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Monday, January 14, 2008
Measuring Up In Detroit & Power Rankings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With the Atlanta Thrashers going up against the Detroit Red Wings, it’s natural to view the contest as a measuring stick to see just how the team matches up to the best team in the league to-date.
There have been a few such tests in the season thus far. There were the four games against the Ottawa Senators, the East’s leading team, in which the Thrashers went 1-3-0 scoring 11 goals while allowing 18. Then there were the three games against the Atlantic Division leading Devils, (0-2-1). And the four games so far against the Southeast leading Carolina Hurricanes in which the two squads have split four games, (one of those an OT win by the Thrashers).
Combined record verses current division leaders: 3-7-1.
They will get four more chances at Carolina, (although it is entirely possible that when they take place Le Thrash could occupy the top spot in the Southeast). They will get one more chance at New Jersey, done are they with The Big O, and they will also see the leader of the Northwest Division, whomever that may be at that time.
Atlanta is, again, at .500, which is a bit of a deceptive number given the way the NHL’s points system works. One would think that a .500 team would be right in the middle of the pact, league-wide. Not so. The Thrasher’s break even record would tie them with Edmonton for the 23rd best winning percentage in the league.
Sometimes the way divisions are divided up it can distort how well, or how poorly, an individual team is actually playing. Case in point, Carolina. They lead the Southeast…and have done so pretty much all year. But if your strip away the divisions and just stack them up against the reason of the NHL as far as winning percentage go, they would be 22nd in the league.
So where do our Thrashers rank, in my mind, right now against the rest of the league if viewed on the whole? Not really that well…but there is still plenty of time to change that.
Check it out in Rawhide’s Power Rankings:
The Top Ten Crowd
- Detroit Red Wings … 2. Ottawa Senators… 3. San Jose Sharks… 4. New Jersey Devils…5. Pittsburgh Penguins … 6. Vancouver Canucks…7. Montreal Canadiens…8. Minnesota Wild…9. Dallas Stars….10. Calgary Flames
The Crammed In The Middle Crowd
..11. Philadelphia Flyers…12. Anaheim Ducks…13. St. Louis Blues…14. Colorado Avalanche…15. New York Islanders…16. Boston Bruins…17. Phoenix Coyotes…18. Columbus Blue Jackets…19. Carolina Hurricanes…20. New York Rangers..
The Room For Improvement Crowd
..21. Nashville Predators…22. Edmonton Oilers…23. Atlanta Thrashers…24. Buffalo Sabres…25. Florida Panthers…26.Washington Capitals…27. Chicago Blackhawks…28. Toronto Maple Leafs…29. Tampa Bay Lightning…30. Los Angeles Kings.
So, how do you size up the league?
Post-Post Note: Don’t forget the Thrasher Viewing Tuesday night at the Jocks-N-Jills at The Galleria on 41. If you plan on joining us, simply state so in your post!
