NHL Power Rankings - January 6, 2015

Nine straight without a regulation loss, and the league's best goalie this season, is enough for the Predators to take over top spot. It's the first time I can remember the Predators being ranked first, but they've been among the top tier this season almost from the get-go.

Key Injuries: LW Matt Cullen (upper body), RW James Neal (lower body).

It's no huge deal for the Blackhawks to slip from top spot, but they have one regulation win in the past five games and G Corey Crawford hasn't been too sharp (.892 SV%) in six games since returning from injury.

Key Injuries: LW Kris Versteeg (hand).

Five wins in the past six games and packing a punch with one of the most productive lines in hockey, their trio of sophomores -- Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov.

Key Injuries: None.  

Getting healthy, particularly with Brian Elliott returning in goal, is big for the Blues because they were fighting uphill -- especially against quality opponents over the past couple of weeks -- with Jake Allen and Martin Brodeur in net.

Key Injuries: None.

10-1 in the past 11 games, the Rangers have been beating up on some softer Eastern Conference competition lately, but are heading to California to start a road-trip, and that should provide a good test.

Key Injuries: None.

The Habs have won nine of 10, as G Carey Price is on a crazy hot streak, with a .954 save percentage in nine starts since December 9.

Key Injuries: RW P.A. Parenteau (upper body).

7-2-1 in the past 10 games is pretty nice, but Sunday night's 5-2 loss in Edmonton (Edmonton!) is tough to swallow. 

Key Injuries: RW Michael Grabner (lower body).

Two wins in the past seven games is probably some overdue catching up from injuries (and mumps) that have hit the Pittsburgh lineup. Adding LW David Perron in a trade from Edmonton is a nice upgrade going forward, however.

Key Injuries: RW Pascal Dupuis (blood clot), D Olli Maatta (upper body), D Paul Martin (undisclosed), LW Blake Comeau (upper body), RW Patric Hornqvist (lower body).

Only two regulation wins in the past 11 games, and those were home victories against Buffalo and New Jersey, so there is room for improvement, but the underlying numbers remain strong.

Key Injuries: None.

One regulation win in the past seven games for a Ducks team that has been unreal in one-goal games, going 20-0-6 -- a point in every single one! -- in 26 one-goal games this year.

Key Injuries: None.

Four wins in the past dozen games, and G Jonathan Quick (.880 SV% since December 6) is getting slammed by head coach Darryl Sutter (even if Sutter's quest for a .950 SV% is unreasonable).

Key Injuries: D Slava Voynov (suspension).

8-1-1 in the past 10 games, the Stars are starting to come around to preseason expectations. They're still playing firewagon hockey, but as they add depth -- most recently, RW Brett Ritchie -- chances of the Stars outscoring the opposition keep improving. 

Key Injuries: RW Valeri Nichushkin (groin), C Shawn Horcoff (illness).

One regulation loss in the past eight for a Capitals team with six double-digit goal-scorers, including Eric Fehr, Joel Ward, Troy Brouwer and Marcus Johansson (as well as Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom).

Key Injuries: D Matt Niskanen (lower body).

Two regulation wins in the past 11 games, blown out by Dallas Saturday, and trying to overcome shaky goaltending with San Jose, Chicago (twice), Nashville and Pittsburgh up next on the schedule.

Key Injuries: C Mikael Granlund (upper body).

Has there been a reasonable answer for why the Winnipeg Jets kept Dustin Byfuglien at forward? It's one thing for it to be the last act of Claude Noel, days before getting fired, but to allow that experiment to continue for as long as it did is strange stuff.

Key Injuries: D Tobias Enstrom (lower body), D Zach Bogosian (lower body), D Jacob Trouba (upper body), D Mark Stuart (lower body), LW Evander Kane (lower body).

One win in the past five games and Joe Thornton on the shelf leaves the Sharks in the middle of the pack when, not too long ago, it looked like they were ready to climb to more customary positioning.

