The NHL season is well under way now, and we’ve seen some interesting events take place. In Pittsburgh, it’s Brent Johnson, and not Marc Andre Fleury, who is staking the claim as the #1 netminder. In Boston, former Vezina winner Tim Thomas is the best goaltender not only on the team, but in the NHL. The New Jersey Devils are a complete mess. Martin Brodeur’s age is showing, Ilya Kovalchuk is getting booed, Zach Parise is out indefinitely with an injury, and they’re in last place in the NHL. This is not a good time to be a Devils fan. This is a great time, however, to be a Tampa Bay Lightning fan, as Steven Stamkos is the best player in the NHL right now and the Lightning are in first place. The Maple Leafs and Islanders both got off to hot starts, but both have cooled down as they have lost six in a row combined.
The Rankings
1. Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos is electric. He leads the league in scoring and this team is fun to watch.
2. LA Kings: Best team in the Western Conference, as Jonathan Quick has been fantastic.
3. Boston Bruins: Tim Thomas is the best netminder in the NHL according to the statistics. They also have the highest goal differential at +13 and are undefeated on the road.
4. St Louis Blues: They’ve won 4 in a row and are undefeated at home. Halak’s great goaltending is carrying over from last year.
5. Montreal Canadiens: They’re having a great year to this point. You might be wondering why Boston is ahead of them, but the B’s beat the Caps twice and have the best defense.
6. Washington Capitals: They’re putting the puck in the net as usual, but are thankful netminder Michal Neuvirth is playing exceptionally well behind the pipes.
7. Detroit Red Wings: Off to a great start thanks to their great penalty kill at 91.2%.
8. Philadelphia Flyers: They’ve won four in a row to take the division lead. Scott Hartnell is one of the most underrated players in the NHL.
9. Vancouver Canucks: After a slow start, they’ve won 3 in a row. The Sedins are amazing, aren’t they?
10. Nashville Predators: After a great start, they’ve put the brakes on a little bit, falling to 4th in the ultra-competitive division.
On the bubble: New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars
