For the second week running, there’s a new team a top the Power Rankings. Finally, my faith in one goalie (and his team) has paid off and they’ve assumed top spot in the NHL and The Lowdown Power Rankings. Along with the top spot, just about every other slot in the rankings changed hands as early season hot and cold streaks sort themselves out and we get a clearer picture of who are contenders and who are pretenders this season.

#1 St. Louis Blues (Last Week #4)
Last season, some Habs fan did a song to the tune of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance that said that Jaroslav Halak would bring Stanley back. I think there’s someone in St. Louis that’s currently rewriting that song so it’s about the Blues. It’s not a great stat to use but the Blues were the last team in the league to allow 20 goals against this season. It really seems as though Halak has carried his playoff form into this season and is the early season favourite to win the Vezina Trophy.

#2 Los Angeles Kings (LW #1)
In the last two weeks of the NFL season, games were played in London and Toronto. A deal is being worked on to extend the Toronto game package and Roger Goodell wants to play more games in Europe. And here’s Los Angeles, the second most populated city in America, and they don’t have an NFL franchise. How can America’s biggest sports league not have a team in one of the country’s biggest markets? There are two baseball, basketball and hockey teams in LA (Anaheim is close enough that it counts as LA). Even NASCAR had two races a season in the vicinity of LA (which is down to only one starting next season). Clearly the NFL has dropped the ball on Los Angeles.

#3 Philadelphia Flyers (LW #7)
Last weekend, the old Philadelphia Spectrum was looted by fans. Well, looted is both the right and wrong word here. Fans were allowed to take anything that wasn’t bolted down at the Spectrum as long as they paid a $5 fee for entry. The shocking thing, given that it’s Philly, is that there wasn’t a riot. This is the same place that threw hundreds of chairs into the ring at an ECW show. There wasn’t one report of a thrown chair or a chair shot or any other chair related violence. And they call themselves the home of ECW…

#4 Vancouver Canucks (LW #13)
At one point, these guys were below .500 and I was looking very smart for having passed by the Sedins for Stamkos in my office fantasy pool. Now, I only look smart for taking Stamkos for Stamkos and not because the Canuckleheads fell apart. They were 2-3-2 before going on their recent hot streak which brought them back atop the Northwest. Of course, as we’ve seen with this bunch in the past, regular season success leads to shattered dreams in April.

#5 Detroit Red Wings (LW #2)
For the first time this season, my Wings have dropped from second place. Now that the Blues have (for now) cemented themselves as tops in the Central, I can’t keep them above St. Louis. So that means it’s down to here for Detroit. Still, the Wings are the best thing that Detroit has going for it besides the increasing quality of Ford cars. Well, the improvement in Ford build quality has to do with European Ford practices so I guess that means that the Red Wings are the only thing Detroit has going for it.

#6 Washington Capitals (LW #6)
To hell with the Caps right now. Alex Ovechkin has a new friend atop the Washington sports world and that’s John Wall. With all the talk of Blake Griffin as Rookie of the Year, Wall seems lost in the conversation. He’s a #1 draft pick with a team-first mentality. He wants to distribute the ball and cut down on turnovers. Hell, he didn’t even want to do his Dougie dance before the home opener and had to be talked into it. There’s the rare future superstar who isn’t a self-serving prick. He’ll be a nice addition to the Washington sports scene.

#7 Montreal Canadiens (LW #5)
After the weekend set of games, the leaders of the Central, Pacific, Southeast, Atlantic and Northwest divisions were ranked first through fifth in the league standings. The Northeast division leader wasn’t in 6th but 7th, separated from the pack by the Red Wings. So that’s why the Habs are down here. If you can’t hang with the rest of the leaders in the standings, I can’t have you up there in the Power Rankings.

#8 Boston Bruins (LW #11)
The only team that can hold a candle to the Blues in terms of goaltending is Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins. They have the second best goal differential in the league (behind St. Louis) and the second lowest goals against in the league (again behind St. Louis). And they once again have the worst goals for among playoff teams in the East. Okay, they’re only one behind Montreal but they’re still offensively anemic. Until they fix that, they’ll need to keep up the voodoo that’s made Thomas a top two goalie in the league this season.

#9 Tampa Bay Lightning (LW #3)
The Lightning’s strong start has quieted rumours that Vinny Lecavalier will be traded. Before he signed that massive extension (and even a bit afterword), the hot rumour was that Vinny was Montreal bound. I’ve read some rumblings that Vinny could be on his way out again this year. He’s third on the team in scoring and provides a nice secondary alternative to Stamkos and St. Louis. He’s got a $7 Million+ cap hit and is horribly overpaid but as long as he takes the heat of Stamkos, he’s worth a good chunk of that change.

#10 Chicago Blackhawks (LW #10)
Your Chicago fun fact of the day: The Blackhawks lead the league in goals for. They also lead the league in games played so that first thing doesn’t count. But ignore the second fact of the day when I tell you that they also have allowed the most goals against so far. The Hawks haven’t lost their offensive touch this year but they can’t keep the puck from going in either. The team GAA is over 3.00 while Tim Thomas’ league leading GAA (among starters) is about one-third of Chicago’s. I’d say the Hawks might need to make a move to fix that.

