We paused the power rankings a extra week due to the Christmas break, but with the NHL back in full swing we have a couple big drops and some top-10 moves.
Here are our Week 12 NHL power rankings entering Friday’s games (previous ranking in parentheses):
1. (1) Boston Bruins, 30-4-4
Secured 30th win of the season in their 38th game, just the third time in NHL history that’s happened and the first time since Montreal in 1944-45.
2. (3) Carolina Hurricanes, 25-8-6
Rookie goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is 10-3-0 with a .919 save percentage, and team won 11 in a row and 15 of 16 before a pair of losses.
3. (2) Toronto Maple Leafs, 23-9-7
Two consecutive home losses in which they yielded 11 goals will get the panic buttons pulled out of storage again.
4. (4) Winnipeg Jets 24-13-1
Had slowed in December with seven players out due to injury, but three consecutive victories and a healthier roster have them well positioned.
5. (7) Vegas Golden Knights, 27-12-2
Injuries had slowed them to a .500 pace the past month with seven regulars out, but three consecutive victories provide some standings cushion.
6. (6) Tampa Bay Lightning, 24-12-1
Can’t beat the Wild in Minnesota, but they are defeating almost everybody else with help from penalty kill boosted by return of Anthony Cirelli.
7. (8) Dallas Stars, 23-11-6
Had won four in a row before losing to Kings and being shut out by — ugh! — the Ducks?!?!?
8. (11) New York Rangers, 22-12-6
Hard questions about struggles of former 2020 No. 1 overall draft pick Alexis Lafreniere, but team has won three in a row and 11 of past 14.
9. (15) Washington Capitals, 22-13-6
Have won 12 of past 15 with just one regulation loss in past 10 to leapfrog back into a playoff position.
10. (13) Seattle Kraken, 21-12-4
Backup goalie Martin Jones has already equaled his win total from 2018-19, and that’s his highest mark in five years.
11. (12) Minnesota Wild, 22-13-2
Ryan Hartman had a two-goal game and an assist in a pair of wins after a prior slow return from seven-week shoulder-injury layoff.
12. (10) New Jersey Devils, 24-12-3
Newly named All-Star Jack Hughes boosted his team-leading goals total to 24 in Devils’ 10th loss in past 13 games.
13. (14) Los Angeles Kings, 22-14-6
Phoenix Copley became the second Kings goalie to post a win streak of at least seven games, joining Jonathan Quick, who had eight games in 2014-15.
14. (5) Pittsburgh Penguins, 19-13-6
Team has lost six in a row, but at least Sidney Crosby scored 20th goal, joining Alex Ovechkin as second active player to do it in 15 or more seasons.
15. (9) Colorado Avalanche, 19-15-3
Injuries, fatigue catching up to defending champs, who’ve lost five in a row and have scored more than three goals in a game once since Dec. 1.
16. (22) Buffalo Sabres, 19-15-2
Tage Thompson became second player to score 30 goals this season for fast-improving team averaging NHL-best 3.94 goals per game.
17. (20) Calgary Flames, 18-14-7
No team has played more one-goal games, and the Flames — who’ve done it in six in a row — have gone 10-7-7 in such contests.
18. (17) New York Islanders, 22-16-2
Onetime Seattle Thunderbirds captain Mat Barzal has scored in five consecutive games, notching six goals in that span.
19. (19) Edmonton Oilers, 21-17-2
Connor McDavid needed 527 games to reach 500 assists, trailing Wayne Gretzky (352), Mario Lemieux (433), Peter Stastny (507) and Bobby Orr (522).
20. (16) Florida Panthers, 17-18-4
Questions being raised about how coach Paul Maurice has turned a President’s Trophy winner into a sub-.500 team in roughly half a season.
21. (18) Detroit Red Wings, 16-13-7
Talented forward Jakub Vrana was passed over by 31 teams after being placed on waivers following a two-month stint on the NHL/NHLPA Players’ Assistance Program.
22. (21) Nashville Predators, 17-14-6
Juuse Saros’ 64 saves against Carolina were third-most in NHL history — Ron Tugnutt had 70 in 1991 — and second-highest by a winning goalie, (65 by Mario Lessard in 1981).
23. (24) St. Louis Blues, 19-17-3
It’s crunchtime for middling Blues, as Torey Krug, Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko are sidelined more than a month.
24. (26) Ottawa Senators, 18-17-3
Had won four of their past five just in time for the Kraken’s visit Saturday night.
25. (27) Philadelphia Flyers, 15-17-7
First four-game win streak of the season thanks to once-abysmal offense, scoring four or more goals in each.
26. (25) Vancouver Canucks, 17-18-3
Coach Bruce Boudreau told media he’s sleepless, wishes he could do more after porous defense hung goalie Spencer Martin out to dry in loss to Islanders.
27. (23) Montreal Canadiens, 15-21-3
Perhaps they think Connor Bedard is from Quebec, but losses in seven in a row and 10 of past 11 have them drifting back into lottery contention.
28. (28) Arizona Coyotes, 13-19-5
Did their lottery chances no favors by somehow winning three in a row before reverting to normal and yielding five goals in each of three consecutive losses.
29. (28) San Jose Sharks 12-20-7
Erik Karlsson entered Friday riding a franchise-record 13-game point streak and hoping to become seventh NHL defenseman in past 30 years to reach 14.
30. (31) Anaheim Ducks, 11-24-4
Had only three regulation wins all season before beating a top-10 Dallas squad.
31. (30) Columbus Blue Jackets, 11-24-2
Have lost nine of past 10, and only win was over Chicago, which shouldn’t count.
32. (32) Chicago Blackhawks, 8-25-4
Have elevated tanking to an art form with losses in five in a row and 21 of past 23. Have scored two goals or fewer in 17 of those 21.