1.   Phoenix Coyotes (46-22-5): No, your eyes aren't deceiving you and no, we're not crazy. The ‘Yotes have been the class of the NHL since returning from the Olympics, railing off nine straight wins with some surprising offense mixed in. That noise you're hearing in the background is the collective groan coming from Canada.

 2.   Washington Capitals (48-14-10): Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher will likely be receiving a fruit basket from center Eric Belanger sometime in the next week. Belanger goes from centering Cal Clutterbuck and Owen Nolan to centering Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin. Just a slight difference.
 

3.   Vancouver Canucks (44-24-4): This season hasn't done much to silence the "Canucks can't score" critics, but it has given the ‘Nucks something to fire back with. Vancouver has scored three or more goals in ten of its last 11 games and earned points in nine. There has been no word as to whether or not the planned parade is back on.

4.   Pittsburgh Penguins (42-24-6): How strange is this? The Pens are two points up on New Jersey in the Atlantic Division, but were swept in the season series … (continued at #8)

5.   Nashville Predators (42-26-5): Is someone going to tell the Predators that they're not supposed to be this good? Nashville's won six in a row, despite the strong possibility of not have a single 60-plus point scorer on the team OR a clear-cut number one goaltender.

6.   Buffalo Sabres (39-22-10): The rallying cry for the Sabres has got to be "In Miller We Trust." Miller's stat line? 36-15-8, a 2.20 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Oh yeah, five shutouts as well. The combined record of his backups? 3-7-2, a 3.11 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.

7.   Chicago Blackhawks (45-19-7): Injuries to their blue line could certainly start to derail Chicago's ambitions. The ‘Hawks lost Brian Campbell and Brent Seabrook to injuries in back-to-back games, losing additional protection for two goaltenders that were already shaky at best. They’ve allowed four or more goals in five games since the Olympic break, and three times in the last four.

8.   New Jersey Devils (42-25-4): (continued from #4) ... so maybe that's why the Devils have started to slide in the standings. It’s just a devious plot by Jacques Lemaire to try to get Pittsburgh in the first round.

9.   San Jose Sharks (43-19-10): Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For all the mocking the Sharks absorb for their postseason collapses, it seems they’re trying to get it out of the way early this season. Since a dramatic 8-5 victory over the Predators, the Sharks have lost six straight, not holding an opponent to under three goals once and only scoring more than three once.

10. Montreal Canadiens (36-29-7): Someone forgot to tell the Habs that they weren't supposed to make a run for it. With Jaroslav Halak in net, they are making a strong surge into the playoffs and look like a dangerous team once again. In other news, it appears that Carey Price's tears no longer cure cancer in Montreal.

11. Detroit Red Wings (35-23-13): Is there any team in the West that a potential first seed would like to play less than a healthy Red Wings squad? Detroit has points in eight of its last 10, and has won seven of those. Maybe the old cliché that their best trade deadline move was getting healthy was spot on.

12. Los Angeles Kings (41-24-5): With 12 games left, the Kings are just looking to hold on for dear life. They've won just four times since the Olympic Break and, with the hard-charging Red Wings behind them, have an interesting road to the playoffs. At least they have a chance to distance themselves from the Avalanche, who they play in both of their next two games.

13. Colorado Avalanche (40-25-6): The Avs have the Red Wings creeping up on them and are hot on the Kings' tail. The Avs control their own destiny with three remaining games against Los Angeles. It won't be an easy road, as they have seven of their remaining 11 games against teams above them in the standings.

14. Calgary Flames (36-27-9): The Flames really need to be put on medication this season. Their multiple personalities continue to get the best of them. They came out against the Sharks and looked like world beaters, then came out against the Wild and looked like they hardly belonged on the ice. Which team shows up for the stretch run will largely determine whether or not the Flames are on the outside looking in come playoff time.

15. Anaheim Ducks (34-29-8): Anaheim is seven points out with just 11 games remaining, but they're making the strongest push for the playoffs of any of the teams on the outside looking in. They have won four straight and their offense has suddenly woken up. Their upcoming three-game Canadian road trip will determine their role as contenders or spoilers in the last few weeks of the season.

