It was reported earlier today that the Buffalo Bills and its front office have met with free agent tight end Fred Davis down in D.C. for dinner late Saturday night. Davis would be a welcome addition to the Bills and would be an excellent complement to Scott Chandler who’s still recovering from a late season ACL [...]
As a fan of hockey I have witnessed some great games. The sport of hockey has created memories for me that me that will last long into my golden age. It’s also a game that can be met with a lot of frustrations, especially when your beloved team is on a losing streak. When your [...]
Kris Medlen endured his second straight rough outing on Sunday by allowing six earned runs off eight hits in the Atlanta Braves’ 9-3 loss to the Washington Nationals. Medlen allowed nine runs off 14 hits in his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies. In total, that’s 15 runs and 22 hits in 10 innings of [...]
Maurice Harkless believes in saving his best for last. The season might be winding down for the Orlando Magic, but Harkless prefers to be playing his best basketball right now. He certainly did Friday night when the Magic put in an impressive performance before losing to one of the better teams in the NBA, the [...]
Quarterback, the most important position in all of American sports. We love him, hate him, love to hate him and every emotion in between. He’s the field general, the one calling the plays and calling the shots, either leading his team down field for a score or turning the ball over to the opponent. He [...]
The Temple Owls gave No. 1 Indiana all they could handle on Sunday afternoon, but a late collapse allowed the Hoosiers to advance forward into the Sweet 16. The career of Owls’ senior guard Khalif Wyatt has come to a close, but in two postseason games this year, he made his presence felt in convincing [...]
College basketball fans could not have asked for a better way to get their Sunday started when it comes to the 2013 NCAA Tournament as the Round of 32 matchup between Ohio State and Iowa State went down to the final seconds before Aaron Craft hit the game-winning three-point shot with .5 seconds left. The [...]
No. 7 San Diego State vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast Yes, you read those teams names correctly. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast advanced through to the third round, after not just shocking No. 2 Georgetown, but absolutely manhandling the Hoyas. The Eagles led by as much as 19 points in their win on Friday [...]
Dallas Cowboys‘ star wide receiver Dez Bryant had the best season of his career in 2012. He and teammate Tony Romo finally established a connection that translated into production on the field and in fantasy football. The stats were there. Dez had 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. Dez had an average draft position of the [...]
Mmm, I’m just eating a delicious bowl of my words right now. Why? Because I said this time last week that I would be very surprised if a team other than the Chicago Blackhawks made it to the top of the NHL.com power rankings this time, uh, today. But actually, that’s exactly what has [...]
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It sounds like the same song and dance at the top of the NHL‘s power rankings every Monday, but that’s just because the teams in the top places are just that good. The Chicago Blackhawks are, of course, in first place–their point streak is so notable that it even received a mention in the most [...]
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To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Chicago Blackhawks topped NHL.com’s newest power rankings list, released today. With that new NHL record under their belts, a 15-0-3 to their names and players who could be in the running for multiple awards (Patrick Kane for the Hart Trophy and Corey Crawford for the Vezina Trophy), [...]
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If you are in any way shocked to hear that NHL.com has placed the Chicago Blackhawks atop the Super 16 power rankings for the fourth week in a row, then I have some beachfront property in Arizona to sell you. Still sitting pretty at first in the Western Conference, the Blackhawks have a 12-0-3 record [...]
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Find Out Who the Top NHL MVP Candidates Are for the 2013 Season
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Like clockwork, every Monday afternoon brings a new crop of Super 16 power rankings from NHL.com. There’s been a whole month of rankings now and some things have remained consistent throughout the first four weeks. The Boston Bruins have never been outside the top three and the Chicago Blackhawks have a three-week first place streak [...]
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It’s about time the NHL.com weekly Super 16 Power Rankings got clued in to the fact that the Anaheim Ducks are doing very well right now. I’ve written before about how the Ducks are like the forgotten Western Conference superpower, lost among the other strong teams coming out of time zones that aren’t Eastern. This [...]
