The St. Louis Blues remain at the top of the TSN.ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks.
One regulation loss in the past six games has the Blues gaining ground on the slumping Nashville Predators in the Central Division, and the Blues have the best per-game goal differential (0.56) in the Western Conference.
Tampa Bay has won four straight and seems to have the depth to withstand any potential injury problems.
Chicago isn't firing on all cylinders, but has one regulation loss in the past six games, and it was at Tampa Bay.
The big climber this week, the Ottawa Senators, continue to ride a red-hot goaltender from 18 to 15.
Heading the other way, the Montreal Canadiens drop from five to 10 following a stretch with one regulation win in five games. Also slipping, the Winnipeg Jets go from 14 to 17 as they are forced to play without injured centre Bryan Little and defenceman Dustin Byfuglien.
For other Canadian teams, the Vancouver Canucks are up one spot, to 16, with a healthier defence. The Calgary Flames continue to walk the high wire, defying the odds, and sit at 21, down one from last week.
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to sink, from 27 to 28, but they haven't yet been able to catch the Edmonton Oilers, who remain at 29.