| Ranking (previous) | Team | Commentary | Record |
| 1 (1) |  | Change is a scary thing, so fortunately for the NHL the Red Wings seem to have a grasp on the number 1 spot forever. What can you say? This is a complete team. After a tough last week they went 3-0 this week. | 36-10-4 |
| 2 (4) |  | Although it pains me to do this the Devils are the best team in the Eastern Conference right now, even if Ottawa has more points. Marty Broduer will be sitting out the All-Star game which is a smart move because he isn't as young as he once was and without him, this team would be mediocre. Think about it, if Broduer was on another team would the Devils been one of the best teams of the decade? Absolutely not, this is why I think he is the best goalie EVER. | 28-17-3 |
| 3 (2) |  | I am just not intimidated by the Senators anymore, I mean losing your leading scorer can do that, but what once was a dominant force is now and above average team. They need to start beating the Flyers, Devils, and even the Panthers if they want me to believe in them anymore. | 30-15-4 |
| 4 (3) |  | The Sharks are a scary team for Detroit to look at right now. They could be the newest form of the Devils, a goalie that stops the puck all the time and just enough offense to contend for a title. | 26-15-7 |
| 5 (11) |  | The Flyers do have one really weak spot and that is the New Jersey Devils, but against non-Devils teams they Flyers have won 10 of their last 12 and gotten points in all those games. However, 5 power play goals against? To the Devils? They need to figure out how to beat this team because there is no way to get to the Cup if you can't beat your division rival ever. | 26-16-5 |
| 6 (5) |  | So after just a handful of games back Scott Niedermeyer is an All-Star and the Ducks are a mainstay in the top 10. Could he have played the least games in the history of hockey and still be an All-Star? The funny thing is, he still deserves it too. | 27-18-6 |
| 7 (12) |  | A really nice week for the Stars get them back in the top 10. They went 3-1 this week with big time wins over the Sharks and Ducks. Just when I was starting to count the Stars out they came up big and are still right in the thick of things in the West. | 28-19-5 |
| 8 (8) |  | They are still a really good team and I am having trouble explaining it. A team that I feel is weak in the offense department scored 8 goals on a team with an All-Star goalie (although Tim Thomas being an All-Star makes me sick to my stomach). Thursday night the Habs visit the swamplands to play the Devils, which could be the game of the week (that isn't an all-star game). | 25-15-8 |
| 9 (6) |  | I don't need to talk about Sid's injury because one player does NOT affect a team all that much in hockey. What does affect the Pens, their starting goaltending. This team has no shot of being a Stanley Cup contender until they will the most important position in the game with someone that hasn't been cut by 3 other teams. Ty Conklin is not the answer and Fluery is banged up way to much. They need to get someone this off-season if they are serious about winning. | 27-17-4 |
| 10 (14) |  | The carousel continues in this division as the Flames are the new weekly leaders. Hurray! Check back next week for the newest division leader in the Northwest when someone else takes the weekly lead. | 25-17-8 |
| 11 (7) |  | They could have held the lead in the division if they could have gotten passed the Flames this week. Next up is the other division contender in the Avalanche. Things are looking grim for the Wild, but than again if Burns didn't hit all three posts in the last seconds of the Flames/Wild showdown than I might be singing a different tune. | 27-19-3 |
| 12 (10) |  | Injuries are part of hockey, but than again so is crappy luck. The Avs are without their top 3 players in Statsny, Sakic, and Smyth. I doubt the Avs can survive without the three ‘S'es. | 26-19-4 |
| 13 (9) |  | Don't believe me that the Northwest is tight? Look at the past 4 teams on the rankings and than look up what division they are in. I'll give you the answer, the Northwest. | 25-19-5 |
| 14 (20) |  | What a difference a week makes. The Preds went from in the bottom 10 of the NHL to one point out of playoff contention. Also, it looks like Dan Ellis has earned the starting spot with his performances this week. | 25-20-4 |
