Quarter-Pole NHL Power Rankings

The San Jose Sharks have run like a well oiled machine so far in 08-09. Abundant scoring is coming from a variety of places, while their off-season defensive acquisitions, Dan Boyle and Rob Blake, have played magnificently. Even when their star netminder Evgeni Nabokov went down with an injury, they received spectacular goaltending from backup Brian Boucher. On the flip side, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings have looked beatable at times, losing back-to-back games to a Luongo-less Canucks and later the Habs, this past week. The Bruins won’t be ignored in the East and are piling up goals while managing to keep them out of their own net, trying to capture their first division title since 2004.

On the Tavares/Hedman watch, it’s currently about a 10 team race, so really, we can’t be sure where they’ll end up, though it certainly won’t be San Jose. With Brian Burke taking over the reigns as GM for the Maple Leafs, they may even be more in the hunt than previously thought. Not only have they lost 5 straight, but initial rumors from Toronto suggest that Burke has plans of further destructing the team, which include trading veterans Tomas Kaberle, Vesa Toskala, and Alex Ponikarovsky. Wilson and Burke controlling the Leafs: Let the madness begin!

1. San Jose Sharks	11. Anaheim Ducks	21. Edmonton Oilers
2. Boston Bruins	12. Calgary Flames	22. Phoenix Coyotes
3. Detroit Red Wings	13. Minnesota Wild	23. Ottawa Senators
4. Pittsburgh Penguins	14. New Jersey Devils	24. Atlanta Thrashers
5. Vancouver Canucks	15. Buffalo Sabres	25. Colorado Avalanche
6. New York Rangers	16. Los Angeles Kings	26. Florida Panthers
7. Montreal Canadiens	17. Carolina Hurricanes	27. Tampa Bay Lightning
8. Philadelphia Flyers	18. Columbus Blue Jackets	28. New York Islanders
9. Washington Capitals	19. Nashville Predators	29. Toronto Maple Leafs
10. Chicago Blackhawks	20. St. Louis Blues	30. Dallas Stars