(Last week's rankings are in parentheses)

1. San Jose Sharks (1) -- You can't argue the benefit of bringing in Stanley Cup winners Dan Boyle and Rob Blake, but adding new coach Todd McLellan and his Red Wings playbook was the best move.

2. Detroit Red Wings (3) -- Ty Conklin is a solid backup goalie. Oh yeah, that Marian Hossa signing is working out, too.

3. New York Rangers (4) -- The trade for Nikolai Zherdev (7 goals, 9 assists) has worked out better than anyone imagined.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (5) -- He's not Hossa, but Miroslav Satan is providing offense at a reasonable price.

5. Boston Bruins (7) -- OK, so he wasn't a summer pickup. But we're counting Patrice Bergeron as a new addition since he missed most of last season. Bergeron has 10 points in 17 games.

6. Montreal Canadiens (2) -- A great start for Alex Tanguay, who leads the team with eight goals.

7. Washington Capitals (12) -- We thought the pricetag for Sergei Fedorov was steep, but re-signing him this summer has worked out for the Caps. He's pitched in on defense and has provided stability while other centers (looking at you, Michael Nylander) have struggled in Washington.

8. Minnesota Wild (11) -- The Antti Miettinen addition didn't come with a lot of fanfare, but he has been great since coming over from Dallas. Through 15 games, he had six goals and six assists.

9. Vancouver Canucks (13) -- Best move? Keeping Alain Vigneault as coach. It would have been understandable if Mike Gillis wanted his own guy, but Gillis made the right decision.

10. Buffalo Sabres (9) -- It was wise to sign Ryan Miller long-term. He can focus on hockey and has been great this year (8-3-2, .922 save percentage).

11. Anaheim Ducks (8) -- The team did whatever it needed to clear space for Teemu Selanne, including trading Mathieu Schneider and his contract. Selanne, as expected, is scoring at almost a goal-per-game pace.

12. Chicago Blackhawks (6) -- Brian Campbell ranks second on the team in ice time and has helped the Blackhawks' transition game.

13. Nashville Predators (15) -- The team didn't panic and trade young talent when Alexander Radulov bolted for Russia. Even without a big move to replace him, Nashville is competing for a playoff spot.

14. Calgary Flames (10) -- Todd Bertuzzi has been good, but we like the Mike Cammalleri addition even better.

15. Carolina Hurricanes (14) -- The Hurricanes' best move was signing cornerstone player Eric Staal to a seven-year contract extension.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets (19) -- Kristian Huselius has provided the skill Scott Howson was looking for. After a slow start, R.J. Umberger is coming on. He has seven goals in his last eight games.

17. Edmonton Oilers (16) -- Lubomir Visnovsky took some heat in Edmonton early on, but the puck-moving defenseman has been stronger lately.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs (18) -- Mikhail Grabovski, taking advantage of the ice time in Toronto that he wasn't getting in Montreal, leads the Leafs with eight goals.

19. New Jersey Devils (17) -- Injuries have made it impossible to gauge the impact of the offseason moves. This team desperately needs Brian Rolston to get healthy.

20. Philadelphia Flyers (20) -- Like Bergeron, we're cheating and counting Simon Gagne as an offseason addition. He has been fantastic -- 22 points in his first 16 games.

21. Phoenix Coyotes (22) -- This one is easy: Olli Jokinen has done everything Don Maloney expected when he acquired him from Florida.

22. Dallas Stars (26) -- Sure he might have upset team chemistry, but Sean Avery is a team-best plus-4. Brett Hull said the chemistry issues are complete bull. And yes, we cleaned that comment up for you.

23. Colorado Avalanche (27) -- Darcy Tucker has been a physical presence and is even adding timely scoring.

24. Tampa Bay Lightning (21) -- The two-year deal ($4.4 million total) goalie Mike Smith signed this summer is looking like a bargain.

25. Atlanta Thrashers (25) -- You're not hearing too much criticism anymore about the big contract defenseman Ron Hainsey signed. He has been a nice fit in John Anderson's offensive system.

26. Los Angeles Kings (23) -- The Kings had their pick of talented defensemen in the draft, and in Drew Doughty they probably got the best one.

