NHL Power Rankings - December 22, 2014

One regulation loss in the past 13 games is creating room at the top of the chart for the Blackhawks, who have an embarrassment of riches when the lineup is healthy and, right now, they're pretty healthy.

Key Injuries: G Corey Crawford (ankle).

Four wins in the past five for the Predators who, in two wins last week, accrued 84 shots on goal against Boston and Minnesota, two teams that rank in the Top 10 when it comes to even-strength shot attempt metrics.

Key Injuries: None.

Seven straight without a regulation loss for the Penguins, who continue to deal with health problems, but have had the luxury of being able to pluck the likes of Brian Dumoulin and Derrick Pouliot from the minors to make up for absences on the blueline.

Key Injuries: RW Pascal Dupuis (blood clot), D Olli Maatta (mumps), D Christian Ehrhoff (lower body), D Paul Martin (undisclosed).

Two regulation wins in the past eight games, but the Lightning return home from a five-game roadie getting healthier. They made out okay with Ben Bishop out, though, as top prospect Andrei Vasilevskiy has been great in his first two NHL starts.

Key Injuries: G Ben Bishop (lower body).

Four wins in the past five games put the Habs back on top of the Atlantic Division, fractionally ahead of the Lightning. Some reason to be optimistic about the Habs' chances? The emergence of third-year C Alex Galchenyuk, who has nine points (5 G, 4 A) in nine games this month.

Key Injuries: None.

Dropped their last two games, following a five-game winning streak, and the goaltending remains an important facet to watch with Brian Elliott sidelined, as Jake Allen (.887 SV%) and Martin Brodeur (.882 SV%) have yet to inspire confidence.

Key Injuries: G Brian Elliott (lower body), LW Jaden Schwartz (foot).

Winless in six, but four of those losses have been via shootout, so the Wings aren't quite as poorly off as it might initially sound. LW Tomas Tatar has been having a quietly solid season, with 12 goals and 59.0% Corsi in 34 games.

Key Injuries: C Stephen Weiss (shoulder).

Getting healthier on the blueline and with four straight wins, the Islanders are rolling. If they're looking for projects to improve the club, league-worst penalty-killing (72.3%) is a good place to start.

Key Injuries: RW Michael Grabner (lower body).

Nine wins in the past 10 games moves the preivously-mediocre Sharks to a higher (and more typical) level. A reminder that C Joe Thornton is still pretty good; his 58.0% Corsi is his best since 2007-2008, the first year it was tracked.

Key Injuries: Raffi Torres (knee), LW Matt Nieto (lower body), RW Tyler Kennedy (upper body).

8-2 in the past 10 games, the Ducks have managed to keep on keeping on in the absence of Corey Perry, but it must be some kind of shock for C Ryan Getzlaf to wonder who he's with from one shift to the next, with Rene Bourque, Devante Smith-Pelly, Matt Beleskey, Patrick Maroon, Dany Heatley and Jakob Silfverberg among his wingers recently.

Key Injuries: RW Corey Perry (lower body), LW Kyle Palmieri (shoulder).

No regulation wins in the past five, and goaltending has been a concern. Darcy Kuemper has an .860 save percentage (117 saves, 136 shots) in his past six games.

Key Injuries: None.

Six straight wins for the Rangers, who have allowed a total of five goals in the last five of those victories, holding opponents to 20 or fewer shots in three of those games. When the Blueshirts' defence and goaltending rise up like that, the record gets better in a hurry. 

Key Injuries: RW Lee Stempniak (mumps).

Needed overtime to finish off the Flames Saturday night, but to end a five-game slide, the Canucks will take it. After a strong start to the year, offence has dried up for C Nick Bonino, who has one point in the past nine games.

Key Injuries: D Dan Hamhuis (lower body).

Had lost five of six before back-to-back wins, but the most positive development is that C Anze Kopitar appears to be emerging from his early-season point slump, putting up nine points (1 G, 8 A) in the past three games.

Key Injuries: D Slava Voynov (suspension).

