NHL Power Rankings: Panthers head into break with claws out

The unofficial first half of the season is nearly in the books, and the NHL's power brokers remain largely unchanged.

A few perennial contenders that were struggling have started to find their groove, though.

Here are the power rankings as we approach the All-Star break:

1. Washington Capitals
(Last Week: 1)

The Caps haven't played a game since our last edition thanks to the blizzard along the East Coast, so it would be unfair of us to move them down.

Alex Ovechkin's handiwork with a snowblower keeps Washington in the top spot this week.

2, Chicago Blackhawks
(Last Week: 2)

The Stanley Cup champions had a week to forget, losing three out of four games, including a 5-0 dismantling by the lowly Carolina Hurricanes.

Chicago was shut out twice and scored only three goals all week, but any team that boasts Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, and a consistent Corey Crawford should have no problem rediscovering its form in the unofficial second half.

3. Florida Panthers ▲
(Last Week: 5)

The Panthers earned impressive wins over the Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs this week, and head into the break on a three-game win streak.

There's just something about Kevin Spacey.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning
(Last Week: 4)

The Lightning exacted a small measure of revenge by beating the Blackhawks in a Stanley Cup Final rematch on Thursday, but Tampa Bay had its seven-game win streak snapped by the Panthers two days later.

5. Los Angeles Kings ▼
(Last Week: 3)

The Kings followed up a three-win week with a dud this time around, getting shut out by a stumbling Minnesota Wild team that's struggling to score, and losing to the Arizona Coyotes.

Vincent Lecavalier scored again, and he's been reborn in Los Angeles, but they'll need more from everyone else to get back on track.

6. Dallas Stars ▲
(Last Week: 7)

Dallas is still looking to recapture the success it enjoyed for much of the first half. Taking two out of three contests is a good start, especially while Tyler Seguin's mired in a four-game pointless skid.

7. St. Louis Blues ▼
(Last Week: 6)

The Blues scored three goals in three games this week, losing two of the three, but they only gave up five.

St. Louis has a firm grasp on third place in the competitive Central Division, but it will be very interesting to see what general manager Doug Armstrong does before the trade deadline.

8. New York Rangers ▲
(Last Week: 9)

Derick Brassard's career-high five points gave the Rangers a big win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, and even though Henrik Lundqvist allowed three goals in that game, he's been playing better lately.

9. New York Islanders ▼
(Last Week: 8)

The Islanders had their rhythm disrupted by the weather. New York won three of four games before Saturday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers was postponed, then lost to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.

10. Detroit Red Wings ▲
(Last Week: 11)

Speaking of the Red Wings, Jeff Blashill's club is clinging to second place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Boston Bruins and two points up on the Lightning, who have a game in hand on both.

Detroit sits five points behind the first-place Panthers, with whom they've kept pace thanks to identical records (6-3-1) over the last 10 games.

11. San Jose Sharks ▲
(Last Week: 13)

The Sharks responded well after an overtime loss to the Kings, thumping the Avalanche 6-1, and San Jose is 8-0-2 over its last 10 games.

Somehow, the Sharks are better on the road (16-6-2) than they are at home (10-12-2).

12. Boston Bruins ▼
(Last Week: 10)

Brad Marchand was riding a five-game goal-scoring streak until failing to find the back of the net Tuesday night in a loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Bruins' forward depth - including a healthy David Krejci, Ryan Spooner, and Loui Eriksson - along with the play of Tuukka Rask, has kept Boston in contention.

13. Pittsburgh Penguins ▲
(Last Week: 14)

Carl Hagelin has fit right into the Penguins' attack, with four points in five games since coming over in a trade with the Ducks.

14. Minnesota Wild ▼
(Last Week: 12)

Minnesota is reeling. The Wild have lost eight of their last 10, and this is what their schedule looks like coming out of the break:

Good luck with that.

15. Colorado Avalanche ▲
(Last Week: 18)

The Avalanche look much improved, even if their goaltending situation is a bit murky at the moment.

