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Broadstreet blitz

Flyers among handful of squads to make big climb

Posted: Tuesday October 23, 2007 5:19PM; Updated: Tuesday October 23, 2007 11:58PM
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BIGGEST CLIMB: Phi. (8 to 3), Boston (17 to 12), Dallas (19 to 14), Chi. (23 to 18)
BIGGEST FALL: Nashville (20 to 28)

Note: All statistics are through Sunday.

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NHL Power Rankings
Rank LW Team
1 1 He has a league-leading 11 assists, but Jason Spezza got a lot of razzing from teammates for taking eight games to notch his first goal -- a game-winner nonetheless. "Obviously, it was nice to get it out of the way, and to have it be the winner is nice," he told the Ottawa Citizen. Ray Emery, meanwhile, looked impressive in his first game of the season, stopping 31 of 32 shots on Saturday.
Last Week: 2-0-0
2 2 The only team without a regulation loss is off to the best start in franchise history. The scary part? They seem to be getting better. After notching just one power-play goal in their first six games, they've scored three man-advantage tallies in their last two. Of course, this week's road trip will be a test: Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado.
Last Week: 2-0-1
3 8 One reason the Flyers have caught fire out of the gate is Marty Biron, who has started all seven games and holds a 1.57 GAA and .952 save percentage. Yep. He's a legit No. 1 goalie. "To think we'd be 6-1 at this point, I don't think anybody expected that," said coach John Stevens. Let's see how Philly holds up this week. They start a season-long eight-game road trip.
Last Week: 3-0-0
4 3 Is this the season Henrik Zetterberg eclipses the 90-point barrier? He's sure off to a great start with a league-leading 17 points through the first nine games, including a current career-best nine-game point streak. Of course, the big issue with the the 27-year-old has been health. He missed at least 15 games in two of the last three seasons.
Last Week: 2-1-0
5 4 David Beckham, Pele and Erik Cole. You can probably guess which one doesn't belong. Warming up before Saturday's game by kicking a soccer ball around, Cole sprained his foot and will be sidelined 7 to 10 days. "I may have to take a scalpel to the soccer ball," Mike Commodore told the News & Observer. Coach Peter Laviolette didn't put the kibosh on Cole's warm-up activity.
Last Week: 0-0-2
6 5 It's early, real early, but they're above .500 for the first time this season. If you're a Pens fan, you have to be concerned with the goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury has been enigmatic, if not subpar -- allowing three or more goals in four of his first five starts. Maybe he'll take Saturday's 30-save performance and run with it.
Last Week: 2-1-0
7 6 After missing his longest stretch of games since joining the Lightning, Dan Boyle is ready to get back on the ice. Four weeks after wrist surgery, the star blueliner will most likely return to the lineup this week -- and not just for 10-15 minutes. "When he comes back, he's in and he's playing," coach John Tortorella told the Tampa Tribune.
Last Week: 1-1-0
8 7 Last season, their offense finished third in the Western Conference. So far, they've managed to score more than three goals in a game just once. One reason could be the lines have yet to gel. Maybe a bonding trip is what the doctor ordered. This week, the Sharks will spend three nights in Banff, the Canadian national park and resort.
Last Week: 2-1-0
9 11 If you're a Flames fan, you don't even want to think about where this team would be without production from Jarome Iginla, Kristian Huselius and Daymond Langkow. The trio has combined for 18 of Calgary's 29 goals and 33 of 75 points. The lack of offensive balance is an even bigger issue because Miikka Kiprusoff (4-2, 3.05 GAA) is struggling.
Last Week: 2-0-1
10 9 Two keys to their early success: Manny Legace and the penalty kill. The veteran netminder ranks eighth in GAA (2.00) and save percentage (.930) and has allowed just six goals in his last four starts combined. The fourth-ranked PK, meanwhile, has been nearly flawless, killing 28 of 31 shorthanded situations.
Last Week: 1-1-0

Read on for teams 11-20 ...

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