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If you’re wondering if the Chicago Blackhawks are the real thing, just look at the NHL power rankings this week. For the second week in a row, they’re sitting on top of the world. Their road wins are credited as part of their success. This is a huge turnaround from last season, when they struggled [...]
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The third week of NHL.com’s weekly Power Rankings may look like a little case of deja vu not long after Groundhog Day, but don’t worry, you’re not reliving last week all over again. The Chicago Blackhawks are still the first-ranked team, the San Jose Sharks are still the second-ranked team, and the Boston Bruins are [...]
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While fans of the NHL have been thrilled to see the game they love return, they should also realize that it goes by faster than you think.
Especially during a shortened, 48-game season.
We are approximately one week through the 2013 campaign and fans have a general idea of what their team is looking like through a handful of games. There are teams such as the Blackhawks and Blues, who appear to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Then there are the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jackets who are, well, themselves. Hey, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all, right?
A few storylines have taken the league by storm. Can Patrick Marleau continue his red hot start? Are the Ducks and Lightning legit? Though short, this NHL season will be incredibly exciting. Heck, it already has been.
Anyway, it may be early, but I thought now would be an ideal time to share my power rankings through a week of action on the ice. There are a handful of significant surprises surrounding this list, including teams that should be cup contenders but aren’t nearly meeting expectations. So, without further ado, enjoy my very first power rankings of this short hockey campaign. If you disagree, that’s great. Feel free to comment your own thoughts down below. Enjoy the rankings as well as the rest of the action-packed season.
Adam Pfeifer is an NHL and Fantasy contributor for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
Kris Vertseeg, Stephen Weiss, Sean Bergenheim. All injured. Still, this team has looked downright awful, ranking dead last in goals scored per game. At least rookie Jonathan Huberdeau has looked impressive, right?
Balance is an issue for this team, as only five players have scored a goal this season. Roster has little to no upside. Poor Jarome Iginla.
They still aren't very good, but Columbus seems to be playing with more intensity this year. They also gave the Blackhawks and Red Wings a run for their money. Sergei Bobrovsky is playing well in net but their ability to score goals (just 1.60 per contest) is disheartening.
The Yotes have allowed a ridiculous 20 goals in just five contests. Their only two points of the season came against the Blue Jackets so ... there ya go.
Finally! The Caps got their first win of the season on Sunday night but still have issues. Alexander Ovechkin scored his first goal of the year and will continue to get better. But will he get help? Joel Ward has played well thus far, but it is hard to believe he will keep it up. Not to mention the Capitals defense has some question marks, allowing almost four goals per game.
Just when you think they are about to get something going, you remember something. It's the Leafs! They have surrendered 12 goals over the last two games. And will Phil Kessel ever light the lamp?
Can anyone on this offense outside of Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville contribute? It also appears that fatigue has settled into the Sabres over these past three games.
Surprisingly, the Avalanche have the best goal differential in their division. But with the loss of Steve Downie for the year (torn ACL), the fight between the team and reigning leading scorer Ryan O'Reilly and the recent injury to captain Gabriel Landeskog, there are just too many question marks.
Are the Oilers fun to watch? No question. However, they are too inconsistent. They win won, lose one. Young offensive talent can be found all over the ice, but defense is still a concern.
The Pred's record could be much better than it currently is if they hadn't lost in three shootouts already. Pekka Rinne is doing all that he can, but with 10 goals scored in five games as a team, the offensive consistency is a concern.
Taking both games of a home-and-home against the Sabres got the Hurricanes back on track. Until Cam Ward plays like he is capable of, this is nothing more than a bubble team.
You can't play the Panthers every night, sadly. The Flyers should be a contender, but injuries continue to kill this team as well as a lack of executing on special teams. The good news? Once again, goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov is not to blame, so don't even think about it, Flyers fans.
