Power Rankings: Stars, Sabres make their move in Week 18

Week: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25

ESPN.com

We have a new No. 1 this week as the Detroit Red Wings' recent four-game slide costs them the top spot in Week 18.

The Dallas Stars take over after posting a seven-game winning streak as they sit atop the Pacific Division with San Jose and Anaheim breathing down their necks.

Meanwhile, this week's big mover is the Buffalo Sabres, who have posted an 8-0-2 run. Goalie Ryan Miller has started in nine of those 10 contests, posting a .920 save percentage or better six times over that span (including two shutouts).

As always, you can weigh in and rank your 30 teams here.

Until next time, enjoy puckheads!

-- Posted on Thursday, Feb. 14

2007-2008 Power Rankings: Week 18
	RK (PV)	TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (2)	Stars	35-20-5	The Stars have won seven straight, and four of those wins came on the road in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Minnesota.
	2 (1)	Red Wings	41-13-5	The Red Wings fall out of the top spot after dropping four straight contests. Meanwhile, Chris Chelios played in his 1,600th career NHL game this past week -- freak ... of ... nature!
	3 (3)	Sharks	31-17-8	The Sharks are 6-2-1 in their past nine games, while Patrick Marleau is out of the lineup with a groin injury.
	4 (4)	Devils	32-21-4	The Devils still are in the mix after a 2-1-1 week. Even more impressive is the fact that they haven't lost a game by more than two goals since Dec. 29.
	5 (8)	Penguins	32-20-5	Evgeni Malkin has been carrying the Penguins since Sidney Crosby suffered a high ankle sprain Jan. 18. In that span of 11 games, Malkin has nine goals and 13 assists.
	6 (6)	Senators	34-19-5	Sorry, we still don't know whether this team is really over the hump yet. It is 2-5-0 over its past seven games.
	7 (5)	Flyers	30-21-5	With four straight losses, three of which were against Atlantic foes, the Flyers lose some ground in our list and in the East standings. For now.
	8 (11)	Ducks	32-22-7	The Ducks have won five straight games, all on the road, all coinciding with the return of Teemu Selanne. Hmmm.
	9 (7)	Canadiens	30-19-9	The Habs' train has cooled a bit after a 1-3-0 week, but they still are within striking distance of the Sens in the Northeast.
	10 (9)	Flames	29-20-8	The Flames are 7-3-0 over their past 10 games, sit second in the Northwest and sit sixth in the Western Conference.
	11 (10)	Wild	32-21-4	The Wild had an up-and-down week, including a tough 1-0 loss to the Stars. Five of their next eight games are on the road, and Minny still has to solve Calgary. The Wild are 1-3-1 versus the Flames so far this season.
	12 (14)	Predators	30-22-6	Chris Mason and Dan Ellis have combined for a 13-4-4 record and five shutouts over the past 21 games, and the Preds are in the playoff hunt.
	13 (15)	Avalanche	30-22-5	The Avalanche still are in the West playoff picture, even without Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny. Good news for Colorado fans: Smyth is expected to return this week.
	14 (13)	Rangers	28-24-7	A new deal reportedly is around the corner for goalie Henrik Lundqvist, but that was expected. There's a list of other issues awaiting GM Glen Sather.
	15 (23)	Sabres	28-21-8	Our Wacky Mover of the Week! Well, not so wacky when you consider the Sabres have gone 8-0-2 over their past 10 games. Barry Melrose proclaims that Ryan Miller has been the NHL's best goalie since the All-Star break.
	16 (12)	Coyotes	28-25-4	The Coyotes have lost three straight games since Rick Tocchet's return. The team hadn't done that since a stretch over Christmas.
	17 (17)	Canucks	28-22-7	The Canucks play their next three games and 14 of their last 25 contests against Northwest opponents.
	18 (22)	Capitals	27-25-6	Alexander Ovechkin is set to break the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career, while the Caps fight for the lead in the Southeast.
	19 (19)	Hurricanes	28-27-4	The Hurricanes have had just one power-play goal in seven games (1-for-27).
	20 (21)	Bruins	29-23-5	The Bruins are in the midst of a five-game road trip, winning the first in Pittsburgh. Boston is 15-11-2 away from TD Banknorth Garden this season.
	21 (20)	Blue Jackets	26-24-9	With just one win in their past eight games, the Blue Jackets' playoff hopes seem distant once again.
	22 (18)	Blues	25-22-8	The Blues finally snapped a four-game losing skid just before embarking on a stretch that will see them play five of their next seven on the road.
	23 (16)	Islanders	25-25-7	Their recent win over the Flyers ended a rough seven-game losing skid, but we don't know whether the Islanders are going to make another trade-deadline splash to save things this time around.
	24 (25)	Thrashers	28-27-4	While the Thrashers' power play continues to struggle, Kari Lehtonen had a solid week in net.
	25 (24)	Panthers	26-27-6	We praise Richard Zednik for finding humor after a horrific accident. Just days after having surgery to repair a severed carotid artery, the Panther asked his Buffalo doctor if he could have some wings.
	26 (27)	Oilers	26-27-5	After winning three of its past four games, Edmonton moves up a spot this week.
	27 (26)	Blackhawks	25-25-6	This team still is at .500, but it looks like the playoffs will have to wait until next season.
	28 (28)	Lightning	24-27-6	The trade clock is ticking ...
	29 (29)	Kings	24-32-3	The draft clock is ticking ...
	30 (30)	Maple Leafs	23-26-9	The GM role? A ticking time bomb.