NHL power rankings for mid-December

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Previous rankings are in parentheses, from start of November to present.

TOP TIER

1 Chicago (6-3-1)

2 Anaheim (2-1-6)

3 Los Angeles (9-9-8)

4 Boston (12-11-4)

5 St. Louis (10-5-3)

6 San Jose (1-10-2)

7 Pittsburgh (5-12-7)

SECOND TIER

8 Colorado (3-2-5)

9 Vancouver (8-8-14)

10 Montreal (13-17-12)

11 Phoenix (7-4-11)

12 Minnesota (15-6-10)

13 Detroit (14-14-9)

14 Tampa Bay (11-7-13)

15 Washington (20-15-15)

16 Dallas (19-20-20)

17 Toronto (4-13-16)

18 Carolina (24-23-23)

19 Nashville (16-19-17)

20 Winnipeg (18-21-18)

21 Columbus (26-26-26)

22 Ottawa (21-18-24)

23 Philadelphia (29-27-21)

24 Calgary (17-25-25)

25 New York Rangers (23-16-19)

26 New Jersey (25-22-22)

THIRD TIER

27 Florida (27-29-29)

28 Edmonton (28-28-28)

29 New York Islanders (22-24-27)

FOURTH TIER

30 Buffalo (30-30-30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Carolina, Columbus, Los Angeles and Vancouver (5 spots), Anaheim and Dallas (4 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: New York Rangers (6 spots), Detroit, New Jersey and San Jose (4 spots), Colorado (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM, DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF TEAMS, LOWEST SCORE IS BEST

1 CENTRAL 11.57

2 PACIFIC 11.86

3 ATLANTIC 17.13

4 METROPOLITAN 20.5

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 23.43

2 EAST 37.63