NHL Power Rankings: Ducks off to flying start

The Ducks just missed a chance at history. They tied a franchise record with seven wins in a row before a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday ended the streak. But expect another winning streak to start soon.

Led by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, who have nine points apiece in nine games for the 7-2 Ducks, they are also getting scoring from Mathieu Perreault, who already has four goals after scoring just six last season and has been a wizard in the faceoff circle, winning 16 of 20 draws on Tuesday.

When they traded Bobby Ryan to the Senators in the offseason, the Ducks got Jakob Silfverberg. The second-year player has fit in just fine with four goals, and the ageless wonder Teemu Selanne also is off to a hot start with six points.

And in net, a season after Viktor Fasth exploded onto the scene, he’s taken a backseat to Jonas Hiller, who has put up excellent numbers.

With a longer season, the Ducks want more than a division title — and to avoid another premature first-round playoff exit.

(Last week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Avalanche (2): Stunned they have allowed the fewest goals in the league, but Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are both getting it done. They have allowed more than two goals only once in nine games.

2. Sharks (1): Still the only team without a regulation loss (8-0-1). Started a five-game trip with a 1-0 win over Detroit. Now they head to Boston, Montreal, Ottawa and Los Angeles. Ouch.

3. Penguins (4): In one of the best games of the season, the Penguins lost 1-0 to the Avalanche on Monday despite outshooting Colorado 34-14 and going an un-Penguin-like 0-for-7 with the man advantage.

4. Maple Leafs (3): They already have six guys with three or more goals. Getting David Clarkson back from a suspension can only help the offense.

5. Blackhawks (5): Chicago seems to be picking up where they left off last season, but they may want to lessen Cory Crawford’s workload before the playoffs. He’s started eight of nine games.

6. Ducks (11): Outscored opponents 29-13 during the seven-game winning streak, and were up 2-0 on the Leafs in an eventual 4-2 loss.

7. Blues (6): No one would guess the Blues would have the second-most goals per game (3.7). That offense with those goalies? Serious Cup contenders.

8. Red Wings (7): Were rolling along before losses to the Coyotes and Sharks. For those keeping score at home, three of their four losses have come against Western Conference teams.

9. Bruins (9): Handled the Lightning, 5-0, in Tampa on Saturday in an early Eastern Conference showdown. Have a big test with the Sharks next week.

10. Coyotes (13): Have bounced back nicely from last season’s playoff miss and crushed the Red Wings, 5-2, on Saturday. In addition to making 31 saves, goalie Mike Smith also scored his first career goal.

11. Canucks (12): John Tortorella’s return to New York was successful: The Canucks pulled out a 5-4 overtime win against the Islanders on Tuesday.

12. Lightning (8): At 5-3, their only losses are to the Bruins (twice) and the Penguins, so they’re beating the teams they have to beat. The Lightning have also topped the Blackhawks and Kings, the past two Stanley Cup champions.

13. Kings (19): Top of their top three centers (Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards) have no goals, but the Kings are still 6-4.

14. Canadiens (10): Lost to the Predators and Oilers, which was supposed to be the easier part of the homestand that continues with the Ducks and Sharks.

15. Hurricanes (22): They have 11 points in nine games — good enough for second place in the pathetic Metropolitan Division.

16. Senators (15): Fully healthy, the Senators expected to compete in the East, but they have lost five of seven.

17. Blue Jackets (17): Looked impressive as the defense stepped up in wins over the Canucks and Devils.

18. Predators (21): It looks like another season of relying on goaltending and defense for the Predators, who either get no offense or just enough offense to win.

19. Islanders (14): The season could get away from them in a hurry if they don’t get out of this run (lost five of six). They should have no trouble waking up for the next three opponents: Penguins, Flyers and Rangers.

20. Jets (16): A 2-4 homestand wasn’t pretty. Now they head West on a four-game trip including stops at Colorado and St. Louis before home games with the Blackhawks and Red Wings.

21. Flames (18): The decision on whether to keep rookie Sean Monahan (nine points) after 10 games when his entry-level contract kicks in will go a long way in to determining their success.

22. Wild (20): Streakiest team around. They lost three, won three, then lost three, then beat the Predators 2-0 on Tuesday.

23. Capitals (24): Alex Ovechkin has nine goals in nine games, so he’s on pace for 82.

24. Stars (23): The California trip didn’t go so well: They lost to the Kings, 5-2, and Ducks 6-3.

25. Oilers (28): Surprisingly, they have won two in a row against the Senators and Canadiens.

26. Rangers (26): They have 11 goals, tied for the fewest in the league. And Henrik Lundqvist has looked lost in net.

27. Devils (25): Looked like Stanley Cup contenders in their only win of the year, 4-0, but that was against the Rangers. Followed up with a 4-1 loss at Columbus.

28. Flyers (27): Captain Claude Girioux said the Flyers, who have two points, can make the playoffs. The Metropolitan Division is so bad, he might be right.

29. Panthers (29): Worst game of the year could be Friday when the Panthers host the Sabres.

30. Sabres (30): Sabres fans wish it were a 48-game season again, so the pain and suffering would end sooner.