Every team has crossed the halfway point of their 82-game schedule but the standings are tightly packed. The fourth place team in the Western Conference has only a two-point lead on 8th. It’s parity like that in the NHL that causes the weekly NHL Power Rankings to move so much from week to week. For example, there’s another new team atop the rankings while teams have moves up as far as ten spots or dropped as many as seven positions in the rankings.

#1 Philadelphia Flyers (LW #3)
Is it just me or is the #1 spot in my Power Rankings a curse? Sure, I had Vancouver up there for two or three weeks in a row before they were knocked off but they just weren’t as good at #1. It was the same thing with the Penguins. They’ve been on a downward spiral since their winning streak ended which was the cause of them losing top spot here. And this week, my beloved Red Wings drop from their spot at king of the mountain. Yeah, probably a curse.

#2 Detroit Red Wings (LW #1)
The All-Star Game captains were announced on Tuesday. Neither captain selected should come as much of a surprise as they were both names that were suggested as possible candidates to wear the C. In one corner, wearing white jerseys with red trim, from the Carolina Hurricanes Eric Staal. In the other corner, wearing blue jerseys with white trim, from the Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom. It’s not the Crosby/Ovechkin matchup some were salivating over but I like it. The hometown boy (Staal) against the elder statesman (Lidstrom) is a pretty good battle.

#3 Vancouver Canucks (LW #2)
So the question now becomes who will be the alternate captains for Captain Staal and Captain Lidstrom. I think that Lidstrom’s boys will be easiest to predict. As he’s a defencemen, he can get away with appointing a pair of forwards. I’m thinking he takes the Sedin twins as his alternates. There’s the goal scoring taken care of right away. As for Team Staal… I think he’ll go for a couple of Canadian Olympians… My best guess would be Toews and Keith. He’ll know both from the Olympics, they’re even keeled and can play a two-way game. Of course, I wouldn’t lay any money down based on my speculations unless I wanted to lose my money.

#4 Dallas Stars (LW #9)
Don’t look now but Marc Crawford has all but sealed up the Adams Award as coach of the year and the Stars have all but won the Pacific division. They’re 5 points up on Anaheim with two games in hand. It shocks me to say this but it seems as though keeping the puck out of the net is their strength. They’re top ten in the league in goals against. With Andrew Raycroft and Kari Lehtonen, I would never have thought that possible. Okay, with Toronto’s Andrew Raycroft. He’s actually played well everywhere else.

#5 Boston Bruins (LW #8)
I knew that Tim Thomas was having a good season this year but I had no idea that he was set to complete dominate the talk about the Vezina Trophy. He leads the NHL in save percentage and goals against average and is tied for the league lead in shutouts. Hell, after Saturday’s games, he had a 0.25 lead in GAA and was the only goalie below 2.00 in GAA. You might see the occasional call-up player on a hot streak who plays all of five or ten games with those numbers but Thomas has played over 30 games. I’d call this a good bounce back from last season.

#6 Tampa Bay Lightning (LW #5)
I’ve done some actual maths on Dwayne Roloson for his time in Tampa. I may have prematurely said he was going to solve all the Lightning’s woes when he came aboard. He may have gotten a shutout in his first game as a Bolt but has only managed a 2.92 GAA in seven games. He’s been pulled twice and has let more than three goals in on three occasions. It seems as though the Lightning and Roloson are very feast or famine. Can’t win a division with that.

#7 Nashville Predators (LW #10)
If you’re the Red Wings, I wouldn’t look behind them right now. The Preds are on a roll as of late. While the Wings are coping with scads of injuries (which is why they’re ahead of Vancouver), the Preds are on their biggest hot streak of the season with eight wins in the last ten games. Unsurprisingly, the Preds success this year is down to defence and goaltending. I know I said Crawford has locked up Coach of the Year but I really hope Trotz can steal it.

