NHL power rankings: Bruins, Canucks back on top

Tarik El-Bashir assesses the top teams in the National Hockey League this week (Jan. 13). Records are through Thursday’s games.

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1 (1 last week): Boston Bruins; 28-11-1

Despite Saturday's 4-3 home loss to Vancouver, the defending champions remain the league's best team. Overall, they've won 11 of their past 13 games behind All-Star Game starter Tim Thomas, who sports a 1.95 goals against average and .939 save percentage.

Elsa / GETTY IMAGES

2 (3 last week): Vancouver Canucks; 28-14-3

Last season's runners up have won four of their past five games, are 10-3-1 since mid-December, and sit atop the league standings. League leading scorers Henrik and Daniel Sedin - 52 and 49 points, respectively - and the Canucks own the top power play (23.6 percent) and fourth ranked penalty kill (87.1).

SARAH CONARD / REUTERS

3 (2 last week): New York Rangers; 27-10-4

After winning 10 of 11 to seize control of the Atlantic Division, the Rangers suffered a rare defeat Thursday, falling to surging Ottawa 3-0 at home. The power play has only three goals in its last 33 chances, dropping to 22nd in the league (14.8-percent).

RAY STUBBLEBINE / REUTERS

4 (4 last week): Detroit Red Wings; 27-15-1

Inconsistency has crept into the Red Wings' game as they beat the Blackhawks but lost to the woeful Islanders minus all-Star center Pavel Datsyuk, who was sidelined with lower body injury. Datsyuk, though, returned for Thursday's 3-2 win over the Coyotes. Overall, the Wings are 6-4-0 in their last 10.

Gregory Shamus / GETTY IMAGES

5 (7 last week): Philadelphia Flyers; 26-12-4

Winners of four of their past five, they've closed to within two points of the Atlantic-leading Rangers. Backup goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has won two in a row, potentially igniting another netminder controversy on Broad Street.

Paul Bereswell / AP

6 (5 last week): Chicago Blackhawks; 26-13-5

After dropping their first four games of 2012 and losing 20-goal scorer Patrick Sharp for a month with an injury, the 'Hawks have steadied themselves, scoring a combined 10 goals in wins over Columbus and Minnesota. Slumping center Dave Bolland has four goals in the past three contests.

Jonathan Daniel / GETTY IMAGES

7 (6 last week): St. Louis Blues; 25-12-6

After closing 2011 with three straight losses, the Blues are back, winning four of five (4-0-1) to open 2012 and pull to within a point of the Blackhawks in the Central Division. Goalie Jaroslav Halak is 7-0-3 in his last 10 starts after a rocky start to the season.

Paul Chiasson / AP

8 (8 last week): San Jose Sharks; 24-11-5

All-Star Game coach Todd McLellan and the Pacific Division-leading Sharks have opened 2012 by winning five of six (5-0-1). They've allowed 1.6 goals per game during that stretch and rank fifth overall in that category with a season average of 2.3.

FRED GREENSLADE / REUTERS

9 (not ranked last week): Ottawa Senators; 24-15-6

A season after finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference, a resurgent Jason Spezza has the Senators on a roll. The All-Star Game hosts are 10-1-2 in their last 13 after Thursday's 3-0 romp over the East-leading Rangers. Spezza, 28, is on pace for 81 points, which would be his highest total in five seasons.

Frank Franklin II / AP

10 (not ranked): Nashville Predators

Despite the lowest payroll in the league, they've won 12 of 16 games dating to Dec. 8 and own the 10th highest point total in the NHL, an effort led by All-Star defense Shea Weber and Ryan Sutter. Goalie Pekka Rinne has yielded 14 goals in his last seven starts (6-0-1).

Mark Humphrey / AP

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

A portion of the Interstate 5 bridge is submerged after it collapsed into the Skagit River dumping vehicles and people into the water in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013 according to the Washington State Patrol. (AP Photo/Skagit Valley Herald, Frank Varga)

I-5 bridge collapse in Washington state dumps vehicles, passengers into river

No fatalities reported; collapse over Skagit River shuts down main route between Seattle and Canada.

SILVER SPRING MD: MAY 18
from left to right, Bodybuilders Jorge Villatoro, Sidney Bumbrey, Eric Holmes and Ron Coleman show off their most muscular poses for the judges at the 2013 Musclemania - Capital Tournament of Champions Contest held at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland on May 18, 2013.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Flexing their muscles

Dozens of bodybuilders came out to Silver Spring to compete in the 2013 Musclemania Capital Tournament of Champions.

Kriket Krekemeyer cries while cleaning up her tornado-ravaged home in Moore, Okla., Wednesday, May 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Mike Simons)

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A police forensics officer investigates a crime scene where one man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 22, 2013. British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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MOORE, OK - MAY 22: A street of tornado destructed homes is reflected on a puddle of water on May 22, 2013 in Moore, Ok. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Assessing tornado damage in Oklahoma

Amid great destruction, residents of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore begin to assess the severity of the twister that hit Monday.

WASHINGTON DC: MAY 22
Contestant Travis Rumans, 31 dances with his beloved glow sticks for talent at Penn Social in Washington, DC on May 22, 2013. The contestants help raise over $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The Mr. DC pageant is a fundraising event to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The qualifications for the Mr. District of Columbia finalists is that they must live, work and attend school in the District of Columbia between the ages of 21-30 who are unmarried, intelligent, and dapper in a suit.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Mr. D.C. Pageant contestants compete for charity

Contestants in the Mr. D.C. Pageant, a fundraising event, helped raise more than $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center.

US comedian Jerry Lewis laughs on May 23, 2013 during a press confrence for the film 'Max Rose' presented Out of Competition at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / LOIC VENANCELOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

Eye on entertainment

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A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Animal views

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