#11 Anaheim Ducks (LW #19)
Jackie’s definitely going to be happy this week. I dropped his Ducks down the Power Rankings last week and was set to do it again this week. When you’re bottom among the top 15 teams in the NHL in goal differential, you’re lucky to be up this high in the rankings. However, they’re undefeated for November and have paddled their way into the NHL’s Top 10 after Tuesday’s games. Of course, that goal differential would have me think that they’re punching more than a bit above their weight right now in terms of the standings.

#12 Minnesota Wild (LW #24)
The Wild are on a hot streak and I really didn’t notice if it started before or after the last Power Rankings came out. That’s because the damn Vikings are hogging all the spotlight. I don’t know what’s happening with the Wild but I can tell you that Brad Childress has lost the locker room, Brett Favre is a drama queen and Randy Moss got cut for being a food critic. How many people do you think go to both football and hockey games? I’d say few and far between. If they called their team District 5, they might have gotten more attention.

#13 Columbus Blue Jackets (LW #18)
You know, I’m not sure if I’m happy with how the Big Ten conference is playing out this year. Columbus’ own Ohio State Buckeyes lost to Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the Michigan State Spartans are at the top of the Big Ten right now but Penn State may have something to say about that. That would put Wisconsin lurking for State to fall flat on their faces. That’ll be the only saving grace for this season as a Michigan fan. Rich Rod’s defence is utterly horrible. Lloyd Carr left Rich Rod one of the top defences in the country and he goes and fucks it up. I hate to think of what will happen in The Game. Anyway, the lesser of three evils atop the Big Ten is Wisconsin and I’m not happy with that.

#14 Colorado Avalanche (LW #12)
Colorado is worrying me right now. Chris Stewart hasn’t scored all month and it’s hurting my fantasy team. Well, not really because Jakub Voracek has made up the monthly scoring deficit left by Stewart. That’s the great thing about my office’s hockey pool is that there are payout for each month’s winner that are almost enough to cover the entry fee. Winning October got me back to basically even and anything above that, including finishing top three at the end of the year, is gravy at this point. If only I was this good in the Lowdown fantasy pool.

#15 Pittsburgh Penguins (LW #8)
They’re off to a slower than expected start this season but I’m not sure they’ve ever been in the top half of the East before December since Crosby showed up. This team takes a while to finds its footing and then charges strong to the finish and hopes to carry momentum into the playoffs. But will anyone give them a chance if Brent Johnson is still their starter come April? I’ll answer that question depending on how my fantasy team does with him in goal.

#16 Ottawa Senators (LW #26)
I’m sure you’re thinking that I’m anti-Sens because they’re all the way down here despite currently being top ten in the league and placing them below the Decks. A few reasons for this: 1) Remind me who won the Cup in 2007? Chris Phillips can tell you how that went down; 2) Who’s in net? Sens season ticket holders might not even be able to answer that; and 3) Sergei Gonchar is the #3 scorer behind Alfie and Spezza. Erik Karlsson is fourth. Two blueliners are among the top scorers on the team. The offense may need to go back to the drawing board.

#17 Dallas Stars (LW #14)
If you thought the drama in Minnesota with the Vikings drowned out what was happening with the Wild, multiply that by about 1,000 for the Stars. Between the Rangers in the World Series and the dragged out drama over Wade Phillips, the Stars can’t get a word in edge wise. And just wait until Mark Cuban starts with his antics and the Mavs start dominating the Dallas sports headlines. Sometimes I think the Stars should have just stayed up north.

#18 Atlanta Thrashers (LW #15)
A while back I read a semi-infamous conspiracy theory that the Thrashers were stocking up on black players so they could sell the game in the Atlanta area. There’s a few of holes in this theory: 1) Anson Carter isn’t there. In fact, he’s not in the NHL and he was good one season; 2) Dustin Byfuglien’s the best black player they have and try phonetically pronouncing his name… Doesn’t work; and 3) Atlanta is a confederate stronghold. Marketing black players in the deep south is the worst thing they could do.

#19 San Jose Sharks (LW #16)
Ex-Soo Greyhound “Jumbo” Joe Thornton was suspended for a pair of games for a blindside hit to the head of David Perron. I’m not going to argue the rule because it’s written in an acceptable way to control but not eliminate bone-crushing hits. My problem with this is that Perron ran into Joe when he squared to hit. Thornton didn’t “explode” into the hit as most guys do. No, he lowered his shoulder and Perron’s head hit it. I’m not trying to blame DP57 on this one but he’s half Thornton’s size. If Joe was to try a low hip check, he’d hit Perron about sternum high. The rule is okay but Bettman and Campbell got it wrong in this case.

#20 New York Rangers (LW #21)
The Rangers would be so much higher on the list if Rex Ryan coached them too. Let’s face it, a competent coach like Tortorella isn’t getting much done with this lineup and Glen Sather must be too senile at this point to realize that he’s put together a shit team. Ryan would inspire his team by having them harass female reporter, taking breaks for goddamn snacks and congratulate players on their fucking great hustle. Torts? He’s busy yelling at refs, fueding with reporters and spraying fans with water bottles. Time to hire Rex.

