• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Toronto Maple Leafs

Northeast Division Power Rankings: October 21

By Lukas Hardonk October 21st, 2011

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Follow Lukas on Twitter @LukasHardonk for more Leafs coverage.

Thomas Vanek has been all over the net this season (clydeorama/Flickr)

It was another wild week in the NHL. Right when it seemed as though Brendan Shanahan had stopped coming down on players for their on-ice actions, he slapped a two-game suspension on Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang for a hit he put on Alex Burmistrov of the Winnipeg Jets.

This week we also saw Toronto’s Phil Kessel continue his dominance, while Penguins forward James Neal was surprisingly hot out of the gate.

The Northeast Division continued much the same way it did last week. Buffalo is still hot, Toronto hasn’t slowed down very much, Montreal continues to struggle, Boston seems to be getting back to its old ways after a very slow start and Ottawa is still playing just as everyone expected.

Where do they all stack up, though? The standings don’t always give the right picture, so take a look at this week’s Northeast Division power rankings.

View the week one rankings here.

No. 1 – Buffalo Sabres (NE standings: 1, rise/drop: E)

The Sabres had another solid week of hockey, and so did forward Thomas Vanek. The 27-year-old is third in the league in goals (six) and second in points (10). He also owns a plus/minus rating of plus-5.

Also shining for the Sabres has been Jason Pominville, who has nine points this season. Pominville, the team captain, scored five of those nine points in his last three games, including a three point performance (one goal, two assists) against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

All in all, the Sabres lead the division with 20 goals. However, it hasn’t just been their offence that has been shining bright, though. The Sabres’ defencemen are a combined plus-15, highlighted by Andrej Sekera’s plus-6 rating.

In net, goalie Ryan Miller picked up shutout No. 1 on the season against the Panthers. He made 22 save to earn the win, which only improved his .950 save percentage.

No. 2 – Toronto Maple Leafs (NE standings: 2, rise/drop: E)

The Maple Leafs continue to hold one of the top spots in the Northeast despite dropping their two of their last three games. One of those losses came in overtime against the Colorado Avalanche, while the other came on Thursday against Boston.

Jonas Gustavsson got his first start in net this season on Thursday; many are saying that he is the reason Toronto conceded six goals, but it was evident that the Leafs were tired after playing the previous night. He certainly didn’t give No. 1 James Reimer a run for his money, as Reimer is still 4-0-1 and owns a .913 save percentage.

Kessel continues to tear it up for Toronto. He leads the league in both goals (seven) and points (12), and is second in the league in plus/minus (plus-6). Joffrey Lupul has also been a big contributor to the Leafs’ offence thus far, with four goals and three assists.

On the back-end, Dion Phaneuf has seven points in six games, four of which came this week. John-Michael Liles has two assists and Carl Gunnarsson is a plus-2. If the Leafs plan to become well-rounded on D, though, 21-year-old Luke Schenn will need to improve.

No. 3 – Boston Bruins (NE standings: 3, rise/drop: E)

The Bruins find themselves in third this week, which is exactly where they sit in the Northeast.

Tim Thomas continues to shine (Icon SMI)

Tim Thomas continues to shine in goal for Boston; he owns a .932 save percentage and has allowed more than two goals just once in his last three starts. He has been a huge reason why the Bruins have picked it up lately; they went 2-1-0 and have scored 10 times since last week’s rankings were released.

Tyler Seguin appears to have avoided a sophomore slump so far this season, as he leads the Bruins in points and assists. His eight points and six assists are four and two more than the next guy in line, Andrew Ference.

The B’s are still awaiting production from David Krejci, who has just one point, a goal, in four games. In fairness, Krejci has been suffering from an early-season injury.

Who the Bruins are no longer waiting on is Zdeno Chara, who exploded for a goal and two assists on Thursday night against the Maple Leafs. He had been held pointless with an even rating through his first six games.

No. 4 – Ottawa Senators (NE standings: 4, rise/drop: +1)

Ottawa was able to notch their second win of the season on Thursday against the Jets. Not only did they win following an embarrassing 7-2 loss on home ice to the Fylers, but they won convincingly, 4-1.

Still, though, the Sens are a struggling hockey club. Their prized free agent signing of 2010, Sergei Gonchar, is minus-3 with two points in six games. It has gotten so bad that he has been booed in his home arena.

Only two players on the team’s roster, Peter Regin and Zack Smith, own a plus rating. Even Jason Spezza, who has eight points in seven games, is a minus-1.

While the Sens have been struggling as a team, one player that continues to show his great potential is Erik Karlsson. Karlsson, 21, has a goal and seven assists for eight points this season.

If the Senators are going to rise in the rankings, one player that will need to raise his game is goalie Craig Anderson. He has a 4.25 goals against average and a .876 save percentage in six games this season.

No. 5 – Montreal Canadiens (NE standings: 5, rise/drop: -1)

Lost in Ottawa’s struggles has been the sputtering Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs have lost five of their six games this season, four of which have been in regulation. They went 0-2-1 this week, with their lonepoint coming in a shootout loss to Colorado.

With just 13 goals, Montreal has been struggling to find the back of the net. Max Pacioretty leads the team in points with five, while he, Travis Moen and Tomas Plekanec are tied for the team lead in goals, with two.

The good news is Yannick Weber is plus-3 and Andreas Engqvist has impressed. Also bringing joy to Habs fans is the news of MikeCammalleri’s return.

The Habs will play three out of their next four games at home, giving them a good chance to get on the right track. It all starts with the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

Twitter: @LukasHardonk | Email: lukas.hardonk@gmail.com | Lukas’ archive

For every Leafs article on THW, follow @THW_MapleLeafs on Twitter.

  • Tags
  • Erik Karlsson
  • Mike Cammalleri
  • Phil Kessel
  • Ryan Miller
  • Tim Thomas
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 22nd 6:25 PM
Column

Winnipeg Jets News & Rumors: Hellebuyck, Scheifele, Ehlers & Connor

Jan 22nd 5:35 PM
Advanced Stats

Kings’ Anze Kopitar Still Has Trade Value, But Big Cap Hit Hurts

Jan 22nd 5:25 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Held Back By John Tortorella’s Stubbornness

Jan 22nd 5:15 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers Newcomers Finding Their Roles

Jan 22nd 5:05 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ New Third Pairing Paying Early Dividends

Jan 22nd 4:55 PM
Winnipeg Jets

Jets Could Use Heinola’s Offensive Skill & Hockey IQ for Seasons to Come

Jan 22nd 4:45 PM
Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes Must Improve After COVID-19 Pause

Jan 22nd 4:30 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ Power Play Lacks A Lot

Jan 22nd 4:20 PM
Women's Hockey

Meet the NWHL’s EBUG: Mariah Fujimagari

Jan 22nd 4:10 PM
Calgary Flames

Flames Rewarded Early by New Top Line of Tkachuk, Lindholm & Dube

Editor’s Picks
2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information