Power Rankings - Oct. 27
The Hockey News
There’s probably never been a backup goalie more synonymous with shutouts than Brian Boucher.
The Sharks stopper has two starts this year and has yet to feel the red light burn behind him. Boucher, who signed with San Jose this summer, established the modern-day NHL record of five straight shutouts while he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2003-04 season.
Coach Todd McLellan might consider promoting Boucher, since Evgeni Nabokov, the Vezina Trophy runner-up last season, has yet to round into form. Despite holding a 5-2 record, Nabokov sports a 3.11 goals-against average and .875 save percentage.
RK. | TEAM | LW | OVERALL | THE SCOOP |
1 | 1 | 6-1-1 | Franzen's injury means Ville Leino gets a chance to prove himself in the NHL | |
2 | 3 | 8-2-1 | Kept the early-season magic going with comeback win over Pens | |
3 | 2 | 7-2-0 | Devin Setoguchi starting to fulfill his promise | |
4 | 6 | 6-0-2 | Feels like this is really becoming Ryan Miller's team | |
5 | 4 | 5-1-1 | Need to cut down on the 31 shots they're giving up per game | |
6 | 9 | 5-0-1 | Mikko Koivu becoming a true front-line center | |
7 | 10 | 5-2-2 | Can Jordan Staal find his true niche on this team? | |
8 | 8 | 5-2-1 | Zach Parise looks ready to become a full-blown NHL star | |
9 | 17 | 4-5-0 | Big 3 of Selanne, Perry and Getzlaf finally get rolling | |
10 | 5 | 4-3-1 | After eight games, No. 8 is on pace for… 21 goals | |
11 | 23 | 5-3-0 | Five-game winning streak vaults Avs up the charts | |
12 | 12 | 5-3-0 | Two more goalies injured while this sentence was written | |
13 | 13 | 4-2-1 | Here's hoping Brandon Sutter won't miss too much time | |
14 | 16 | 3-2-3 | Eight games into the season, zero goals for sophomore Jonathan Toews | |
15 | 20 | 2-3-3 | Finally picked up some wins, but lost Briere for a month | |
16 | 15 | 4-4-0 | Blowing 3-0 lead versus Calgary not typical of a Barry Trotz-coached team | |
17 | 18 | 3-4-2 | 38-year-old Mike Modano looks good out of the gate | |
18 | 11 | 3-2-3 | Lucic just becoming more and more of a force out there | |
19 | 21 | 4-3-1 | As Jarome goes, so go the Flames. A time will come when he'll need help, though. | |
20 | 19 | 4-4-0 | Maybe, just maybe, there is still some life in Kyle Wellwood | |
21 | 7 | 4-3-0 | Inconsistency goes with the territory when you're a young club | |
22 | 14 | 2-5-1 | GM Bryan Murray needs to make some hard evaluations very soon | |
23 | 24 | 4-4-0 | Keith Ballard making a nice first impression with eight points through eight games | |
24 | 28 | 3-2-3 | Young legs doing some churning for coach Ron Wilson | |
25 | 27 | 3-4-0 | Need to make hay during a seven-game homestand | |
26 | 22 | 3-4-0 | Only one goal through seven games for newcomer Olli Jokinen | |
27 | 26 | 3-5-0 | Voracek, Brassard offering some hope for the future | |
28 | 25 | 2-4-2 | Two goals and seven points a real nice start for blueliner Ron Hainsey | |
29 | 30 | 1-3-3 | Averaging an absolutely anemic 1.57 goals per game, far and away the fewest in the league | |
30 | 29 | 2-5-0 | Injuries starting to define DiPietro's career |
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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