Helene Elliott’s NHL rankings

Through Monday’s games

Rank Team Record Comment (previous week)

1. Washington 33-12-6. Capitals have a six-game winning streak, their third this season. Alexander Ovechkin has a nine-game points streak, collecting 20 in that span. (4)

2. San Jose 35-10-8. Sharks have won five straight games, even though defenseman Dan Boyle has missed the last two because of an upper-body injury. (2)

3. Chicago 35-13-4. Loss at Vancouver on Saturday left the Blackhawks 3-2 on their eight-game odyssey through North America. (1)

4. Colorado 30-15-6. Goalie Craig Anderson has excelled during the Avalanche’s six-game winning streak: 1.14 goals-against average, .965 save percentage and two shutouts. (7)

5. Vancouver 32-18-2. The Canucks are 8-2-1 in their last 11. They’re in a great race with the Avalanche for the Northwest Division lead. (6)

6. New Jersey 34-15-1. Devils might get center Dainius Zubrus (fractured kneecap) back this week. But Patrik Elias is out indefinitely because of a concussion. (5)

7. Pittsburgh 33-20-1. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury returned Monday after recovering from a broken finger, getting the win against the Rangers. (10)

8. Buffalo 30-14-7. The Sabres were 0 for the West Coast, losing to the Ducks, Kings, Sharks and Canucks. And they got rained on while in SoCal. (3)

9. Kings 29-19-3. This young team continues to rack up character wins. Now about that power play, which is 0 for 26 over the last five games. . . . (11)

10. Ottawa 28-21-4. Senators get Jason Spezza back from a knee injury and are riding a six-game winning streak. (13)

11. Phoenix 29-18-5. The Coyotes are only 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and sparking concerns they’re playing goalie Ilya Bryzgalov too much. (9)

12. Nashville 29-19-3. The Predators have lost three straight games and five of their last 10 and are one of the teams on the bubble in the West. (8)

13. Philadelphia 26-22-3. The Flyers’ home winning streak was ended at six Sunday by the Penguins. (18)

14. Detroit 25-18-8. The Red Wings’ playoff push slowed when they lost leads in three straight games. But Niklas Kronwall (sprained knee) and Tomas Holmstrom (broken foot) might be back within the week. (12)

15. Calgary 26-20-6. It’s astonishing that a team with so much talent can lose six in a row and win only twice in its last 11 games. (14)

16. Ducks 24-21-7. A comeback win at St. Louis on Saturday gave them eight wins in their last 10. Teemu Selanne (jaw) and Saku Koivu (knee) might return soon. (19)

17. Montreal 25-23-5. Wins over the Devils and Rangers give Habs fans reason for optimism. (20)

18. N.Y. Rangers 24-22-7. Team Dysfunctional. Coach John Tortorella feuds with the media and his team has been shut out four times in eight games. (16)

19. N.Y. Islanders 23-21-8. Their long suffering is finally paying off with a crop of eager kids who don’t mind hard work. (17)

20. Boston 23-20-8. The Bruins have lost five in a row. Injuries can explain their league-low 127 goals but not their goaltending woes. (15)

21. Dallas 22-19-11. The Dallas Morning News reported the Stars and goaltender Marty Turco aren’t discussing a contract extension. He can be a free agent July 1. (23)

22. Minnesota 25-23-4. SoCal product Robbie Earl has goals in two straight games after being placed on waivers. (20)

23. Florida 22-21-9. Right wing Nathan Horton, who had a team-leading 46 points in 51 games, suffered a broken leg. He will be out four to six weeks. (24)

24. Tampa Bay 21-20-10. Ownership situation is becoming dire. Sports Business Daily reported that the NHL has helped the Lightning make payroll by advancing revenue sharing money. (26)

25. St. Louis 23-21-8. Ty Conklin shuts out the Flames, which isn’t as tough as it sounds these days. (22)

26. Atlanta 22-21-8. There’s only one interesting event left in the Thrashers’ season: when they trade winger Ilya Kovalchuk. (25)

27. Columbus 20-25-9. Steve Mason, the 2008-09 rookie of the year, hasn’t won two consecutive games since mid-October. He has a 3.30 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. (28)

28. Carolina 16-28-7. Captaincy is taken from Rod Brind’Amour and given to Eric Staal. Look for GM Jim Rutherford to begin moving veterans like Ray Whitney. (27)

29. Toronto 17-26-10. The Maple Leafs don’t get any reward for being this bad: They gave up their first-round draft pick to Boston in the Phil Kessel trade. (29)

30. Edmonton 16-28-6. The Oilers have lost 17 of their last 18. Defenseman Sheldon Souray says he will waive his no-trade clause, and he has decent trade value. (30)

helene.elliott@latimes.com

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