Power Rankings: The Montreal Canadiens are cruising -- with Oilers, Lightning hot on their heels
— -- Some clear trends have already emerged in this early NHL season, and for fans in Edmonton or Vancouver, those trends -- in spite of a disappointing weekend -- are surprising in a good way. The season has been surprising for Calgary too, but for different reasons. Scoring is up, youngsters are creating an unprecedented vibe around the league and the Maple Leafs seem destined to blow a multiple-goal lead in dramatic fashion every single game.?
1. (last week: 10)? Montreal Canadiens, 4-0-1
2. (12) Edmonton Oilers, 5-1-0
3. (4)? Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1-0
Their slight hiccup against Colorado aside, the Bolts have been as expected -- deep, dangerous and built for the long haul. Tampa's early schedule tilted toward home play, so we'll see if they can tighten things up defensively on the road as they begin five-game trip within the conference.
4. (2)? St. Louis Blues, 4-1-0
5. (29) Detroit Red Wings, 2-0-0
6. (26) Washington Capitals, 3-1-1
7. (5) Florida Panthers, 3-1-1
8. (17) New York Rangers, 4-2-0
9. (8) Vancouver Canucks, 4-1-1
10. (1) Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-1-1
11. (16) Colorado Avalanche, 3-2-0
12. (23) Boston Bruins, 3-2-0
13. (18) Chicago Blackhawks, 3-3-0
14. (6) Ottawa Senators, 3-2-0
15. (11) Philadelphia Flyers, 2-2-1
16. (3) San Jose Sharks, 3-3-0
17. (30) Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-2-0
18. (14) Dallas Stars, 2-2-1
19. (19) Minnesota Wild, 3-2-1
20. (13) Nashville Predators, 2-3-0
21. (25) New Jersey Devils, 2-2-1
22. (21) Buffalo Sabres, 1-2-1
23. (24) New York Islanders, 3-3-0
24. (26) Anaheim Ducks, 2-3-1
25. (20) Winnipeg Jets, 2-3-0
26. (28) Los Angeles Kings, 2-3-0
27. (9) Toronto Maple Leafs, 1-1-3
28. (22) Carolina Hurricanes, 1-2-2
29. (15)? Arizona Coyotes, 1-4-0
