NHL Power Rankings: November 15th, 2010: Vol. 1
Hockey season is off and skating full speed ahead in 2010 and Cappers Picks is the place to look for the best NHL Handicapping advice all season long.
Our first instalment of the 2010-11 NHL power rankings puts several of the usual suspects near the top of the ladder.
And…as always check out our top cappers NHL daily plays CLICK HERE! —–>
1. Los Angeles Kings (12-3-0): Every step of the way, they’re one year behind Chicago’s development. Chicago broke out two seasons ago and dominated from the outset last year; the Kings exploded last season and have picked up where they left off this season. The scary part is that Drew Doughty hasn’t even really gotten going yet.
2. Washington Capitals (13-4-1): The Caps are doing exactly what they do every year, leading the league in goals by a mile and dominating at home. Alex Ovechkin is still the man but Alex Semin may be the NHL’s most underappreciated sniper.
3. Detroit Red Wings (11-3-1): They get it done year in, year out. How about Nicklas Lidstrom scoring at better than a point-per-game clip through 15 games? The man is ageless.
4. Philadelphia Flyers (11-4-2): Their run to the Stanley Cup final is very repeatable when you consider that Mike Richards and Jeff Carter had off years. Now that they’re heating up and Claude Giroux and Ville Leino are sustaining the production they showed in the playoffs, the Flyers look like a powerhouse.
5. Vancouver Canucks (10-4-2): Since Cory Schneider has been so impressive spelling Roberto Luongo, maybe Vancouver will use him throughout the season and keep BobbyLu fresh for the playoffs. It could do wonders for his game in crunch time.
6. St. Louis Blues (9-3-3): Starting to come back to Earth. The Blues should remain in the playoff hunt thanks to their great goaltending from Jaroslav Halak and solid young defense corps but they still don’t have the scoring prowess to win the Central.
7. Anaheim Ducks (10-7-2): Last night’s loss to Chicago ended Anaheim’s winning streak at six games. It’s no surprise to see the likes of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry excelling – but Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu turning back the clock has really fuelled the Ducks’ surge.
8. Montreal Canadiens (11-5-1): Ca-rey! Ca-rey! Underneath the deafening chants of Mr. Price’s name in Montreal, you can barely hear “Halak” anymore.
9. San Jose Sharks (8-5-2): The Sharks are definitely heating up and they may not feel the same pressure as last year now that Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski are locked into new contracts. Youngster Logan Couture really looks like he has game.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins (9-8-1): Could Pittsburgh’s modest two-game streak continue to grow? Sidney Crosby is on fire, with 12 points in his last five games. It’s crazy when we stop and realize he’s still only 23; he’s a few seasons away from his true prime. 
11. Chicago Blackhawks (9-9-2): Maybe the defending champs miss Anti Niemi after all. Only three teams have allowed more goals than the Hawks this year.
12. Phoenix Coyotes (7-5-5): Somehow, the plucky Coyotes are doing it again. They’ve won three straight games and are back in the Western Conference playoff picture despite having a goal differential of minus-6.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (8-7-2): Not surprisingly, new coach and power-play guru Guy Boucher has Tampa producing at 23 per cent with the man advantage. Is it time to place Steven Stamkos’ name alongside Crosby and Ovechkin and convert the Big Two to a Big Three?
14. Boston Bruins (8-5-1): They’re skidding slightly, having lost two straight. As defensively sound as the Bruins have been, you have to wonder if Zdeno Chara could use a little more help on Boston’s blueline. Getting Nathan Horton for Dennis Wideman was worth it but it did leave the Bruins with a hole.
15. Ottawa Senators (9-7-1): The Sens’ prospect cupboard isn’t exactly bursting with talent but they have to be very, very excited about Erik Karlsson. The young defenseman is showing plenty of offensive flair and has a great power-play mentor in Sergei Gonchar.
16. New York Rangers (9-7-1): Good goaltending, grinding forwards and one bona fide sniper in Marian Gaborik. That’s a recipe for the Rangers to be a fringe team just as they were last season.
17. Nashville Predators (7-5-3): Has another coach ever gotten so much from so little for as long as Barry Trotz has? It’s an amazing story.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets (9-6-0): Don’t necessarily write off Derick Brassard’s solid recent play as a simple streak. He has first-round draft pedigree. Maybe everything has finally clicked for him. If it has, that’s music to Rick Nash’s ears.
19. Minnesota Wild (8-6-2): Minnesota doesn’t get many scoring chances but capitalizes when it does. The Wild own the NHL’s No. 1 power play. Brent Burns has four power-play goals; he may become an elite defenseman yet.
20. Colorado Avalanche (8-7-1): The Avs have to feel great about Chris Stewart and Matt Duchene’s development but they’re giving up too many goals. Craig Anderson’s return from injury will be welcomed.
21. Atlanta Thrashers (7-8-3)
22. Carolina Panthers (8-9-0)
23. Buffalo Sabres (6-9-3)
24. Dallas Stars (8-7-0)
25. Florida Panthers (7-8-0)
26. Calgary Flames (7-9-0)
27. New Jersey Devils (5-10-2)
28. Edmonton Oilers (4-9-3)
29. Toronto Maple Leafs (5-8-3)
30. New York Islanders (4-10-3)
