Gritty Penguins reach the top

I wrote this week's installment with a Gene Simmons KISS mask perched on my head, like a goalie taking a water break, because it was Halloween, nobody else was home, and little trick-or-treaters kept ringing the doorbell. It is in a giving mood, therefore, that these new NHL Power Rankings come to your eyes.

There's some candy to go around for all of the Original 30, as The Boston Globe's Kevin "Moose" Dupont so aptly calls the NHL. Only a couple of teams had truly bad weeks in this parity-conscious league. We even have something nice to say about the Columbus Blue Jackets. But we do have a new No. 1 team, with the Washington Capitals finding the going a little tougher out West after their torrid 7-0-0 start. Note: All stats and records through games of Monday, Oct. 31.

Without further ado, let's shout these rankings out loud:

NHL Power Rankings