Power Rankings: Parity rains on contenders' parades

Updated March 16

Among other things, this season has produced exactly the kind of parity the NHL wanted coming out of the lockout.

Elite teams still do exist; Detroit and San Jose both clinched playoff spots Sunday and with Martin Brodeur back, the deceptively talented Devils are probably in that category these days as well. But with the salary cap spreading quality players throughout the league and an extra point now guaranteed to winners of overtimes or shootouts, things are generally balanced for everyone else.

So with less than a month remaining, there are great multi-team playoff races in both conferences and no such thing as a gimme game anymore, even for contenders against teams playing out the string.

It's a lesson that came across the hard way for a few teams still wondering how much of a lost weekend they just went through.

The Florida Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres and even the Pittsburgh Penguins all squandered what could be potentially critical extra points against teams the standings say they should have beaten, particularly at this point in the schedule.

Florida came home after losing two road games and blew a two-goal lead against Tampa Bay with less than seven minutes left in the third period before losing a shootout and dropping below the cutoff line. Chicago lost in regulation at home to the New York Islanders, the league's last-place team, leaving the fourth-place Blackhawks only two points ahead of Vancouver in the West. And Pittsburgh lost in a shootout to Ottawa after taking a two-goal lead into the third period.

The Penguins get a partial pass because they stole a point in Columbus earlier in the week, overcoming a three-goal deficit against Steve Mason in the third period. But the Sabres might not be so lucky because they dropped to 10th place after blowing a win with four seconds left in a home game. Atlanta sent the game into overtime with the late goal and won the shootout.

That's the kind of lost point that often comes back to haunt teams. The others might too.

Here are this week's rankings:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Capitals · Trends	1
	Jose Theodore is playing his best hockey since joining the Caps. He has won 10 starts in a row despite facing more than 35 shots in each game.
	2	Sharks · Trends	2
	San Jose is riding an eight-game winning streak on the road, where it has league's best record.
	3	Kings · Trends	6
	They get ahead and put things away. The Kings are 22-0 this season when taking a lead into the third period.
	4	Blackhawks · Trends	3
	Chicago's power play has been struggling lately, connecting only once in 22 tries in the past seven games.
	5	Senators · Trends	5
	Ottawa did not allow more than two goals in a game during its 11-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 37-13.
	6	Canucks · Trends	4
	Mason Raymond already has scored more goals this season than in his first two combined.
	7	Coyotes · Trends	8
	Despite its problems scoring on the power play, Phoenix needs only one more win to match last season's total.
	8	Devils · Trends	10
	Is the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk the ticket out of a very winnable Eastern Conference?
	9	Sabres · Trends	7
	Only two wins in their past 10 games has put the Northeast title in jeopardy for the Sabres.
	10	Penguins · Trends	9
	Sid's still scoring on a regular basis, but the defending Cup champs look vulnerable in their back end.
	11	Avalanche · Trends	11
	With Matt Duchene leading the way, Avs rookies have put up 114 points this season.
	12	Lightning · Trends	26
	Stability looks to be coming with an ownership change and maybe a playoff spot, too, thanks to seven wins in their past 10 games.
	13	Flyers · Trends	12
	Struggling to bury shots lately. Philly had 72 of them in the past two games, but both were losses because the Flyers scored only once.
	14	Ducks · Trends	14
	The Ducks aren't doing it against Pacific Division rivals this season with only three wins in 17 games.
	15	Flames · Trends	15
	Jarome Iginla has scored only four goals in 2010 and none so far in February.
	16	Predators · Trends	16
	Falling fast in the West with only three wins in their past 10 games.
	17	Red Wings · Trends	17
	The injury jinx isn't letting up in Detroit with Tomas Holmstrom going down almost as soon as he returned.
	18	Hurricanes · Trends	18
	The selloff has officially begun with Niclas Wallin leaving. Ray Whitney is likely to be next.
	19	Canadiens · Trends	20
	Jaroslav Halak is starting to take control of the starting goaltending job in Montreal.
	20	Blues · Trends	19
	Plenty of pain caused by this offense. The Blues have won only 13 of 28 one-goal decisions, and eight of 25 when the other team scores first.
	21	Stars · Trends	22
	Marty Turco is making himself more attractive as the trade deadline approaches. The Stars goalie has stopped 98 of 101 shots in his past three starts.
	22	Wild · Trends	21
	The Wild are staying in the playoff hunt because of the way they play at home. Minnesota has picked up points in its past nine games at the Xcel.
	23	Thrashers · Trends	23
	Is Kari Lehtonen, just back from his conditioning stint, still the goalie of the future or one of the past?
	24	Rangers · Trends	24
	He rarely gets any goal support, so Henrik Lundqvist had to turn back 41 shots to end his personal six-game losing streak.
	25	Bruins · Trends	25
	Did you expect that it would take anything less than a shutout to end an ugly 10-game losing streak?
	26	Panthers · Trends	13
	Florida's offense has gone missing lately with the Panthers scoring only 12 times in the past 10 games.
	27	Blue Jackets · Trends	28
	Change apparently is good for the Jackets, who have won their first two under new coach Claude Noel.
	28	Islanders · Trends	27
	The ice might be thinning under coach Scott Gordon as the Islanders have been playing themselves out of the postseason race of late.
	29	Maple Leafs · Trends	29
	New Leafs goalie looks like the Giggy of old with shutouts in his first two starts.
	30	Oilers · Trends	30
	Ethan Moreau hasn't scored in 33 games, Shawn Horcoff in 15. That helps explain why Edmonton has only 11 goals in its past seven games.