No regulation losses in the past eight games, and this at a time when RW Eric Fehr, with seven, has one more point this month than LW Alex Ovechkin.

Key Injuries: None.

The Bruins have one regulation win in their past 14 games, but they are finally healthy. With C David Krejci and D Zdeno Chara healthy, it's the first time in a long time that Boston has their core healthy.

Key Injuries: None.

Six straight without a regulation win for the Panthers, though three shootout wins in that stretch has made for rather comfortable mediocrity.

Key Injuries: None.

That the Jets are holding their own -- one regulation loss in the past dozen games -- despite missing their top four defencemen, is really an achievement. It also makes matters easier for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, who doesn't face as much pressure with the patchwork defence performing better than expected.

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

How quickly those positive vibes can change. The Leafs were on a percentage-fueled run, going 10-1-1, but then lost three straight, getting outscored 15-5, and they have just kicked off a brutal road trip that could break their season if they don't tighten up their game. 

Key Injuries: LW Leo Komarov (concussion).

Winners of four straight, the Stars rolled through Western Canada and could be building a little momentum. As one of the early disappointments this year, they could use something -- specifically better goaltending -- if they are going to make a second-half charge.

Key Injuries: RW Valeri Nichushkin (groin).

Mika Zibanejad is emerging in a bigger role (11 points in 10 games this month) and it's the development of young forwards that ought to be a priority for the Senators if they are going to somehow improve their sagging possession numbers.

Key Injuries: C Marc Methot (back).

The Flames were rocking the PDO early in the season, but they're crashing to earth, winless in eight and on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.

Key Injuries: C Mikael Backlund (abdomen).

Only one regulation loss in the past nine games, but losing their starting goaltender (for however long it may be) does cost the Flyers a chance to move up. Even so, the story of 33-year-old journeyman Rob Zepp, who started in goal Sunday against Winnipeg, is one of the better ones for this NHL season. 

Key Injuries: D Kimmo Timonen (blood clots), G Steve Mason (back).

The injuries never stop, but the Blue Jackets have also gone nine straight without a loss in regulation, with seven of those games going beyond 60 minutes.

Key Injuries: RW Nathan Horton (back), C Mark Letestu (groin), D Ryan Murray (knee), C Artem Anisimov (triceps), LW Scott Hartnell (finger), C Boone Jenner (back).

Two regulation wins in the past 15 games, with the wins coming against Toronto and Carolina, suggest that the Devils' offensive woes (and massive drop in possession) are undermining their efforts this season.

Key Injuries: LW Ryane Clowe (concussion), D Bryce Salvador (lower body), LW Mike Cammalleri (lower body).

Five straight without a regulation loss (though it comes with only one regulation win) could be progress, but as long as the Avalanche are sitting around 44% possession, they are going to need miraculous goaltending to be competitive.

Key Injuries: G Semyon Varlamov (groin), LW Jamie McGinn (back).

The Sabres are quite likely the worst team in the league, but they have been bailed out from time to time by their goaltenders and that's lifted them out of the pole position in the Connor McDavid Sweepstakes. They are still the favourites to end up last, but it would really be fascinating if Buffalo couldn't lose enough during a season in which they appeared to be miles behind the competition.

Key Injuries: D Tyler Myers (lower body), RW Brian Gionta (head).

The Coyotes' only regulation win in the past 14 games was a game at Edmonton. Lean times in the desert.

Key Injuries: LW Lauri Korpikoski (lower body).

The Hurricanes have one win in the past nine games, scoring one or zero goals in seven of those nine.

Key Injuries: C Jordan Staal (fibula), LW Jiri Tlusty (undisclosed).

1-12-6 in the past 19 games, the Oilers are all about finding ways to lose, but going 0-6 in overtime/shootout games in that span has been particularly painful. Each one pushing them further down, when an oasis -- some kind of reprieve -- would do the team a ton of good.

Key Injuries: LW Benoit Pouliot (foot), D Nikita Nikitin (back).