15 (17) |  | In a division stacked top from bottom with some of the top teams in hockey (Devils, Flyers, Pens, and the crappy but often talked about Rangers) the bastard child of the Atlantic division is now in a playoff spot. Watch out for those Islanders, the team no one talks about. | 24-19-6 | | 16 (18) |  | The Bruins could be playoff bound too, but even with Tim Thomas as an All-Star I still don't buy him as a playoff contending goaltender. This team is a few pieces short and a goalie is the major piece missing. | 24-19-5 |
| 17 (15) |  | The Coyotes peaked at 15 and now are back on the decline. I am still pulling for them as they made the brilliant move of signing Bryzgalov to a 3 year extension. That was completely necessary because he was one of the few goalies in the league anymore that can win games for his team and has serious playoff experience. | 25-21-2 |
| 18 (16) |  | So wait, you mean to tell me Chris Osgood, Tim Thomas, and Manny Legace are All-Stars but we are keeping the new guard's shining star goalie out of the game? Pascal, I think this is a sin. | 24-20-6 |
| 19 (13) |  | The Blues continue to quietly bide their time until they play enough games to catch up with the rest of the West. Than again if they continue this losing slide (6 straight) it won't matter how many games in hand they have. | 24-20-6 |
| 20 (21) |  | Wow the Rangers are up a spot this week. As much as I'd hate to admit it, the Rangers are probably the scariest team of the group of teams outside the playoffs. You know Jagr and Gomez can make anything happen, so I still don't want to play the Rangers even if they do have 21 losses. | 23-21-6 |
21 (24) |  | Neither Patrick Sharp or Patrick Kane are All-Stars? I really need to call bull on that one. | 23-22-4 | 22 (22) |  | Are the Canes doomed to the number 22 spot for the rest of the season? It would be truly sad if one of the most talented teams in the league remains stuck in the bottom 10. Let me give you a piece of advice Canes management. Goalie is kind of an important position. Cam Ward, not really a name that screams ‘playoff starter' so you might want to fix that in the off-season. | 24-24-4 | 23 (26) |  | Where the Canes should be embarrassed about 22 the Caps should be pretty proud of their 23 spot. It was not to long ago that they had a lock on the 30 hole week after week. In the NHL anything can happen so I wouldn't be shocked if Alexander the Great gets his team on a bit of a run and contends for the playoffs later in the season. | 22-21-5 | 24 (27) |  | Another bottom 10 team that is no joke right now. The Panthers are a decent young team with a great goalie. There is still a lot of work to be done but Tomas Vokoun is a goalie that you can build around for now. | 22-24-4 | 25 (19) |  | Just as the Thrashers were beginning to make a push for the pack in the East they have one of those weeks where goals were easy to come by against them, including 10 to a struggling Sabres team. 173 goals against this season. That is TERRIBLE. For the love of God, play some defense. | 23-25-3 | 26 (27) |  | Is there any hope in sight for the Oilers? Not really. I expect Shawn Horcoff and any other talent on this team to be shipped away in the offseason for prospects and cash. The most historic franchise in hockey is so bad, they would need relocation to save them and there is no way you can take the Oilers out of Edmonton, so for that reason, they are doomed forever. | 22-24-5 | 27 (23) |  | They finally won their first game of 2008 on the 18th. Unfortunately that is still their only win in January. Things might turn around after the All-Star break when they get the Panthers and Lightning, however, with both of those being on the road, don't get your hopes up. | 20-21-6 | 28 (28) |  | And the rumors begin. Mats Sundin for Jeff Carter. Would I make that trade if I was Philly? After days of thinking about it I still can't decide. Carter will be a 30 goal scorer for years to come but Mats Sundin is still one of the best goal scorers in the world. I dare someone to make that decision, which is why the trade won't happen. | 19-22-8 | 29 (29) |  | Watch out for those Bolts! They have won 3 in a row! They might just get back to the middle of the bottom 10. This season is over for them, they need to start thinking about what to do in the future. | 20-24-5 | 30 (30) |  | And than we come to the new team that is old reliable in the number 30 spot. I may have mentioned this a few times in the column but do some teams really expect to win with such terrible goaltending? It is the most important position in hockey people! The Kings will remain at 30 for years to come if they don't give me a backup goalie and call him a starter. It doesn't work that way. | 19-29-2 |
