BIGGEST CLIMB: Buffalo (26 to 17)
BIGGEST FALL: Philadelphia (2 to 6), St. Louis (16 to 20), NYI (19 to 23) Note: All statistics and records are through Sunday. Have issues with my Power Rankings or want to pat me on the back? Send me an E-mail
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They've gone winless in three straight, with two setbacks against last-place teams (Leafs, Kings). Dom Hasek is day-to-day (hip flexor), and Dan Cleary (jaw) is out for the rest of the regular season. If that's not enough, Detroit got robbed of a game-tying goal Sunday against the Ducks. But don't fret, Wings fans. Despite all this, your team remains the class of the league by a wide margin.
Last Week: 1-2-1
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They've been one of the bigger surprises this season. Coming in, the big question was whether they would score enough. Propelled by stellar seasons from Mike Ribeiro and Niklas Hagman, Dallas is doing just fine offensively. In fact, you could call the Stars a score-by-committee squad. Seven have at least 10 goals. "That's who we are," coach Dave Tippett told the Dallas Morning News.
Last Week: 3-0-0
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Here's a scary thought: When Sidney Crosby returns, he might not be the best player on the Pens. That honor may go to white-hot Evgeni Malkin, who had seven points over the weekend with his parents visiting from Russia. The bad news for opponents is that his parents plan on staying another two weeks. With Malkin leading the way, the Pens are now 6-2-2 since Crosby went down.
Last Week: 3-0-1
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Talk about an impressive reunion. Playing together for the first time in 13 games, the No. 1 line (Dany Heatley-Daniel Alfredsson-Jason Spezza) combined for 15 points in an impressive 6-1 win over the Habs. In that game, Spezza notched his first hat trick in his 296th game. If you're wondering, I give Ottawa a slight edge in its trade with Carolina (Joe Corvo/Patrick Eaves for Cory Stillman/Mike Commodore).
Last Week: 2-1-0
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It took a while, but it appears as though Jonathan Cheechoo has remembered how to score goals. After notching just four in his first 28 games, the 27-year-old from Moose Factory has seven in the past seven games. Besides his hat trick on Saturday, coach Ron Wilson earned his 500th win to move into a tie with Toe Blake for 10th on the all-time list.
Last Week: 2-1-0
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If I'm a Flyers fan, I'm not pushing the panic button, but my hand is hovering just above it. Daniel Briere hasn't scored a goal in eight straight and has fired off just 12 shots during the slide. The bigger news, though, is that Simon Gagne suffered his third concussion of the season. You'd think that would mean pack it up and wait till next year, but Gagne is holding out hope. "I don't think the season is lost right now," he said. "The way I feel right now is just a balance problem."
Last Week: 1-3-0
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Behind their top line, the Habs ended a six-game losing streak to the Sens on Tuesday. They seemed to forget the winning recipe, though, as four nights later they were smacked around by Ottawa 6-1 on Hockey Day in Canada. But considering Cristobal Huet was in net, that shouldn't have come as a surprise. Huet, who gave up three goals on Saturday before being yanked, surrendered six in last year's HDIC 8-3 loss to Ottawa.
Last Week: 1-2-0
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They appear to have found their game. After an impressive New York-area sweep, Anaheim edged (with help from the referee) the top-ranked Wings at Joe Louis Arena. That made it four in a row after going winless in six consecutive. One reason for the surge is J-S Giguere, who has stopped 84 of 87 shots in his last three starts. But this week will definitely be a test with games against the Avs, Stars and Flames.
Last Week: 4-0-0
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Following two unimpressive games, coach Brent Sutter decided to stir the pot. Before Saturday's game, players found their equipment hanging in unfamiliar stalls. "We thought we would give it a shot and change things up a little bit," Sutter said. Did it work? New Jersey blasted Carolina, 6-1. But let's see if Sutter has any other tricks up his sleave for this week. The Devils play the Sens twice.
Last Week: 2-1-1
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I've stated in the past that the Northwest title would be won by either the Flames or Canucks. Well, I'm big enough to admit that I may have been wrong. The Wild are playing solid hockey. In its past seven games, Minnesota has won five and other two could've gone either way: 3-2 OT loss to Detroit, 1-0 loss to Dallas. The goaltending that was somewhat shaky in the first half of the season has been rock solid, allowing more than three goals in a game just once since Jan. 10.
Last Week: 2-1-1
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Read on for teams 11-20 ... 
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