NHL Power Rankings: Sharks stop tanking

TW	LW	Team	Our Take
1	1	(49-15-11)	No matter what they tell you, goaltending continues to cause the Caps knees to knock, before (and often during) each and every game
2	2	(47-23-6)	Lee Stempniak just may be the best player in the NHL now (just kidding!) with 12 goals and 15 points (he's plus-9) in 12 games with the Coyotes.
3	5	(47-19-10)	he Sharks appear to have shaken themselves out of their post-Olympic funk with four straight wins.
4	3	(44-25-7)	Sidney Crosby takes over the NHL goal-scoring lead with a pair on Sunday and then notches the shootout winner against the Leafs.
5	4	(46-21-7)	Just when you think things are OK in net comes a game against Columbus in which the hawks have to pull their goaltender -- twice.
6	7	(43-27-6)	Of the NHL's top 10 teams in the overall standings, only Phoenix and Detroit have more wins in the last 10 games than the decidedly consistent Predators.
7	6	(45-26-4)	Henrik Sedin continues to cling to the NHL's scoring lead with two weeks to go.
8	8	(41-23-10)	A healthy Tim Connolly continues to add to his best-ever scoring season as an NHLer.
9	11	(39-23-13)	The Red Wings are now the NHL's hottest team and also the club that no other wants to face in the opening round of the playoffs.
10	10	(44-26-5)	Ilya Kovalchuk is finally starting to look comfortable in New Jersey's defence-first system.
11	9	(42-26-6)	Three straight losses and five defeats in seven games should be a real concern for a team with high expectations this season.
12	12	(41-27-7)	Wojtek who? Peter Mueller is holding a hot hand with five goals and 15 points since joining the Avs from Phoenix.
13	13	(37-31-8)	Don't be fooled by a loss to the Devils; the Habs are playing much better hockey down the stretch.
14	16	(41-30-5)	Brian Elliott looks decidedly comfortable as the team's No. 1 goaltender.
15	15	(38-29-9)	A Sunday afternoon win over a sleep-walking Capitals team was nice, but Saturday's 5-0 loss in Boston may have been the final nail in the coffin.
16	14	(36-30-9)	Chris Mason rolled off three straight wins to hit the 20-victory plateau.
17	18	(34-28-12)	Mark Recchi recorded his 389th career multi-point game in the NHL against Calgary Saturday.
18	17	(38-32-6)	Internal strife continues to pull the Flyers in the wrong direction.
19	19	(36-33-6)	Andrew Brunette continues to be Mr. Consistency for a team suddenly moving in the wrong direction.
20	20	(35-31-8)	A continuing high ankle sprain to star centre Ryan Getzlaf had all but taken the Ducks out of the playoff race.
21	22	(33-30-12)	At 5-3-2 in their last 10 games the Thrashers continue to cling to their playoff dreams.
22	21	(33-28-14)	Are we seeing the final days of a splendid career from Mike Modano?
23	23	(33-32-10)	You have to wonder how long the Rangers can continue to operate in disarray without significant changes to the management staff.
24	26	(31-32-13)	Too little, too late, but at least the Blue Jackets are finding a way to win for new coach Claude Noel.
25	24	(31-35-9)	After a bit of a surge, the Hurricanes are happily back in a lottery position for the draft.
26	27	(30-33-12)	Steven Stamkos continues to gun for his first Rocket Richard Trophy.
27	28	(28-35-13)	At least their latest late-season surge is being conducted by players who might actually come back next year and make an impact.
28	25	(30-33-11)	At least another wait-til-next-year season ends with a high draft pick.
29	29	(31-34-10)	Matt Moulson is creeping closer to the 30-goal plateau after being dropped by the Kings.
30	30	(24-44-7)	Even though he lost Sunday, goalie Devan Dubnyk is finally starting to look comfortable between the pipes.