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POWER RANKINGS

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 4, 2007

1. SENATORS: An unbeaten record on the road (4-0-0) is a good sign they're for real. 2. RED WINGS: Like Ottawa, they've taken care of business away from home (13 points in eight road games). 3. HURRICANES: Depth of scoring (eight players in double-figure points already) has lifted them to the top of the Southeast again. 4. CANADIENS: League's best power play, even without departed D Sheldon Souray. 5. FLYERS: They're doing it with Martin Biron's great goaltending now; they'll need more scoring in the long run. 6. AVALANCHE: Went into Saturday still undefeated (6-0-0) at home. 7. BLUE JACKETS: If they awarded the Vezina in November, G Pascal Leclaire would get it. 8. WILD: They'd be even better right now if they were healthy. Especially if G Niklas Backstrom was healthy. 9. FLAMES: They've survived so far without consistent play from G Miikka Kiprusoff, but how long can that last? 10. BLUES: Doug Weight (no goals in 23 shots, two assists in 11 games) might be at the end of a very nice career. 11. BRUINS: If G Tim Thomas can keep this up (1.56 GAA, .949 save percentage), the city of Boston could have another sports achievement to celebrate next spring. 12. KINGS: Why do they deserve this high of a ranking? Check the standings. As of Saturday, believe it or not, they led the Pacific Division. 13. PENGUINS: Young Sidney Crosby is beginning to come around, leading the league in power-play points. 14. SHARKS: C Joe Thornton is again up to his point-a-game ways, and then some. 15. MAPLE LEAFS: It really does seem as if this team could take off if it would just get some consistent goalie play out of Vesa Toskala or Andrew Raycroft. Or both. 16. ISLANDERS: It was a nice gesture by Ted Nolan to step aside for one game in honor of Coach Al Arbour. 17. BLACKHAWKS: Rookie of the Year is between Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, with their combined 26 points. 18. PANTHERS: They're getting good goaltending. They just have so few goal scorers to help Olli Jokinen that it's tough to win consistently. 19. PREDATORS: G Dan Ellis, second in the NHL in GAA and save percentage, is pushing Chris Mason. 20. STARS: A 5-0 loss to Phoenix on Friday was called "rock bottom" by captain Brenden Morrow. He'd better hope it is. 21. DUCKS: Suddenly, they're Southern California's "other" team. Oh, it won't last. But the Kings are hot, and Anaheim is inexplicably cold. 22. RANGERS: It looks like Chris Drury is beginning to come around. Good thing for New York, which has wasted some great goalie play by Henrik Lundqvist so far. 23. SABRES: D Jaroslav Spacek is healthy and back in the lineup, and that should make a big difference as Buffalo climbs the Eastern Conference standings. 24. DEVILS: Their problems are many. They can't score, and Martin Brodeur hasn't been as dominant with a new defensive style in front of him. 25. LIGHTNING: It's not going to get any better until they figure out how to win on the road. 26. COYOTES: The good news is, they were only four points out of first place on Saturday. The bad news? Averaging 2.45 goals, they'll have a tough time making up even those four points. 27. CAPITALS: G Olaf Kolzig has not been bad. Neither has Alex Ovechkin. But injuries and lack of productive depth have done them in so far. 28. CANUCKS: Losing D Kevin Bieksa (cut on right calf by skate Thursday) for up to eight weeks could be a crippling blow. 29. OILERS: It hasn't helped at all that they've lost four defensemen to injuries, including Sheldon Souray. 30. THRASHERS: The way Ilya Kovalchuk is playing lately, they might yet work their way out of the bottom spot. Carter Gaddis

POWER RANKINGS

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