NHL Power Rankings - Week 7: Blues, Canadiens move up, Senators drop to No. 26

1. Los Angeles Kings

Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Kesler scored three goals and added an assist in two games against the Kings this week, which is enough to drive Kings fans something something:

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Duncan Keith loves to sing to his teammates:

Now the question is: Can Keith produce a blank enough stare to match that odd revelation? Yes. He. Can.

3. St. Louis Blues

The Blues are taking more than 30 shots per game for the first time in the Ken Hitchcock era. If they can keep it up, they'll be a serious threat come April. But for real this time. 

4. Tampa Bay Lightning

A trio of undersized skill players in Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, and Ondrej Palat have combined for 14 even-strength goals for the Lightning this season, just in case you were wondering whether or not grit and size is overrated. 

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

You see that shootout against the Rangers? Even when he loses, all Marc-Andre Fleury can do is win!

6. Montreal Canadiens

Dale Weise-y F. Baby is one of the NHL's hottest players, which is shocking since he "ain't on no hockey team."

7. Anaheim Ducks

Corey Perry's recent battle with the mumps is oddly appropriate:

Or maybe it's not so appropriate:

8. Minnesota Wild

A vicious strain of the mumps afflicted several Wild defenders this week. It got so bad that the club was forced to play games with only two NHL-caliber defensemen. Or as the Wild call it: business as usual.

9. Boston Bruins

If Bruins leading scorer Seth Griffith wants to be in Boston long-term, he best stop scoring pretty goals:

10. New York Islanders

Garth Snow's recent work has been so stellar that everyone has forgotten about the disastrous Nino Niederreiter trade, which is odd when you consider that Josh Bailey is currently skating with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo on the Islanders' top-line.

11. Detroit Red Wings

Retired Detroit Red Wings net-front specialist Tomas Holmstrom has a unique approach to tenderizing meat:

Presumably, in the best traditions of the Red Wings organization, that steak was aged for a minimum of three years in Grand Rapids.

12. Nashville Predators 

Filip Forsberg is three points away from becoming the highest-scoring Forsberg in Nashville Predators history.

13. New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider is set to make his franchise-record 19th consecutive start on Tuesday, but the problem is that he's not making nearly enough stops. Perhaps these two things are related. 

14. San Jose Sharks

San Jose continued to stake their claim as the NHL's official "all-name team" by adding backup goaltender Troy Grosenick to the roster. Coincidentally, "Grosenick!" is the sound I instinctively squeak when watching this save:

Ow.

15. Washington Capitals

Capitals heavyweight Tom Wilson returned from injury this weekend and quickly reminded everybody that he is a dangerous man. Not even his own teammates are safe from the wrecking ball:

(Courtesy: Russian Machine Never Breaks)

All he ever did was... 

Wre-eh-eck me (and also Matt Niskanen accidentally in the process).

16. Dallas Stars

Tough to tell whether Bob Gainey is reacting to a goal during the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs here, or watching film of Trevor Daley playing in his own zone without the puck:

17. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are getting blown out a troubling amount while cleaning up in one-goal games. According to fans of the team, it's not that they've been lucky, they just have that killer instinct. 

Because when you think "clutch" you immediately think "Vancouver Canucks".

18. New York Rangers

The Tomas Kaberle experiment didn't really go anywhere, but at least the Rangers gave him a shot. That's more than Kaberle ever gave Leafs fans.

19. Arizona Coyotes

Devan Dubnyk has emerged as the potential savior of the Coyotes season, just as we all expected. 

20. Toronto Maple Leafs

After Saturday's embarassing loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Phil Kessel told reporters to "get away from me." What an ass.

21. Philadelphia Flyers

From NHLStarbucks.tumblr.com:

Really though, fictional Del Zotto should've ordered the low-hanging fruit smoothie.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Without Sergei Bobrovsky the Blue Jackets floundered. Now that he's back we'll see if they can go on a run. Even if they can't, at least we'll get to enjoy his epic hugs with Nick Foligno:

23. Florida Panthers

Panthers checker Vincent Trochek absolutely despises water bottles:

(Courtesy: @myregularface)

Take that, hydration! 

24. Calgary Flames

Rest assured, we'd rank the Flames in the top 10 if we were producing a weekly post titled "Power Standings."

We're not though, so instead we'll point out that the Flames' hot start is likely an illusion. Not unlike the following photo, in which you really can't tell where Brian Burke's hair ends and where Harvey the Hound's paw begins:

25. Winnipeg Jets

Going back-to-back with Ondrej Pavelec is inexcusably stupid. I mean, he's 6-foot-3, so of course he's taller than you.

26. Ottawa Senators

Let's take a break from the pithiness we usually traffic in to wish Senators general manager Bryan Murray and his family courage, strength and comfort in difficult times.

27. Edmonton Oilers

Watching Nikita Nikitin pivot is like watching the Oilers rebuild: you know they'll turn around eventually, it just takes forever.

28. Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche are this year's most surprising entrant in the Connor McDavid sweepstakes, but even netting another No. 1 overall pick might be a Pyrrhic victory:

29. Carolina Hurricanes

This week, Jeff Skinner scored his 100th career NHL goal. Five years from now, he'll make his Stanley Cup playoff debut. 

30. Buffalo Sabres

For one brief shining moment this weekend, Sabres fans had a legitimate reason to cheer: