The defending champs claim the top spot in this week's power rankings, while the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes make jumps of their own as they look to earn playoff berths in their respective conferences.There's also a new team taking over the basement, thanks to a pair of blowout losses on home ice in the past week.
- 1. Red Wings (Last Week: 2)
Winners of six of their past seven, the Red Wings take over the top spot in power rankings as they continue their quest for yet another Presidents Trophy. Random fact: going back to the start of last year's playoffs, Johan Franzen has 44 goals in 79 games. - 2. Devils (Last Week: 1)
The Devils lose their claim at the top of the rankings due to a two-game losing skid this past week, while also losing three of their past four. Zach Parise is getting some mention as a possible Hart Trophy candidate with his 41 goals and 88 points. Can he overtake the dynamic Russian duo of Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin? Doubtful. - 4. Capitals (Last Week: 3)
Bruce Boudreau sounded off on reporters continuing to badger him about Alex Ovechkin's goal celebrations, and for good reason. Ovechkin is starting to be known more for his celebrations than he is for the goals that leads to the celebrations ... and it's not his fault. Washington has dropped three of its past five, including a shootout loss in Toronto. - 5. Bruins (Last Week: 3)
Boston hasn't played since its 4-1 win over New Jersey on Sunday. Will the week layoff hurt them, or will it give the Bruins an opportunity to regroup and get back on track? David Krejci has one goal in his past 16 games, while Marc Savard has two in his past 19. Boston, as a team, is slumping at the wrong time of the season. - 6. Penguins (Last Week: 8)
The Penguins are playing so well right now that people are willing to trade their wedding dress for tickets. Random oddity: Marc-Andre Fleury has recorded a shutout on the 25th of March in three straight seasons. - 7. Canucks (Last Week: 7)
The Canucks have won five of their past seven games and still have a legitimate shot at stealing home-ice advantage away from Chicago in the opening round of the playoffs. The two teams face off on Sunday night. - 8. Flyers (Last Week: 8)
The Flyers lost to Florida, 4-2, on Scott Hartnell Night. That's the hockey gods punishing the Flyers for giving an active player his own "night." Philadelphia helped solidify its spot as the No. 4 seed in the East with its 2-1 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday. - 9. Hurricanes (Last Week: 12)
Is it time to give the Hurricanes the label "the team nobody wants to play?" Perhaps. Carolina has won five in a row and picked up at least a point in 11 of its past 12 games, as the 'Canes have climbed all the way up to the No. 5 spot in the East. - 10. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 10)
An exciting time in Columbus, as the Blue Jackets continue to solidify their playoff status with points in four straight games. Steve Mason continues his Calder Trophy campaign with his league-leading 10th shutout of the season against Calgary. No other goalie has more than seven shutouts. - 11. Flames (Last Week: 8)
The Flames continue to be a rollercoaster of emotions for their fans, failing to win consecutive games since March 3-5. Calgary closed out its week getting shut out in back-to-back nights with a 2-0 loss in Pittsburgh and a 5-0 drubbing in Columbus. - 12. Blackhawks (Last Week: 11)
Chicago continues to maintain a slight edge for home-ice advantage in the first round, but its play in recent weeks have been somewhat of a concern. The Blackhawks have won two in a row, which comes after they dropped six of their previous seven. - 13. Rangers (Last Week: 14)
Blowing a 4-1 lead against Atlanta was somewhat embarrassing, and led to the backup goalie calling the team out for not having any "killer instinct." Nik Antropov has proven to be a strong pickup, as the massive forward has registered nine points in 11 games with the Rangers. - 14. Predators (Last Week: 15)
The Predators racked up the Bettman points this past week, losing three games in overtime before picking up a gigantic 3-2 win against San Jose on Thursday. Pekka Rinne is going to give Columbus' Steve Mason a run for his money in the Calder voting, as he currently has seven shutouts and boasts a .922 save percentage. - 15. Canadiens (Last Week: 16)
There have been some moments of panic in Montreal the past week, while the Canadiens almost sent the city into a state of chaos when it blew a 2-0 lead against Tampa Bay on Thursday. Fortunately Saku Koivu scored the game-winner in overtime to salvage the week. Montreal still holds a two-point lead over Florida for the final playoff spot in the East, with an important game in hand. - 16. Ducks (Last Week: 21)
The Ducks continue their meteoric rise up the standings with a five-game winning streak, including a 7-2 thrashing of Colorado earlier this week. Anaheim has two games with Edmonton in the coming week, which could go a long way toward determining the playoff fate of each franchise. - 17. Oilers (Last Week: 14)
Edmonton's dropped three straight games, including a 3-2 loss in Phoenix on Thursday night. If the Oilers want to make the playoffs, their games with Anaheim on Friday and Tuesday are essentially must-win games. - 18. Wild (Last Week: 18)
Minnesota remains a model of inconsistency, as the Wild haven't pieced together consecutive wins since late February, while winning only five games in the month of March. Marian Gaborik is back on the ice and adding some offense, while Cal Clutterbuck is setting records for smashing people into the glass. - 19. Panthers (Last Week: 17)
Keeping defenseman Jay Bouwmeester at the trade deadline was supposed to help propel the Panthers to their first trip to the playoffs in nearly a decade. Instead, Florida has been mired in a terrible slump, losing eight of its 11 games since the deadline. On the plus side, Panthers games now feature more nudity than any other team in the league. - 20. Blues (Last Week: 22)
With three straight wins, including a 4-2 win over Vancouver on Thursday night, the Blues are not going away quietly as they continue their playoff push. Chris Mason has been fantastic in net, as St. Louis continues to ride him until the wheels fall off. He's appeared in every Blues game going all the way back to January 17. - 21. Stars (Last Week: 19)