#8 Anaheim Ducks (LW #13)
Jackie’s going to kill me for this week’s Power Rankings diatribe here. Mostly because I’m going to talk Golden Globes. And no, I don’t mean January Jones’s. But that does beg the question of why Mad Men stars feel compelled to steal the show at this made up awards show. Last year, it was Christina Hendricks getting all the attention from testosterone-addled men. This year, it was January Jones. I almost have to wonder if that’s part of AMC’s marketing strategy for Mad Men. So will next year’s red carpet have gratuitous amounts of Jessica Pare or Alison Brie?

#9 Pittsburgh Penguins (LW #6)
Well, I was going to talk about Crosby’s MVP chances and then a rumour came out that The Next One was going to skip the All-Star Game because he was angry at the NHL for not suspending anyone for hitting him in the head. If they guy is ever going to shake his reputation as a whiner, he has to (first, stop whining and) grow a pair and man up. Any respect he earned from the 2010 Olympics was pissed away by the end of NHL 24/7. This just re-earns him the loathing of every Canadian over the age of 13.

#10 New York Rangers (LW #7)
Noted foot fetish videographer and New York Jets coach Rex Ryan is on his way to the AFC championship game. The best article I saw about him this week wasn’t about feet or football but the city of Toronto laying claim to Rex. Globe & Mail blogger Michael Grange wrote a post called “Toronto’s Own Rex Ryan” about Ryan’s time growing up in Toronto before moving in with his dad in Minnesota at 14. But let’s face it, he might be Toronto raised but he’s New York through and through. Nice try, Toronto.

#11 Phoenix Coyotes (LW #21)
I hate Phoenix. Well, it’s nothing personal. It’s just that they make a Power Ranker’s life difficult. Last week, they were 21st. When I first drafted the rankings, they were up as high as 7th. Then they slumped down to here after the weekend. I’m pretty sure that if you were to graph any team’s swings in any set of Power Rankings, the Coyotes yo-yo the most. That’s likely all down to the lofty expectations set by last year’s fluke season. Yeah, I said it.

#12 Washington Capitals (LW #5)
I know I’ve gone on about how Tampa needed to solve their goaltending problem (though I’m still not sold on the fact that they have), but how about Washington. Sure, they’re 11th in the league in goals against but they’re 14th in goals for. That’s just not Washington Capital hockey. They’re a top five team in scoring so they can get away with a mid-level ranking in goals against. Without that scoring, I think they’ll needed an upgrade between the pipes sooner or later.

#13 Montreal Canadiens (LW #17)
I know that TSN is the official English language broadcaster of the Habs (or some bullshit like that) but I don’t understand why it seems 90% of their Habs stories are about PK Subban. He’s not really made a mark as anything in the NHL. He’s a mid-level agitator but the speed and scoring touch that made him a star in the juniors has yet to translate to the big leagues. Until he starts playing better than a third-pair defenceman, maybe TSN should put some effort into its Montreal coverage.

#14 Carolina Hurricanes (LW #20)
Jackie and I have wrapped up our NHL All-Star Game mock draft. We’re using the official rosters that the league announced would be in the game. Neither of us are sure who is going to win the game. I put all my emphasis on the offence while Jackie tried to balance goal scoring with players that have seen the inside of their own zone at some point since house league. We’ll have our draft results, roster and line combinations up for you next week. Then you can vote on which one of our teams would win a hypothetical game.

#15 Chicago Blackhawks (LW #12)
And back to the Golden Globes, I think it’s safe to say that Ricky Gervais won’t be back next year. It has nothing to do with doing a bad job… Unless his job was blandly introducing each presenter and telling bad jokes written by the writers of Two and a Half Men. Instead, Gervais was entertaining. Well, not for the uptight Hollywood posers who don’t have a sense of humour. Everyone watching at home loved it because he didn’t give a shit about Hollywood’s sacred cows (appropriate for an atheist) and tore the place up. It was the greatest hosting job ever and made people want to talk about the Golden Globes. More than we can say for the last 70+ years of that awards show.

