Jonathan Cheechoo is still looking for his first.
17. Stars (12) The Stars have been racking up the Bettman points this season, losing six games in overtime or a shootout. James Neal is picking up where he left off in his rookie season, already tallying nine goals for Dallas.

18. Canadiens (17) Most shocking stat of the season? The Montreal Canadiens have eight wins, and only one of them has come in regulation (a 5-1 win against the Islanders on October 22).

19. Lightning (22) I'll be honest, I didn't expect to see Steven Stamkos sitting here with 12 goals after 14 games and Vincent Lecavalier stuck on two, and getting demoted to third line duty for a game. I pictured just the opposite, actually.

20. Oilers (13) Edmonton started strong, winning six of its first nine games, but has done a complete 180 the past two weeks losing five of six. Dustin Penner is still playing well, leading the team in goals and points.
21. Thrashers (21) The Thrashers picked up road wins in Ottawa and Montreal over the past week, and Rich Peverley continues to impress with a team-best 16 points in 12 games. What a find by the Atlanta front office.
22. Bruins (20) Not only are they without Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, but now forward David Krejci is out with swine flu. As a result, the Bruins have scored just four goals in their past five games.
23. Predators (24) Scoring goals is still a struggle for the Predators, as they were shutout for the fourth time this season in Anaheim. Still, with wins in four of their past six, Nashville is showing signs of life. Shea Weber is one of only two defensemen this season (Ed Jovanovski being the other) to lead his team in goals.

24. Islanders (26) Had to move them up based their four-game winning streak that ended on Wednesday, combined with the fact that they're still playing competitive hockey. Matt Moulson is still tied for the team lead in points.
25. Blues (23) We tried to figure out what was wrong in St. Louis this week but the struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to the Flames on Thursday. The Blues offense has gone missing with just one goal in their past three games.

26. Ducks (25) Only two wins in their past eight games and only three wins on home ice overall. Corey Perry is one of the few bright spots on this team so far, leading the team with 10 goals and 18 points.

27. Panthers (28) Florida has finally managed to put some wins together, thanks in large part to back-to-back shutouts from Tomas Vokoun.
28. Wild (29) No disrespect to Eric Belanger intended, but when he's leading your team in scoring at any point in the season ... something's not right.

29. Maple Leafs (30) Finally! For the first time this season the Maple Leafs climb out of the basement. Unfortunately, it's not really because of anything they did (they've still only won one game, and have lost four straight in overtime - Bettman points!) but more of what the team behind them did ... or didn't do.

30. Hurricanes (27) What has happened to the team that was four wins from playing for the Stanley Cup just six months ago? Carolina closed out the week with its 10th straight loss, a 3-0 shutout at the hands of Tomas Vokoun and the Florida Panthers.