27. Ottawa Senators (24) -- Filip Kuba has been one of the NHL's biggest surprises this season. The defenseman had 15 points in Ottawa's first 17 games.

28. St. Louis Blues (28) -- Give the Blues credit for keeping a spot open for Patrik Berglund. The big rookie center is on pace for 27 goals.

29. New York Islanders (30) -- Didn't think Doug Weight had anything left in his tank, did you? Weight has 15 points in 17 games with the Islanders.

30. Florida Panthers (29) -- The Panthers bolstered their blue line during the offseason, but of all the defensive additions, Keith Ballard has been the best.

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"The coach was already picked," Lawton told Sporting News Today at the beginning of the season. "I had trepidation, not because I didn't believe in him, but because I didn't know him. That can really be a nightmare if two people aren't in harmony, it doesn't make for a good hockey club."

But at the time, Lawton made sure he added: "He's doing a magnificent job."

Funny what a few losses will do. On Friday, the team announced that Melrose had been fired as coach after starting the season 5-7-1 following more than a decade away from coaching.

The team replaced Melrose with associate coach Rick Tocchet, named interim coach on Friday. Now Lawton has a chance to pick his man and for now it's Tocchet.

Lightning statement

Read it here

"This was a tough decision to make," Lawton said in a release.

"Barry is a good man and we have a great deal of respect for him. We wish him nothing but success. However, the results were unacceptable and the players have to understand that we need to be better. Hopefully this change helps push them."

Melrose was hired shortly after the new ownership took over in Tampa, and before Lawton. Melrose never had any delusions that his job was overly secure.

Melrose interview

Read his preseason comments

At one point this season, he wondered if he'd get through it if the Lightning didn't show improvement.

That improvement never happened, which means this move isn't wildly surprising.

But in Tocchet, the Lightning have a coach who is highly respected in the world of hockey and one who will immediately have the ears of the underachieving Lightning.

Tocchet played for 18 seasons, scoring 440 goals and has coached in Colorado, Phoenix and with the Lightning. He's always been considered head coaching material, but his involvement with a betting scandal that led to his suspension, before returning to the league in February, didn't help the cause.

"We think this is a great opportunity for him and we believe he's the type of coach who can take the team to the next level," Lawton said. "Our players have a great deal of respect for him."

Related: Ray Slover says there's plenty of blame to go around

Craig Custance is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ccustance@sportingnews.com.

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He returned to action for Wednesday's loss to Washington, sooner than many expected following the hit that sent him to the hospital. But there was no doubt, his head clear and the headaches gone, that it was time.

"I started practicing with no contact and I felt fine," Sutter told sportingnews.com. "That was my cue that I was ready to go. I was anxious, I feel like I was back 100 percent."

He admitted that there was a little rust in his first game back and hoped to get his speed and timing back completely against Atlanta on Friday night.

But when you suffer as crushing a blow as Sutter did against Weight, you never know how it's going to be when you get on the ice. Carolina coach Peter Laviolette said there was some concern about how Sutter would respond when he returned, but that concern is gone. He saw nothing tentative about Sutter's game Wednesday and especially liked how he competed on the penalty kill, a good sign he's thinking about the game and nothing else.

The hit on Sutter sparked the most recent round of debate as to what the NHL should do about hits to the head, one that continues to stay in the news with each blow that knocks players out of the lineup.

Asked if the experience, one that included two weeks away from the team where he wasn't allowed to do a thing, changed his opinion about instituting rules eliminating hits to the head, Sutter didn't exactly sound ready to lead the march.

"Obviously it's important to protect the head of the players. In that case, I took it right on the button," Sutter said. "He hit me clean, but you want to crack down on shots to the head and concussions, but what can you do?"

Sutter is more concerned now with speeding up the adjustment process that's happening with the Hurricanes as several players return from injury.

Along with Sutter, the team was bolstered with the return of Matt Cullen and Joni Pitkanen and Sutter said the progress of forward Justin Williams (out with an Achilles' tendon injury) is ahead of schedule.

