12. Toronto Maple Leafs (25-14-8)
Total points: 64
Last week: No. 13
"The Maple Leafs really need to figure out their goaltending situation. Ilya Samsonov won three straight games before the All-Star break, allowing a total of three goals in those games. But this is a goalie who was put on waivers Dec. 31 after allowing 21 goals in his previous four starts. Does Toronto stick with him and Martin Jones as its tandem for the stretch run postseason, hoping his play since being recalled continues, or does it see if it can bring in a proven, veteran goalie?" -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief
13. Detroit Red Wings (26-18-6)
Total points: 52
Last week: No. 15
"They need to keep the pedal down in the Motor City. The Red Wings have been on a roll lately and put themselves in a playoff spot, but they were on a roll and in a playoff spot in February last season before stumbling, selling at the Trade Deadline and fading down the stretch. This is a better, deeper team, but they can't take anything for granted as they try to end their seven-season playoff drought. Captain Dylan Larkin said although the All-Star break will be good for rest, he'd love to just keep it going. The Red Wings will have to rev it up again when the break is over and keep the pedal down." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
14. St. Louis Blues (26-21-2)
Total points: 39
Last week: Unranked
"The Blues had their five-game winning streak end in a 1-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. They're off until Feb. 10, when they start a stretch of three road games in four days against the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and Maple Leafs. They played their way back into the race, but staying in it instead of reverting back to the .500 team they were before the five-game winning streak will be the challenge. One way to do that is to marry the defense they've been playing with an aggressive 5-on-5 offensive attack. St. Louis was held to 21 shots on goal against Columbus and is averaging 24.6 shots on goal per game in the past six. Keeping the puck out of the net is obviously critical, but the Blues have to turn their strong defense into better offense at even strength so they’re not so reliant on a streaky power play. Do that, and they may just be able to stay in the race, but I still think it's a long shot." -- Rosen
15. Los Angeles Kings (23-15-10)
Total points: 18
Last week: No. 14
"The break couldn't come at a better time for the Kings, who have been in an identity crisis for the better part of two months. They were 16-4-4 after losing 3-2 in overtime at the New York Islanders on Dec. 9, ending their NHL-record 11-game road winning streak to start the season. Los Angeles is 7-11-6 since, including 4-6-3 on the road, after its 4-2 win at the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. The Kings are under .500 at home (8-9-6). Who are they? They're supposed to be a team that defends well, protects the front of the net, insulates its goalies, and generates its offense in transition off its defense. Instead, Los Angeles has done none of that of late, and, worse yet, there appears to be some in-fighting and a lot of questions about coach Todd McLellan's job security. The noise will quiet down during the break. That's good for the Kings. They need a reboot when they come back, because that team that was 16-4-4 is still in the room, hiding somewhere." -- Rosen
16. Philadelphia Flyers (25-19-6)
Total points: 15
Last week: No. 12
"The Flyers are built to win with strong defense and timely scoring, but lately they've been getting neither. In the past 20 games, they're averaging 2.80 goals per game and allowing 3.35; their record is 8-9-3. It's a far cry from 17-10-3 start to the season, when they averaged 2.90 goals per game and allowed 2.63. Offensively, getting a healthy Owen Tippett back will help; the forward had six goals in six games prior to sustaining a lower-body injury against the Avalanche on Jan. 20. He's targeting Feb. 6, Philadelphia’s first game after the break for a return. It needs more from forward Travis Konecny, who leads them with 22 goals but has one in his past 11 games. Tightening up defensively is a must, especially in battles near the front of the net, where the Flyers suddenly look vulnerable." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor
Others receiving points: Nashville Predators 10, Pittsburgh Penguins 7, New Jersey Devils 4, New York Islanders 4, Seattle Kraken 1
Dropped out: Devils (No. 16)
New Amsterdam Game of the Week
Each week, NHL.com will highlight one game that features two teams in the Super 16. Next week, it's the No. 4 Oilers against the No. 9 Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1, SN, TVAS).
The Oilers can tie the NHL record for longest winning streak in a season when they play the Golden Knights. Edmonton has won 16 straight games. The Penguins won 17 in a row during the 1992-93 season (March 9-April 10). Vegas entered the break after going 2-1-1 on a four-game road trip. The Golden Knights are still ahead of the Oilers in the Pacific Division, but the gap has narrowed to five points and Edmonton has five games in hand.
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED ’EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Vancouver Canucks; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. St. Louis Blues
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Vancouver Canucks; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Vancouver Canucks; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
TOM GULITTI
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Vancouver Canucks; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Vancouver Canucks; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Detroit Red Wings; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Los Angeles Kings
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Vancouver Canucks; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Detroit Red Wings; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
TRACEY MYERS
1. Vancouver Canucks; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Nashville Predators
BILL PRICE
1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Vancouver Canucks; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Detroit Red Wings; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Vancouver Canucks; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Nashville Predators; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. New York Islanders
DAN ROSEN
1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Vancouver Canucks; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Detroit Red Wings; 12. New York Rangers; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. New York Islanders
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Vancouver Canucks; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. New York Rangers; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
PAUL STRIZHEVSKY
1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Vancouver Canucks; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Seattle Kraken
DEREK VAN DIEST
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Vancouver Canucks; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. New Jersey Devils