Team
Last Week
Record
Comments
1.
San
Jose Sharks42-21- 1
The 10-0 record in the last ten games says it all. The Sharks are eating the western conference alive and now have a twelve point lead on second place Columbus.
2.
Washington Capitals
41-16-7
The Caps have stumbled a bit down the stretch, but were still the first team to 90 points. If not for the red hot Sharks, Washington would surely have spent its second week atop the Power Rankings.
3.
New
York Rangers
41-18-5
The Rangers have been the best team in the East this past week, nearly eating up the lead the Caps gave themselves early in the season.
4.
Pittsburgh Penguins
35-22-7
Their play may be overshadowed by the surging Rangers, but the Penguins have put together a respectable run of their own, and are now the third best team in the league, despite sitting fourth.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
33-25-6
The Jackets have opened up a six point division lead over Detroit, and are jockeying for position with the Edmonton Oilers for second spot in the West. They may have to settle for third though,, as they still have three weeks without stalwart Robyn Regehr.
6.
Edmonton Oilers 
7.
Buffalo Sabres
34-26-4
The Sabres have a nine point division lead over second place Ottawa, but that isn’t exactly because of their own play. Buffalo has been a mediocre 4-6 in their last ten, but the rest of the division has been even worse.
8.
New
York Islanders
32-24-8
They aren’t going away, but they have given up a five point lead to the Penguins in the race for home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
9.
Calgary Flames
30-29-5
Going 3-6-1 will not be good enough if they still hope to catch the Edmonton Oilers.At least the team has finally seems to have a dedicated GM in Jordan Banack.
10.
Detroit Red Wings
31-27-6
The team has a chance to leap frog Calgary in the standings, but look like they are missing Marion Gaborik, who was jettisoned for cap reasons.
11.
Los
Angeles Kings
29-27-8
Just when the Kings start to put it together, the wheels fall off the bus. This rebuilding team doesn’t seem to know if it wants to make the playoffs or not, but if the season ended today that is exactly where they would be heading.
12.
Phoenix Coyotes
29-30-4
A 6-4 play should be enough to keep them in the post season, but they will need to be better if they want to make up any ground.
13.
Atlanta Thrashers
29-29-6
The good news is that the Thrashers sit second in their division, the bad news is that they are 26 points behind the first place Washington Capitals.
14.Ottawa
Senators
29-29-5
Last week the Northeast division seemed tight, now it looks about as tight as Lindsay Lohan, Ottawa is ten point behind the division leader.
15. Minnesota Wild
28-29-6
The Wild are holding steady, playing nearly .500 hockey and so far it has been good enough to hold down a playoff spot.
16.
Boston Bruins
29-28-7
The team that has traded more stud prospects than most teams ever draft needs more from its current collection of stars. The Bruins are barely holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
17.
Toronto Maple Leafs
28-27-9
The Leafs are eyeballing the Bruins spot in the standings, but will need to do better than a 3-6-1 record if they want to take it.
18.
Nashville Predators
30-31-3
Few GMs are as active as Sean Sackrider, which is why it is a mystery why his Nashville Predators are continuously on the outside looking in.
19.
Anaheim Ducks
25-35-4
It was a mystery why a team with Sydney Crosby was so low in the standings, but now it looks like Ducks are fixing to remedy that, as the team has gone 7-2-1 in the last ten games.
20. Philadelphia Flyers
28-33-3
It will be tough for the Flyers to make up any ground in the competitive eastern conference, especially while it has no captain at the helm to steer the ship.
21.
Florida Panthers
27-32-5
GM Ali Manek gave up on this season, but apparently his players haven’t. The team sits four points out of eighth place,and have won two in a row.
22.
Vancouver Canucks
27-33-4
Vancouver is in the middle of a season that might as well have never happened.They can’t win enough to make any noise,or lose enough to get a good draft position.
23. Tampa Bay Lightning
23-31-10
The Lightning are starting to think about next year, having already traded center Olli Jokinen, they moved veteran wing Ray Whitney for a decent collection of young talent.
24.
New
Jersey Devils
23-34-6
The Devils continue to just will this season to end, are with nearly 20 million to spend they will surely be looking to placate some of their angry superstars.
25.
Chicago Blackhawks
25-33-6
One bright spot, or glitch in the matrix, is that Trent Hunter has 66 points in 64 games. You will wake up in 3,2,1...
26.
St.
Louis Blues
24-34-6
Currently holding a lottery position in the next draft, the Blues are probably wishing they held on to their first round draft pick.
27.
Colorado Avalanche
21-34-9
The Avs future would look a hell of a lot brighter if they had more than Pascal Leclaire in goal.
28.
Montreal Canadiens
21-34-9
A top five pick will only add to a collection of promising youth that already exists throughout the Habs line-up.
29.
Dallas Stars
21-34-9
Dallas ever so briefly climbed out of the basement, now they are right back there, looking up.
30.
Carolina Hurricanes
21-40-3
The Canes are eight points behind even the Dallas Stars in the league standings, and simply look terrible.