That's good news for a Hurricanes team that started out strong, but has recently given way to the Washington Capitals in the Southeast division standings.

But Laviolette understands that, just because the players are back on the ice, doesn't mean there will automatically be success.

"When you get bodies back from long-term injury, there's a break-in period," said Laviolette. "We have guys back, but generally speaking, there's still room for improvement from those guys and the team."

Carolina entered Friday's game against the Thrashers two points behind the Capitals and hoped to fend off a charging Atlanta team that could climb within two points of the Hurricanes with a regulation win against Carolina.

Getting guys like Sutter back will certainly help. But as important as his return is to the team, it probably means more to the 19-year-old.

He doesn't remember the hit from Weight, but he's seen it replayed enough that he's ready to move on. Icetime and a few wins will help distance himself from that moment, even if he doesn't remember it.

"It's kind of weird to watch it, but I think I've seen enough of it," Sutter said. "It's nice to get back into it, for sure. It was good to get playing again. It's starting to feel like I'm back to normal."

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It was hard to watch Tuesday night's exciting game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings and not hope for a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup finals this spring.

There's drama in the Marian Hossa story, there's more offensive skill on the rosters of those two teams than any others in the league -- and it would make for great ratings.

Problem is, these aren't the best teams in their respective conferences. And you could make the case -- at least while the Detroit defense is struggling -- that the gap between the Sharks and Red Wings is widening.

(Last week's rankings are in parentheses).

1. San Jose Sharks (1) -- The Sharks finally lost at home, but it took a Herculean effort from Nashville goalie Dan Ellis to end the home winning streak. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov remains day-to-day with a leg injury.

2. Montreal Canadiens (2) -- Montreal, bouncing back from an ugly loss to the Maple Leafs, put up its best effort of the season on Tuesday against the Senators. Carey Price got his first shutout of the season, and Christopher Higgins posted the first hat trick of his career. We're still monitoring that Montreal power play, which has now climbed to No. 14 in the league.

3. Detroit Red Wings (3) -- Detroit G.M. Ken Holland told us Monday he's concerned with his team defense and the number of goals the Red Wings have given up. Tuesday night's loss to the Penguins couldn't have made him feel much better. Detroit's goals-against is now 3.36, better than only seven other teams. But then no team can top the Red Wings' 3.64 goals per game scoring average.

4. New York Rangers (4) -- New York is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games, but only the Sharks have more points than the Rangers. Chris Drury continues to be shuffled around while Tom Renney looks for the right fit.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (12) -- When you consider all the injuries, it's remarkable the Penguins are actually heating up. The have won four straight games, highlighted by that emotional comeback win over the Red Wings. Jordan Staal played his best game of the season in the win over Detroit, and with 24 points in 15 games, Evgeni Malkin is making a bid for the Hart Trophy.

6. Chicago Blackhawks (14) -- A big jump for the Blackhawks, who have been outstanding under Joel Quenneville. Since Denis Savard was fired after four games, Chicago is 6-1-2. It's time to give Patrick Kane some credit. He has 18 points in 13 games and is a big reason why Chicago trails only Detroit in goals per game.

7. Boston Bruins (10) -- It's becoming harder and harder to ignore what's going on in Boston. The Bruins have only lost once in regulation at home, and the stingy Boston defense is allowing only 2.21 goals per game. Tim Thomas leads the league with a .944 save percentage.

8. Anaheim Ducks (9) -- Two consecutive losses has slowed the momentum after an 8-0-1 stretch. Ryan Getzlaf said this team is tighter on the road, and the record backs him up. Anaheim is 4-5-1 at home and 5-2 on the road.

9. Buffalo Sabres (6) -- The Sabres have only two wins in their last seven games, a slide that is threatening to wipe out that fantastic 6-0-1 start. Ryan Miller has been great, but we'd like to see a little more of Patrick Lalime in order to pace Miller a little bit.

10. Calgary Flames (8) -- A big game Thursday in San Jose should be a nice test for the inconsistent Flames. When things are clicking in Calgary, it's because of special teams. The penalty kill and the power play are both in the league's top 10.