#21 Nashville Predators (LW #9)
I don’t really use the previous week’s Power Rankings in determining this week’s Power Rankings. I take a look at the standings, see which teams are on hot or cold streaks and factor in past and current injuries and player hot streaks. That’s how Nashville went from being a top ten team in last week’s Rankings to in the bottom ten this week. They’re on a cold streak right now, Pekka Rinne can’t stop a beachball and their goals for is second-worst in the league. That’s enough to make you plummet down the Rankings.

#22 Carolina Hurricanes (LW #22)
The new BBC series Sherlock wrapped up last weekend on PBS. I tried watching it on ShowCase in Canada but commercials and scheduling made it hard to stick around for a full episode. Seeing the show in the original 90 minute format without commercials as opposed to 90 minutes with an extra 30 minutes of commercials completely changes the viewing experience. First, no time for bathroom breaks so you had to plan well. Second, the show flows better so you are kept engaged and can enjoy the show rather than deal with promos. No wonder why DVRs and Tivo are doing so well.

#23 Toronto Maple Leafs (LW #23)
I have half a mind to change the Leafs’ name on the Power Rankings. The frontrunners are the obvious Make Believes and Make Me Laughs. My Dad occasionally referred to the Leafs as the Loafs but I wouldn’t know what to put ahead of that. Maple Loafs, maybe, but I’m not feeling that. What does it really say about their rebuilding efforts when the best thing I have to talk about are mocking nicknames for the team.

#24 Phoenix Coyotes (LW #25)
And back to Sherlock for a moment. No only was the commercial-free format great, so was the show. Updating the show for the 21st century was a risky venture but they didn’t just change the time the show was set but everything else because of it. Holmes worked differently, technology played a prominent role, the dialogue was updated and so on. What we’re left with is something familiar and yet new and thoroughly enjoyable for a fan of the classic Conan Doyle mysteries, such as myself. It’s pretty neat that something could be new and true to the classic material at the same time. But when the series is done by the new Doctor Who head writer, I should have expected that.

#25 Florida Panthers (LW #29)
So Tim Tebow is releasing his memoirs next April. Here’s a kid that’s my age and he’s releasing the story of his life. I thought that the Justin Bieber book was pointless but at least he has a cult following him and may have possibly banged Kim Kardashian considering some of the death threats she received from the Bielebers or whatever the fuck they call themselves. Granted, in today’s world, we would have found out by now if he actually did. And Tebow? He’s a tailback that played quarterback for a good team. I should start writing my memoirs “Quarter-Life Crisis: The Story of an Average Man Who Accomplished Nothing.” New York Times bestseller right there.

#26 Calgary Flames (LW #20)
I’m sure most of Calgary is ignoring the Flames at the moment. Who wouldn’t when you have the CFL leading Calgary Stampeders ready to make a charge for the Grey Cup. The only problem may be that the game is in Edmonton. Of all the places for the Stamps to go to try and win the crown, they’d have to do it in the backyard of their arch-nemesis, the Edmonton Eskimos. Still, if they’re playing the Alouettes, where they play the game will be the least of their troubles. And I probably set an internet first by talking the CFL playoffs in an NHL power ranking.

#27 New York Islanders (LW #17)
It was all so promising for the Isles at the start of the season. Then they fell into the dreaded Denny Green trap. It turns out that the Islanders are who we thought they were. I was really hoping that they’d be a playoff contending team this year just to kick Maple Leafs fans square in their moronic faces. Sadly, the three Islanders fans they have left should be just as upset with how their team has performed as Leafs fans.

#28 Edmonton Oilers (LW #28)
Well, they’re not worst in the league. They are worst in the Western Conference. And when your franchise saviour (Taylor Hall) is being outperformed by that other rookie that everyone more or less figured that he was only World Juniors star and couldn’t string together the same level of play in the big leagues. Well, he’s not a superstar but he’s second in rookie scoring despite taking the month of November off. Again, his hot and cold streaks are playing games with my fantasy team. At least he’s doing better than Knuble.

#29 Buffalo Sabres (LW #27)
The Sabres had a small issue late last week that carried into this week. Ryan Miller went down with the dreaded “lower-body injury.” That leaves Buffalo with the otherworldly goaltending combination of Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth. Sure, Lalime has been a starter in the past but it was for Ottawa which doesn’t really count. And Enroth played fairly well against the Leafs which doesn’t really count either. Actually, considering how they’ve played this season, maybe a change in netminder would help.

#30 New Jersey Devils (LW #30)
This week’s Curse of Kovalchuk stat: Despite locking up one of the league’s most dangerous snipers, the Devils are dead last in goals for this season. Now that Zach Parise is out for the next three or so months after tearing his meniscus, this team is royally screwed. They don’t have any goal scoring aside from him, Kovi and… Jason Arnott? Isn’t he like 50? Of course, this whole team is playing like they’re 50. They won the division last season and are looking good to drop to dead last in the Atlantic.