Updated: October 17, 2011, 12:18 PM ET

Power Rankings: Isles, Leafs, Avs crash top 10

Week:

By Scott Burnside (Posted Oct. 17)

The Islanders, Devils, Leafs and Avalanche all inhabit the upper echelons of this week's Power Rankings. What's next? Toads falling from the sky?

Oh relax, Devils fans; we're just having a little fun!

All four teams are off to terrific, if unexpected, starts and putting pressure on teams like the Rangers and Bruins, two teams with great expectations this season.

Read on as the Power Rankings unfold before your very eyes.

• Have your say: Rank all 30 teams!

2011-2012 Power Rankings: Week 3
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	COMMENTS
1	Washington 4-0-0	5 Last Week: 6	Remember when everyone was worrying about the Caps' defense and goaltending after the first two games? Stop. The 4-0-0 Caps look just fine. Goalie Tomas Vokoun has rebounded nicely after a ghastly opening night, although Michal Neuvirth's continued absence thanks to injury may prove troubling.
2	Detroit 4-0-0	1 Last Week: 1	Ho hum, the Red Wings spotted Minnesota a 2-0 lead Saturday, but scored three unanswered goals to win it in overtime and move to 4-0-0 on the season. Detroit has allowed just five goals in those four games. Wow.
3	Philadelphia 3-0-1	-- Last Week: 3	The Flyers dropped an overtime decision to former captain Mike Richards and the L.A. Kings on Saturday, but still boast an impressive 3-0-1 record to start the season. Ilya Bryzgalov has been the goalie of record in all four games for the Flyers.
4	Colorado 4-1-0	20 Last Week: 24	The surprising Avs have won four in a row after a season-opening loss. They are scoring. The goaltending of Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been solid. Remember how everyone was expecting the Avs to be a lottery pick team in June? Maybe not.
5	Toronto 3-0-0	10 Last Week: 15	The Maple Leafs are a glittering 3-0-0 after erasing a two-goal deficit against Calgary on Saturday. Oft-maligned Phil Kessel has five goals. It'll be interesting to see how they respond against higher-caliber opponents (like the Avs on Monday night), but the record is what it is.
6	New York 3-1-0	21 Last Week: 27	The Islanders have won three in a row after goalie Evgeni Nabokov earned his first NHL win since the 2010 playoffs as the Isles downed the rival New York Rangers 4-2 on Saturday. With balanced scoring and a stingy defense, the Isles are showing early on they're for real.
7	Buffalo 3-1-0	5 Last Week: 2	After a disappointing loss to Carolina, the Sabres bounced back nicely with a tough 3-2 road win against the Penguins on Saturday. Luke Adam continued his early assault on the Calder Trophy with a goal (his third) and an assist Saturday. The Sabres look good early on.
8	Dallas 4-1-0	6 Last Week: 14	The Stars continue to surprise with three straight wins. Goalie Kari Lehtonen has been spectacular, leading the league with four wins and a .955 save percentage. There has been a lot of offense from the blue line and nice balance up front. What's not to like in Big D other than wanting a new owner?
9	Pittsburgh 3-1-2	4 Last Week: 5	It was a tough week for the Pens. They lost to Washington (in overtime) and Buffalo, and had to endure the embarrassment of Arron Asham's post-fight theatrics. Evgeni Malkin's continued absence is a growing concern, although seeing Sidney Crosby cleared for contact is a hopeful sign.
10	New Jersey 3-1-0	13 Last Week: 23	The surprising Devils bounced back from a 2-0 deficit in Nashville on Saturday to win their third straight. No Martin Brodeur (out with a shoulder injury)? Apparently, no problem, as veteran Johan Hedberg stopped 29 of 31 shots and both Nashville shootout attempts. He also stopped a Sergei Kostitsyn penalty shot.
11	Anaheim 3-1-0	2 Last Week: 13	The Ducks won their third straight Sunday night and look poised to pick up where they left off last season when they charged down the stretch and into the playoffs.
12	Los Angeles 2-1-1	2 Last Week: 10	The Kings lost defenseman Drew Doughty in their OT win against Philly on Saturday, but it doesn't look that serious. Still, the Kings are trying to get their North American legs under them after starting the season overseas.
13	Carolina 2-2-1	8 Last Week: 21	The Hurricanes have won two in a row, including a big win over Buffalo. But they've managed just 13 goals in five games and need to give goalie Cam Ward more help than that.