11. Minnesota Wild (5) -- Michael Russo reports that Brent Burns is skating again at practice and could be close to returning. Burns hasn't played since Oct. 30 (upper body) and the Wild are 2-2 without him. The news on Marian Gaborik isn't so encouraging. Gaborik continues to skate on his own, but there's no timetable for his return from a lower body injury.

12. Washington Capitals (15) -- The Capitals and Carolina are battling for first place in the Southeast Division. Not sure if it says more about the Caps than it does the Southeast, but Washington is the only division team that has scored more goals than it has allowed.

13. Vancouver Canucks (18) -- The Canucks are heating up with three consecutive wins and a record of 5-1 in their last six. Shhhh, no mentioning Roberto Luongo's shutout streak. Don't want to jinx anybody.

14. Carolina Hurricanes (7) -- If Carolina wants to fend off the Capitals and improving Lightning, the Hurricanes have to take care of business at home, which hasn't been the case this season. It'll help if the Hurricanes can get healthy, which appears to be happening. Brandon Sutter is expected to play Wednesday night for the first time since the hit from Doug Weight. Matt Cullen's return will help, too.

15. Nashville Predators (13) -- Dan Ellis was outstanding in the Predators' win over the Sharks, which snapped a six-game losing streak on the road. Ellis broke Mike Dunham's team record for saves. The grueling trip continues for Nashville, with the Predators playing five of their next seven games away from Nashville.

16. Edmonton Oilers (16) -- The Oilers are getting a heck of a spark from rookie goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (3-0, 1.71 GAA and .951 save percentage), who was spectacular in a shootout against the Rangers on Monday. So now the question becomes, how long do the Oilers keep three goalies around?

17. New Jersey Devils (11) -- The Devils have lost three of four games since Martin Brodeur's elbow injury although you can't pin the struggles on fill-in goalies Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmensen. This team needs more offense from everybody except Zach Parise.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs (17) -- A great win over Montreal was sandwiched between losses to Boston and Calgary. This is a team that seems to rise to the occasion. Toronto already has wins over the Rangers, Montreal and Detroit but hasn't been able to string together a winning streak to jump up the standings.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets (26) -- Just when you were ready to write off the Blue Jackets, Columbus earns points in six consecutive games. Goalie Steve Mason hasn't lost a start since getting the call for the injured Pascal Leclair. The organization loves Mason, and perhaps his time is coming earlier than expected.

20. Philadelphia Flyers (19) -- Not the best week for the Flyers, whose only win in the last four games came against the Islanders. Daniel Briere's return from injury didn't last long. He came back from abdominal surgery, scored a goal against the Islanders and left the game with a lower body injury that he said is unrelated to his surgery. The Flyers need a healthy Briere if they're going to find consistency.

21. Tampa Bay Lightning (22) -- Barry Melrose sat out the practice following Tampa Bay's loss to Washington, after ripping the team for a lackluster performance in front of goalie Olaf Kolzig. It was Kolzig's revenge game against his former team. Ryan Malone is banged up, but it's not like he was lighting things up when he was in the lineup. He has three goals in 14 games and is still looking for his first assist.

22. Phoenix Coyotes (27) -- Sunday's win over the Sharks is a confidence-builder for the young Coyotes, who have won three of their last four games. Problem is, this isn't a good road team and Phoenix plays six of its next eight games away from home.

23. Los Angeles Kings (28) -- The Kings are on a three-game winning streak and have earned points in four straight. The young Los Angeles defense is progressing nicely, considering the Kings are allowing only 2.64 goals per game. Offensively, the Kings are averaging that same exact amount -- 2.64.

24. Ottawa Senators (23) -- If the Senators could win with any consistency, the story of Filip Kuba's emergence would be much more compelling. But they can't, which has made this a frustrating season so far for the Sens.

25. Atlanta Thrashers (29) -- Typically, you don't mind a nice four-day rest, but the break came at a bad time for the streaking Thrashers, who have won four consecutive games. Bryan Little has quietly emerged as one of the surprises of the season with eight goals and 15 points in 15 games. It might be time to name Colby Armstrong captain. Good things happen when he's on the ice.

