Couple of major changes at the top this week. The New Jersey Devils swept the season series from Pittsburgh, and they earned a jump in this week's rankings.
Meanwhile, Chicago moved ahead of San Jose in the West. We're still waiting for the middle of each conference to shake itself out, but we'll probably be waiting for a while on that.
Ryan Kesler was set to become a restricted free agent following the 2009-10 season. If one of the other 29 general managers in the NHL was planning on taking a run at the gritty two-way center in the offseason, they're likely disappointed right now, as the 25-year-old Kesler inked a six-year contract extension Friday morning.
The No. 23 overall pick in the incredibly deep 2003 draft, Kesler has developed into one of the top defensive forwards in the NHL -- he was a finalist for the Selke Trophy last season -- and has seen his offensive game steadily improve each season. Over the past four years he's gone from .33 points per game, to .46, to .72 to the .93 mark he's averaged this season.
The Phoenix Coyotes erased a 3-0 third period deficit on Thursday night in Florida and managed to walk away with a 4-3 win. Their win, combined with San Jose's loss in Vancouver, pulls the Coyotes to within just three points of the top spot in the Western Conference.
As he carried the puck to the red line, Vrbata simply dumped it into the Florida zone and watched as it took a couple of bounces, and somehow found its way behind Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun.
Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski said his eight-game suspension announced Thursday evening "is incredibly hard to swallow" and pointed to other recent hits that resulted in little to no sanctions leveied by the NHL.
"I am truly sorry that my friend Brent Seabrook was hurt on the play," Wisniewski said in a statement. "I certainly wish him the best. I am, however, very disappointed in the length of the suspension. Eight games is incredibly hard to swallow, especially in comparison to other recent hits that have resulted in lesser punishment."
BOSTON -- NHL discipline judge Colin Campbell met separately with the general managers and coaches of the Bruins and Penguins approximately two hours before the start of the teams' grudge match on Thursday.
Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma (pictured) spoke with the media soon after, sounding like a man who cannot wait for the game to be over.
"This is more than I ever could have imagined," Byslma said, surveying a much larger media crowd than usual at his pregame briefings.
Ryan Kesler was set to become a restricted free agent following the 2009-10 season. If one of the other 29 general managers in the 
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Anaheim 
BOSTON -- NHL discipline judge Colin Campbell met separately with the general managers and coaches of the Bruins and Penguins approximately two hours before the start of the teams' grudge match on Thursday.
