Post Week 1 POWER RANKINGS

[bma]

1. Toronto Maple Leafs – Cream of the Crop. Beat perennial contenders Bruins relatively easily.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning – 16-0 against anyone is impressive.
3. Los Angeles Kings – Took down a much improved flyers squad by a large margin.
4. New Jersey Devils - This team should keep improving as the season goes along. That’s a scary thought.
5. Washington Capitals – If the goaltending can keep up, watch out.
6. St Louis Blues – Resounding start against a divisional opponent. Key divisional matchup coming up in week 2.
7. Colorado Avalanche – Injuries to key defensemen put them on the wrong side of a nailbiter. Will bounce back.
8. Boston Bruins – Tough loss to the best team in the league. Still a top team in the east though.
9. Ottawa Senators –Impressive week 1 showing. Definitely a team on the rise.
10. Chicago Blackhawks – Grinded out a win against the Wings. Shouldn’t of been that close but a win is a win.
11. Columbus Blue Jackets – Pulled out the W in a back and forth matchup with the Avs. Week 2 against the Blues and Week 3 against the Hawks will not be any easier.
12. Buffalo Sabres – Beat a very strong Canadiens team. Don’t sleep on this team.
13. Montreal Canadiens – This team will bounce back. It will have to wait one more week though as the powerhouse Leafs are on deck.
14. San Jose Sharks – An expected win against a bottom feeder. Islanders should provide a good litmus test in Week 2.
15. Minnesota Wild – Picked up an important victory against a divisional rival. Match against Oilers was closer than what the final score showed.
16. Edmonton Oilers – Tough loss against the Wild. Was a close match the whole way through. Didn’t get the bounces.
17. New York Rangers – Beat an up and coming Islander team loaded with peripheral studs.
18. Anaheim Ducks – Middle of the pack seems about right with this team.
19. Philadelphia Flyers – Will need to prove that they are an improved team in week 2 after getting demolished by one of the best teams in the league.
20. New York Islanders – A little more offence and this could be a team to watch.
21. Pittsburgh Penguins – When will the penguins throw in the rebuild towel and compete again? Over/under: week 4
22. Nashville Predators – Lingering knee injury to franchise player Malkin is not encouraging news.
23. Vancouver Canucks – Rebuilding. Tank nation was hindered after a week 1 victory over the divisional rival Flames.
24. Phoenix Coyotes – Could use a minor shakeup if the Coyotes are serious about making the playoffs.
25. Detroit Red Wings – Impressive week 1 showing against a top team in the western conference. Just about everyone had this team in the basement in their preseason rankings.
26. Calgary Flames – Are the flames rebuilding or competing?
27. Carolina Hurricanes – Miller will keep this team competitive in the goalie categories but needs help everywhere else.
28. Florida Panthers – Nowhere to go but up after a disastrous week 1.
29. Winnipeg Jets – This team needs a shakeup.
30. Dallas Stars – Trouble in the lone state? GM Bill has gone MIA.

[Robin Hood]

Solid rankings Bry. Keep these coming week-by-week and I'll try to do different types of articles weekly/monthly.

[Nick]

Oh snap. I read the whole thing without knowing it was bry - Love it! Appreciate the #2 but feel like I had some luck to start.

Goalie games will be an issue in week 2.

[bma]

Solid rankings Bry. Keep these coming week-by-week and I'll try to do different types of articles weekly/monthly.

ill try

[MSP4LYFE]

Nick, I feel like facing a superior team will prove to be the bigger issue.

[Nick]

Side bet on skater stats alone Kareem?

[MSP4LYFE]

Side bet on skater stats alone Kareem?

You have 3 more (assuming both Potter and BMO play), so no.

[Nick]

Bah - this dog has a deep bark!

[MSP4LYFE]

Then make a side bet on goaltending.

[Nick]

I'm not confident in tending.

[KapG]

Nice write up, thanks for doing that Bry!

[anton]

mike's team just doesn't scream "best in the league" to me, but i guess you cant argue with results.

[Chris]

Good work Bry! Thanks for admitting that Frank's numbnuttery is fucking me over

[Lee]

The stats with Steve and I were much closer than the 1-14-1 indicated.

[Shoalzie]

I think Anton overtook me in blocked shots on Sunday...we entered the day 6-8-2. In H2H, you just need some guys to have a decent stretch of games and you can steal categories here and there. Even with 4 goals given up on Saturday by Dubnyk, I was still under 2.00 GAA. I can probably hang in against teams in the periphs and goaltending and a team would have to be ice cold in the offensive categories for me steal any of those. Anyway, I'll take the solid start...I'm sure I won't get 5 wins against Anton the next time we play.

[anton]

The stats with Steve and I were much closer than the 1-14-1 indicated.

[anton]

I think Anton overtook me in blocked shots on Sunday...we entered the day 6-8-2. In H2H, you just need some guys to have a decent stretch of games and you can steal categories here and there. Even with 4 goals given up on Saturday by Dubnyk, I was still under 2.00 GAA. I can probably hang in against teams in the periphs and goaltending and a team would have to be ice cold in the offensive categories for me steal any of those. Anyway, I'll take the solid start...I'm sure I won't get 5 wins against Anton the next time we play.

i knew you'd take shtoi and hits from me. i never thought your goalies would have the kind of week they did tho.

[Shoalzie]

To be competitive in half the categories against a quality team, I call that an early success.

[kimmer]

Completely disagrees with this

[anton]

could you imagine if GMs in the real NHL just went MIA for weeks at a time like in BBKL

LOL