Colorado controls the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the Avalanche will be hard-pressed to hold onto it with the suddenly revived Nashville Predators hot on their heels.

16. Arizona Coyotes ▲
(Last Week: 17)

The Coyotes were one of the best stories of the first half, but they were bound to regress.

Sure enough, Arizona has lost five of its last seven games, but they remain in a playoff spot in the paltry Pacific Division.

17. Nashville Predators ▲
(Last Week: 21)

Pekka Rinne hasn't been himself this season, but he allowed only three goals in three games this past week.

If the All-Star Game wasn't in Nashville he'd have no business being there this year, but he's starting to show signs of a return to form.

18. Anaheim Ducks ▲
(Last Week: 20)

Don't look now, but the under-performing Ducks have suddenly won three in a row and seven of 10.

Corey Perry - with seven goals in his last 10 games - is a big reason why.

19. New Jersey Devils
(Last Week: 19)

The Devils are one of the teams on the bubble in the East, and they acquitted themselves well with a four-game win streak before falling to the Penguins on Tuesday night.

20. Philadelphia Flyers ▼
(Last Week: 15)

The Flyers have lost three in a row, but their descent in these rankings is a bit exaggerated, only because of much stronger play from those below them.

Philadelphia lost all three games by a single goal, but they still have to leapfrog five teams to secure a playoff berth.

21. Ottawa Senators ▼
(Last Week: 16)

The Senators looked good in a shutout of the Rangers on Sunday, but a third-period collapse against the lowly Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night forced Erik Karlsson to call out his teammates.

Ottawa has plenty of skilled players, but as Karlsson and head coach Dave Cameron both said Tuesday night, they need to give a better effort.

22. Carolina Hurricanes ▲
(Last Week: 23)

The Hurricanes made a statement by destroying the Blackhawks, and it was their second straight five-goal game after Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Flames.

Good on them for having a little fun with it, too.

23. Montreal Canadiens ▼
(Last Week: 22)

The Canadiens are one of the worst teams in the league right now, but they can thank the mediocre play of the bottom-feeders for the fact that they only fell one spot this week.

Montreal dropped both games of a back-to-back home-and-home with the Columbus Blue Jackets, which ... isn't good.

24. Vancouver Canucks
(Last Week: 24)

Bo Horvat looks like the real deal, but the Canucks have to decide (quickly) whether they're going to be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

They're four points out of a playoff spot while sitting behind three teams, and who knows how much more time captain Henrik Sedin needs to recover from injury.

25. Buffalo Sabres
(Last Week: 25)

Robin Lehner earned a big win in his return to Ottawa, but the victories have come few and far between for the Sabres this season.

26. Winnipeg Jets
(Last Week: 26)

The Jets temporarily righted the ship with a 5-2 win over the Coyotes on Tuesday night, but they've been slowly falling out of the postseason picture and now find themselves among the NHL's worst clubs.

27. Calgary Flames
(Last Week: 27)

Here's another Canadian playoff team from a season ago enduring that same fate, but the Flames have been going through this since October.

Maybe Johnny Gaudreau can finally convince the league to let him light his stick on fire, as Linus Omark did in the KHL over the weekend?

Whatever it takes.

28. Columbus Blue Jackets ▲
(Last Week: 30)

It was a big week for the Blue Jackets, who embarrassed the Canadiens with back-to-back wins.

Columbus has looked better on the back end with Seth Jones in the fold, but they still have goaltending and scoring issues.

29. Toronto Maple Leafs ▼
(Last Week: 28)

There's pain coming, alright.

The Leafs have lost eight of their last 10 games, and they've been out-scored 9-3 in the last three.

Auston Matthews, or whoever Toronto lands with its inevitable lottery pick, should help ease the pain.

30. Edmonton Oilers ▼
(Last Week: 29)

Here come the Oilers ... right into the NHL's basement.

They're tied with the Blue Jackets for the league's worst record, and Edmonton has really struggled lately, to the tune of three straight losses and eight defeats in the last 10 contests.

At least Connor McDavid's due back after the break.