Current NHL Power Rankings: West back in hunt

So, it doesn't get any easier at the top of the Power Rankings this week with 11 teams all within five points of each other at the top of the NHL standings. But someone's got to separate the good from the almost good or just a little less good or better than good or, well, you get the point. Read on as some old friends from the West get back in the hunt.

2014-2015 Power Rankings: Week 9
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	COMMENTS
1	Chicago 18-8-1	5 Last Week: 6	The Blackhawks are on a tear with six straight wins and have won 11 of 13 in spite of the loss of rockin' Corey Crawford. They have a league-best plus-32 goal differential and will get Patrick Sharp back this week.
2	Anaheim 18-6-5	10 Last Week: 12	Nice overtime win on the road over Winnipeg on Sunday gives the Ducks the most points in the league and a tidy four-game win streak. Loss of Corey Perry is, needless to say, a major concern.
3	Detroit 17-6-5	4 Last Week: 7	The Wings continue to roll with a 3-1 win on Sunday over Carolina in Raleigh, North Carolina -- their third in a row and eighth in their past 10 games.
4	Tampa Bay 18-7-3	2 Last Week: 2	The Lightning are 5-1-1 in their past seven, although if you want to nitpick, their two losses were against Columbus and Buffalo.
5	New York 19-8-0	1 Last Week: 4	You watch games like Saturday's 6-4 loss to St. Louis in which the Isles blew a 3-0 first-period lead, and you ponder whether or not they're the real deal. Still, what is undeniable is the fact the Isles have not lost two in a row in well over a month and lead the league with a 5-0 record in shootouts.
6	Pittsburgh 18-6-2	3 Last Week: 3	Captain Sidney Crosby set up the winner against Ottawa on Saturday but curiously has just two goals in his past 18 games. The Pens and Isles are tied atop the Metro Division.
7	Nashville 17-7-2	6 Last Week: 1	The Preds were beaten at home on Saturday by Chicago, but they are still lights out at home with a league-best 11-2-1 record in the Music City.
8	St. Louis 17-8-2	3 Last Week: 5	Nice to see Martin Brodeur get his first win as a Blue, even if it was in relief of Jake Allen on Saturday. The performance earned the living legend a home start Monday night.
9	Vancouver 18-8-2	1 Last Week: 8	Disappointing trip to Ontario for the Canucks, who were beaten in Toronto on Saturday and then couldn't hold a lead against Ottawa on Sunday.
10	Calgary 17-9-2	1 Last Week: 9	The Flames have won eight of 11 and now hit the road for four in a row. Still have not lost two in a row in regulation all season. Karri Ramo is carrying the load in goal for the time being and is 8-3-1 on the season.
11	San Jose 14-11-4	9 Last Week: 20	Oh those Sharks. Just when you want to praise them for winning four in a row, they have that streak ended by dropping one to the lowly Oilers. The Sharks are now at home for five straight, which is not necessarily good news given 5-4-2 record at the Shark Tank.
12	Montreal 17-10-2	1 Last Week: 11	Mourning the loss of the legendary Jean Beliveau, the Habs are on the skids and have lost three in a row with just one win in their past six.
13	Los Angeles 14-8-5	-- Last Week: 13	Coming off a disappointing home loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, the Kings hit the road for five. The defending champs are a disappointing 3-4-4 away from the Staples Center.
14	Winnipeg 14-9-5	-- Last Week: 14	The Jets continue to hang around the playoff discussion in the Western Conference with points in eight of their past 10 games. Games in Dallas and Colorado this week could help maintain separation in the Central.
15	Toronto 14-9-3	2 Last Week: 17	The Leafs have actually moved into a tie with the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division. Go figure.
16	Boston 15-12-1	6 Last Week: 10	The Bruins bounced back after an ugly, three-game losing streak on the West Coast with a win over the disappointing Coyotes on Saturday. Boston is now off until Thursday when it will face its 2013 Stanley Cup finals foe from Chicago.
17	Minnesota 14-10-1	1 Last Week: 16	The Wild are in a holding pattern at 2-2-1 in their past five games and hoping Ryan Suter's battle with the mumps doesn't last very long.
18	Florida 11-7-7	-- Last Week: 18	The Panthers continue to hang around the playoff picture in the East with points in seven of nine. Nick Bjugstad has come alive of late and now leads the team with 11 goals and 17 points.
19	Washington 12-10-4	3 Last Week: 22	The Caps have won two in a row, a modest but much-needed spasm of good news. Two games against Tampa this week will be revealing.
20	Dallas 10-12-5	1 Last Week: 21	A big win against Montreal on Saturday was the first time in five games they did not lose and allow five goals along the way.
21	Colorado 9-12-6	2 Last Week: 19	The Avs, like Dallas, are struggling to find consistency and meet high preseason expectations in the Central. Neither looks like a playoff team right now.
22	New York 11-10-4	7 Last Week: 15	The Rangers have lost two in a row, Henrik Lundqvist is out of sorts and last season's Stanley Cup finalists are what their record suggests: a mediocre group.
23	Ottawa 11-11-5	-- Last Week: 23	A comeback overtime win over Vancouver was just the Sens' second win in their past nine outings. But it wasn't enough as coach Paul MacLean -- the 2013 Jack Adams winner -- was fired on Monday.
24	Columbus 9-15-2	6 Last Week: 30	The Blue Jackets have won three in a row as they try to claw their way back into the hunt. Luckily they play in the Metropolitan Division, so anything is possible.
25	New Jersey 10-13-4	1 Last Week: 24	Things are ugly in New Jersey, with bodies dropping like flies -- Mike Cammalleri and Patrik Elias are already ruled out of Monday's game in Raleigh -- and the Devils continuing to drop through the standings with just two wins in their past 10 games.
26	Buffalo 9-16-2	-- Last Week: 26	The Sabres continue to distance themselves from the bottom of the heap with more consistent play and wins in six of their past nine games. They're at home for four in a row.
27	Arizona 10-15-3	2 Last Week: 25	The Yotes have lost three in a row and been outscored 14-4 over that period.
28	Philadelphia 9-13-4	-- Last Week: 28	A win over Los Angeles on Saturday was just the second in 12 games for the foundering Flyers.
29	Carolina 8-15-3	2 Last Week: 27	A loss to Detroit at home on Sunday means the Canes haven't won two in a row in a month. That's Connor McDavid/Edmonton Oilers behavior.
30	Edmonton 7-15-5	1 Last Week: 29	The Oilers got their first win in almost a month on Sunday after GM Craig MacTavish told reporters the team wouldn't be making any dramatic moves.
Biggest Jump: 10 Biggest Drop: 7