2011 NHL Power Rankings (Through 10/11/11)
Ranking the NHL teams from No. 1 to No. 30 is never an easy task, but here at Bang the Book, we’re keying in on all 30 teams in NHL betting action this year. Check out how the teams rank as of 10/11/11!
1: San Jose Sharks (1-0-0, 2 pts) (LW: 2) – The Sharks look sharp right now, as they won their first game of the year 6-3, but they are one of the only teams in the league that have only played one game to date.
2: Pittsburgh Penguins (3-0-1, 7 pts) (LW: 4) – Pittsburgh has the most points in the league with seven, but it also has the most games played with four. The test with the Caps on Friday is likely to come without both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
3: Washington Capitals (2-0-0, 4 pts) (LW: 5) – Washington has won both of its games this year, and that’s awfully impressive considering the fact that Alexander Ovechkin hasn’t scored a goal yet on the campaign. In fact, there are seven players with at least two points, and Ovie on has a single assist. Good times are ahead for the Capitals.
4: Vancouver Canucks (1-0-1, 3 pts) (LW: 1) – We probably shouldn’t be all that surprised that the Canucks have six goals on the season and that Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin have a combined six points. No one else on this team has more than one though, which is par for the course.
5: Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-0, 2 pts) (LW: 6) – Even though the Flyers haven’t come home yet for the first time this year, they have absolutely already won the hearts of their fans. Their goaltending has been atrocious in recent years, but this year, there is only one goal allowed in two games.
6: Nashville Predators (2-0-0, 4 pts) (LW: 10) – The Predators have scored seven goals in two games this year, and if they can keep this up, their goaltending should be good enough to really contend for the Central Division title.
7: Detroit Red Wings (2-0-0, 4 pts) (LW: 11) – The Wings are right there as well, as they have eight goals in their two wins as well. Detroit’s vets have to continue to step up to keep this team going though, and we aren’t 100% optimistic that that will be the case.
8: Buffalo Sabres (2-0-0, 4 pts) (LW: 12) – Thomas Vanek already has five points on the year, and Ryan miller has had two great games in net in spite of the fact that the Sabres have allowed 31.5 shots per game this year.
9: Boston Bruins (1-2-0, 2 pts) (LW: 3) – The Bruins definitely have been challenged over the course of their first few games, which makes us wonder just how strong this team really is this year. With two home losses already, Boston has to be concerned about its Stanley Cup defense.
10: Tampa Bay Lightning (1-1-1, 3 pts) (LW: 7) – This is really a par for the course start for the Lightning. They have 11 goals scored in three games, but they have 11 goals allowed as well. Things need to improve defensively to keep this team as a competitor in the Southeast Division.
11: Los Angeles Kings (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 8) – The Kings are already set to come East for the first time this year after two games on European soil. We’re confident that this team will figure it out eventually, but this has been a brutal start to the season.
12: Chicago Blackhawks (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 9) – A split against Dallas was probably an underachievement for the Blackhawks, but there is no excuse with five more games ahead against probable non-playoff teams for this squad to get the job done and get back towards the top of the Central Division.
13: Dallas Stars (2-1-0, 4 pts) (LW: 22) – We give Dallas credit for managing two points against the Blackhawks in a pair of games. We also know that the Stars still have a scoring problem. Six goals in three games just isn’t going to cut it.
14: Toronto Maple Leafs (2-0-0, 4 pts) (LW: 25) – The city of Toronto badly needed something to be happy about after how badly the Argonauts played in the CFL this year, and with two straight wins and eight total goals to start the season, there is definitely some reason for optimism.
15: Anaheim Ducks (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 13) – With just three goals in two games, the Ducks have some real issues right now. However, we know that Bobby Ryan and the crew are going to start scoring soon, and we’re more impressed with the three goals allowed in two games instead.
16: Montreal Canadiens (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 15) – Carey Price has picked up right where he left off last year, posting just a 1.52 GAA. He hasn’t pitched a shutout yet, but we know that that the clean sheets will get started, and then this team is truly dangerous.
17: New Jersey Devils (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 16) – A lack of goals is nothing new for the Devils, but it has to be concerning that this will be two straight years of massive problems offensively for a team that is a heck of a lot more talented than this.
18: St. Louis Blues (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 19) – Adding Jason Arnott has already paid dividends this year, as he has two goals and an assist in the first two games. Add that to Chris Stewart and David Backes on a front line, and this team is all of a sudden looking like it has some real potential.
19: Minnesota Wild (1-1-1, 3 pts) (LW: 20) – What? The Wild are already making trades? They sent Eric Nystrom to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday in the first trade of the year.
20: New York Rangers (0-0-2, 2 pts) (LW: 14) – The trip to Europe wasn’t stellar for the Rangers, as they ended up losing both games in overtime (one via shootout). Head Coach John Tortorella needs to get his club’s offense in gear. Three goals in two games won’t cut it.
21: New York Islanders (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 27) – The Islanders might have only scored two goals in their first two games of the year at the Nassau Coliseum, but they only allowed three goals in those games as well. If the goaltending can keep it up for New York, the young talent up front might be good enough to at least keep this team relevant.
22: Edmonton Oilers (1-0-0, 2 pts) (LW: 29) – We’re going to move Edmonton up to 22nd in our poll this week, but we know that it probably isn’t going to last. One game doesn’t make a season, so we’re not all that excited.
23: Calgary Flames (0-2-0, 0 pts) (LW: 17) – If Miikka Kiprusoff can’t figure out how to allow fewer than 10 goals in two games, the Flames are going to be in a heck of a lot of trouble this year.
24: Colorado Avalanche (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 28) – Three goals allowed in just two games? Semyon Varlamov must’ve been a great signing for this team after last year’s debacles in net.
25: Florida Panthers (1-1-0, 2 pts) (LW: 30) – These Panthers still just don’t scare us this year, though we have to at least move them up a couple spots after notching a win on the road to start off the season.
26: Carolina Hurricanes (0-2-1, 1 pt) (LW: 18) – Allowing 13 goals in just three games is the most in hockey, and it’s bad, bad news for the Hurricanes if this keeps up for any period of time this year.
27: Ottawa Senators (1-2-0, 2 pts) (LW: 26) – And then of course, there are the Senators, who, for whatever reason, are still trusting Craig Anderson in net after his god awful year a season ago with the Avalanche and then with the Sens after the worthless trade at the deadline.
28: Winnipeg Jets (0-1-0, 0 pts) (LW: 21) – It’s bad news for the Jets that they were absolutely reamed in their first game back in Winnipeg by a 5-1 count. Times will be better, but that opener was certainly bleak to say the least.
29: Phoenix Coyotes (0-1-1, 1 pt) (LW: 23) – It’s going to be a long, long year in the desert without Ilya Bryzgalov manning the net. We have no confidence in this team this year.
30: Columbus Blue Jackets (0-3-0, 0 pts) (LW: 24) – The Blue Jackets are the only team in hockey that doesn’t even have a point after playing three games, which already puts them in a big hole in a great division.
Andrew Ryan
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