THE TIMES’ RANKINGS / Top to Bottom

CAPSULES AND RANKINGS

(Team (Record): Comment)

1. Dallas (18-7-4): Hotter than hot in 8-1-1 surge.

2. Detroit (17-6-5): Had four-game win streak before Monday’s tie.

3. Pittsburgh (15-9-5): Special teams fuel 7-0-1 run.

4. Colorado (13-6-8): Six power-play goals in last three games.

5. Philadelphia (15-8-5): Lindros 1 for 12, but no problem.

6. Kings (12-9-5): Two, count ‘em, two scoring lines.

7. New Jersey (17-8-0): Only three even-strength goals in last 3.

8. Washington (13-10-4): Bondra is lone scoring threat.

9. Montreal (15-10-3): Defensive stranglehold slips.

10. Phoenix (13-11-2): Stumbles in two losses to Dallas.

11. St. Louis (15-9-3): Offense silent in 0-4-1 streak.

12. N.Y. Islanders (11-11-4): Big wins over Rangers, Blues.

13. Ducks (11-12-5): Team Teemu can’t climb above .500.

14. Chicago (10-13-4): Looking better in 3-1-3 push.

15. Boston (11-12-5): Outscored, 29-12, in 0-5-2 streak.

16. N.Y. Rangers (8-11-9): Offense sluggish in 1-4-2 slide.

17. Vancouver (9-14-4): Canucks 5-1-2 under Keenan.

18. Florida (8-14-5): New coach, same bad chemistry.

19. Calgary (6-15-7): Persistence pays in 3-1-2 stretch.

20. Carolina (11-13-4): Last three losses by only a goal.

21. San Jose (9-18-2): Only eight goals in 0-4-1 streak.

22. Tampa Bay (4-17-4): Tied Flyers, Avalanche.

23. Edmonton (8-13-6): Was last spring a fluke?

24. Ottawa (10-13-4): Too good to be in 1-8-1 free fall.

25. Buffalo (7-12-6): Hasek, defense no longer dominating.

26. Toronto (8-13-3): Feeble offense, shaky goaltending.

GAME OF THE WEEK

KINGS at MONTREAL

* When--Wednesday. Time--4:30 p.m. TV--Fox Sports West.

* Storyline--The Kings got their act together and took it on the road, which would have been an ominous prospect last season, when they had a league-low .293 road winning percentage. No longer. They have earned 13 points in 13 away games and seem sure to surpass last season’s 24 road points. They haven’t won in Montreal since Nov. 24, 1990, but they have won at Detroit, Colorado and New Jersey this season. The Canadiens smothered the Kings on Nov. 8 at the Forum, 4-1, but Montreal is in a 2-6-1 slump and has given up five or more goals in three of its last six games.