NHL power rankings for start of December

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

1 Tampa Bay (2-2)

2 Toronto (4-3)

3 Nashville (1-1)

4 Buffalo (15-5)

5 Colorado (8-16)

6 Winnipeg (3-4)

7 Calgary (9-9)

8 Washington (17-17)

9 Columbus (14-7)

10 Anaheim (21-23)

11 Dallas (18-8)

12 Boston (10-10)

13 San Jose (16-12)

14 NY Islanders (11-11)

15 New York Rangers (28-14)

16 Minnesota (5-6)

17 Montreal (13-13)

18 Carolina (19-24)

19 Detroit (29-18)

20 Ottawa (23-20)

21 Edmonton (7-21)

22 Vegas (25-28)

23 Arizona (22-22)

24 Philadelphia (24-19)

25 Pittsburgh (12-30)

26 Florida (30-26)

27 Vancouver (6-15)

28 New Jersey (27-29)

29 Chicago (20-25)

30 Los Angeles (31-31)

31 St. Louis (26-27)

BIGGEST RISERS: Anaheim (13 spots), Colorado (11 spots), Washington (9 spots), Carolina and Vegas (6 spots), Pittsburgh (5 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Vancouver (12 spots), Minnesota (10 spots), Philadelphia (5 spots), Chicago, Montreal and St. Louis (4 spots), Dallas and NY Islanders (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 ATLANTIC 12.63

2 CENTRAL 14.43

3 METROPOLITAN 17.63

4 PACIFIC 19.13

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 EAST 30.26

2 WEST 33.56