go to MSN.com
  autos     money     sports     tech     more    
  MSN home  |  Mail  |  My MSN  | 
Week 5 NHL Power Rankings
Robert Picarello / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 3 days ago

The San Jose Sharks climbed eight places in the Power Rankings this week thanks mainly to the stingy play of their netminder Evgeni Nabokov. The veteran puckstopper posted a 3-0-0 record with a 0.97 goals-against average and .963 save percentage in Week 5, helping the Sharks extend their winning streak to five games and move into first place in the Pacific Division.

On Oct. 28, Nabokov started off the successful week by turning away 28 of the 29 shots he faced in regulation and overtime, plus an additional five of the six shootout attempts he faced in a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Two nights later, he followed that stellar performance up with a 24-save effort in a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Nabokov closed out the week by making 25 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 1.

Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov also backstopped his team up the rankings. Bryzgalov won both of his starts in Week 5, improving his record to an impressive 8-3-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and an NHL-leading three shutouts. His outstanding play helped Phoenix finish the month in second place in the Pacific Division with a 9-4-0 mark. In October, Bryzgalov allowed two or fewer goals in eight of his 11 starts, which included road shutout victories over the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, and St. Louis Blues.

How did your team's goalie fare in Week 5? Read on to find out.

(Note: The Power Rankings will be based on a formula of points earned divided by the maximum amount of points possible [points/games played x 2]. In case of a tie, categories such as wins, goals against, goals for, power-play goals and power-play percentage will determine rankings.)

