Power Rankings: Week Ending February 5, 2010

With the impending Winter Olympic break, three teams in particular—the Washington Capitals, the LA Kings and the Ottawa Senators—have made a statement to the rest of the league, as they have combined to win 31 consecutive games between them. 

With that, here are the power rankings for the week ending February 5, 2010: 

1. Washington – Winners of 12 straight, the Caps should win lucky game number 13 tonight as they face the Ilya Kovalchuck-less Atlanta Thrashers.  The only area of concern on the horizon is the status of Semyon Varlamov, who remains injured.

2.  San Jose – While they lost to the Red Wings earlier this week and suffered an overtime loss to the 'Hawks, an 18-3-2 run since December 12 is lights out.  Patrick Marleau has been most impressive during that streak, as he's scored 18 goals in that stretch. 

3. Chicago – They survived their brutal road swing, going 5-3 over that span.  Now comes the fruits of some winnable road games and a nice home stand, after the Olympics—watch out!

4.  Los Angeles – The Kings have reeled off eight straight wins—most impressive was that five of those wins came on the road.  No longer a team to watch for to make the playoffs, this is a team to watch for come playoff time.  This is what "built for the playoffs" is all about.

5. Phoenix – The "Desert Dogs" have reeled off five wins in a row of their own.  Dave Tippett deserves the Jack Adams award, no questions asked.  Memo to Phoenix residents:  Please support this team—they’ve given you so much more than they’ve received, as it relates to attendance.

6. Ottawa – Winners of eleven straight, they'd be the story in the Eastern Conference if it weren’t for those pesky Caps.  Now that two of their stars—Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson—have returned, and they're getting stellar goaltending from Brian Elliot, expect this team to make a run for home ice for the playoffs. 

7. Vancouver - The 'Nucks won seven games in a row, including the first of their brutal 14-game road trip (to accommodate the Winter Olympics).  Having lost their following two road games, they need to recover before the Olympic break to solidify their playoff position.

8. Buffalo – The Sabres need to give both goal-scoring support as well as goalie Ryan Miller some much-needed rest. 

9. New Jersey – Their recent goal-scoring struggles should end shortly with the arrival of one Ilya Kovalchuck.  They also have to return to having signature wins against the upper echelon, as wins against weaker opponents, while needed, won't help their quest for home ice in the playoffs. 

10. Colorado – Should the Avs' recover from their recent doldrums, Coach Joe Sacco also should receive some serious consideration for the Jack Adams award.  But they need to capitalize on three winnable games, as their final two games before the Olympic break are stern tests. 

11. Pittsburgh – The Pens have won four of their last five games, but far more is expected of the defending Stanley Cup champs.  The hopeful return of Chris Kunitz would certainly help matters.

12. Nashville - The 'Preds appear to have recovered from that abysmal five-game losing streak.  A successful four-game stretch against Eastern Conference foes should help matters before the Olympic break.

13. Detroit – They're getting healthy, but they'd better "flip the switch," and soon, or the unthinkable—not making the playoffs—could occur. 

14. Dallas – Winning all of your remaining games at home isn't going to do you any good if you lose all of your games on the road.  Could Mike Modano be on the trading block?

15. Anaheim – Trading away J.S. Giguere was expected, but taking on Jason Blake's contract sure seemed like a desperation move. 

16. Philadelphia – While the Flyers have been up and down lately, they've at least played far better defense for coach Peter Laviolette.  Now, if they can regain some of that offense from early January, a playoff push could be in the offing. 

17. Calgary – It's a good thing a Sutter works for another Sutter—otherwise, the axe could fall in Calgary.  Keep struggling like they have, and the axe treatment could be part of a family plan.  Trading away star defenseman Dion Phaneuf should be grounds for dismissal anyway.    

18. Tampa Bay – The 'Bolts have stepped up, recently, going 5-1-1 over their last seven games; however, doing so with defense when you have the likes of LeCavlier, Stamkos, St. Louis and company is quite puzzling.

19. Minnesota – Much like the Stars, winning all of your remaining home games won't help your playoff prospects if you can't win on the road.  They've done far better than most imagined, which is a testament to their grit. 

20. Montreal – If the playoffs were to start tonight, the Habs would make the playoffs, and that's all you need to know about how imbalanced the Eastern Conference is.  Losing Mike Cammalleri is a serious blow, if they do indeed make the playoffs. 

21. Florida – Tomas Vokoun is still an elite goaltender, but, unless he's asked to lead the offensive rush, he can't win games without some goal-scoring support. 

22. St. Louis – Apparently, a repeat of that ridiculous playoff push won't occur.  So, interim coach's David Payne interim tag appears to be just that. 

23. Atlanta – With the Kovalchuck trade, the Thrashers have apparently thrown in the towel.  Don Waddell's job status could have gone as well. 

24. New York Rangers - The Broadway Blueshirts picked up Olli Jokinen in a trade earlier this week.  He's overpaid and overrated, which means he's a perfect fit for this team.

25. Carolina – Ah, the beauty of the Eastern Conference.  As crazy as it seems, given their putrid start, the 'Canes are still in the playoff hunt.  While a rebuild would make more sense, much credit goes to this proud team. 

26. Boston – Claude Julien recently received the dreaded "vote of confidence"—it's been nice knowing you, Claude. 

27. Toronto – Call Brian Burke the rainmaker; for every questionable move—i.e. Phil Kessel—he also manages to hit paydirt, landing both J.S. Giguere and Dion Phaneuf for essentially middling players. 

28. Columbus – The axe finally fell in Columbus, as Ken Hitchcock was fired this week.  Claude Noel now takes over a fragile team in need of a serious overhaul.  It's time to be sellers, once again, in Columbus.

29. New York Islanders – Losers of their last six games, the clock has definitely struck midnight.  Scoring only eight goals during those six games isn't going to aid the return of Rick DiPietro. 

30. Edmonton – I recently heard the Oilers won two games in a row.  Were the other teams ill, or did their opponents forfeit the game?