December 8, 2009
Player Power Rankings
Bryzgalov Emerges

by Tom Awad

The Puck Prospectus metric GVT (goals versus threshold) allows us to compare players at every position to determine who the true leaders are. As we near the holidays, the GVT rankings are dominated by goalies in the top 10. Miikka Kiprusoff looks like he did five years ago, as he jumps 10 spots to No. 2 and Ilya Bryzgalov is flying under the radar in Phoenix as he jumps up to No. 4. Also, last week we projected Marian Gaborik to win the MVP, but he slipped a few spots this week. Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby has rebounded from a horrible stretch with some epic production to capture the top spot among skaters.

Puck Prospectus: Player Power Rankings

The Western Conference stars are on the rise this week, as Miikka Kiprusoff, Patrick Marleau and Henrik Sedin leapfrog into the top 10, but the best forward and best goaltender, Sidney Crosby and Ryan Miller, both hail from the East.

Legend:

OGVT: Offensive GVT

GGVT: Goaltending GVT

DGVT: Defensive GVT

SGVT: Shootout GVT

GVT: Total GVT

Rank Player                   Last Week    OGVT/GGVT    DGVT    SGVT    GVT 
1.   Ryan Miller, G, BUF       1           15.6         0.2     1.7    17.6

Comment: Exceptional statistics for another goaltender have become ho-hum for Miller, whose save percentage this week was .957 (89/93).

2.   Miikka Kiprusoff, G, CGY 12           13.1        -0.2    -0.7    12.3 

Comment: Kiprusoff's last two mediocre seasons are but a distant memory, as he has regained the form that led the Flames to the Cup Finals five years ago.

3.   Sidney Crosby, F, PIT     6            7.1         1.8     2.2    11.0 

Comment: Only injury can slow down Crosby now, as he accumulated an incredible seven goals and 11 points in three games until missing Saturday's game with a sore groin.

4.   Ilya Bryzgalov, G, PHO    7            9.6         0.7     0.7    11.0 

Comment: If he were playing in New York, Bryzgalov's four wins and .940 save percentage in four games would not be flying under the radar.

5.   Zach Parise, F, NJ        3            6.2         2.6     1.7    10.6 

Comment: Parise's hot streak is at an end, but he contributed an assist and shootout goal to a squeaker win against Detroit.

6.   Marian Gaborik, F, NYR    4            8.7         2.3    -0.5    10.5 

Comment: The rest of the Rangers finally supported Gaborik in Saturday's win against Buffalo, as the team had been massacred in the previous three games (5-1 against Tampa, 8-3 and 5-2 against Pittsburgh).

7.   Evgeni Nabokov, G, SJ     5           10.8        -0.1    -0.4    10.3 

Comment: Even Nabokov's losses look good, as he outdueled by Kiprusoff on Saturday but still looked sharp. A .935 save percentage this week (87/93) has become almost expected.

8.   Patrick Marleau, F, SJ   13            6.9         2.2     0.1     9.1 

Comment: A member of the league's most dangerous line, GVT gives Marleau the edge over Thornton and Heatley because of his 19 goals, penalty-killing and better plus-minus.

9.   Alex Ovechkin, F, WAS     9            7.8         1.4    -0.2     9.0 

Comment: Yet another controversial week for Ovechkin, as he earned himself a two-game suspension for a hit on Tim Gleason. The Capitals didn't miss him, beating Florida 6-2 and Philadephia 8-2.

10.  Henrik Sedin, F, VAN     16            6.8         1.8     0.0     8.6 

Comment: Henrik helped keep Vancouver above water while his brother was injured, but with Daniel back he has 10 points and a plus-6 in his last six games.

A version of this story originally appeared on ESPN Insider .

Tom Awad is an author of Hockey Prospectus. You can contact Tom by clicking here or click here to see Tom's other articles.