(Last week’s ranking in parenthesis)
1. Sharks, 16-5-4: Joe Thornton (seven goals, 32 points) zooms to second in scoring race. Dany Heatley tied for lead in 18 goals. (1)
2. Hawks, 15-5-2: Backup goalie Antti Niemi outduels Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo for shutout in Blackhawks’ seventh straight victory. (6)
3. Devils, 14-6-1: Devils’ 0-2-1 streak is first adversity this season. Dainius Zubrus joins long injured list. (2)
4. Capitals, 13-5-6: Injuries are wearing Capitals down. They missed seven regulars in shootout loss Saturday at Toronto. (3)
5. Flames, 13-6-3: Jarome Iginla’s hat trick versus the Kings gives him 11 goals in nine games. Tough shootout loss vs. Ducks Monday. (7)
6. Red Wings, 11-7-4: Defenseman Niklas Kronwall will miss at least four weeks after taking an ugly knee-on-knee hit from Montreal’s Georges Laraque. (10)
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7. Flyers, 12-8-1: Losing Blair Betts (dislocated shoulder) and Darroll Powe (injured left shoulder) will impact penalty killing and depth. (5)
8. Sabres, 12-6-2: Sabres haven’t scored more than three goals in any of their nine games this month. Defense and Ryan Miller’s goaltending have saved them. (4)
9. Penguins, 16-8-0: Five of their top six defensemen have missed time due to injuries. Martin Skoula has stepped up and played key minutes. (11)
10. Blue Jackets, 12-8-3: Derek Dorsett was placed on injured reserve after suffering a concussion on a hit by Dallas’ James Neal last week. (16)
11. Stars, 11-6-6: Stars have won two straight games only once this season. First quarter has been a mixed bag under new coach Marc Crawford. (18)
12. Kings, 13-9-2: Loss of Ryan Smyth (upper-body injury) resonates. They need more depth and secondary scoring and sharper goaltending. (8)
13. Senators, 12-6-3: Senators have scored 18 goals in winning four straight. Goalie Pascal Leclaire was hurt Saturday while sitting on the bench. (20)
14. Coyotes, 13-10-1: Coyotes are hanging tough, going 3-2 in last five. They’re reportedly looking at 47-year-old Chris Chelios, now with the Wolves. (13)
15. Canucks, 12-11-0: Daniel Sedin returned Sunday after missing 18 games because of a broken leg, but Canucks got shut out by Blackhawks. (14)
16. Lightning, 9-5-7: OT goal by Steven Stamkos at Atlanta leaves Lightning 2-1-1 on tough trip. Stamkos leads Bolts with 15 goals. (15)
17. Predators, 13-8-1: Predators bouncing back after 3-6-1 start. But the hurdles for them are always size and depth. (19)
18. Avalanche, 14-7-3: Surprisingly good start has faded into 3-6-1 slump. Young Avalanche need strong leadership to avoid a total collapse. (9)
19. Panthers, 10-9-3: Panthers pull off a sweep on tough trip to Buffalo, Detroit and New York. They’re 7-2-2 since an awful start. (25)
20. Bruins, 11-8-4: Things are looking up for Bruins: they won first three on four-game trip and Marc Savard (broken foot) due back Monday. (22)
21. Rangers, 12-10-1: Offense slows in 4-7 slump, but busted out for seven Monday. Help could be on the way: Chris Drury progressing after suffering a concussion Nov. 7. (12)
22. Thrashers, 10-7-3: Evander Kane, the fourth overall pick in last June’s entry draft, ranks second among rookies with seven goals. (17)
23. Islanders, 9-8-7: Career-high 58 saves for Dwayne Roloson in shootout win over Leafs Monday. (21)
24. Canadiens, 12-11-1: Rumors say Canadiens are trying to trade Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn. They need help with Brian Gionta (broken foot) out. (23)
25. Wild, 8-12-2: With five forwards injured or ill, Wild take a chance and claim former Duck Andrew Ebbett on waivers from the Hawks. (27)
26. Blues, 8-9-4: Blues’ wins over Coyotes and Islanders are their first back-to-back triumphs since the first two games of the season. (28)
27. Oilers, 10-11-3: Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin’s back problems are worrisome. Injuries and illness continue to sink the Oilers, who had a long team meeting Sunday. (24)
28. Ducks, 8-11-3: Ryan Getzlaf is hitting stride, but Saku Koivu is lagging and team is sagging. They’re nine points out of eighth in the West. Ouch. (26)
29. Hurricanes, 5-13-5: Win over Lightning on Saturday was only second in regulation for Hurricanes, who have points in five of last six games. (30)
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30. Maple Leafs, 4-11-7: Maple Leafs turn their helmets around and rally to beat Washington in shootout. Next up: turn season around. Not so easy. (29).