NHL Power Rankings- December 18
Once again, we've asked our bloggers to rank the NHL from top to bottom. Before we look at those rankings, here are some things that really stood out:
- The Capitals lead off our rankings at number one for the first time. They received 3/4 of the first place votes and find themselves with 2 sports in the average rankings ahead of the number 2 team.
- 3 teams who had good starts have plummeted in the rankings losing 10 spots or more ( Philadelphia, Columbus, Tampa Bay)
- Only 1 team rose more than spots in this rankings with the Predators storming to number 10 up from 20 last time.
- The Islanders have same amount of ties (7) as the rest of their division. Meanwhile the Canucks have yet to have a tie at the 1/3 point of the season.
Without further ado......
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 1 |  |
1.4 |
 1 |
21-7-6 |
Won 1 |
| "Washington might be the Phoenix Suns of hockey; you wonder if their style can produce a championship, but it would be a sin to compromise their soul." -Cycle Like the Sedins |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 2 |  |
3.4 | 1 |
23-8-1 | Won 2 |
| "Always in the top 4 in the Eastern Conference, Martin Broduer looks like a Vezina winner again." - Somethings Bruin |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| T-3 |  |
4.1 | 4 |
22-12-3 | Lost 1 |
| "Anze Kopitar is the best player you're not watching." - Babcock's Death Stare |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| T-3 |  |
4.1 | 3 |
24-10-1 |
Won 4 |
| "Don't forget about the Champs who are coasting quite nicely at the moment. Should have 1st round home ice." - BeLeaf Blog | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 5 |  |
4.5 |  4 |
20-8-7 |
Won 1 |
| "It's been a rough week or two in San Jose, but perhaps the Sharks will learn the benefits of treading water earlier rather than later." -Cycle Like the Sedins |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 6 |  |
4.6 | 2 |
21-8-3 |
Won 2 |
| "Is there anything this young team cannot do? They've scored almost 30 more goals than they've allowed so far in 09-10." -Cycle Like the Sedins | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 7 |  |
7.5 | 1 |
20-10-2 |
Lost 1 |
| "Ryan Miller is a BEAST! Leading the league in Goals Against Average and Save %" -Somethings Bruin | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 8 |  |
8 | 3 |
19-11-6 |
Lost 1 |
| "One of the biggest surprises this season, Matt Duchene is having one hell of a rookie year." - Somethings Bruin |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 9 |  |
10 | 1 |
20-10-4 |
Won 1 |
| "Kippur is back to Vezina-form, but the team needs to play more consistent." - BeLeaf Blog |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 10 |  |
10.7 | 10 |
21-11-3 |
Won 3 |
| "Rising and falling with Pekka Rinne." - Babcock's Death Stare |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 11 |  |
10.8 | 5 |
21-12-2 |
Won 2 |
| "Little did we know that Ice Edge could save the Coyotes. I would have assumed it was just a terrible brand of beer." -Cycle Like the Sedins | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 12 |  |
12.1 | - |
18-11-5 |
Won 4 |
| "After a very slow start the old Red Wings look like the Red Wings of old." - Somethings Bruin | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 13 |  |
12.6 | 8 |
16-10-6 |
Lost 2 |
| "Best PK in the league and 8-1-1 in their last 10 means this team is steadily improving." -Somethings Bruin | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 14 |  |
13.8 | 3 |
19-15-0 |
Lost 1 |
| "Henrik Sedin is quietly lighting up the NHL right now." -Cycle Like the Sedins |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 15 |  |
15 | 3 |
18-12-3 |
Won 1 |
| "Kovalchuk and Antropov continue to tear it up. If Antropov can regain his scoring touch and Hedberg can continue his resurgence, Atlanta will continue to move up." -BeLeaf Blog | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 16 |  |
16.5 | 3 |
14-9-11 |
Lost 3 |
| "Top 12 in goals per game means they'll always be in the mix." -Somethings Bruin | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 17 |  |
17.1 | 5 |
17-12-4 |
Won 1 |
| "Spezza injury won't hurt too bad as traditionally they play better without him. Begs the question why not trade him?" - BeLeaf Blog | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 18 |  |
19 | 2 |
10-6-2 |
Lost 1 |
| "8-2 in their last 10. After a horrific start, the hockey has been much better in St. Paul." -Anyone But Detroit |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 19 |  |
20.9 | 3 |
15-15-4 |
Lost 2 |
| "New coach, same old Oilers. They can score but they turn the puck over way too much and because of it they won't be in the playoffs." - BeLeaf Blog | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 20 |  |
21.4 | 6 |
14-13-5 |
Lost 1 |
| "Hanging out in the middle for what feels like eternity." -Flyers Goal Scored By... |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 21 |  |
22.4 | 4 |
14-14-7 | Won 2 |
| "Another year on the playoff bubble for the Panthers. Pretty difficult to blame fans for falling asleep on this group." -Cycle Like the Sedins |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 22 |  |
22.9 | 8 |
13-15-7 | Lost 1 |
| "The Rick DiPietro contract will hinder this franchise forever." -Somethings Bruin | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 23 |  |
23.4 | 1 |
15-18-3 | Lost 5 |
| "Injury issues, effort issues and heart issues plague the Centennial Season." -Somethings Bruin | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 24 |  |
23.8 | 4 |
13-14-7 | Lost 1 |
| "Nothing has gone right for this club. The big question is when does Nidermayer get dealt?" - BeLeaf Blog | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 25 |  |
23.9 | 14 |
14-14-7 |
Lost 5 |
| "It's disturbing to see that the Filatov defection might be a microcosm of a splintering locker room in Columbus." -Cycle Like the Sedins | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 26 |  |
24.6 | 17 |
15-16-2 | Lost 2 |
| "The coaching change has done nothing to prevent the Flyers freefall." - Anyone But Detroit | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 27 |  |
25.4 | 3 |
12-15-7 | Lost 1 |
| "Phil Kessel is still scoring at a torrid pace, but this isn't helping out the Leafs penalty kill. Still dead last in the league on the PK, the Leafs continue to give up a PP goal per game. Until they can shore up the PK, they will hover around 13th in the conference." - BeLeaf Blog | |||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 28 |  |
25.6 | 14 |
15-16-3 | Won 1 |
| "Tortorella should alway coach mediocre teams just so he can give press conferences afterwards." -Vancity Canuck |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 29 |  |
26.9 | 10 |
11-14-9 |
Lost 6 |
| "More than likely the Lightning is getting ready to dump their large contracts (Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier)." - Somethings Bruin |
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| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Change | Record | Streak |
| 30 |  |
30 | 1 |
8-19-6 |
Won 1 |
| "GM Rutherford has a big decision. Blowup a team that under a year ago played in the Conference final or show patience and wait till next year. 2-7-1 record in last 10 isn't helping if patience is preferred." -BeLeaf Blog |
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