In the second season of Ted Nolan’s tenure as the Islanders’ head coach, it has become clear that Nolan’s personality — and the defensive system he’s implemented — have become the most important determining factors in the team’s success. Nolan is extremely popular with the players, and they are clearly benefiting from the congenial atmosphere he’s fostered.

“We have a great group of guys, we hang out together and we’re a tight-knit group,” defenseman Brendan Witt said. “Ted makes it fun, he’s a good player’s coach, but there’s also an understanding that you need to put the effort in.”

Indeed, effort is never a concern for these Isles, whose hardworking lunch-pail style is quickly endearing them to Long Island’s hockey fans. However, one problem the Isles have faced of late is an inability to score consistently. They have scored two goals or fewer in nine consecutive games (4–4–1 record), and their power play in particular has been a cause of great concern.

“We’re not executing,” said captain Bill Guerin. “We’re working hard, but when it comes down to it, we’ve got to get into the areas where you score goals, in front of the net. We’ve got to pay the price, and we’ve got to shoot the puck. Guys are trying like crazy, the effort’s there, that’s never a question. It’s just the execution. If a guy’s open for a shot, you’ve got to get the puck to him where he can shoot it.”

Indeed, a key to getting the power play clicking is to get more traffic in front of the opposition’s goal. At 6 feet, 2 inches and 220 pounds, Guerin has the size to make an impact, but it’s free agent signee Ruslan Fedotenko who’s the best candidate to emerge as the Isles’ resident crease-crasher. Though he’s never cracked the 30-goal barrier, the 28-year-old Ukrainian winger has demonstrated a proclivity for battling for the toughest on-ice real estate, and he will need to play a key role if the Isles’ finesse players are to start producing more consistently with the man advantage.

Statistically, teams are measured from left to right by won-loss record, standings points, goals scored, goals allowed, power play success, and penalty-killing success. Please note that the data is up to and including games played on Tuesday night, and that our statistics for special teams effectiveness also take shorthanded goals into account. Each team’s ranking from November 15th appears in parentheses.

1 OTTAWA SENATORS (1): With eight power play points, Dany Heatley is tied for the Sens’ team lead with captain Daniel Alfredsson; his strong man-advantage production makes his league-leading plus-16 rating all the more impressive.

16–5–1 33 70 52 18.56% 89.62%

2 DETROIT RED WINGS (2): Known primarily for his playmaking skills and two-way game, Henrik Zetterberg has emerged as an elite-level sniper this season. With 16 goals in 24 games, he’s on pace to finish with 55 goals, shattering his previous career high of 39.

16–6–2 34 78 57 16.80% 85.37%

3 DALLAS STARS (18): Entering last night’s game against the Devils, the red-hot Stars were riding a six-game winning streak. And with his immaculate work between the pipes, backup Mike Smith is taking playing time away from de facto starter Marty Turco.

13–7–4 30 71 60 21.98% 90.09%

4 ST. LOUIS BLUES (15): Underrated rearguard Bryce Salvador has developed into a stopper on the St. Louis blue line; he is leading the team in shorthanded minutes per game, and he is also the Blues’ plus-minus leader (plus-11 rating).

13–8–0 26 52 46 11.46% 92.00%

5 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (6): There was good reason to wonder whether this year’s iteration of the Flyers would live up to their “Broad Street Bullies” reputation; but with four suspensions in two months, they’re carrying on that dubious legacy with aplomb.

13–8–2 28 73 65 21.50% 85.45%

6 MONTREAL CANADIENS (4): He was originally signed to replace Sheldon Souray’s power play production, but as it’s turned out, Roman Hamrlik has become the Habs’ most reliable two-way rearguard (team-leading plus-seven rating).

13–8–3 29 71 63 27.35% 85.71%

7 CAROLINA HURRICANES (3): With 24 points in 24 games for the ‘Canes, it’s clear that a change of scenery was just what the doctor ordered for Matt Cullen, whose disappointing tenure on Broadway with the Rangers is quickly becoming a distant memory.

13–8–3 29 80 71 20.47% 75.68%

8 NEW YORK ISLANDERS (7): One of the NHL’s most difficult teams to play against, the Isles are getting by on tenacity; built in the mold of head coach Ted Nolan and hard-working captain Bill Guerin, they are far exceeding all reasonable expectations.

12–8–1 25 51 55 14.61% 90.11%

9 BOSTON BRUINS (10): Rookie goaltender Tuukka Rask demonstrated uncommon poise in his first two NHL starts, making it clear that he is prepared to live up to his advance billing. Though Tim Thomas remains the starter, it’s clear that Rask will soon take over.

12–8–2 26 57 53 11.25% 76.67%

11 NEW YORK RANGERS (11): Jaromir Jagr’s point production dipped by 22% last season and has fallen even more precipitously (36%) this year. All indications are that the Czech star’s days of dominance are over, and that he won’t be back on Broadway next year if he doesn’t accept an enormous pay cut.

13–9–2 28 50 45 11.48% 89.32%

10 VANCOUVER CANUCKS (17): The Canucks are on an 8–1–2 roll, and it’s no coincidence that their revival coincides directly with the re-emergence of captain Markus Naslund (11 points in his last seven games, including a hat trick against the division rival Wild).

