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Lou Lamoriello said he didn't want to fire his coach and may have left it too late to switch rookie John MacLean with veteran Jacques Lemaire. The Devils didn't exactly respond favorably with the coaching change, dropping a pair of games to the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs - two teams having plenty of problems of their own. A playoff spot is virtually out of the question now and the organization's long-term prospects look very bleak, too. Here are this week's sportsnet.ca Power Rankings: |
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| TW | LW | Team | Our Take |
| 1 | 3 | 
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Sidney Crosby has run his point streak to 24 games as the Penguins sit atop the NHL standings riding a 7-3-0 streak in their past 10. |
| 2 | 1 | 
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The NHL's best road team (10-2-3) took one on the chin losing 5-0 at home to the Florida Panthers before embarking on a seven-day layoff. |
| 3 | 9 | 
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Kevin Bieksa's goal at 19:36 gave the Canucks a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers as Vancouver continues to soar in the West looking more like the Cup contender many thought they were at the start of the year. |
| 4 | 2 | 
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The Red Wings are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games vs. Minnesota, including Sunday night's easy 4-1 win, but are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games which is cause for concern. |
| 5 | 10 | 
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Vinny Lecavalier scores two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Lightning beats Atlanta, and has three goals in his last two games -- welcome news for Tampa Bay. |
| 6 | 5 | 
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Great goaltending continues to be the story for the upstart Dallas Stars, even in a 1-0 loss to the Coyotes. |
| 7 | 7 | 
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Alexander Ovechkin snaps an eight-game scoring drought with the winning goal in a 3-2 decision over Carolina. |
| 8 | 17 | 
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Marco Sturm joins the Kings top line with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown and draws an assist in his third game with his new team in a 4-1 win over rival Anaheim. |
| 9 | 6 | 
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The Cinderella Thrashers haven't exactly hit the skids, but are just 4-3-3 in their last 10. Cause for concern? |
| 10 | 12 | 
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Patrick Marleau pops a pair as the Sharks beat Phoenix 4-1 for their fourth straight win. Are we finally starting to see the real Sharks? |
| 11 | 4 | 
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Injuries are trying to crush this young outfit, but the Avalanche's depth is keeping them alive and kicking in the West. |
| 12 | 15 | 
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Veteran goalie Marty Turco takes advantage of just his fourth start in the club's last 15 games and scores a win against Columbus. |
| 13 | 7 | 
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It took 11 rounds of shooters for the Tampa Bay Lighting to beat the stubborn Rangers in their last game before the break. |
| 14 | 13 | 
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After running up a 12-0-3 streak against the Islanders, Montreal gets a Boxing Day kick in the pants losing 4-1 on Long Island with just 3,136 able to make it to the game through a huge snow storm. |
| 15 | 14 | 
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Tough guy Shawn Thornton establishes a single-season high of seven goals by scoring twice in a rough and tumble 4-1 win over Atlanta. |
| 16 | 20 | 
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Jaroslav Halak makes 32 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season as the Blues blank the Predators 2-0. |
| 17 | 16 | 
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Jason LaBarbera makes 29 saves, including one on a penalty shot in the second period, as the Coyotes edge Dallas 1-0. |
| 18 | 11 | 
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The low-scoring Predators have dropped four straight and suddenly find them outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference. |
| 19 | 18 | 
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The defensively-challenged Ducks drop a 4-1 decision to the Kings for their second straight loss. |
| 20 | 25 | 
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Twenty-year-old defenceman Erik Karlsson has four goals and nine points and is plus-7 in his last seven games as the Senators score back-to-back wins. |
| 21 | 22 | 
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The Wild are booed mercilessly at home as they drop a 4-1 decision to the Red Wings in a game in which it manages just 17 shots on goal. |
| 22 | 21 | 
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Goaltending continues to be the Blue Jackets' Achilles Heal as they drop a second-straight game to remain four points out of a playoff spot. |
| 23 | 19 | 
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Hey, wasn't this supposed to be the good year in the Hurricanes traditional good year, bad year, good year, bad year scenario? Three straight losses have the Canes sinking in the East. |
| 24 | 24 | 
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Alex Tanguay, one of the few bright lights in Calgary during an otherwise miserable season, scores a goal and then decides it with the shootout winner as the Flames top Dallas 3-2. |
| 25 | 26 | 
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The Panthers nearly blow a 3-0 first period lead, but hang on to beat the Sabres 4-3 thanks in big part to Chris Higgins two goals. |
| 26 | 27 | 
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Jordan Leopold becomes to first Sabres defenceman since Phil Housley (1989-90) to score nine goals before January 1. The bad news is the team's best skater, Derek Roy is lost for the year with a torn quad tendon. |
| 27 | 28 | 
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Colby Armstrong, signed as a free agent last summer, scores just his second goal of the year in a 4-1 win over the hapless Devils. |
| 28 | 23 | 
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The Oilers lose their third straight to Vancouver and third straight on the road as the season of learning (sometimes the hard way) continues. |
| 29 | 29 | 
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In what might be a high point of the season, the Islanders have wrung up three straight wins and are 4-0-1 in their last five. Enjoy it while it last Islanders' fans. |
| 30 | 30 | 
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Veteran stopper Martin Brodeur is chased from the net after allowing three goals on 14 shots in a 4-1 loss to Toronto. |
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