#16 Colorado Avalanche (LW #19)
And let’s not dwell on either Best Picture category, shall we? This year was an atrocious year for movies. I don’t think anyone liked any of the nominees for Best Picture – Comedy or Musical. At least Best Picture – Drama had some good movies. Inception was great and should redefine the modern summer blockbuster by incorporating a plot and requiring the audience to think. The King’s Speech was supposed to be the best movie of the year. The all-conquering Social Network, judging solely based on its cover, was a populist choice by the HFPA to remain relevant with today’s youth. Ricky Gervais as a host is enough pandering for us. Just leave it at that.

#17 Atlanta Thrashers (LW #11)
I know they only traded Ben Eager but can we take that as a sign that the Thrashers have thrown in the towel on this season. Sure, up until the change of calendars, this was probably the best year the Thrashers have had since they won the division title in 2007. I guess all good things must come to an end. I didn’t think they were going to win the division this year but I was pretty sure that a playoff spot was in the cards. Now they’re only three points up on the Canes having played two more games and the teams are headed in opposite directions. Not looking good for Atlanta.

#18 Minnesota Wild (LW #18)
The Wild are just on the edge of the top 16 here like they are in the league standings. Similarly, they’re just on the edge of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. They’re three points back of Chicago for eighth with a game in hand. The 31 goal difference in goal differential might be a bit of an issue down the stretch for Minnesota. Backstrom or no Backstrom, when you’re 25th in scoring, I don’t think you should be buying playoff tickets.

#19 St. Louis Blues (LW #14)
The story with the Blues is very simple. When Jaro Halak is on top of his game, the Blues are a playoff team. If he has an off night, they just don’t have the scoring to win games. The return of TJ Oshie is bound to help with that but it’s just not enough. I don’t know everyone in the Blues’ farm system but they better have some scorers and defensive defencemen coming up soon because Halak may have the talent but not the consistency to carry this team for 82 games.

#20 Los Angeles Kings (LW #15)
On Saturday night, the Kings rocked the old school purple and yellow jerseys against the Oilers. With the recent trend of teams reverting to old jersey designs, you have to wonder if the Kings will follow that trend. After all, the Sabres, Oilers, Islanders, Flyers, Canucks and Capitals have gone retro with their latest jerseys so why not Los Angeles. With the Raiders in Oakland, I can’t see LA still being a silver and black city. Seeing how dominant the Lakers are, maybe going purple and gold would be a good way to go for the long-term. They would certainly standout on the ice.

#21 San Jose Sharks (LW #16)
It’s two steps forward and having to catch their breath for the Sharks this week. They traded for the Thrashers Ben Eager on Tuesday to give the team a bit more grit and a depth player. In a slightly more confusing move, the Sharks also claimed Kyle Wellwood off re-entry waivers from St. Louis. The Blues signed Wellwood from the KHL but had to run him through waivers and the Sharks pounced. They must be in worse shape than we first thought because Wellwood hasn’t been much of a goal scorer over the last couple of years and has a reputation for being out of shape. Not really sure what Doug Wilson is thinking other than he’s likely to be unemployed at season’s end.

#22 Florida Panthers (LW #25)
My fun English language slaughtering fact of the day: The member of the Three Kings that has played his whole NBA career with the Miami Heat spells his first name Dwyane. I had always thought it was a very normal Dwayne like Roloson and The Rock (if you smellll what The Rock is cookin’). I’ve never understood why parents feel compelled to make up names. Dwayne isn’t a made up name but Dwyane is. And dyslexia isn’t an excuse for that spelling.

#23 Buffalo Sabres (LW #22)
Time for the Lowdown video game plug of the week: Last week’s plug was for Mass Effect 2. This week, our favourite new video game is LittleBigPlanet 2. To say it’s a fun side-scrolling platformer would be doing the game a disservice. The big selling point of the game is the created levels. You can create or play custom-built levels for the game. In the first LPB, there were some pretty good levels which rivaled what was in the main game. Now, there are so many tools available that damn well near anything you can think of can be turned into a game. Should be a blast.

