NHL notebook

Let's take a look at what's been going on around the National Hockey League during the first month.

Surprise teams

Nashville Paul Kariya and the Predators jumped out of the gate by going a perfect 8-0 their first eight games. They are currently 8-1-1.

Carolina The Hurricanes' 17 points has them sitting on top of the Eastern Conference with a highly respectable 8-2-1 record. Considering that most preseason pundits predicted that they would finish near the bottom of the Conference, this has to be classified as a major surprise.

Detroit The Red Wings have been a strong team for years. However, with a payroll only half the size of what it was prior to the lockout, nobody expected them to lead the league in scoring or for them to get off to an 11-1 start.

Buffalo The Sabres, at 7-4-1, have performed better than expected so far. Like Carolina, Buffalo was projected to finish near the bottom of the Conference.

New York Rangers The Rangers have been loaded with talent for years but have been perennial 'under-achievers'. A promising 6-3-3 start gives hope to Rangers fans that this may be the year that they actually play up to their potential.

Underachievers

Pittsburgh With a lineup loaded with offensive fire-power, Penguins' fans were thinking Stanley Cup. Not so fast! The Pens have allowed a league-high 53 goals and have just one win in 11 games.

Calgary After reaching the Stanley Cup finals prior to the lockout, expectations were sky-high in Calgary. The Flames have crashed and burned so far though and are currently residing in the basement of the Northwest division.

Chicago The Hawks were aggressive in upgrading their talent during the offseason. The moves have yet to pay dividends though as Chicago has just six points. The play of Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has been particularly disappointing.

Atlanta The Thrashers have some weapons on offense and were thought to be a team on the rise. However, six points in 11 games ties them with the Hawks and the Blues for the fewest points in the league.

St. Louis The Blues are in rebuilding mode and weren't expected to be as strong as they have been in years past. Still, after reaching the playoffs for 25 straight years, St Louis fans have to be disappointed with their current 2-7-2 record.

Rookie watch Sidney Crosby continues to impress. Through 11 games, he has two goals and 12 assists. Alexander Ovechkin has managed eight goals and five assists through 11 games.