14	Phoenix 2-1-1	14 Last Week: 28	Nice bounce-back week for the Coyotes, who posted big wins over Nashville and Winnipeg to erase an ugly start to the season against San Jose. Both Jason LaBarbera and Mike Smith earned victories in goal this week, a big boost for both goaltenders.
15	Florida 2-1-0	3 Last Week: 18	It's still a pretty small body of evidence for the retooled Florida Panthers, but they are not giving up more defensively and are starting to get some offense from players like Kris Versteeg and Ed Jovanovski. This week will provide the real test -- at Tampa and Washington and then home versus Buffalo.
16	Nashville 2-1-1	9 Last Week: 7	The Preds dropped a couple on home ice this week, including a 3-2 loss to New Jersey in which they led 2-0. That's not Preds hockey. David Legwand, tied for the NHL lead with eight points, is off to a career start.
17	Vancouver 2-2-1	8 Last Week: 9	Last season's Stanley Cup finalists are still in search of a groove, as they held off a pesky Edmonton squad for a 4-3 win Saturday. Still, last season's top defensive club has given up 16 goals in five games.
18	Minnesota 2-1-2	1 Last Week: 19	It's hard to know what to make of the Wild. Coach Mike Yeo couldn't have been happy after the team gave up a 2-0 lead against Detroit, but earning six out of a possible 10 points to start the season isn't all that bad.
19	Chicago 2-1-1	11 Last Week: 8	The Blackhawks have points in three straight games, but can't be happy about blowing a lead and then losing in a shootout against Boston at home Saturday. Goalie Corey Crawford was sharp, though, with 35 saves.
20	St. Louis 2-3-0	-- Last Week: 20	A big win Saturday in San Jose for the up-and-down Blues. Brian Elliott earned the win with a 34-save performance, but followed that up with 4-2 loss in Anaheim on Sunday. Jaroslav Halak is 1-2-0 with an .857 save percentage.
21	San Jose 1-2-0	17 Last Week: 4	Not sure how my friend Pierre LeBrun managed to get San Jose into the No. 4 spot last week, but the Sharks have yet to find their footing. No Martin Havlat (shoulder) and no Antti Niemi (recovering from offseason surgery to remove a cyst from his knee) has blunted the Sharks' start.
22	Boston 2-3-0	11 Last Week: 11	A big shootout win for the Bruins as the champs try to disprove the early evidence that they are suffering from a Stanley Cup hangover. Overall offense is lacking and the power play (1-for-20) is junk.
23	Edmonton 1-1-1	1 Last Week: 22	It's hard to get a handle on where this talented young squad is headed. But if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' hat trick Saturday against Vancouver is any indication, he won't be headed back to junior anytime soon, and the Oilers could be better than people suspect.
24	Tampa Bay 1-2-2	12 Last Week: 12	Is there an Eastern Conference finals hangover? If so, the Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be suffering from it. Their 1-2-2 start has been a bit puzzling as they have struggled on both sides of the puck early on.
25	Montreal 1-2-1	9 Last Week: 16	A tough start for the Habs, whose only win has come against lowly Winnipeg. Even when they score, as they did five times Saturday against the Avalanche, they don't win.
26	Calgary 1-3-0	-- Last Week: 26	A disappointing loss in Toronto on Saturday after a big win over Montreal earlier in the week. The Flames have scored just 11 times and blew a 2-0 lead against the Leafs on national television.
27	New York 0-1-2	10 Last Week: 17	The Rangers remain winless after a disappointing trip to Long Island on Saturday. Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards seem to be getting into sync, but where are Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky and the rest of the forwards?
28	Winnipeg 0-3-0	1 Last Week: 29	This has all the makings of a long season in Winnipeg, no? The Jets are winless and can't seem to get the offense and defense going at once. Get used to it.
29	Ottawa 1-4-0	1 Last Week: 30	Say this about the struggling Senators -- they're in every game. It's a small solace when you're looking at the standings, but it's something.
30	Columbus 0-4-1	5 Last Week: 25	It's hard to imagine a worse start for a team that could ill-afford a bad start. The Blue Jackets are in danger of being buried in the Western Conference playoff race before "star" defenseman James Wisniewski plays his first game. Their power play is 1-for-25. Calling Jeff Carter, please report to Nationwide Arena.
Biggest Jump: 21 Biggest Drop: 17

Power Rankings: Isles, Leafs, Avs crash top 10

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