Red Wings come home to roost

Biggest Climb: Columbus Blue Jackets (19 to 14)

Biggest Fall: Vancouver Canucks (10 to 15)

A reminder: these rankings are based mainly on quality of play (with a heavy emphasis on recent games), overall record and my gut instinct. Heck, if I went strictly off record, these would be no different than the standings. Also: stats and records are through Sunday's games.

Note: Want to send me a comment about the rankings? Scroll to the bottom of this page for my Mailbag. I read 'em all and if you're halfway civil -- or at least clever in your skewering of my decisions -- I'll try to get back to you.

NHL Power Rankings

1 Last Week: 2	Detroit Red Wings (29-7-5) Looks like their Cup hangover has passed. The defending champs have won six straight, outscoring their opponents 25-8. The defense has tightened, the goaltending has been better than adequate and the offense continues to roll, powered by the seemingly unstoppable Pavel Datsyuk (five points in three games). Last week: 3-0
2 Last Week: 1	Boston Bruins (31-7-4) Patrice Bergeron says he's symptom-free after his most recent concussion and confident he'll play again this year. But Boston's depth will be tested by the loss of Marco Sturm, who's out for the year after knee surgery, and Phil Kessel (sidelined for a month with mono). Look for the B's to be in the market for an upgrade at wing. Last week: 2-1
3 Last Week: 3	San Jose Sharks (31-5-5) That All-Star Game snub might have stung Patrick Marleau, but it sure sparked the Sharks. After a 5-2 whipping by Calgary in a dubious start to a three-game road swing, the captain responded with a pair of two-goal games against Vancouver and Edmonton to get San Jose back on the winning track. Last week: 2-1
4 Last Week: 6	Calgary Flames (25-12-4) How's this for a silver lining: since being humiliated by the Sharks 6-1 on Nov. 13, they're 16-4-3 and have wrested control of the Northwest away from Vancouver. Last week: 2-0
5 Last Week: 4	Washington Capitals (27-13-3) Tough week. They were shut out by Steve Mason on Friday, then wasted two third-period comebacks when a Milan Jurcina giveway with 22 seconds left was meekly tucked through the legs of Brent Johnson, costing them a point in Montreal. The loss robbed Bruce Boudreau of a spot behind the East bench at the All-Star Game. Last week: 1-2
6 Last Week: 7	Montreal Canadiens (25-10-6) No Carey Price? No Alex Tanguay? No Saku Koivu? The Habs may have been a little generous in their own zone last week, but they countered with an explosive run-and-gun attack (17 goals in three wins). So why exactly do they need Vincent Lecavalier? Last week: 3-0
7 Last Week: 8	Philadelphia Flyers (23-10-9) They snatched first place in the Atlantic from the Rangers. Now it's time to pad the lead. They don't face a single team in playoff position over the next seven contests and expect to have No. 1 center Daniel Briere back in action as soon as Tues. Last week: 2-0-1
8 Last Week: 9	Chicago Blackhawks (23-10-7) Sunday's win over the Preds upped them to 13-1-4 at home, which happens to be the site of four of their next five games. Perhaps a little home cooking will fuel an exhausted offense that's produced just five goals (including an empty-netter) in their last three. Last week: 2-2
9 Last Week: 5	New Jersey Devils (24-15-3) They offered up gifts to the Thrashers and Ducks with no-show performances that, at least temporarily, derailed their rush to the top of the Atlantic. Still, it was a good news week. No timetable is set for Brendan Shanahan's return to action, but the newly-signed veteran should bolster a mediocre power play. Last week: 1-3
10 Last Week: 11	New York Rangers (25-15-3) Henrik Lundqvist finally posted his first two shutouts of the season, blanking the Pens and Sens, but his inconsistency suggests that Nikolai Zherdev may have been a better All-Star pick. The dazzling winger spent his time in Ottawa crafting at least three highlight reel sequences, cementing his status as the team's most dangerous weapon. Last week: 2-1

