BIGGEST CLIMB: Boston (12 to 8), Colorado (18 to 14)
BIGGEST FALL: St. Louis (21 to 27) 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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Welcome to Big D, Brad Richards. In his Stars debut, he had a career-high and franchise-record five assists -- the most points by a Dallas player in five years. Of course, that great chemisty didn't last into the next game, a 3-1 loss to Nashville. With just 10 games over the next 31 days, it'll be interesting to see if Dave Tippett's club gets complacent.
Last Week: 2-1-0
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Be honest. You didn't think Teemu Selanne's return would have a profound effect on this team, right? I'd say I was somewhere in the middle. But since deciding to hold off on retirement, the veteran winger has seven goals and 12 points in 11 games. The Ducks were 10-1 in that span. Their lone defeat? It came against the white-hot Stars, who'll face Anaheim twice more. Those battles should be fun.
Last Week: 1-0-0
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Carey Price has responded well -- three straight wins -- to being the No. 1 netminder. With Saturday's victory over the Devils, the Habs grabbed the top spot in the East. This is the first time Montreal has held the conference lead after the All-Star break since March 1993 -- the last time it won the Stanley Cup. "It is a pleasant surprise for us and for a lot of people," Saku Koivu said.
Last Week: 3-0-0
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Leave it to their grinding line (Dallas Drake-Kirk Maltby-Kris Draper) to get them back in the win column. The trio had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Sabres -- Detroit's second W in 12 games, their worst stretch since a 12-game winless skid (Oct. 21-Nov. 16, 1989). "I don't want to say there is panic in the room, but you can see disappointment on our faces," Dom Hasek said.
Last Week: 1-1-1
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Brian Boucher waited 336 days between NHL starts, and made the most it. The 31-year-old stopped 24 shots Saturday to secure his 14th career shutout and carry the Sharks to their fifth straight win. Maybe coach Ron Wilson will find a way to give more rest to Evgeni Nabokov, who leads the league in starts (63).
Last Week: 3-0-0
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What's going on here? After winning five straight and seven of eight, New Jersey dropped three in a row -- two to teams (Carolina and Washington) it shouldn't have problems against. It doesn't get much easier down the stretch with eight of the Devils' final 16 games against current playoff teams. They've hit a tough patch, but I still see them going into the playoffs no worse than the fourth seed.
Last Week: 0-2-1
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If you win, they will come. That has definitely held true in Pittsburgh, where Mellon Arena has been filled to capacity in all 34 games, matching a franchise record set in 1988-89. Of course, it always helps when you have the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar donning the black, Vegas gold and white. I'm curious to see who Pens fans prefer in net: Marc-Andre Fleury or Ty Conklin?
Last Week: 2-2-0
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OK, OK. I was wrong about this team ... and Tim Thomas. Entering the season, I felt the Bruins would be lucky to finish 10th in the East. Talk about missing the boat. Boston isn't a glitzy or well-oiled machine, but it gets the job done. "We figured out we're a simple team," Aaron Ward said. "We're not pretty, and you could even call us ugly. But you have to have your niche in the league, and we do."
Last Week: 3-0-0
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If not for the Flyers' recent slide, more people would be mentioning the Sens' major tumble. Ottawa closed out February 4-7-2 after dropping three straight and suffered back-to-back shutouts for the first time since Nov. '00. In fact, Jason Spezza's 25th goal, on Thursday. was all that prevented three straight SO defeats. I'm not confident the Sens will snatch back the Northeast's top spot from Montreal.
Last Week: 1-3-0
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Ever since coach Tom Renney mixed up his top three lines back on Feb. 16, the Rangers have surged offensively -- scoring four or more goals in six of their last seven games (6-0-1). Not too shabby considering they scored three or more just once in their first 15 games of the season. It's probably not coincidence that Jaromir Jagr has had at least a point in five straight.
Last Week: 2-0-0
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Read on for teams 11-20 ... 
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