Updated Oct. 8
Is it that dreaded Stanley Cup hangover or simply the effects of jet lag? Either way, the new season hasn't started well for the Anaheim Ducks, who have won only once in their first five games and haven't looked very good in the process.
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| The Ducks and goalie Jonas Hiller haven't found the range yet. (AP) |
But Anaheim is a deep and talented team that had to overcome adversity en route to its title last season, an ability it hasn't yet demonstrated this season.
"We just have to play a better brand of hockey as a group," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said.
No kidding. While the Ducks rebounded in their second London game against Los Angeles after coming up flat in the opener, and then gave the Red Wings a spirited battle before losing a shootout in their North American launch, they let the lowly Blue Jackets walk all over them Friday and made too many mistakes to keep the high-powered Penguins from taking away a game the following night.
For now though, the good news is that San Jose, Anaheim's only serious Pacific Division rival, hasn't been much better. And at some point, the Ducks will get to ice the lineup they were counting on this season.
In the meantime however, they no longer hold the top spot in our rankings. Here's this week's list:
| Power Rankings | |||
| Current | Team | Previous | |
 | 1 | Capitals · Trends | 1 |
| The Caps are the first team to hit the 100-point mark this season and they've done it in fewer games than ever before. | |||
 | 2 | Penguins · Trends | 3 |
| Solid special-teams work lately. Pens have killed their past 22 penalties and scored eight times on their past 28 power plays. | |||
 | 3 | Canucks · Trends | 6 |
| Mikael Samuelsson and Ryan Kesler are making their Fantasy owners happy lately, not to mention the Canucks, who are finally back home and in control of the Northwest. | |||
 | 4 | Coyotes · Trends | 5 |
| Lee Stempniak has six goals and an assist in five games since coming in a deadline trade. | |||
 | 5 | Sharks · Trends | 2 |
| The Sharks have nothing left to prove in the regular season and are playing like it lately. | |||
 | 6 | Blackhawks · Trends | 4 |
| Windy City worries after back-to-back blown leads in the third period and the loss of defenseman Brian Campbell. | |||
 | 7 | Avalanche · Trends | 8 |
| A heavy workload isn't hurting Craig Anderson. He has started 23 games in a row, winning 15 with a .935 save percentage and four shutouts. | |||
 | 8 | Red Wings · Trends | 11 |
| Taking advantage of the man advantage: Detroit has scored power play goals in nine consecutive games. | |||
 | 9 | Predators · Trends | 18 |
| They're tough when things are tight. Nashville has won a league-high 34 times in games decided by two goals or less. | |||
 | 10 | Canadiens · Trends | 14 |
| Goaltender Jaroslav Halak has picked up where he left off in the Olympics, with five wins in a row since play resumed. | |||
 | 11 | Sabres · Trends | 9 |
| The Northeast title is theirs to lose now. But there are only six games left at home for a team that has struggled on the road lately. | |||
 | 12 | Kings · Trends | 7 |
| Six goals in the past 10 games give Anze Kopitar a career-high of 32, but the slumping Kings have won only four of them. | |||
 | 13 | Flyers · Trends | 10 |
| Michael Leighton continues to do the job in goal. He's 16-5-2 since being picked up on waivers in December. | |||
 | 14 | Devils · Trends | 13 |
| The power play is struggling and so are the Devils on the road. They've won only twice in their past 14 away games. | |||
 | 15 | Bruins · Trends | 15 |
| The Bruins have won seven of their past 11 and are clinging to a playoff spot despite the worst offense in the league. | |||
 | 16 | Senators · Trends | 12 |
| Not much going right for the Senators since the Olympic break. Ottawa has only eight goals and one win in six games. | |||
 | 17 | Flames · Trends | 16 |
| Even with four wins in six games since the Olympic break, is Calgary convincing anyone it is a playoff team? | |||
 | 18 | Hurricanes · Trends | 19 |
| Carolina has won 14 of its past 20, with Eric Staal getting 11 goals and 10 assists during the run. | |||
 | 19 | Blues · Trends | 20 |
| The Blues are keeping playoff hopes alive because of their play on the road. Only two teams have more away wins. | |||
 | 20 | Rangers · Trends | 23 |
| Given his response in the following game, the Rangers might consider making Sean Avery a healthy scratch more often. | |||
 | 21 | Ducks · Trends | 17 |
| Only one win since the Olympic break makes the uphill climb toward a playoff spot even steeper. | |||
 | 22 | Wild · Trends | 24 |
| Mikko Koivu has been a point-per-game player for the past 17 games, with five goals and 12 assists. | |||
 | 23 | Panthers · Trends | 26 |
| Former junior star Shawn Matthias is taking advantage of his increased ice time and making a case to stick with the big club on a permanent basis. | |||
 | 24 | Stars · Trends | 21 |
| Recent waiver pickup Brandon Segal has four goals and two assists in his past six games for the falling Stars. | |||
 | 25 | Lightning · Trends | 22 |
| Vincent Lecavalier has been getting hot lately with five goals in his past six games. | |||
 | 26 | Thrashers · Trends | 25 |
| Bad starts are a big problem for the Thrashers. Atlanta has a league-worst negative goal differential of 28 in first period. | |||
 | 27 | Maple Leafs · Trends | 27 |
| Toronto's top line of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and Nik Kulemin has combined for 11 goals and 22 assists since the trade deadline. | |||
 | 28 | Islanders · Trends | 28 |
| Season-ending shoulder surgery for 39-year-old Doug Weight could be career-ending as well. | |||
 | 29 | Blue Jackets · Trends | 29 |
| One of the few bright spots for the Jackets this season is having a record better than .500 at home. | |||
 | 30 | Oilers · Trends | 30 |
| Bittersweet return to Toronto for Pat Quinn when the Oilers were officially eliminated from the playoffs with a loss to the Leafs. | |||
