The SB Nation NHL hub came out with its power rankings for Week 9, and they are not too favorable to any of the local teams.
New York Islanders: The Islanders once again took 15th place votes from every panel member, placing them last place in the East. The Islanders have an abysmal record of 5-15-5, which translates to a league-worst 15 points. The Islanders aren't getting the scoring they need to win games; but when they are getting the scoring, their defense can't seem to hold the lead. This was evident in the home-and-home against the Rangers in which the Islanders came back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game at 5 before giving up a goal to Marian Gaborik just 25 seconds later. Then, in the next game against the Rangers, the Islanders lost 2-0. Things are not looking good on the Island, that's for sure.
New Jersey Devils: The Islanders might have the leagues worst record, but the Devils seem to be doing everything they can to take the "honor" from them. The Devils have a league-worst 17 losses on the season, and their 8-17-2 record is good for 18 points. The expectations were huge for the Devils this year, and now they seem to be slipping by the wayside. The Devils need help in lots of places, have been showing their age all year and there's constant rumors that Lamoriello might be looking for a new coach. If things are bad in the Island, they're just as bad in New Jersey.
New York Rangers: The Rangers also slipped up in this week's rankings, falling to eighth place after sitting in seventh the previous two. The Rangers recently swept a home-and-home against the Islanders, then lost to Ottawa bringing their record to a modest 16-12-1 good for 33 points. Yes, that's as many points as the Islanders and Devils have combined. Things are looking up for the Rangers, regardless of Alexander Frolov being unhappy with the way John Tortorella is using him. Henrik Lundqvist looks solid, Derek Stepan, Michael Del Zotto and Artem Anisimov are playing well; and Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky have been good.