NHL Power Rankings Week Of 11/03/2009
Rk Team Last Wk Rise/Fall High/Low Comment
1 Penguins 1 - 1/3 (.786) The good news to come out of Week 5 for the Penguins was that the team won two of the three games it played. The bad news was that the team learned it will be without Evgeni Malkin for two to three weeks, as the high-scoring center suffered a strained right shoulder.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
2 Sabres 3 (+1) 1/13 (.773) Tim Connolly helped the red-hot Buffalo Sabres keep up their winning ways last week. Connolly's four points, including the overtime winner against Toronto, allowed Buffalo to win two of the three games it played, matching the club's second-best start in franchise history.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
3 Avalanche 2 (-1) 2/11 (.733) The Avs started Week 5 off by shutting out the Oilers 3-0 in Edmonton. They closed out the week by getting blanked by one of their former teammates. Andrew Raycroft backstopped the Canucks to a 3-0 victory over Colorado, picking up his seventh career shutout by stopping all 18 shots fired his way by his old team.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
4 Capitals 5 (+1) 2/22 (.714) Even though the Capitals lost two of the four games they played in Week 5, the club still had a productive week. When all was said and done, Washington skated away with six of the possible eight points that were on the table, downing the Flyers and Thrashers and losing two games in OT to the Islanders and Blue Jackets.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
5 Sharks 13 (+8) 5/17 (.700) The Sharks closed out October with a four-game winning streak and brought their scorching play into November by winning their first game of the month. Evgeni Nabokov was on top of his game in Week 5, only giving up one goal in regulation in each of his three starts.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
6 Coyotes 8 (+2) 6/16 (.692) Daniel Winnik's play helped the Coyotes skate away with four of a possible six points last week. The 24-year-old posted three points in the four Week 5 games, including the game-winner against the St. Louis Blues.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
7 Devils 9 (+2) 7/28 (.667) Zach Parise's hot hand is one of the main reasons the Devils are off to such a fast start. New Jersey comes into Week 6 riding an 8-2-0 streak in its last 10 games. In those games, Parise has collected 13 points off six goals and seven assists.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
8 Blackhawks 11 (+3) 8/12 (.654) Cristobal Huet backstopped Chicago to two wins in three tries in Week 5. The Blackhawks netminder stopped 40 of the 43 shots he faced in Chicago's two wins, including 20 of the 21 fired at him by the Wild in a 3-1 win.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
9 Kings 10 (+1) 7/25 (.643) What a difference a week makes. In Week 4, the Kings swept through the competition, winning all four of the games they played. Last week, L.A. didn't win a game, only picking up two shootout losses to the Sharks and Canucks.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
10 Rangers 6 (-4) 1/15 (.633) The Rangers picked up two wins in four tries in Week 5, but the more important news was that their sniper, Marian Gaborik, returned to the lineup following a leg injury and immediately contributed. In his return to action, Gaborik notched the only goal in New York's 1-0 win over Boston on Sunday.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
11 Flames 4 (-7) 3/11 (.625) Just when it appeared the Flames were back on track, the team reverted back to its losing ways. Calgary dropped both of the games it played in Week 5, giving the club five losses in its last eight games heading into play this week.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
12 Stars 12 - 11/20 (.607) The Stars need to start playing better hockey at home. The team dropped another game in its building last week, giving the club only two wins in its first six games at the American Airlines Center.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
13 Flyers 14 (+1) 4/15 (.591) The way the Flyers defense played in Week 5, the team was lucky to skate away with one win. Philly gave up 76 shots in its two games. Luckily for the Flyers, Ray Emery turned away 39 of the 40 shots he faced in the club's 6-1 win over Carolina.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
14 Senators 7 (-7) 6/24 (.583) While the Senators come into Week 6 just a few points out of first in the Northeast, the club needs to pick up its play. Ottawa lost two of the three games it played last week, giving the Sens four losses in their last five games and five in their last eight.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
15 Blue Jackets 15 - 3/15 (.577) R.J. Umberger bailed the Blue Jackets out in Week 5. The Columbus forward picked up two goals in a 5-4 win over Washington, including the overtime winner. The win ended the Jackets' three-game losing streak.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
16 Thrashers 17 (+1) 5/17 (.550) After storming out to a 4-1-0 record in its first five games, the Thrashers are back to their losing ways. Atlanta comes into Week 6 having won just one of its last five (1-3-1), recording its only victory last week over the Ottawa Senators.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
17 Lightning 22 (+5) 17/26 (.545) The Lightning picked up three of a possible four points last week. Steven Stamkos led the way, scoring four points in two games off three goals and one assist.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
18 Red Wings 23 (+5) 18/29 (.542) The Red Wings got back on track last week thanks to the play of Pavel Datsyuk. The Detroit center helped the Wings pick up five of a possible six points by scoring two goals and four assists in three games.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
19 Oilers 16 (-3) 12/23 (.536) The Oilers did just about everything to spoil Dustin Penner's four-point effort against the Red Wings last week. Edmonton allowed Detroit to score three times in the third period to force extra hockey. Patrick O'Sullivan's goal in the third round of the shootout helped Edmonton skate away with the full two points and put an end to a three-game losing streak.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
20 Canucks 19 (-1) 19/27 (.533) Raycroft helped the Canucks pick up two wins in three tries in absence of starting goalie Roberto Luongo, who is out temporarily with a hairline rib fracture. Raycroft opened the week by backstopping Vancouver to a 2-1 shootout victory over the Kings and closed out the week with a 3-0 shutout win over the Avalanche.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
21 Canadiens 20 (-1) 11/27 (.500) The Canadiens spilt the four games they played last week. Things may have been different had the Montreal power play been productive. In their two Week 5 losses, the Habs were 1-for-6 with the extra skater, including an 0-for-3 clip in a 3-2 loss to the Blackhawks.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
22 Bruins 18 (-4) 16/23 (.500) The Boston power play was once again nonexistent in Week 5. The Bruins only managed to win one game last week thanks to a power-play unit that failed to connect on the nine opportunities the opposition handed them. The Bruins come into Week 6 sporting the second-worst power play in the league (12.2 percent).
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
23 Predators 26 (+3) 8/26 (.500) After getting off to a slow start, Shea Weber has been money for Nashville lately. Ever since potting the OT winner against Ottawa on Oct. 22, Weber has recorded six points in five games, leading Nashville to a 4-1-0 record in that span.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
24 Islanders 27 (+3) 14/28 (.500) In Week 5, the Islanders really seemed to come together. The club picked up seven of a possible eight points off three wins and one overtime loss. In a 5-0 victory over Buffalo last Saturday, Marty Biron picked up his 200th NHL win, which also happened to be his 26th career shutout.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
25 Blues 21 (-4) 6/25 (.458) The Blues opened up Week 5 with a 5-2 road win over Carolina, but it was all downhill after that, as the club continued to struggle on home ice. St. Louis dropped its two final games at the Scottrade Center, where the team failed to score a goal against the Coyotes and Panthers. The Blues hadn't been shut out in back-to-back home games since November of 1997.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
26 Ducks 24 (-2) 18/26 (.417) The Ducks were able to put to bed a season-high four-game losing streak thanks to the play of Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. Each player had two goals and an assist in 7-2 home-cooked victory over the Canucks.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
27 Panthers 29 (+2) 18/29 (.375) Steve Reinprecht's fifth career NHL hat trick almost wasn't enough in a 6-5 victory over the Dallas Stars. Florida needed a shootout goal by Rostislav Olesz to nail down the win over Dallas and to also put an end to a four-game losing streak.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
28 Wild 28 - 21/29 (.357) Minnesota split the four games it played in Week 5. Last Friday, Petr Sykora helped the Wild pick up its first victory in regulation this season when he netted one goal and one assist in a 3-2 win over the Rangers.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
29 Hurricanes 25 (-4) 24/30 (.269) The Hurricanes continued their woeful play last week. The club lost three more games in Week 5, extending their losing streak to nine games. Carolina comes into Week 6 a dreadful 2-8-3, the team's worst start in franchise history.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
30 Maple Leafs 30 - 19/30 (.250) Niklas Hagman and Tomas Kaberle made sure the Maple Leafs wouldn't go 0-for-October in the wins department, as the two players combined to score eight points off four goals and four assists in a 6-3 win over Anaheim. Hagman netted the second hat trick of his career in the Leafs' win over the Ducks on Monday, while Kaberle's five points were a career high.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy

advertisement
Statistical Information provided by: STATS LLC
© 2009 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved.