Despite what the talking heads say (or, more aptly, don't say) about the Minnesota Wild, they just keep on winning. What's more is that, during their recent seven-game win streak, their offense has woken up as well.
1Minnesota Wild (20-7-3) – The fact that Matt Hackett, the Wild's third-string goalie, started his NHL career with a record-setting shutout streak is a testament to the Wild's depth and the job that Chuck Fletcher has done building the team. Fletcher's first-ever acquisition for the organization, Kyle Brodziak, is leading the team in goals.
2 Philadelphia Flyers (18-7-3) – The Flyers emerged from their Saturday night tilt with the Tampa Bay Lightning with a costly win, and I'm not talking about losing fans with their unorthodox strategy to combat the 1-3-1.
3 Vancouver Canucks (18-10-1) – The Canucks are just one team feeling pretty pumped about the new realignment of the NHL. Of course, if I was looking at the opportunity of facing the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs year in and year out, I'd be pretty excited too.
4 DetroitRed Wings (18-9-1) – A cool story coming out of Detroit: some members of the Red Wings were bell-ringers for the Salvation Army on Friday.
5 St. Louis Blues (17-9-3) – Don't tell Columbus, but Ken Hitchcock has the Blues on the cusp of the Central Division lead. At least the Jackets got Nikita Nikitin.
6 Boston Bruins (18-9-1) – The Bruins have struggled since November turned to December, but it might be a little early to say that they're returning to their early-season form.
7 Pittsburgh Penguins (17-9-4) – Sidney Crosby missed two games as a precautionary measure. Sid says he's less than 100 percent, which merely invites speculation as to how bad the latest injury really is.
8 Florida Panthers (16-9-5) – Florida is turning into a place for ex-Caps to shine, none more than Tomas Fleischmann. Is the line of Fleischmann, Stephen Weiss and Kris Versteeg the best in the NHL right now?
9 Chicago Blackhawks (18-8-4) – Stan Bowman is making calls, searching for a way to make the Central leading 'Hawks better. Rumor has it that Bowman is also looking into signing Patrick Sharp's newborn daughter for help on the power play.
10 New York Rangers (17-6-4) – If you didn't see this, it's a piece of celebration gold:
11 Washington Capitals (15-12-1) – It looks like Dale Hunter might have gotten Alex Ovechkin back on track, at least for one game. Next on Hunter's To-Do list: To stop Ovi from showing up as a disembodied head in Mike Green's gear bag.
12 Dallas Stars (16-11-1) – The good news: Dallas expects a late Christmas gift in the form of Kari Lehtonen's return. The bad news: Dallas has to play until after Christmas without Kari Lehtonen.
13 Nashville Predators (14-11-4) – The downside to not getting contract extensions done before the season starts is trade rumors. I'm not saying it can't happen, but I'll eat my hat if Nashville trades Ryan Suter.
14 Toronto Maple Leafs (15-11-3) – Probably the strangest news of the week: Rogers and Bell have purchased MSLE. So if you live in Canada, expect it to be all Maple Leafs, all the time. Wait ... The status quo has been preserved.
15 Calgary Flames (14-13-2) – Lee Stempniak is ready to break out for the Flames. If you look at his history, it would indicate that the Flames are going to really enjoy his company for a few weeks pretty soon.
16San Jose Sharks (15-10-2) – It's never good when you're searching for the right forward combinations – especially when talented forwards are amply in supply. That's where San Jose's at right now, and it's cause for concern.
17 Buffalo Sabres (15-12-2) – The Sabres would really appreciate it if everyone would stop running their goalie.
18 Phoenix Coyotes (15-11-3) – Mike Smith has been a revelation for the Coyotes this season. Who'd have thought. An NHL general manager knew what he was doing.
19 Winnipeg Jets (13-12-4) – Kyle Wellwood is looking at home with the Jets. In related news, four new McDonald's restaurants have opened in Winnipeg in the last two months.
20 Edmonton Oilers (14-13-3) – Andy Sutton found out once again that Brendan Shanahan is, indeed, an expert.
21 Montreal Canadiens (12-11-7) – The Habs just can't seem to win a game at home this season. Sure, they're in the race for the playoffs, but their fans might like to see a win every once in a while.
22 Los Angeles Kings (13-12-4) – Drew Doughty is experiencing first-hand the down side to holding out.
23 New York Islanders (9-12-6) – One of the bright spots for the Isles this season has been Al Montoya. Cue the 15-year contract.
24 Ottawa Senators (13-13-4) – Milan Michalek is leading the NHL with 18 goals. Remind me again why Sens fans still boo Dany Heatley?
25 New Jersey Devils (14-13-1) – Adam Henrique is making an impact with the Devils this season and thank goodness. Nobody else seems interesting in making an impact.
26 Columbus Blue Jackets (8-17-4) – Ken Hitchcock jokes aside, Nikitin is off to a stellar start with the Blue Jackets.
27 Tampa Bay Lightning (12-15-2) – A much-needed dose of good news: Martin St. Louis is getting better after taking a puck to the face. Maybe he can teach 42-year-old Dwayne Roloson how not to act his age on the ice.
Carolina Hurricanes (9-18-4) – Eric Staal is improving as his brother does, which is great news for the Hurricanes – until they have to face the Rangers, that is.
29 Colorado Avalanche (13-16-1) – Gabriel Landeskog is enjoying his rookie season, and why not? He's having a very solid season for a not-too-solid team.
30 Anaheim Ducks (8-16-5) – Do you think Albert Pujols would make a good defenseman?
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