11 Last Week: 13	Buffalo Sabres (21-16-5) They still have issues to work through, but goaltending isn't one. Ryan Miller's back on top of his game, stopping 88 of the 92 shots in back-to-back games vs. the Rangers and Wings. As good as he's been, it'd be nice if he got a little defensive support. Last week: 2-1
12 Last Week: 14	Florida Panthers (20-16-6) They've yet to lose in regulation in 2009, and it's not their goaltending that's carrying them. The offense has exploded for 27 goals in five January games, led surprisingly by third-liners Gregory Campbell (2-4-6), Ville Peltonen (4-2-6) and Radek Dvorak (3-3-6). Last week: 3-0
13 Last Week: 12	Anaheim Ducks (22-17-5) Talk about a rough patch: All-Star starter J-S Giguere gives up three goals to the Devils and it's viewed as a step in the right direction. He'd been pulled in his previous start after giving up two early softies to the Kings, and coughed up four goals in three of his last four games. Stopping the first shot could key a turnaround. So could a more consistent willingness to battle for 60 minutes. Last week: 2-2
14 Last Week: 19	Columbus Blue Jackets (20-18-4) If you hear them petitioning to switch conferences any time soon, here's why: After Friday's 3-0 blanking of the Caps, they were 7-1-1 against the East. They've now won seven straight interconference games, outscoring foes 24-5. Last week: 2-1
15 Last Week: 10	Vancouver Canucks (22-17-5) The Sundin era got off to an inauspicious start with two rust-laden games before the free agent showed some finish against the Sharks. The need for Roberto Luongo's return became more pronounced as ineffective goaltending doomed them to their fifth loss in their last six at The Garage. Last week: 1-2
16 Last Week: 18	Colorado Avalanche (22-19-1) Despite warning signs waved vigorously in Boston and Toronto, the Avs handed the starting job to Andrew Raycroft, whose seven straight wins were highlighted by a career-high 43 saves in Thursday's 2-1 triumph over the Hawks. Last week: 3-0
17 Last Week: 15	Carolina Hurricanes (21-17-5) The prime beneficiary of Paul Maurice's conservative approach had been goalie Cam Ward (8-3-1 since returning from a groin injury on Dec. 12). But after giving up two goals or fewer in four straight, he was ripped for nine in back-to-back losses to the Panthers and Bruins. Guess the system still has a few kinks. Last week: 1-2
18 Last Week: 17	Phoenix Coyotes (21-17-5) They're still vexed by a popgun power play that connected just once in its last 32 tries, but goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov -- and the shootout -- enabled them to win two of three games. Last week: 2-1
19 Last Week: 16	Pittsburgh Penguins (20-19-4) Forget the talk about canning Michel Therrien. How does assistant Mike Yeo keep his job? Despite Crosby, Malkin, Sykora, Whitney and Letang, the Pens' PP ranks 20th and is 3-41 in their last 10 games -- a big reason why they're 2-8 over that span. Last week: 1-3
20 Last Week: 20	Edmonton Oilers (20-18-3) Is Sam Gagner's sophomore slump at an end? The dynamic-but-snakebit forward has eight points in his last eight games, including the game-winner against the Blues on Sunday. And n matter how little weight you place in the plus/minus stat, it's better to be plus-1 than minus-11 as he was through 41 games as a rookie. Last week: 2-2
21 Last Week: 23	Minnesota Wild (20-18-3) Not to knock a Hall of Famer, but I'm starting to think Jacques Lemaire has forgotten that the object of the game is to score more than the opposition. His Wild has netted more than two in regulation not once in their last eight, and just twice in their last 17. With the stellar Niklas Backstrom between the pipes, would it really hurt to open it up a little? Last week: 1-2
22 Last Week: 21	Dallas Stars (17-17-6) Nice catch by Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, who noticed that they've outshot their foes by nearly 10 per night over the last eight games, but aren't scoring more often as a result. If they hope to mount a legitimate run at the postseason, they must capitalize on chances. Last week: 0-1-1
23 Last Week: 22	Los Angeles Kings (17-18-6) This is why NHL teams always seem to refuse to release under-aged players to the World Juniors: the Kings bucked the trend and offered Oscar Moller to Team Sweden. The promising rookie returned with a broken clavicle and is out at least two more weeks. Last week: 1-2
24 Last Week: 25	Nashville Predators (19-20-3) Wins over the Pens (after trailing 3-0) and Hawks snapped a demoralizing five-game skid, but the best news was the return of gritty forward Steve Sullivan after nearly two years on the sidelines. He must contribute immediately with Jason Arnott hobbled and J-P Dumont in a 15-game scoring drought. Last week: 2-2
25 Last Week: 26	St. Louis Blues (16-22-3) Their longest layoff of the season (six days) led to loads of trade speculation. Potential UFA Andy McDonald, Jay McKee and Dan Hinote are likely to go prior to the deadline, but a no-trade clause may keep prime bargaining chip Keith Tkachuk in St. Louis unless an elite contender comes a-courtin' him. Last week: 1-1
26 Last Week: 24	Toronto Maple Leafs (16-20-6) Has Vesa Toskala been studying tapes of Finnish legend Hardy Astrom? His brutal play has inspired plenty of hand-wringing, but it may be a blessing. Neither the coach nor GM is the type to tank the second half to improve the team's draft standing, but No. 1 netminder's abysmal efforts remove any temptation to try it. Last week: 0-3
27 Last Week: 27	Tampa Bay Lightning (12-19-10) Steven Stamkos was scratched. Vinnie Lecavalier is rumored to be on the block (again). And after being ripped by Rick Tocchet following a loss to Phoenix ("It's the most disappointed I've been ...you have to treat them like kids"), they responded with a big win over the Ducks. Never a dull moment at the ol' Melrose Place. Last week: 1-1
28 Last Week: 29	Atlanta Thrashers (14-24-5) With their bargaining power rapidly evaporating, they took a page out of Vancouver's playbook and named top contract-extension candidate Ilya Kovalchuk captain. Making Kovy happy is the surest route to keeping him around, but wins are more likely to swing his decision. Last week: 1-2
29 Last Week: 28	Ottawa Senators (13-21-6) When coach (for now) Craig Hartsburg asked for more out of his top line, he probably didn't mean a bloated minus-10 like the one Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley laid on the scoresheet in a 6-4 loss to Boston. The formerly untouchable Spezza and Heatley are believed to be available after the reeling Senators bagged their eighth loss in their last nine games. Last week: 0-3
30 Last Week: 30	New York Islanders (12-26-4) Scott Gordon's second-half philosophy is: "make sure our young players are developing and getting better every day." It's the right approach, but also the most treacherous over the short term. A mistake-filled road swing featured four losses and 18 goals-against that dropped this white, orange and blue punching bag to 30th in team defense. Last week: 0-2