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Mike Brophy's Power Rankings: December 8, 2008

TW LW Team Our Take
1 1 It took overtime to beat them, but the Sharks finally lost after nine straight wins.
2 2 Super centre Phil Kessel stretches his goal-scoring streak to five straight games with one in a 4-0 win over the Panthers.
3 3 Jiri Hudler is lighting it up with nine goals in 10 games.
4 4 Make that six straight games with points for Sid the Kid, even though the Pens lost to Ottawa.
5 9 Two weeks ago we suggested Mike Keenan was on the hot seat. Now he’s in the running for coach of the year.
6 10 A surprising loss to New Jersey leaves the Canadiens 3-1 on their seven-game homestand.
7 5 Back-to-back losses are very painful for a team being chased by others with games in hand.
8 8 Ryan Getzlaf goes two games without a goal and then pops in two in a 5-3 win over Columbus.
9 12 Jeff Carter’s OT winner against Carolina gives him a league-leading five overtime points this season.
10 6 Goaltending is still an issue, but Steve Bernier’s two goals in a 5-4 shootout loss to Colorado is promising.
11 13 The Devils record four wins in a staggering five-game road trip. Three wins come in overtime.
12 14 You know things are going your way when Ben Eager fires two goals and low-scoring Andrew Ladd chips in four points.
13 11 Devastated by injuries, the Caps still manage to pull off a 2-1 win in Toronto Saturday before losing to the Hurricanes Sunday.
14 18 Pekka Rinne becomes the third rookie goalie since 1983-84 to win his first six NHL starts.
15 20 Veteran stopper Dwayne Roloson continues his mastery over the Sharks with a 3-2 OT win, leaving the Oilers on a three-game winning streak.
16 7 Back-to-back one-goal losses leave the Wild with six losses in its last 10 games.
17 19 Goalie Ryan Miller raises his career mark to 12-2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
18 15 A 3-1 win over the beleaguered Capitals gives Paul Maurice his first victory in his second stint as the team’s coach.
19 21 Milan Hejduk scored his 34th goal (to go with two assists) in 57 meetings against Vancouver in a 5-4 shootout win. He added a goal in the shootout for good measure.
20 16 Jason LaBarbera records his fourth career shutout, beating Columbus 3-0, to keep the upstart Kings in the playoff hunt.
21 24 Patrik Berglund is the NHL’s hottest rookie with seven goals in 12 games.
22 27 The Coyotes took a 2-0 lead on the mighty Sharks, but surrendered three straight in a 3-2 loss.
23 26 Jason Spezza becomes the second player in Senators history to score all his team’s goals in a victory. Bob Kudelski was the other beating San Jose 3-2 in 1993.
24 29 The Stars are 2-1 since Sean Avery was silenced.
25 28 The Panthers had a three-game winning streak snapped when they were skunked 4-0 by Boston.
26 26 Three straight losses pushes the Blue Jackets further from a playoff spot and closer to the organization’s demise.
27 23 The Islanders take a 1-0 lead 51 seconds in and then allow five straight in a humbling loss to Atlanta.
28 25 Three straight losses has the Maple Leafs within grasp of a lottery pick. Don’t expect new GM Brian Burke to do anything that will disrupt this.
29 27 Ilya Kovalchuk registers three points in the win over the Islanders, but rumours persist he’s available via trade.
30 30 Seven straight losses must have GM Brian Lawton pulling out his hair!