Power Rankings: Montreal Canadiens cruising, Oilers and Lightning hot on their heels
— -- Some clear trends have already emerged, and for fans of the? Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, those trends -- in spite of a disappointing weekend for the latter -- are surprising in a good way. The season has been surprising for the? Calgary Flames?too, but for different reasons. Scoring is up, youngsters are creating an unprecedented vibe around the league and the? Toronto 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 a five-game trip within the conference.
4. (2)? St. Louis Blues, 4-1-0
5. (29) Detroit Red Wings, 4-2-0
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