26. Dallas Stars (24) -- We still think the Stars will get it together, but we wouldn't mind seeing them add goalie help to take the pressure off Marty Turco. There's certainly a few quality goalies on the market.

27. Colorado Avalanche (21) -- The news on Joe Sakic's back could be worse. He's currently listed as day-to-day and the Denver Post reported that tests were negative. The streaky Avs play five of their next six games on the road, where they have won only twice this season.

28. St. Louis Blues (20) -- The veterans on the Blues defense -- Jay McKee, Eric Brewer and Barret Jackman -- are taking heat. The trio, Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch points out, accounts for an $11.9 million salary cap hit and has hardly earned it so far this season.

29. Florida Panthers (25) -- Is it too early to trade Jay Bouwmeester?

30. New York Islanders (30) -- Josh Bailey's NHL debut wasn't good, but the Islanders are making the right decision by giving the 19-year-old a taste of the NHL.

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Once word got out he was being inducted that question changed to: How's the speech coming?

Anderson won't be answering either question anymore. On Monday night, the former Oilers great joined Igor Larionov along with linesmen Ray Scapinello and Ed Chynoweth as the 2008 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees.

Anderson's emotion-filled speech started when his 6-year-old daughter Autumn walked onstage with his speech and some Kleenex. He invited her to stay, but she declined.

"I'm going to sit down and watch you cry," she said.

She did . . . and he did.

At different moments, an emotional Anderson paused to fight through tears -- especially when recognizing Glen Sather, Mark Messier and his wife. He also got choked up remembering the day Wayne Gretzky was traded.

"I lost a brother that day," Anderson said.

He got through it, though, closing the speech and the night with one thought: Making the Hall, was "so worth waiting for."

Larionov's induction speech was the opposite. Known during his playing days as "The Professor," Larionov looked every bit the part when took his place behind the podium during his induction speech.

Wearing stylish Gucci glasses, Larionov unfolded the piece of paper that contained his speech, took a deep breath and calmly read. It was the same cool, calculated delivery that reflected his play on the ice.

Though his best days of hockey were played in Russia, a trip to North America when he was young helped him realize he couldn't spend his entire career playing only in his home country, Larionov said.

He signed with the Vancouver Canucks at age 29 and planned on playing three years in the NHL. He stayed much longer than that.

"Little did I know this would turn out to be the pinnacle of my 14-year journey in the NHL," he said during his speech.

Brian Burke was director of hockey operations in Vancouver when Larionov played for the Canucks.

"Igor Larionov was a great, classy player. He was an elegant player with a very high hockey IQ," Burke told Sporting News Today shortly after arriving at the ceremony. "I wish we'd gotten him over when he was 24 or 22 instead of when we got him."

Larionov won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, and during his speech credited Scotty Bowman for assembling the Russian Five, and changing the way hockey is played in Detroit. The puck possession style Larionov imported from Russia to Detroit still lives on.

"It's who we are today," Detroit GM Ken Holland told Sporting News Today on the red carpet walk to his seat Monday night. "He was the key guy in helping us win three Stanley Cups."

Larionov also became known as an international ambassador to hockey. He's worked closely with the Russian Continental Hockey League (KHL), drawing some criticism for being so closely associated with a league that has publicly feuded with the NHL.

On Monday night, the president of the KHL, Alexander Medvedev, preceded NHL commissioner Gary Bettman down the red carpet by about 15 minutes, the two leaders of opposing leagues in the same building, putting aside differences, to honor Larionov and others.

"I believe it's not only a great night for (Larionov), but also for the whole Russian hockey because Igor was a great, great player and a great personality," Medvedev told Sporting News Today. "He's heavily involved in KHL activity and it was very important in the beginning and it's even more important nowadays."

As for Bettman, he was taking in the scene. On this night, it was about honoring hockey greats, sharing stories and old friends, rivals and teammates getting together.

The commissioner enjoyed all of it.

"It's a wonderful night. It's a celebration of our sport, and the celebration of the accomplishments of four wonderful people," Bettman told Sporting News Today. "I continue to marvel at the great history and traditions of our game and the wonderful people associated with this sport."

This story also appears in Tuesday's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today.

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