Games of the Week:

November 6: Vancouver at St. Louis—A rematch of the “game of the week” from October 22. Vancouver took that game 3-2, behind three power play goals.

November 8: New Jersey at Ottawa—A 2003 Eastern Conference Final rematch. Vezina trophy winner Martin Brodeur and defensive stalwart Scott Stevens led the Devils against the Senators, who are perhaps the league’s most complete team.

Rollin’:

Tampa Bay Lightning—As of press time, the NHL’s only undefeated team. Led by Cory Stillman’s six goals, the Lightning has roared off to an astounding 7-0-1-0 record.

Boston Bruins—6-1-0-2 in their last nine, averaging nearly four goals per game in that same span. Not bad for a franchise without a solid No. 1 goaltender.

Vancouver Canucks—With 16 points in 11 games, the Canucks are tied with the Bruins for the league’s best record (points-wise). After recently signing the rugged winger Todd Bertuzzi to a four-year, $28 million contract extension, the Canucks look to have some serious staying power.

Stumblin’:

Washington Capitals—They are 2-8-1-0 in 11 games, and despite having Jaromir Jagr, have plummeted to the worst record in the league. Jagr’s numbers have been steadily declining, and despite his superstar status, he is basically un-tradeable, due to the five years and $55 million left on his contract. Well, the Rangers may be interested!

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim—They make an embarrassing return to the “Stumblin’” list. Playoff darling Jean-Sebastien Giguere is looking more and more like a one-hit wonder as each game passes. He was recently benched in favor of Swiss backup Martin Gerber, who went 3-0-1 in four starts with a 1.02 GAA and a .968 save percentage.

On Fire:

Alex Tanguay, Peter Forsberg, and Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche—Last year’s superstar line for Colorado may have been overshadowed early this season by the prospect of a Kariya/Selanne/Sakic line. But Paul Kariya’s hurt and Joe Sakic’s underperforming, and the great production of this line—47 points in 11 games—can’t go unnoticed for long.

Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers—He’s kept up his insane start, with 11 goals in 12 games. If he can keep up the pace, he’ll score 75 goals this season, a feat not accomplished since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny each scored 76 goals in 1992-1993.

Ice Cold:

Peter Bondra, Washington Capitals—More woes for Washington. Bondra has one goal in his last eight games, and is a minus eight for the season.

Dave Andreychuk, Tampa Bay Lightning—Despite his team’s fast start, the Tampa’s captain only has two points in eight games, a sub-standard figure for such a great player.

Key Injuries:

Eric Lindros, New York Rangers—The former Hart Trophy winner is out 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury.

Eric Daze, Chicago Blackhawks—The All-Star forward is out indefinitely with a back injury.

The Ex-Files:

Joe Juneau ’91 has five points (1-4) in 12 games with the Montreal Canadiens.

Matt Murley ’02 was recently sent down to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre.

Brian Pothier ’00 has one assist and six PIMs in six games with the Ottawa Senators.

Brad Tapper ’01 and Eric Healey ’98 are still playing together with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, combining for 14 points in 10 games.

Jim Henkel ’02 and Steve Munn ’02 are playing together on the ECHL’s Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies.