This could end up being a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or whenever the hell I feel like updating feature.
1) Washington Capitals (17-6-2)
A rough loss to Atlanta last week left coach Bruce Boudreau calling out Ovechkin for under-performing. The team responded well with 3 straight wins to retain the best record in the league.
2) Pittsburgh Penguins (16-8-2)
Winners of seven in a row, captain Sidney Crosby has 25 points in his last 12 games, eclispsing Steven Stamkos as the NHL's points leader. nuff said.
3) Detroit Red Wings (15-4-2)
With Pavel Datsyuk emerging as more than just a Lady Byng contender with his hot start on the score sheet, and great play from tender Jimmy Howard, this team has all the makings of a cup contender.
4) Philadelphia Flyers (15-6-4)
As much as it pains me to say it, this team is SCARY good with a legit #1 goalie in Bobrovsky. Let's see if the rookie can keep it up all season.
5) Dallas Stars (14-8-1)
Dallas's up-and-down season continues but four consecutive wins has them in the top 5. Bard Richards may be the most valuable player to his respective team so far this season.
6) Montreal Canadians (15-8-1)
Carey Price continues to dominate opponents with a blistering 1.95 goals against. They rank 24th overall in goals per game, so if Price does not continue his great start look for them to falter in he standings.
7) Vancouver Canucks (12-7-3)
Vancouver needs some work scoring 5-on-5 but the power play is more than making up for it ranking 1st in the NHL. Combine that with a heating up Roberto Luongo and you have a very dangerous team in the west.
8) Atlanta Thrashers (12-9-3)
5 straight victories on the backs of Ondrej Pavlec and emerging superstar Dustin Byfuglien has them into the top 10.
9) Tampa Bay Lightning (13-8-3)
Tampa touts the 7th best offense in the NHL, unfortunately they have the 29th worst defense. Stamkos and St. Louis are keeping this team above water for now, but don't be surprised if the finish middle of the pack come April.
10) Columbus Blue Jackets (14-8-0)
One of the more surprising teams so far, Columbus's backup goaltender Mathieu Garon has a 1.33 goals against, yet is somehow still stuck on the bench behind starter Steve Mason. Nevertheless, Columbus has played well enough to deserve a top 10 ranking.
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