While Dallas ownership has vowed to make sure its future players aren't crazy, its current players have to be driving the Stars fan-base up the wall with a season of maddening inconsistency. In their defense, the Stars have been ravaged by injury this season while they continue to remain in the playoff hunt, though just barely. Five consecutive losses might be too much for Dallas to overcome. - 22. Senators (Last Week: 23)
The Senators gave their fans some excitement with a five-game winning streak, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive on a day-to-day basis, but Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Carolina was probably the knockout punch to Ottawa's season. - 23. Sabres (Last Week: 20)
Buffalo picked up a much-needed win against Florida on Wednesday night to stay alive, and Ryan Miller is expected back in net on Friday night. Probably a case of too little, too late, as the Sabres find themselves seven points back of Montreal. The two teams play on Saturday, while Buffalo has a difficult schedule the rest of the way, featuring games with New Jersey, Detroit, Boston, Washington and Carolina. The playoffs are still possible, but some large hurdles remain. - 24. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 24)
Curtis Joseph, coming off the bench following Martin Gerber's tantrum on Tuesday night, played like it was the year 2000 in Toronto's 3-2 shootout win over Washington, earning first star honors for his eight minutes of action. Gerber was issued a three-game suspension for his on-ice meltdown. The Leafs can continue to play their role of spoiler with two games remaining against Buffalo, and one with their long-time rivals in Montreal. - 25. Thrashers (Last Week: 26)
Atlanta showed a lot of heart coming back from a 4-1 deficit against the Rangers on Thursday to pick up a 5-4 shootout win. Rich Peverley has cooled off in recent weeks, but still has 28 points in 32 games since being claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators. - 26. Kings (Last Week: 23)
The Kings earned a 1-0 shootout win against Dallas on Thursday to snap a three-game losing streak. It's looking like Los Angeles will miss the playoffs yet again, but with an impressive young core of talent the future is still looking bright. - 27. Lightning (Last Week: 29)
First overall pick Steven Stamkos continues to show improvement, registering 13 points in 12 games during the month of March. Meanwhile, Vincent Lecavalier has slumped, scoring just four goals in his past 19 games. - 28. Coyotes (Last Week: 30)
Phoenix climbs out of the cellar thanks to wins over Vancouver and Edmonton. The Coyotes blasted the Canucks, 5-1, and then helped play spoiler with a 3-2 win over the Oilers on Thursday. - 29. Islanders (Last Week: 28)
After showing some improvement in recent weeks, the Islanders drop down a spot thanks to losses in four of their past five games, including a three-game losing streak where they've been outscored by a 16-8 margin. - 30. Avalanche (Last Week: 27)
Colorado had to make two different goaltender changes in its 7-2 loss to Anaheim, while it's the second time in a week the Avalanche have been blown out on home ice. Andrew Raycroft had a rather forgetable performance in Wednesday's game, giving up four goals on just eight shots in his one period of work.
Latest NHL Images
Edmonton Oilers players Steve Staios (24), Sheldon Souray (44) and Shawn Horcoff, right, celebrate the goal of teammate Ales Hemsky, behind Souray, in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., Thursday, March 26, 2009. The goal made the score 3-2 Phoenix. (AP Photo/Aaron J. Latham)
AP
Edmonton Oilers' Ethan Moreau (18) moves the puck under pressure from Phoenix Coyotes' Brandon Prust in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Glendale, Ariz., Thursday, March 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Aaron J. Latham)
AP
Edmonton Oilers' goalie Dwayne Roloson (L) blocks a shot against Phoenix Coyotes' Petr Prucha during the third period of their NHL hockey game in Glendale, Arizona, March 26, 2009. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)
Reuters
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 26: Peter Mueller #88 of the Phoenix Coyotes carries the puck past Steve Staios #24 and Kyle Brodziak #51 of the Edmonton Oilers while Kyle Turris #91 of the Coyotes looks on at Jobing.com Arena March 26, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Turris;Peter Mueller;Steve Staios;Kyle Brodziak
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GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 26: Dmitri Kalinin #45 of the Phoenix Coyotes knocks Ethan Moreau #18 of the Edmonton Oilers of the puck at Jobing.com Arena March 26, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dmitri Kalinin;Ethan Moreau
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GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 26: Steve Staios #24 of the Edmonton Oilers battles for position with Petr Prucha #16 of the Phoenix Coyotes while Dwayne Roloson #35 of the Oilers deflects the puck at Jobing.com Arena March 26, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Petr Prucha;Steve Staios;Dwayne Roloson
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GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 26: Ales Hemsky #83 and Tom Gilbert #77 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena March 26, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ales Hemsky;Tom Gilbert
NHLI via Getty Images
Edmonton Oilers' Robert Nilsson (L) collides with Phoenix Coyotes' Shane Doan as they battle for the puck during the third period of their NHL hockey game in Glendale, Arizona, March 26, 2009. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)
Reuters
Edmonton Oilers' Robert Nilsson (L) collides with Phoenix Coyotes' Shane Doan as they battle for the puck during the third period of their NHL hockey game in Glendale, Arizona, March 26, 2009. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)
Reuters
Edmonton Oilers' Ales Hemsky (L) celebrates his goal against the Phoenix Coyotes during the third period of their NHL hockey game in Glendale, Arizona, March 26, 2009. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)
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