Monday: Power Poll

This week's rankings: (Note: number in parentheses denotes previous ranking.)

1. Detroit Red Wings (1): Still undefeated on the road. Enough said. Key stat: Manny Legace has notched 10 wins with a 1.76 goals against average.

2. Ottawa Senators (3): 10-4 win over Sabres shows this team's firepower. Key stat: Dany Heatley has already racked up 11 goals and 13 assists in 13 games.

3. Montreal Canadiens (5): Being solid offensively and defensively is a lethal combination. Key stat: Goalie Jose Theodore is 9-3.

4. Los Angeles Kings (9): Hands down the best in the Pacific Division early on. Key stat: Goalie phenom Jason Labarbera has 8 wins and a 2.17 goals against average.

5. Carolina Hurricanes (13): No signs of being a fluke, Canes continue to batter opponents. Key stat: Eric Stall has 11 goals and 15 assists with a +8 in 13 games.

6. Vancouver Canucks (4): Still atop the Northwest, but other teams are gaining. Key stat: Bertuzzi has only 2 goals on 43 shots.

7. Nashville Predators (2): Looks like it's a two-horse race in the Central Division. Key stat: Paul Kariya is 2 for 2 in shootouts this season.

8. Philadelphia Flyers (6): Starting to play up to the hype. Key stat: Peter Forsberg has accumulated 21 assists in 12 games.

9. New York Rangers (8): Offensive output key to team's success. Key stat: Jaromir Jagr has 14 goals in 15 games.

10. Dallas Stars (11): Improved play will put pressure on Kings. Key stat: Marty Turco's 3.19 goals against average more than a goal higher than last season.

11. Edmonton Oilers (24): Regrouping after slow start. Key stat: Defenseman Chris Pronger still without a goal.

12. San Jose Sharks (23): Sharks need more bite in their offense. Key stat: Evgeni Nabokov's 3.52 goals against average must improve.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (14): This team is getting upstaged by the upstart Hurricanes. Key stat: Martin St. Louis has only 4 goals on 36 shots.

14. Boston Bruins (19): Starting to climb division standings. Key stat: Joe Thornton has 6 goals and 17 assists in 13 games.

15. Colorado Avalanche (20): Avalanche hanging in there in the competitive Northwest. Key stat: Joe Sakic is a -4 in 13 games. He hasn't finished a season with a negative integer since the 1996-97 campaign.

16. Minnesota Wild (12): Wild doing just enough to win games. Gaborik has 6 points in 3 games.

17. Buffalo Sabres (7): Cooling off a bit after sizzling start to season. Key stat: Goalie Ryan Miller has 6 wins in 10 starts.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs (10): Mats Sundin returns from eye injury. Key stat: Darcy Tucker is a -9.

19. Calgary Flames (18): Flames may have finally found out how to win. Key stat: Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff already has 3 shutouts.

20. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (21): Ducks continue to play second fiddle to Kings. Key stat: Teemu Selanne has 9 goals and 7 assists in 15 games.

21. Phoenix Coyotes (27): Holding their own in competitive Pacific Division but must score more often. Key stat: Ladislav Nagy has just 3 goals on 28 shots.

22. Florida Panthers (16): Roberto Luongo can't do it all. Key stat: Joe Nieuwendyk has only 3 points in 7 games.

23. New Jersey Devils (17): Strong goaltending is keeping this team above water. Key stat: Scott Gomez has just 2 goals on 31 shots.

24. New York Islanders (15): Team slipping following strong start to season. Key stat: Alexei Yashin has 17 points in 14 games.

25. Washington Capitals (26): Back-to-back wins against Thrashers and Maple Leafs shows this team is competitive at home. Key stat: Alexander Ovechkin is averaging a point per game.

26. Chicago Blackhawks (22): Not even close to competing in Central Division. Key stat: Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin's goals against average is up over 4 goals per game.

27. Atlanta Thrashers (25): It can't get much worse for this struggling team. Key stat: Marian Hossa has just 6 goals in 64 shots.

28. Pittsburgh Penguins (29): Despite the hype, this team won't be competitive this year. Key stat: Mario Lemieux has 5 goals in 14 games.

29. Columbus Blue Jackets (30): Another injury puts Rick Nash on the shelf. Key stat: Adam Foote tallied 5 points in 15 games.

30. St. Louis Blues (28): Keith Tkachuk is hurt once again. Key stat: The Blues have lost 8 consecutive games.

Associated Press photo