THE TIMES’ RANKING: top to BOTTOM

Team (record): Comment

1. Dallas (30-11-8): Depth, defense put Stars on top.

2. Detroit (28-11-10): Grinders outshining skill players.

3. Colorado (24-9-16): Avalanche gathering momentum.

4. Philadelphia (25-11-9): Only team with two 20-goal scorers.

5. New Jersey (29-14-3): Boring, but Devils keep winning.

6. Montreal (25-16-7): Savage hot in 6-1-2 surge.

7. St. Louis (26-17-6): Lost last two by a goal each.

8. Boston (21-16-9): Defense shines in 4-0-3 streak.

9. Washington (23-17-8): Offense revives in 5-1 run.

10. Pittsburgh (24-15-8): Barrasso back from thigh injury.

11. Phoenix (21-18-8): Tkachuk scores nine in last 10 games.

12. Kings (19-19-8): Blake a more consistent force.

13. Chicago (18-20-9): Zhamnov, Daze lead 7-2-2 revival.

14. Ottawa (19-21-7): Daigle’s gone, scoring woes remain.

15. Buffalo (17-20-8): Sabres sharp in 4-1-2 push.

16. Edmonton (16-22-9): Sather looks like a genius again.

17. N.Y. Rangers (15-20-12): Richter, Cloutier share nets.

18. San Jose (16-24-6): Step backward in 1-4-1 slump.

19. Carolina (17-25-6): Offense is invisible.

20. Florida (15-23-10): Can’t buy goals in 0-3-4 skid.

21. Ducks (15-25-8): Little grit in 2-7-2 decline.

22. Toronto (14-24-7): Sundin can’t halt 1-7-2 plunge.

23. Calgary (12-26-10): Wait till next decade.

24. N.Y. Islanders (16-25-6): Bowness still not secure.

25. Vancouver (12-28-8): Only solution: Start over again.

26. Tampa Bay (9-29-8): Espo’s folly is NHL laughingstock.

GAME OF THE WEEK

COLORADO AT DALLAS

* When--Wednesday. * Time--5:30 p.m. * TV--ESPN2.

* Storyline--The Pacific Division leader visits the Central Division leader in the opener of a home-and-home series. Dallas has the NHL’s best record, best power play and best goals-against average (1.99), but Colorado is 8-1-7 in its last 16 games and Peter Forsberg was the scoring leader at the All-Star break with 18 goals and 59 points in 46 games. Dallas has a victory and a tie in the teams’ previous meetings this season.