Power Rankings - Nov. 24
The Hockey News
Life as a hockey fan in Ohio has typically brought more lows than highs. And, thus far, it has never involved a playoff game.
But this year’s version of the Columbus Blue Jackets is doing its best to change things and a pair of rookies are playing a huge role.
Center Derick Brassard is battling Chicago’s Kris Versteeg for the top spot among rookie scorers, while freshman goalie Steve Mason has debuted with a 4-1-1 record and already has his first big-league shutout.
Another rookie, Jakub Voracek, hasn’t looked out of place either and don’t forget about skilled Russian Nikita Filatov, an 18-year-old who bagged his first NHL marker during a four-game stint with the Jackets.
With the youth movement in full swing, meaningful games late in the season are right around the corner in Columbus.
RK. | TEAM | LW | OVERALL | L10 | THE SCOOP |
1 |
| 1 | 17-3-1 | 8-1-1 | Patrick Marleau had 48 points last year; this season, he's on pace for 93 |
2 |
| 2 | 14-2-3 | 7-1-2 | Little Jiri Hudler looks like he'll be the next Detroit player to make you wonder, 'Where'd they find this guy?' |
3 |
| 3 | 14-3-4 | 9-0-1 | Have played 21 games and lost only once by more than one goal |
4 |
| 9 | 10-4-5 | 7-1-2 | Martin Havlat is almost the forgotten man on this team |
5 |
| 7 | 12-5-3 | 7-2-1 | Dany Sabourin has done a nice job pinch hitting for the injured Marc-Andre Fleury |
6 |
| 5 | 11-6-1 | 5-5-0 | Can't be 28th in average goals for per game and expect to compete with the big boys for long |
7 |
| 4 | 14-7-2 | 4-5-1 | Hot start becoming a distant memory now |
8 |
| 13 | 9-6-4 | 6-3-1 | Jeff Carter is making good on all that offensive potential |
9 |
| 6 | 11-6-3 | 6-2-2 | Giving up just more than five goals per game in past four contests |
10 |
| 8 | 11-5-3 | 4-4-2 | Not having Mike Komisarek on the back end leaves a big, mean void |
11 |
| 10 | 13-6-2 | 7-1-2 | With Luongo, the Canucks are a top-five team on this list |
12 |
| 11 | 11-8-3 | 5-3-2 | Brendan Morrison hasn't supplied that secondary offense Anaheim was after |
13 |
| 22 | 11-7-2 | 5-5-0 | Always great to see a nice guy like Scott Clemmensen succeeding |
14 |
| 15 | 10-9-1 | 5-5-0 | Shea Weber could get 30 goals this year |
15 |
| 14 | 11-8-2 | 5-5-0 | Cam Ward looks great some nights, others, not so much |
16 |
| 16 | 11-9-1 | 4-6-0 | Mike Cammalleri has one goal in his past 10 games |
17 |
| 17 | 9-8-3 | 5-2-3 | Rick Nash has goals in his past five games |
18 |
| 12 | 9-8-3 | 3-6-1 | Lost seven of eight to officially enter a free-fall |
19 |
| 18 | 7-8-5 | 3-5-2 | Just when you thought Matt Stajan should never play above the third line he starts posting points |
20 |
| 20 | 9-9-2 | 4-5-1 | A healthy Sheldon Souray leads the team with four power play goals |
21 |
| 26 | 8-8-3 | 5-3-2 | Their silver and black third jersey would be better if it was simply the vintage Gretzky-era design |
22 |
| 24 | 7-9-4 | 3-4-3 | I don't know why Antoine Vermette hasn't developed into a top-six forward, but he definitely has not |
23 |
| 21 | 6-9-4 | 3-5-2 | Bad year got worse with the news Brenden Morrow is gone for the season with a torn ACL |
24 |
| 28 | 8-8-2 | 3-5-2 | Keeping their head above water despite a slew of injuries |
25 |
| 25 | 9-10-0 | 4-6-0 | Avs are 4-0 in shootouts this year |
26 |
| 23 | 7-10-2 | 5-5-0 | Kari Lehtonen is now on injured reserve with a back injury; seems like his career will never get on track |
27 |
| 19 | 8-9-2 | 4-4-2 | Young Yotes have dropped five straight |
28 |
| 30 | 8-10-2 | 6-3-1 | Lots of injuries, but Isles have actually gone 6-3-1 in their past 10 |
29 |
| 29 | 6-8-6 | 2-5-3 | Things could get real ugly if Mike Smith's "lower-body injury" keeps him out of the lineup for too long |
30 |
| 27 | 7-11-1 | 3-6-1 | Three goals and nine points in just nine games for newcomer Bryan McCabe this year |
The Hockey News ranks the teams 1-30 each Monday based on a combination of last week’s play and a squad’s overall outlook.
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