#24 Columbus Blue Jackets (LW #24)
Is it just me or does Adam Sandler seem to have one of the best jobs in the world. Studios hire him despite the fact that he hasn’t made a good movie since… I’ll get back to you on that. People watch his movies, though not as many as in his hey day, despite the fact that he hasn’t made a good movie since… Okay, I’ve gone there once already. And somehow, he gets all these gorgeous leading ladies pair up with him. In his new movie, it’s Brooklyn Decker and Jennifer Aniston. Add them to a leading lady list that includes Salma Hayek, Keri Russell, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and many more and you can understand why Sandler makes the movies he does. Of course, that doesn’t make me want to watch them any more.

#25 New York Islanders (LW #23)
No, the Islanders aren’t anywhere near this high in the standings but they’ve been playing consistent 0.500+ hockey over the last stretch. Considering what shape the teams below them in the Power Rankings, it’s easy to understand how they’re out of the bottom five. That may change soon. There have been a couple of rumours that Matt Moulson, Tavares’s right-hand man, might be on the move. Moulson wants to be an Isle long-term and Johnny T is great paired with him. A Moulson trade would scream a Wang move to get the team moved.

#26 Calgary Flames (LW #27)
I’m out of ideas for the Flames. They really should just give up on this season. GM Sutter saddled Coach Sutter with a horrid team of ex-Leafs, old guys, overrated guys and unmotivated guys. From Jarome Iginla, you have to go down 9 points to Alex Tanguay who’s second on the team in points. Olli Jokinen, who at one point was a point per game player, hasn’t reached even 10 goals yet  and has a team worst plus/minus. And amazingly, they’re near the bottom of the table despite being near the salary cap. Yeah, even blowing the whole team up might not solve their problems.

#27 Toronto Maple Leafs (LW #26)
The CHL Top Prospects Game was held this week in Toronto. Once again, it was Team Orr against Team Cherry. The game was last night so I don’t have the result as of writing (I don’t get paid for this so I’m not finishing writing at 11:00 PM) but I do know one thing. There is a delightful irony to a Top Prospects game being held in Toronto when the Maple Leafs don’t have a 1st round pick. That’s why I’m sticking with the waffle logo on the left.

#28 Ottawa Senators (LW #28)
I wish this Power Ranking went up to 31 so I can make a joke about the new Trenta sized coffee from Starbucks. The Trenta is a new size that trumps all other beverages this side of a 7-Eleven. If memory serves, the Venti sized drink is currently the largest in Starbucks’ range. If their Italian is right (or if they speak Italian), one could infer that the drink is 20-ounces. The Trenta is 31-ounces (as opposed to the 30 that my Italian says it would be). I drink a lot of coffee during a standard work day but it’s usually 20 ounces or 30 on a horrible day. But 31 in one go? That’s just insane.

#29 Edmonton Oilers (LW #29)
It’s a good week to be a part of the Edmonton Oilers family. Ryan Whitney went down for the season thanks to ankle surgery that his agent but not his coach knew about. Then Sportsnet’s Oilers colour commentator Louis DeBrusk beat up four people and damaged four cabs. Shockingly, reports indicate that alcohol might have been involved. There two points that you can take away from DeBrusk’s incident: 1) If you cover the Oilers, drinking is the best way to cope, and 2) DeBrusk is showing more fight than the team.

#30 New Jersey Devils (LW #30)
I love how folks are already talking about who the last pick in the All-Star Game draft is going to be. The two most popular picks for Mr. Irrelevant (as the last pick in the NFL Draft is called) are Patrik Elias and Ales Hemsky. I’m not going to spoil what happened in our Lowdown All-Star mock draft but I will reveal that one of those two was the last pick. Just to stir the pot a little more, Phil Kessel was also selected in the last round with the second-to-last pick overall. I’m guessing one of those three will be picked last.

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