Boston fans come out in support of surging Bruins

Note: All statistics are through Sunday.

BIGGEST CLIMB: Boston (22 to 13)
BIGGEST FALL: Toronto (10 to 19)

NHL Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 1 Anaheim Ducks (27-5-6) Saturday's matchup between the league-leading Ducks and the last-place Coyotes looked like the biggest of mismatches. That's why they play the games. Not only did Phoenix come away with a hard-fought 2-0 victory, but it held Anaheim pointlesss for only the fifth time in 38 games this season. But relax, Ducks fans. There still doesn't appear to be any chink in the armor. And even Corey Perry is starting to notch points. Last Week: 2-1-0 2 2 Buffalo Sabres (25-7-3) Despite having their top six blueliners in the lineup for Saturday's game -- the first time in 25 games -- the Sabres were no match for the Blues. Even more amazing is the fact that that wasn't exactly earth-shaking news, as St. Louis has beaten Buffalo in nine straight. What may be an even more mind-boggling is the success Buffalo is having despite being foundering on special teams (16th PP, 16th PK). Last Week: 1-1-1 3 3 Nashville Predators (24-9-3) The Predators made franchise history on two counts Saturday in a 7-0 whipping of the Kings. The seven-goal margin was the largest ever for Nashville, while Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont and David Legwand each scored two goals -- the first time in the Preds' eight-year history that they had three players with multiple-goal games in the same game. Nice way to bounce back from a 7-2 smashing. Last Week: 2-1-0 4 4 San Jose Sharks (25-11-0) If not for the Ducks and Sabres, more people would be talking about the Sharks, who have won five of their last seven (which includes wins over Anaheim and Nashville). Aside from their stellar goaltending duo of Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose has been dynamite on the power play. The third-ranked unit has scored at least once in 10 of the last 12 games and twice in three of the previous six. Last Week: 1-1-0 5 5 Montreal Canadiens (21-9-5) The Bruins beat the Canadiens 4-2 on Saturday. But it shouldn't come as any real surprise if you know the Habs' past. Montreal hasn't won a road game on Dec. 23 since it beat the B's in Boston in 1945. It's also 0-9-1 in Dec. 23 games -- home and away -- since it edged Pittsburgh 1-0 in Montreal in 1995. Despite Saturday's setback, the Habs have won five of their last six games by a 26-16 margin. Last Week: 2-1-0 6 8 Atlanta Thrashers (21-10-6) Marian Hossa notched two short-handed goals in Tuesday's win over the Devils. "We saw the Marian Hossa show," said coach Bob Hartley. "Fans in this building [Philips Arena] saw why he's the most complete player in the NHL." Equally impressive has been Atlanta's success against New Jersey. The Thrashers have taken six straight over the Devils -- the longest winning streak against any team in franchise history. Last Week: 3-0-0 7 7 Dallas Stars (23-13-0) Marty Turco is doing his best Jekyll and Hyde impersonation. After allowing four goals on just 21 shots in a loss to the Ducks, the 31-year-old earned his franchise-record 28th shutout in a 3-0 win over the high-flying Sharks. It was the second time this season he blanked San Jose. Of course the going doesn't get any easier for Turco and Co. this week, with games against Nashville and the Sharks. Last Week: 2-1-0 8 6 Detroit Red Wings (21-9-5) Dan Cleary scored twice Wednesday to give him 13 on the season -- his total for the past three seasons combined. Another player who has been making huge contributions is Mathieu Schneider. The veteran blueliner has two goals and 13 assists during his 12-game point streak, the longest in the NHL this season. It's also the longest streak by a defenseman since Brian Leetch's 14-game run in 1996-97. Last Week: 2-1-1 9 14 Carolina Hurricanes (19-14-4) The power was definitely turned on for the Hurricanes on Friday. Carolina notched four PP goals in a 5-1 win over the Islanders. It was the 'Canes' most productive performance on the power play since they scored five against Detroit on Nov. 29, 2002. But even if the PP stays hot, it could be a tough week for Carolina, which gets the league's top two teams: Anaheim and Buffalo. Last Week: 3-0-0 10 11 New York Islanders (18-13-3) The Islanders have finally solved the Blue Jackets. After going 0-5-2 in its first seven games against Columbus, New York (behind a strong performance from Rick DiPietro) earned a 4-0 victory on Saturday. The win also kept the Isles perfect on the second night of back-to-back games, improving to 6-0-0. How is this team winning? One big reason is Jason Blake, who in his contract year has a team-high 20 goals. Last Week: 2-1-0

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