Week 18 Power Poll

When I heard that Peter Forsberg was making a comeback with the Colorado Avalanche I was curious to see how things would play out.

After all Forsberg was one of the best players in the 90's & if it wasn't for injuries I believe he would have grabbed the torch from Gretzky being regarded as the best player in the game.

Two games into his comeback we found out how is return would go.

Not Long.

News broke around 11 AM that Forsberg was going to announce his retirement from the NHL. No reason has been given but speculation has it tied to previous injuries on his right foot & ankle.

The news of Forsberg retirement catches a lot of NHL fans off-guard. I did not have a chance to watch either of the two games he played but from people I talked to Forsberg looked pretty good for not having played in the NHL since 2008.

I'll always have mixed feelings about Forsberg.

When he debuted with Quebec back in 1995 I was in awe of him. I felt I was watching the next great superstar and for all I know I very well could have been. Even though I am a Detroit fan I loved watching Forsberg play and was always concerned when he had possession of the puck.

Then he signed with Philadelphia in 2005 and was dead to me.

Either way, it was a good career that sadly could have been so much greater than what it was.

Here is the Power Poll for Week 18. 

1. Vancouver            36 11  9  81 Points
Return of Sami Salo adds depth to a banged up blueline. 

2. Philadelphia         36 14  5  77 Points
Looking to avenge 4-0 defeat to Tampa two weeks earlier in match-up tomorrow night. 

3. Detroit              34 16  6  74 Points
GM Ken Holland is looking for help on defense. 

4. Pittsburgh           35 19  4  74 Points
Mario Lemieux not happy with the NHL after the Penguins brawl with the Islanders. 

5. Tampa Bay            34 17  5  73 Points
Lightning are 13-4 in their last 17 home games. 

6. Boston               31 18  7  69 Points
Outscored 10-3 in a home & home sweep by Detroit. 

7. Washington           29 17 10  68 Points
Capitals outscored 17-7 in their last six games against Western Conference teams. 

8. Montreal             31 20  6  68 Points
Mike Cammalleri  (separated shoulder) closer to returning. 

9. Dallas               31 19  6  68 Points
Brad Richards not on Stars upcoming road trip. 

10. Anaheim             32 21  4  68 Points
Return of Francois Beauchemin gives the Ducks a presence on the blueline they have missed since Pronger & Niedermeyer left. 

11. Nashville           30 19  7  67 Points
Acquisition of Mike Fisher make Nashville even more difficult to play against. 

12. Phoenix             29 19  9  67 Points
Ilya Bryzgalov  (3-0 1.29 GAA) named 3rd star of the week. 

13. San Jose            30 21  6  66 Points
Additions of Ben Eager & Kyle Wellwood seems to have given a spark to the Sharks lineup. 

14. Los Angeles         31 22  3  65 Points
Back to back road wins over Washington & Philadelphia makes me think the kings have finally turned the corner. 

15. Minnesota           30 20  5  65 Points
Three game winning streak keeps Wild in Playoff picture. 

16. N.Y. Rangers        30 24  4  64 Points
Captain Chris Drury to miss six weeks following knee surgery. 

17. Calgary             28 22  8  64 Points
Heritage Classic against Montreal now has playoff implications. 

18. Chicago             28 22  6  62 Points
OK Blackhawks fans, now it's time to panic. 

19. Carolina            27 22  8  62 Points
Jeff Skinner leading all rookies with 45 points. (21 G, 24 A) 

20. Columbus            28 23  5  61 Points
Blue Jackets have won five straight on the road. 

21. Atlanta             25 23 10  60 Points
Two straight losses to Carolina could be what keeps the Thrashers out of the playoffs. 

22. Buffalo             26 22  6  58 Points
Two hat tricks for Drew Stafford make him 2nd star of the week. 

23. St. Louis           24 21  9  57 Points
Back to back losses to Minnesota drop St. Louis to 13th in the Western Conference. 

24. Colorado            25 25  6  56 Points
Peter Forsberg did not have the on ice impact the Avs were hoping for. 

25. Florida             24 24  7  55 Points
GM Dale Tallon acquires another Blackhawks (Jack Skille) from his old club. 

26. Toronto             23 27  6  52 Points
Getting D Jake Gardiner from Anaheim is a steal for the Leafs. 

27. New Jersey          22 30  4  48 Points
Devils have won four in a row. 

28. N.Y. Islanders      20 29  7  47 Points
Michael Grabner (8 G, 1 A) named 1st star of the week. 

29. Ottawa              18 30  8  44 Points
Trade of Mike Fisher makes Carrie Underwood as popular in Ottawa as Janet Jones was in Canada after Wayne Gretzky got traded. 

30. Edmonton            16 32  8  40 Points
Right now, the only team in the West that has no chance to make the playoffs.