NHL TOP TO BOTTOM

Team (Record) Comment

1. St. Louis (23-4-4-0) On a 10-0-1 streak.

2. Colorado (23-7-5-0) Blues’ only challengers.

3. Detroit (21-12-3-2) Have to hustle to keep pace.

4. San Jose (21-8-4-0) Nabokov continues to shine.

5. Ottawa (19-9-6-0) On a 4-1-2 roll.

6. Dallas (19-10-4-1) Have Sharks in sight.

7. Toronto (18-10-4-3) Must be more consistent.

8. Vancouver (17-10-4-4) Giving everyone trouble.

9. New Jersey (18-11-5-0) Time to make a run.

10. Phoenix (16-8-8-1) Tkachuk traded soon?

11. Edmonton (17-14-5-1) Weight’s stock rising.

12. Buffalo (18-11-3-1) Trade Peca or re-sign him now.

13. Philadelphia (16-12-7-0) Time for GM Clarke to go.

14. Washington (15-12-7-1) Wilson’s Caps over .500.

15. Kings (15-12-7-1) Big-time goaltending troubles.

16. Pittsburgh (14-14-6-1) Lemieux is back Wednesday.

17. Atlanta (13-14-6-1) Only 14 victories in 1999-2000.

18. Ducks (13-17-4-4) Kariya, Selanne, Rucchin injured.

19. N.Y. Rangers (16-18-1-1) No defense means few wins.

20. Nashville (13-16-6-1) Slowly sinking in the West.

21. Calgary (11-15-7-4) Vernon coming to life.

22. Boston (12-15-4-4) Keenan not the answer.

23. Carolina (12-14-4-2) Averaging only 2.31 goals.

24. Chicago (13-18-2-2) Amonte on the trade block?

25. Minnesota (10-17-6-2) Can’t score, but tough to play.

26. Columbus (11-20-3-2) Sanderson leading the Jackets.

27. N.Y. Islanders (10-18-4-2) Headed nowhere fast.

28. Tampa Bay (10-17-4-2) Nice place to visit, but . . .

29. Montreal (10-22-4-0) Somehow avoiding last in rankings.

30. Florida (6-17-7-5) Panthers are doomed.

GAME OF THE WEEK

TORONTO at PITTSBURGH

* When--Wednesday. * Time--4:30 PST.

* TV--ESPN.

* Story line--Mario Lemieux, who spent much of the 1990s as the NHL’s best player and led the Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships, will play his first game since retiring at the end of the 1996-97 season. Lemieux is 35, has been skating for only one month and practicing for only the last two weeks or so. If not for the excitement centering on his return, this would be merely another easy game for the smooth-skating Maple Leafs. But Lemieux is back in action, which means all eyes will be on No. 66. If you watch only one regular-season game this season, this should be the one. It will be interesting to see if he still has the same magic.