Red Sox and Phillies looking right as reign

According to Internet Media:  Regular readers of our weekly MLB Power Rankings have learned over the years that we've stayed with a hard-and-fast opening week rule: The defending World Series champion starts the season at No. 1 until someone else shows they deserve the nod.

The team coming off its October, er, November magic is usually thinking repeat anyway (throwing out the '98 Marlins). The San Francisco Giants certainly feel like they have a good shot to win title No. 2 since they moved West Ñ after it took them 52 years to finally win their first last season.

But the Giants are going to be the exception to our rule and not earn the No. 1 slot in the first rankings of the season. Let's not forget they barely snuck into the postseason last year, getting in just under the wire as the Padres collapsed. And their offense is a question mark.

But the biggest reason: The Phillies and Red Sox made such major moves over the winter that they look to be prohibitive favorites in their leagues.

 The Phillies -- and not the Yankees-- lured Cliff Lee from Texas. The Red Sox got instantly better by adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, and instantly made the Rays and Padres second-level clubs in the process. So there's our pick for the World Series come October.

Keep in mind the favorites usually don't get there. Eleven different teams have played in the Fall Classic the last six years, compared with nine different teams in the same span in the we-are-parity NFL. In last year's opening rankings, we had the Giants a healthy No. 7 but the eventual Series runner-up Rangers were just No. 18.

So it can be quite a ride from here to there. Our first look at how the teams shape up for 2011:

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Chicago 3, Detroit 2 (OT): Late call against Red Wings is a killer

According to Internet Media:   The Red Wings were baffled by some calls -- or lack thereof -- Monday night, but didn't dispute the one that ended up being the most costly.

With Henrik Zetterberg cooling his heels after being called for hooking Patrick Kane with seconds left in regulation, Marian Hossa ended a long dry spell against his former team and unleashed a shot from the left circle that sank into the back of Detroit's net, handing the Wings a 3-2 loss 51 seconds into overtime at Joe Louis Arena.

"It was a penalty," Zetterberg said. "He made a good move there on me, and I think they were 2 on 1, so I hooked him."

Zetterberg tied the game early in the third period. Nicklas Lidstrom's first-period goal made him the first NHL defenseman older than 40 with 60 points in a season.

It was Hossa's first goal in eight games against the Wings since he went from Detroit to Chicago in the summer of 2009.

"Good things happened at the end," Hossa said. "I had so many shots tonight. Their goalie played great. I was happy that one finally went in."

Joey MacDonald finished with 38 saves, allowing two goals during a first period that was slowed by penalties so numerous only half the period was played at even strength.

"It was a lot of special teams in the first," Zetterberg said. "It's tough to get momentum in a game, but I think both teams figured it out pretty good."

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