13–9–2 28 66 58 16.92% 82.05%

12 SAN JOSE SHARKS (14): Their offense isn’t scaring anyone; Joe Thornton has been the Sharks’ only consistent scoring threat. Instead, the Sharks’ gritty defense — backboned by netminder Evgeni Nabokov — has been the key to their success this season.

11–8–3 25 57 46 15.89% 92.05%

13 COLORADO AVALANCHE (5): Brought in to solidify the Avs’ defense, hard-hitting rearguard Scott Hannan has been a huge disappointment thus far, posting a team-worst minus-13 rating through 22 games.

12–9–1 25 61 66 13.21% 82.02%

14 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (9): Continuing the theme of underwhelming offseason acquisitions, winger Sergei Samsonov (three assists, minus-6 rating) has been anything but the offensive catalyst the ‘Hawks were hoping for.

12–9–2 26 65 66 17.00% 92.11%

15 MINNESOTA WILD (8): Mikko Koivu is out with a cracked fibula (leg) suffered as a result of a vicious two-handed slash by Matthias Ohlund; surprisingly, the Canucks’ defenseman was only suspended for four games.

12–9–2 26 61 59 14.42% 82.88%

16 NASHVILLE PREDATORS (13): A seventh-round selection (191st overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, unheralded winger Martin Erat is the Preds’ leading scorer (21 points in 22 games); three of his seven goals have been game-winners.

11–9–2 24 61 61 11.76% 80.20%

17 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (12): With six shutouts in his first 18 games, budding star goaltender Pascal Leclaire is on a record-challenging pace; the all-time mark is 22, set by George Hainsworth in 1928-29, while Tony Esposito holds the modern-era record of 15.

11–9–4 26 62 56 14.40% 91.53%

18 PHOENIX COYOTES (25): The shrewd waiver claim of netminder Ilya Bryzgalov may well turn out to be this season’s most important acquisition. Bryzgalov is 4–0 in his first four starts for the Coyotes, and his presence has restored the team’s shaky confidence.

11–10–0 22 54 61 10.00% 83.52%

19 BUFFALO SABRES (27): With five straight wins entering last night’s matchup against the Blues, the Sabres finally seem to be acclimating to life without former captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.

11–10–1 23 64 59 19.61% 88.54%

20 NEW JERSEY DEVILS (23): After sweeping a four-game road trip, the Devils returned home to some more good news: Star forward Patrik Elias returned to the lineup for last night’s matchup against the Stars after missing two games with a bout of food poisoning.

11–10–2 24 56 58 12.87% 79.17%

21 ANAHEIM DUCKS (16): With 25 points in 23 games, Ryan Getzlaf is clearly the Ducks’ most important forward, and so there’s little reason to wonder why they inked him to a five-year, $26.6 million contract extension last week.

11–10–4 26 57 67 11.48% 81.16%

22 FLORIDA PANTHERS (28): Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester boasts an enviable combination of size, speed, and skill, making it all the more perplexing that his offensive contributions (three goals in 24 games) have been so nominal.

11–12–1 23 61 69 21.05% 82.20%

23 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (19): With a plus-10 rating through the first 23 games, talented superstar Vincent Lecavalier (the NHL’s leading scorer with 38 points) is finally making an impact in all facets of the game and delivering on his enormous potential.

10–11–2 22 74 70 19.57% 85.87%

24 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (26): The trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Sergei Gonchar have been typically dazzling; however, the rest of the lineup has underachieved badly, with netminder Marc-Andre Fleury the prime cause for the team’s malaise.

10–11–2 22 66 68 19.13% 82.73%

25 ATLANTA THRASHERS (24): GM Don Waddell got the Thrashers back on track at least temporarily when he went behind the bench last month, but following two ugly losses by a combined 8–0 score, the honeymoon is now officially over.

11–12–0 22 59 78 13.00% 75.47% 26 CALGARY FLAMES (22): In an effort to inject some life into his team’s anemic power play, head coach Mike Keenan has experimented with parking burly rearguard Dion Phaneuf in front of the opposition’s net.

10–12–3 23 69 75 11.21% 78.57%

27 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (21): Captain Mats Sundin keeps on rolling (30 points in 25 games), but the rest of the Leafs’ foundation is crumbling around him; embattled GM John Ferguson Jr. and head coach Paul Maurice are both operating on borrowed time.

8–11–6 22 73 87 8.62% 82.50%

28 EDMONTON OILERS (30): They were acquired to energize the team’s power play, but injuries and poor play have rendered both Sheldon Souray and Joni Pitkanen completely ineffective thus far; neither player has tallied a single man-advantage point for the Oilers.

10–13–1 21 51 73 8.82% 87.39%

29 LOS ANGELES KINGS (20): Returning veteran rearguards Rob Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky were expected to provide stability on the Kings’ blue line, but with team-worst minus-11 ratings, they have only made head coach Marc Crawford’s job more difficult.

9–13–1 19 62 73 16.67% 81.11%

30 WASHINGTON CAPITALS (29): New bench boss Bruce Boudreau has a lot of work to do to get his ailing team back on track. Thus far this season, only Alexander Ovechkin and Olaf Kolzig have delivered to expectations.

8–15–1 17 57 72 16.04% 82.46%

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.