NHL power rankings: New division leaders are biggest risers

The NHL standings remain jammed, but there have been some key changes since the last USA TODAY Sports power rankings two weeks ago.

The Boston Bruins have moved into the Atlantic Division lead and the Los Angeles Kings now lead the Pacific Division. The New Jersey Devils are still atop the Metropolitan Division but lost a key player. And the Colorado Avalanche remain the class of the league.

Some surprising teams have dropped off while others are showing staying power.

Here are the latest NHL power rankings (changes from two weeks ago are listed in parentheses; stats through Nov. 16):

1. Colorado Avalanche (0)

Martin Necas has 12 points in eight games since agreeing to his eight-year extension. And goalie Scott Wedgewood has earned a one-year extension because of his league-best 11 wins.

2. Dallas Stars (+9)

This is more what we expected of the Stars this season. They have six wins in their last seven games and have 30 goals during that stretch. Jason Robertson has six goals in his last three games. But defenseman Thomas Harley is out week-to-week.

3. New Jersey Devils (+2)

The Devils will be without leading scorer Jack Hughes for eight weeks. He had finger surgery after being hurt at a team dinner. This will be the third consecutive season in which Hughes has missed 20 games with an injury. New Jersey won its first game without him.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (+5)

The Hurricanes caught a break when Seth Jarvis missed only the remainder of the game when a teammate’s stick caught him in the eye. The team’s leading goal scorer returned the next night.

5. Los Angeles Kings (+19)

The Kings have reached an eight-year, $85 million contract extension with Adrian Kempe, their leading scorer, per reports. It’s key to hold on to him because Anze Kopitar is retiring after his season.

6. Boston Bruins (+20)

The Bruins are surging again with eight wins in nine games. They have been very streaky this season, opening 3-0 and then losing six in a row before putting together their current run.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)

The Penguins have slowed a little as they deal with injuries. But they picked up three of a possible four points in the Global Series in Sweden to stay in a playoff spot. They have the league’s best power-play.

8. Winnipeg Jets (-6)

The Jets went 1-4 on their road trip before winning the finale against the last-place Flames.

9. Detroit Red Wings (-1)

The Red Wings cooled off after their strong start, but they remedied that by putting 42 shots on Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick in a 2-1 win on Nov. 16.

10. New York Islanders (+9)

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, 18, became the youngest player in NHL history to score a regular-season overtime goal.

11. Anaheim Ducks (-1)

The Ducks have lost three in a row after their seven-game winning streak. Leo Carlsson’s 11-game point streak is over and Cutter Gauthier has one goal in his last five games.

12. Chicago Blackhawks (+11)

The Blackhawks’ start could be for real. Connor Bedard had a nine-game point streak and the team won the game in which his run ended.

13. New York Rangers (+3)

The Rangers have found their offense. The key, apparently, was Artemi Panarin shaving his head.

14. Montreal Canadiens (-11)

The injuries are piling up. Forward Alex Newhook (fractured ankle) and defenseman Caiden Guhle (adductor muscle) had surgery. Newhook will miss four months, and Guhle is out 8-10 weeks. And now forward Kirby Dach will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken foot.

15. Seattle Kraken (-1)

Goalie Philipp Grubauer could play a bigger role after injuries to Joey Daccord and Matt Murray. He finished up the Kraken’s latest win after Murray was hurt.

16. Ottawa Senators (+9)

Brady Tkachuk (thumb surgery) is traveling with the team. Coach Travis Green says he’s probably a couple weeks away, which fits in with the original timeline of Thanksgiving to mid-December.

17. Vegas Golden Knights (-13)

The Golden Knights went 1-3-2 on a recent homestand to drop into a wild-card spot.

18. Tampa Bay Lightning (-5)

The Lightning have been blown out twice in their last three games. Their power play is in the bottom five in the league and 40-goal scorer Brayden Point has only three this season.

19. Edmonton Oilers (-7)

Connor McDavid has climbed to No. 2 on the scoring list. Injured Zach Hyman has made his season debut, which will help the offense.

20. Florida Panthers (-3)

Brad Marchand’s new contract has ended up as Panthers’ best offseason move. He has points in his last 10 games, with nine goals in that stretch, and has joined the 1,000-point club.

21. Minnesota Wild (+8)

The Wild are shaking off their rough start with a 6-1-1 record in their last eight games. Backup goalie Jesper Wallstedt has made three of the last five starts, with two shutouts.

22. Utah Mammoth (-15)

The Mammoth looked like a playoff team after a seven-game winning streak. But they have gone 2-5-1 since and are below the wild-card line.

23. Philadelphia Flyers (-1)

After a slow start, forward Matvei Michkov put together a three-game goal streak.

24. Columbus Blue Jackets (-9)

Kirill Marchenko has an 11-game point streak. He needs two more games to tie the franchise record.

25. Vancouver Canucks (+2)

The Canucks signed forward David Kampf, whose contract was terminated by the Maple Leafs. He should help Vancouver’s last-ranked penalty kill.

26. Washington Capitals (-8)

Alex Ovechkin has been limited to five goals this season, though one of them was his 900th career goal. The Capitals miss forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s out for months after abdominal surgery.

27. San Jose Sharks (+2)

Macklin Celebrini is among the league’s scoring leaders but the Sharks have totaled one goal during a two-game losing streak.

28. Toronto Maple Leafs (-8)

The Maple Leafs have given up 22 goals during a five-game losing streak. They claimed Troy Stecher off waivers after defenseman Chris Tanev left the ice on a stretcher. Captain Auston Matthews is out with a lower body injury but should be back soon.

29. Buffalo Sabres (-8)

Captain Rasmus Dahlin is back from his personal leave to be with his fiancée as she continues recovery from a heart transplant during the summer. Dahlin, who missed three games, had two assists as the Sabres ended a five-game losing streak.

30. St. Louis Blues (+1)

Jordan Binnington should make Team Canada after winning the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he ranks last in Moneypuck’s goals saved against expected. He drew attention for trying to hide Ovechkin’s milestone 900-goal puck.

31. Nashville Predators (-3)

The Predators ended their five-game losing streak with a victory in Sweden that featured an overtime goal by struggling Steven Stamkos. But they followed that up with a shutout loss to the Penguins in the second game of the Global Series.