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NHL Power Rankings: Crosby launches Penguins into top 10

Gregory Shamus / National Hockey League / Getty

Who remembers the south-least division?

Two seasons after it disbanded, the division that never produced more than two postseason entries in one season across 14 years has three alumni in the top five of theScore's NHL Power Rankings.

1. Washington Capitals
(Last Week: 1)

With another four victories this week, Braden Holtby's just 14 shy of Martin Brodeur's single-season wins record with 30 games remaining.

2. Florida Panthers
(Last Week: 2)

Alex Petrovic's trio of bouts with Evander Kane may be the only rounds the Panthers lose all season.

3. Chicago Blackhawks
(Last Week: 3)

Artemi Panarin's value to the Blackhawks might have been illustrated best in his absence.

4. Los Angeles Kings ▲
(Last Week: 5)

Eight different scorers - aside from Milan Lucic - for Los Angeles in its 9-2 rout of the Bruins. Wonder if they had to split the big guy's kitty eight ways.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning ▼
(Last Week: 4)

You would have to think the Jonathan Drouin saga will come to an end soon. Can the Lightning really afford to have such an asset not be of value to them this spring, in what could be their best chance to win the Stanley Cup?

6. Dallas Stars ▲
(Last Week: 7)

What's become of Patrick Sharp? The 16-goal man hasn't notched one in almost six weeks.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins ▲
(Last Week: 13)

Sidney Crosby was bordering on his typical brilliance before, but has been nothing short of sensational since John Scott leapfrogged him in career All-Star goal scoring. He has seven goals and 12 points in four games since his weekend off.

8. St. Louis Blues ▼
(Last Week: 6)

The Blues have more than enough cushion to survive Alex Pietrangelo's three-week absence, but how will that affect Doug Armstrong's deadline strategy?

9. San Jose Sharks
(Last Week: 9)

With 22 points from 14 games over the last month, the Sharks are one of the hottest teams in the league, and are proving to be one of the West's elite.

Their plus-12-goal differential trails only the Blackhawks, Stars, and Kings.

10. New York Rangers
(Last Week: 10)

With Rick Nash out and Kevin Hayes still missing in action, J.T. Miller has provided the scoring punch the Rangers desperately needed. He's got eight goals in as many games.

11. Detroit Red Wings
(Last Week: 11)

Petr Mrazek is riding a Vezina Trophy nomination trajectory.

12. Anaheim Ducks ▲
(Last Week: 17)

Anaheim's 41 goals over the last four weeks represents 35 percent of their season production.

13. New York Islanders ▼
(Last Week: 12)

Do the Islanders still have no interest in retaining leading scorer Kyle Okposo?

14. Colorado Avalanche ▼
(Last Week: 8)

The Avalanche allowed 153 shots in their four-game homestand - earning just one point - out of the All-Star break.

15. Boston Bruins ▼
(Last Week: 14)

Boston welcomed Lucic back to the TD Garden on Tuesday - and his new teammates a free pass to the net. Los Angeles' 57 shots were the most allowed by a Bruins team in 51 years.

16. Nashville Predators ▼
(Last Week: 15)

Filip Forsberg appears to relish facing the team that drafted him, as the latter inexplicably traded him for Martin Erat. His two goals Tuesday night gave him five points in two games versus the Capitals.

17. New Jersey Devils ▲
Last Week: 19)

Joe Blandisi has been yet another source of unexpected production for the Devils. He's without a point over the last two games, but is still averaging one per over his last eight.

18. Montreal Canadiens ▲
(Last Week: 25)

Tomas Plekanec provided perhaps a season-saving boost, scoring three goals and collecting seven points to galvanize Montreal on its three-game win streak.

19. Carolina Hurricanes ▲
(Last Week: 20)

No man's land is not a place for a successful NHL franchise, and certainly not the 2015-16 Hurricanes. With so many free agents on a roster devoid of elite talent, Ron Francis cannot get caught up in a postseason chase.

20. Ottawa Senators ▲
(Last Week: 22)

Trading for Dion Phaneuf might end up being a misguided move, but kudos to Bryan Murray for not only making a major improvement to an enervated blue line, but pushing his group in a clearly defined direction.

21. Arizona Coyotes ▼
(Last Week: 16)

If the Oilers hadn't been pasted on the weekend, Arizona, which for a while was on the positive side of the equation, could very well have dropped to the worst goal differential in the West.

22. Philadelphia Flyers ▼
(Last Week: 21)

Second to their slow start, it'll be the Pacific Division that kept the Flyers out of the postseason, should they fail to rally down the stretch. They dropped to 1-6-3 against the worst division in hockey in Tuesday's loss to the Ducks.

23. Minnesota Wild ▼
(Last Week: 18)

Count 11 losses over the last 12 games. How does Mike Yeo survive this?

24. Calgary Flames ▲
(Last Week: 28)

Reckon there was some clenching happening in the press box after Jake Gardiner cut the Flames' lead to one in the third period Tuesday versus the Maple Leafs.

25. Winnipeg Jets ▲
(Last Week: 26)

The term on Dustin Byfuglien's deal was so important, but so was the timing. With three weeks until the trade deadline, Kevin Cheveldayoff gave himself plenty of time to assess the Jets' standing, and presumably find a new home for his captain.

26. Vancouver Canucks ▼
(Last Week: 23)

There are many damning stats when it comes to the hopeful Canucks, like the fact they earned just their 14th regulation win in their 53rd game.

27. Buffalo Sabres ▼
(Last Week: 24)

Robin Lehner was due for a stinker. His .939 save percentage, albeit in just seven appearances, was a better rate than any full-time netminder before the Panthers chased him Tuesday night.

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

After taking points from three teams with postseason aspirations last week, the Jackets will have the opportunity to weaken the Ducks, Senators, and Bruins' campaigns over the next seven days.

29. Edmonton Oilers ▼
(Last Week: 27)

There's simply too much talent on this team to lose by an aggregate total of 13-2 this past weekend. With so many teams doing more with so much less, and not subject to these unpredictable shifts in performance, when does the blame shift to those steering the ship?

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

It'll be tough sledding for both the Maple Leafs, but more so for those working the second-hand ticket market in Toronto. Eighteen of the Buds' remaining 30 games, or the highest percentage league-wide, will be played at the Air Canada Centre.

Tough sell.

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