Power Rankings: It's a whole new (and early) look at the list

Week: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25

ESPN.com

The Power Rankings are back for the new season.

And that's the key word this week: new.

It's too early to tell how things will really turn out this season, but certain trends are alarming some teams. Why are the Anaheim Ducks winless? Will the Colorado Avalanche be able to get decent goaltending to support a potent offensive lineup? Why is Sidney Crosby on pace for a 41-point season heading into Thursday's games?

Answers, and a clearer Rankings picture, in good time, little Grasshoppers.

In the meantime, rank your 30 teams here ... and enjoy!

-- Posted on Thursday, Oct. 16

2008-2009 Power Rankings: Week 1
	RK (PV)	TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1	Rangers	5-1-0	Though they lost to Buffalo, the Rangers started the season well overseas and didn't miss a beat in posting wins against rivals Philly and New Jersey upon their return to the States. Question now is, do they really want to bring back Brendan Shanahan after a start like this?
	2	Sharks	4-0-0	A slightly easier schedule has the Sharks starting off at No. 2, but a good sign is the early production from Patrick Marleau, who has two goals and two assists in the team's first four games.
	3	Red Wings	2-1-0	Sorry, they're still the Cup champs, and we won't use the h-word in reference to the Wings' opening loss to Toronto. Plus, Ty Conklin's strong start earlier this week has to be encouraging for the team that seems to have everything.
	4	Sabres	3-0-0	Some might think we're putting the Sabres a little high, but everything is working for Buffalo right now -- goaltending (Miller and Lalime), special teams (PK is perfect so far) and Thomas Vanek (who already has five goals).
	5	Canadiens	3-0-1	The centennial celebration is under way, and although the Habs are 3-0-1, they've given up leads in three out of the four matchups. That can't become a regularity if Montreal dreams of a Cup.
	6	Penguins	2-1-1	Sidney Crosby has yet to score a goal and is on pace for a 41-point season. We can't imagine the drought will last for long.
	7	Wild	2-0-0	Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Owen Nolan are out, but newcomers such as Antti Miettinen are stepping up. The schedule gets tougher toward the end of the month.
	8	Capitals	2-1-0	Did you see Alex Ovechkin & Co. against the Blackhawks this past week? It was one of those games that made you love hockey even more.
	9	Canucks	2-1-0	Yes, the Canucks were a no-show against the Caps, but was that a letdown after two fever-pitch tilts versus Calgary? It's early, but Vancouver is showing signs that more than just the Sedins will score.
	10	Oilers	2-0-0	The Oilers boast three solid lines -- gotta love this version of The Kid Line -- and Mathieu Garon has held his own in net.
	11	Devils	2-1-0	Martin Brodeur is still Martin Brodeur. And the Devils' offense is still the Devils' offense. New Jersey has just one power-play goal in three games (1-for-11).
	12	Hurricanes	2-1-0	We're still not sure about the Canes, but their upcoming six-game road trip will say a lot about them and coach Peter Laviolette's standing in Carolina.
	13	Bruins	1-1-1	Tough start as eight of the Bruins' first 11 games are on the road.
	14	Senators	1-1-1	Starting off your season against Pittsburgh (two games overseas) and Detroit may not exactly seem fair. Your captain's battling a mysterious injury early on just hurts.
	15	Stars	1-1-1	Fabian Brunnstrom lives!
	16	Coyotes	2-1-0	Another team with a serious youth movement. Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker and Kevin Porter are all making early strides.
	17	Flames	1-1-1	The one question Flames fans likely are asking: Where did Miikka Kiprusoff go?
	18	Blues	2-1-0	The Blues have had a rough start with Erik Johnson's freak injury, but Paul Kariya (6 points), Andy McDonald (6) and Keith Tkachuk (5) have provided the offense.
	19	Blackhawks	1-2-1	You win your first game of the season ... and your coach gets fired. Was this a smart move or a panic move? Time will tell.
	20	Predators	2-2-0	Think the Preds would like to have Alexander Radulov back in the lineup? His 44 goals and 51 assists in 145 games say yes.
	21	Flyers	0-2-1	This team has way too much talent, and we can't believe they won't snap out of this slow start sooner rather than later. If Jamie Moyer can reach a World Series ...
	22	Ducks	0-4-0	Their GM called their play "horse----." Pretty eloquent. Bottom line: This early in the season, this is not a bottom-of-the-Rankings-barrel team ... yet.
	23	Maple Leafs	1-1-1	Has Ryan Hollweg gone off the deep end?
	24	Kings	1-2-0	The Kings lost a pair to the Sharks, but they're battling. You've got to give them that.
	25	Panthers	1-1-0	New coach Peter DeBoer has quite the challenge this season.
	26	Blue Jackets	1-2-0	Disclaimer: We did not touch any referees during this edition of the Power Rankings.
	27	Islanders	1-2-0	Goalie Rick DiPietro has been practicing and could return to the lineup as soon as this weekend. Not a moment too soon.
	28	Thrashers	1-1-1	Is Ilya Kovalchuk counting the days until he becomes an unrestricted free agent?
	29	Avalanche	0-3-0	Show us the goaltending!
	30	Lightning	0-2-1	Even a Mullet can't save this band of hockey players immediately.