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Mike Brophy's Power Rankings: January 12, 2009

TW LW Team Our Take
1 1 After scoring just 19 goals in 78 games last season, Patrick Marleau has 23 in 41 this year. The reason for his success? More shots. He averaged 2.4 shots per game last season compared to 3.6 this season.
2 2 Can’t say enough about Marc Savard who leads the NHL with a plus-29 – a far cry from the minus-19 he finished at two seasons ago.
3 3 Jiri Hudler snapped a three-game pointless streak with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over Buffalo Saturday.
4 7 The Canadiens are on a nice little 8-1-1 run (including four straight victories) despite the fact their top scorer, Robert Lang, ranks just 58th in league scoring.
5 5 Daymond Langkow is one of the league’s hottest shooters with five goals and seven points (plus-5) in four games
6 8 Best trade GM Paul Holmgren never made: Jeff Carter to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle.
7 4 I know you can’t send everybody to the All-Star Game, but how does the NHL justify not choosing defenceman Mike Green whose 10 goals rank third highest among blueliners in the league?
8 6 Have to wonder if the ‘C’ is weighing heavy on sophomore centre Jonathan Toews who is pointless in three of his last four games and was minus-3 in a 4-1 loss to Nashville Saturday?
9 11 Kind of weird to suggest a team that ranks eighth overall isn’t having a great year, but I’ll do it anyway. Perhaps expectations are simply too high for this club.
10 9 The Devils win the Brendan Shanahan Sweepstakes (just kidding) and hope he’ll eventually help a power play that ranks 18th in the league.
11 12 After two pointless games Mats Sundin finally scored, albeit in a 4-2 loss to San Jose.
12 10 The Hurricanes were on a nifty four-game winning streak before losing 4-2 to Florida and 5-1 to the Bruins.
13 15 Derek Roy continues to hold a hot hand with five goals and nine points in his last five starts.
14 14 Rumors of financial woes continue to surround the Coyotes, yet they are still making a huge run at getting back to the playoffs after five seasons on the sidelines.
15 21 On a team that has trouble scoring, left winger David Booth is a standout with six goals and 13 points during an eight-game points streak.
16 20 Veteran right winger Ryan Smyth has back-to-back one goal and one assist games.
17 16 Rookie Steve Mason made 12 saves on Alexander Ovechkin (45 saves altogether) in a stunning 3-0 win over the Capitals in Washington Friday.
18 13 Bobby Ryan has moved into fifth place in team scoring despite playing just 26 games. He has 12 goals and 14 assists.
19 22 The Oilers are 5-4-1 in their last 10, but injuries and too many underachievers will make it tough to make the playoffs.
20 18 The usually reliable Andrew Brunette has suddenly gone stone cold with no points in his last seven games.
21 23 Welcome back Stevie Wonder! Little Steve Sullivan had three shots in goal in his first game in two years Saturday, a 4-1 win over Chicago.
22 17 How can a team have the top two scorers in the league and have just two wins in 10 games?
23 19 Just when it looks like the Stars have turned a corner, they drop two in a row.
24 25 The rebuilding Kings are so competitive, they just may take themselves out of a lottery pick position when all is said and done.
25 27 Keep hearing coach Andy Murray is in trouble. How can you judge a coach when his team has been crushed by injuries?
26 28 Another team supposedly drowning in money problems, the rumor is everyone – including superstar Vinny Lecavalier and first overall pick Steven Stamkos (a healthy scratch Friday in Anaheim) – is available for trade.
27 24 New GM Brian Burke has promised to build the Leafs through the draft, then he trades a draft pick to acquire aging role player Brad May from his old team, the Anaheim Ducks. Oh well, at least now he has a spy in the locker room.
28 29 How hard is Colby Armstrong’s head? Ruslan Fedotenko broke his hand after punching him in the melon during a fight.
29 26 If GM Bryan Murray doesn’t do something soon to shake up this horrible team, it may cost him his job.
30 30 Doug Weight, Bill Guerin and Mike Comrie will all be shopped as rental players at the trade deadline.