Key Injuries: Raffi Torres (knee), RW Tyler Kennedy (upper body), C Joe Thornton (upper body).

One regulation loss in the past six coincides with G Ryan Miller (.950 SV% in the past six games) getting hot. 

Key Injuries: D Dan Hamhuis (lower body).

Two regulation wins in the past dozen games (and they came against Buffalo and Toronto), but the Panthers are grinding out enough points to be a playoff team -- two points behind eighth-place Toronto, with three games at hand.

Key Injuries: None.

The Bruins have only two regulation losses in the past 11 games, but only two regulations wins as well, so that helps explain he discontent in Boston. For a team that has had incredible stability through its forward lines in recent years, the Bruins are being forced to run through a lot of options in an effort to fix what ails the David Krejci-Milan Lucic line. The best alternative may be 18-year-old David Pastrnak, the 25th pick in last summer's draft who has 27 points (10 G, 17 A) in 23 AHL games and had seven points (1 G, 6 A) in five games for the Czech Rebublic at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Key Injuries: None.

Only three regulation wins in the past 20 games, yet the Senators are close enough to remain in the playoff picture if they could tighten up defensively; maybe the return of D Marc Methot would help in that quest.

Key Injuries: None.

Had won four straight before Friday's loss to the Islanders. Tough to maintain anything with such poor possession numbers, but as young skilled forwards develop, there is a chance to be competitive.

Key Injuries: C Mikael Backlund (abdomen).

After winning 10 of 12, and making the general public forget entirely about how these streaks can happen even for bad teams, the Maple Leafs have hammered the point home with one regulation win in the next nine games, getting outscored by 15 goals in that span.

Key Injuries: C Nazem Kadri (lower body), LW Joffrey Lupul (lower body), C Peter Holland (upper body).

It's hard for the Devils to mount any kind of sustainable offence. In the past eight games, they have averaged 20 shots on goal per game (19.9 per 60 minutes), worst in the league over that span. Maybe not-so-coincidentally, rookie D Damon Severson has missed the past nine games.

Key Injuries: LW Ryane Clowe (concussion), D Bryce Salvador (lower body), D Damon Severson (ankle).

Two regulation losses in the past 14 games has pulled Columbus to within eight points of a playoff spot (with three games at hand), so they're still in the hunt, but it's been an arduous climb considering their early, and ongoing, injury situation.

Key Injuries: RW Nathan Horton (back), C Mark Letestu (groin), D Ryan Murray (knee), C Artem Anisimov (triceps), C Boone Jenner (back), RW Cam Atkinson (upper body).

Winless in five and narrowly avoided disaster when C Claude Giroux's leg injury was deemed to be not serious, but even with Giroux healthy, the trend is going the wrong way.

Key Injuries: D Kimmo Timonen (blood clots).

Two regulation wins in the past 15 games, and there is the tiny matter of their most effective goaltender this season -- Calvin Pickard -- being sent back to AHL Guaranteed contracts and all that stuff.

. Key Injuries: LW Jamie McGinn (back).

Four wins in the past five games is a little positive stretch, but the Coyotes are still 11 points out of a playoff spot and that most likely makes them sellers as contenders look to bolster their respective rosters.

Key Injuries: None.

How do you like soccer on ice? Four of the Hurricanes' past five games have finished 2-1. Some they win, some they lose.

Key Injuries: RW Alexander Semin (upper body), D John-Michael Liles (flu).

No regulations wins in the past 11 for the Sabres. It's not enough to reclaim the basement, but don't give up on their draft lottery hopes.

Key Injuries: RW Brian Gionta (head), LW Marcus Foligno (hand).

Sunday's win over the Islanders ended a 12-game streak without a regulation win, but the Oilers are making changes, adding Derek Roy while dealing away Mark Arcobello and David Perron. More to come, presumably.

Key Injuries: None.