16. Philadelphia Flyers (37-30-5): Talk about a team that just can't seem to catch a break in net. First Ray Emery goes down after a great start to the season, and again after a triumphant return. Now Michael Leighton is expected to be out for 8-10 weeks with a high ankle sprain. His replacement? Brian Boucher, who has lost only two fewer games than Emery and Leighton combined.

17. St. Louis Blues (34-9-9): The Blues have struggled to find consistency of late, but have won four of seven. If they're going to make the playoffs, much will rest on the shoulders of their goaltending, as their roster has three players with 100-plus penalty minutes, but no one with 50-plus points.

18. Ottawa Senators (37-30-5): Ottawa's 11-game winning streak seems like a distant memory now, as they have gone 4-9-1 since. The really disheartening news? Alex Kovalev, their big free agent pick-up, has had three goals and four assists since, including no points and a minus-10 rating in his last nine games.

19. Boston Bruins (32-27-12): Since “Shouldergate,” Boston is 3-3-1. Not necessarily the response that you would like to see from a team battling for a playoff spot. The goaltenders are doing their job – now it’s up to the offense to pick up the slack.

20. Atlanta Thrashers (32-29-11):The Thrashers could be considered for the NHL's biggest tease. After dragging themselves back into contention, they proceeded to go on a six-game losing streak. They have given fans hope once more, however, by climbing within a point of the eighth spot after getting points in each of their last five games, including four wins in a row.

21. Minnesota Wild (35-31-6): You've got to give the Wild credit. Despite astronomical odds, they're still battling. Sunday's game saw defenseman Greg Zanon play with a broken ankle, forward Chuck Kobasew score two goals on a sprained ACL and MCL, and Josh Harding start his seventh straight game on an injured hip. Now if they could get some help for Guillaume Latendresse, they might be in business.

22. Florida Panthers (29-31-11): Winning just twice in their last five games, Florida's playoff hopes are fading fast. It's not for a lack of effort on Tomas Vokoun's part. His stats might be Vezina-worthy were the Panthers in contention. You can't help but wonder where they'd be with full seasons from Nathan Horton and David Booth, though.

23. Dallas Stars (31-27-14): One of three teams tied with 76 points in the West, the Stars haven’t done themselves any favors by winning just twice in their last five games. Marty Turco continues to show that he still has some gas left in the tank, but he and Kari Lehtonen need to be better down the stretch to give the Stars a shot.

24. Columbus Blue Jackets (29-31-12): Columbus might have no realistic shot at the playoffs, but no one's told them that. They've lost just twice in their last six and have gotten points in three straight. Steve Mason seems to be rebounding from a shaky couple of games that saw him give up eight goals in two games, getting points in his last two starts.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs (26-34-12): The Leafs are playing for two things right now. Pride, and to shoot the Bruins' hopes at Taylor Hall in the foot. The Leafs have points in eight of their last 10 and have lost just three times during this span. Their youngsters are stepping up to the plate for them, as they have gotten strong play from Nikolai Kulemin, Tyler Bozak and Jonas Gustavsson.

26. New York Rangers (31-32-9): The Gaboriks have lost three straight and are in danger of becoming irrelevant in the playoff race. If Marian Gaborik can play five positions at once, they might be OK.

27. Carolina Hurricanes (30-34-8): While the ‘Canes aren't charging into the playoffs, they are giving fans something to cheer about: The rebuilding with a new captain (Eric Staal) and a series of moves at the trade deadline; and Justin Peters is playing well enough to offer a glimmer of long-term hope in goal.

28. New York Islanders (29-33-10): The Isles have proven this season that, with a solid goaltender behind them, they can be dangerous. Their three-headed beast of Tavares, Okposo and Moulson can still be as dangerous a trio as anyone in the league when they are clicking. But their youth has caught up to them many times this year, especially down the stretch.

29. Edmonton Oilers (23-42-7): What's this? The Oilers are out of the last spot? Two straight wins, both over two powerhouses in the league, have allowed them a reprieve of the embarrassment of being stapled down in the cellar yet again.

30. Tampa Bay Lightning (28-32-12): Make no mistake. This team could be very, very good down the road. But right now, the Steven Stamkos show has hit a brick wall with five straight losses. They could spoil the hopes of the aspiring playoff teams left on their schedule.

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