I have said it for months now, but this team is a few pieces away from taking that next step. Led by emerging star John Tavares, this group is fun to watch but must execute closing out games.
The return of Jamie Benn to the lineup is monumental to a team with a handful of offensive threats. This team could surprise some people out West, assuming they stay healthy.
After being spanked by the Blues on opening night, it appears the Wings have found their groove. They defeated the Wild this weekend, as well as picking up a tough point against the Blackhawks.
The defending Stanley Cup champs look nothing like it but the return of Anze Kopitar will spark the team immensely. Dustin Brown must also play like more of himself if this team has any chance of repeating.
I love this team. I really do. One of the loudest and toughest crowds for opposing teams to play against. Evander Kane is looking like a legitimate scorer and this team has an awful lot of resiliency.
The Sedin twins are, well, the Sedin twins. They will continue to score points at will. However, the goaltending issue remains to be a constant headache and this team misses Ryan Kesler ... badly.
They may be averaging the sixth-most goals per game, but are also allowing the fourth-most as well. Defense wins championships, my friends. Sure they will continue to score goals with a plethora of offensive weapons at the helm, but can they stop them. I think not. But hey, if Daniel Winnik continues to light the lamp, maybe this team can contend.
What happened to last season? The Habs are playing tremendous team hockey right now. Only one player on their team is a minus (Lars Eller). Defenseman Andrei Markov looks like a top tier defenseman and the team has won three games out of five. Don't forget. This is all without P.K. Subban.
Despite the unfortunate slow start, the Rangers are still a scary team in the league. Behind Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash, the goals will certainly come. And it also helps when you have the best goaltender in the planet stopping shots. New York will right this ship in a hurry.
Zach Parise has made an immediate impact for this club, already posting nine points through five games. Their powerplay is suddenly one of the most dangerous in all of hockey. However, Ryan Suter still needs to prove he was worth that off-season money.
They are allowing a third-best 1.75 goals per game and Martin Brodeur appears to still have a lot left in the tank. And oh by the way, Ilya Kovalchuk is pretty darn good.
I'm not 100 percent sold that they are a top-ten team, but as of right now, you can't argue. They have the most explosive offense in the league, averaging a top-ranked 4.80 goals per contest. Not only do they have the obvious offensive weapons, but rookie Cory Conacher looks like a legitimate Calder Trophy contender.
Craig Anderson is quietly playing outstanding between the pipes, with a ridiculous 0.74 GAA and a .975 SV%. Not to mention, Kyle Turris has scored four goals in five games, and looks like an All Star.
Sure they lost to Toronto and Winnipeg (better than people think) but the Penguins are still one of the biggest threats. They have Sidney Crosby. They have Evgeni Malkin. But more importantly, goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery is silencing the doubters, which is crucial to their success.
In my eyes, Boston is without a doubt the best team in the Eastern Conference. The loss of Tim Thomas means nothing, as Tuukka Rask is holding his own. With the same core for years and an emerging superstar in Tyler Seguin, Boston could be the team to beat in the East.
The west is dominating! St. Louis was my Stanley Cup pick before the season started and I'm sticking by it. A two-headed dragon between the pipes, a rookie scoring machine in Vladimir Tarasenko and a terrific defense only allowing 17 shots per game is extremely promising.
Perhaps the surprise team of the year so far, San Jose is certainly for real. It's early, but Patrick Marleau is the league MVP right now and Anti Niemi is quietly playing superb in net (2.01 GAA, .933 SV %). Veteran leadership and a deep roster makes for a dangerous hockey club.
Heading into this season, people believed that this team was good. Maybe somewhere between the five and eight seeds. But boy, has Chicago taken the NHL by storm so far? The team has started 6-0-0, which is the best in franchise history. With weapons all over the ice in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa, as well as a goaltending issue that may be resolved, watch out.
Find Out Who the Top NHL MVP Candidates Are for the 2013 Season
The Hottest Women in SI Swimsuit History
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