NHL power rankings for start of January

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Tampa Bay (1-1)

SECOND TIER

2 Vegas (7-9)

3 Winnipeg (8-2)

4 Washington (10-11)

5 New Jersey (5-5)

6 Los Angeles (4-13)

7 Nashville (12-7)

8 Boston (27-22)

9 Toronto (3-4)

10 Columbus (11-3)

11 San Jose (13-14)

12 Dallas (24-16)

13 St. Louis (2-8)

14 New York Rangers (15-12)

15 New York Islanders (16-10)

16 Carolina (18-19)

17 Calgary (14-15)

18 Chicago (21-21)

19 Minnesota (26-17)

20 Anaheim (23-24)

21 Florida (30-27)

22 Pittsburgh (6-6)

23 Colorado (25-23)

24 Philadelphia (20-29)

25 Detroit (22-25)

26 Edmonton (29-28)

27 Montreal (19-20)

28 Vancouver (17-18)

THIRD TIER

29 Ottawa (9-26)

FOURTH TIER

30 Buffalo (28-31)

FIFTH TIER

31 Arizona (31-30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Boston (14 spots), Los Angeles, Vegas and Washington (7 spots), Florida (6 spots), Philadelphia (5 spots), Anaheim and Dallas (4 spots), Carolina, Chicago and San Jose (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Pittsburgh (16 spots), Vancouver (10 spots), Columbus and Montreal (7 spots), New York Islanders, St. Louis and Toronto (5 spots), Ottawa (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 13.57

2 METROPOLITAN 13.75

3 PACIFIC 17.63

4 ATLANTIC 18.75

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 31.2

2 EAST 32.5