Updated: April 15, 2013, 11:47 AM ET

Power Rankings: Kings are gaining

Week:

By Pierre LeBrun (posted April 15, 2013)

Don't sleep on the defending Stanley Cup champions, people. And yes, it's also time for the Washington Capitals to rise and shine in this week's Power Rankings.

• Player Power Rankings

• Have your say: Rank all 30 teams!

2012-2013 Power Rankings: Week 13
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	COMMENTS
1	Chicago 32-5-4	-- Last Week: 1	What's impressive about the way the Blackhawks are playing is that there really isn't that much on the line, but they're keeping the foot on the gas, winning six of seven in April and showing no signs of slowing down.
2	Pittsburgh 32-10-0	-- Last Week: 2	One day, they'll actually have all their players in the lineup. One day. Evgeni Malkin sat out Saturday night against the Panthers, but the Pens kept up their winnings ways. Nice tilt coming up Wednesday against the Habs.
3	Los Angeles 24-14-4	5 Last Week: 8	Yes, folks, time to put the Kings up in the top three. The reigning Cup champions are rounding into shape just in time for a shot at defending their title. Beware.
4	Montreal 26-10-5	1 Last Week: 3	Let's give the Canadiens a pass on their Saturday night meltdown in Toronto. The Habs had just clinched a playoff spot in their previous game; a tip of the hat to Jack Adams contender Michel Therrien, who has brought the Habs from last place in the conference last season to challenging for first a year later.
5	Anaheim 27-10-5	1 Last Week: 4	Since a statement 4-2 win over Chicago on March 20, the Ducks have gone 5-7-1, including two straight losses. But then again, having all but sown up the Pacific for a while, there hasn't been much to play for. The Ducks play four of their last six games on the road.
6	Boston 26-11-4	1 Last Week: 7	Losses to the Islanders and Hurricanes prevented the B's from catching Montreal for first in the division, something so many of us have expected as a done deal before the end of the regular season. You start to ask yourself, will they win the division or not?
7	Vancouver 23-12-6	1 Last Week: 6	Tuesday's game at St. Louis is a possible first-round preview between the third-seeded Canucks and sixth-seeded Blues. It certainly bears watching.
8	Toronto 23-13-5	1 Last Week: 9	Randy Carlyle's men continue to show they're for real with Saturday's dismantling of Montreal. A first playoff berth in nine years is coming your way, Maple Leaf fans.
9	St. Louis 23-16-2	1 Last Week: 10	The Blues have been cooled off with two losses in a row following a six-game win streak. But they're rounding into shape for the playoffs.
10	Washington 23-17-2	5 Last Week: 15	The sizzling Caps don't want April to end, considering a perfect 7-0-0 this month. They have a big week ahead with a home tilt against Toronto followed by road games in Ottawa and Montreal.
11	San Jose 21-13-7	6 Last Week: 5	The Sharks have dropped three of four but don't have time to mope since four games loom this week, including Monday night at Phoenix and Tuesday at home to Los Angeles.
12	New York 21-16-4	1 Last Week: 11	The Blueshirts finish off their regular season with seven games against teams not in a playoff spot: Philly, Florida (twice), Buffalo, New Jersey (twice) and Carolina. If they don't make the playoffs, they'll have only themselves to blame.
13	New York 21-16-5	1 Last Week: 12	You know how much it just killed the Islanders and their loyal fans to lose in overtime to the hated Rangers on Saturday night. Ouch.
14	Detroit 20-15-7	-- Last Week: 14	The Red Wings get three out of four points over the weekend and sit two points out of fifth, but also just two points out of the danger zone.
15	Minnesota 22-16-3	2 Last Week: 13	The Wild have just one win in seven April games, although they deserved to win against Columbus on Saturday night, with Sergei Bobrovsky stealing the show. Road games in Calgary on Monday night and Edmonton on Tuesday night must produce points.
16	Ottawa 21-14-6	1 Last Week: 17	Give the Senators a lot of credit. Just when it appeared a five-game losing streak had sunk their season and the injury-riddled team finally hit the proverbial wall, Paul MacLean's team won two huge games (Thursday at Philadelphia and Friday at New Jersey) to bounce back. The Sens are four points out of the danger zone with seven games to play.
17	Dallas 21-17-3	2 Last Week: 19	So the Stars have the new recipe for success in the NHL: Trade away all your UFAs and then win five straight games. Big one coming up Monday night at Chicago.
18	Columbus 19-16-7	2 Last Week: 20	Admit it, you'd love to see the Blue Jackets defy the odds and make the playoffs. They started a monumental, six-game road trip with a 3-2 shootout win at Minnesota on Saturday. The trip goes through Colorado, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose and Dallas before the Jackets wrap up the regular season at home to Nashville.
19	Winnipeg 21-19-2	1 Last Week: 18	A quirk in the schedule saw the Jets cool their heels over the weekend, given a four-day break between Thursday's win over Florida and a home game versus Tampa on Tuesday night. A game that looms large: April 23 at Washington.
20	Phoenix 18-16-7	4 Last Week: 16	Following Monday night's home date with San Jose, the Coyotes play four of their final six on the road, including a potential must-win in the finale April 27 at Anaheim.
21	Buffalo 18-19-6	-- Last Week: 21	Tyler Myers' miserable season ends with a broken leg. It's going to be a long offseason for him.
22	Edmonton 16-18-7	-- Last Week: 22	A five-game win streak from March 26-April 3 had Oilers fans giddy thinking about the playoffs. A five-game losing streak since then has left the Oilers in an all-too-familiar spot: on the outside looking in for a seventh consecutive season.
23	Philadelphia 17-21-3	-- Last Week: 23	Ilya Bryzgalov seems to be the focus for a season gone nowhere, but the fact that the Flyers sit 28th in five-on-five goals for/against ratio is probably more telling.
24	Tampa Bay 17-22-3	2 Last Week: 26	I hate seeing Martin St. Louis out of the playoffs.
25	Nashville 15-20-8	-- Last Week: 25	Make it six straight losses for the deep-sinking Preds.
26	New Jersey 15-16-10	2 Last Week: 24	Nine games without a win (0-5-4) since Ilya Kovalchuk went out.
27	Carolina 17-22-2	-- Last Week: 27	The Hurricanes have gone 5-14-1 since star goalie Cam Ward last played, on March 3.
28	Calgary 16-21-4	1 Last Week: 29	What a mess.
29	Florida 13-22-6	1 Last Week: 28	Injuries started from day one and never allowed the Panthers to get their heads above water.
30	Colorado 14-22-6	-- Last Week: 30	Where to start?
Biggest Jump: 5 Biggest Drop: 6

Power Rankings: Kings are gaining

ESPN Conversations

FOLLOW THE NHL ON TWITTER