NHL power rankings for mid-December

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Washington (2)

SECOND TIER

2 Colorado (7)

3 St. Louis (3)

4 NY Islanders (4)

5 Boston (1)

THIRD TIER

6 Pittsburgh (13)

7 Carolina (11)

8 Dallas (10)

9 Arizona (8)

10 Calgary (17)

11 Winnipeg (9)

12 Vegas (16)

13 Buffalo (20)

14 Philadelphia (6)

15 Minnesota (22)

16 Edmonton (5)

17 Toronto (19)

18 NY Rangers (18)

19 Montreal (21)

20 Tampa Bay (24)

21 Vancouver (15)

22 Florida (14)

23 San Jose (12)

24 Nashville (23)

25 Anaheim (26)

26 Columbus (25)

27 Chicago (27)

28 Ottawa (29)

29 Los Angeles (28)

FOURTH TIER

30 New Jersey (30)

FIFTH TIER

31 Detroit (31)

BIGGEST RISERS: Buffalo, Calgary, Minnesota and Pittsburgh (7 spots), Colorado (5 spots), Carolina, Tampa Bay and Vegas (4 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Edmonton and San Jose (11 spots), Florida and Philadelphia (8 spots), Vancouver (6 spots), Boston (4 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 12.86

2 METROPOLITAN 13.25

3 ATLANTIC 16.88

4 PACIFIC 18.13

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 EAST 30.13

2 WEST 30.99