Despite all of the attention paid to Washington, Chicago, New Jersey and Pittsburgh this season, perhaps none deserve praise more than the surprising Los Angeles Kings. With San Jose stumbling, the Kings find themselves along on top of the Western Conference standings and show no sign of slowing down.
SB Nation’s NHL Power Rankings, Week 11: Los Angeles Kings On The Rise
They are a young, hungry and determined team that has excelled in close games and look to be a legitimate threat as the season progresses, not just an early-season flash in the pan. Our panel of voters are still a bit unsure, ranking the Kings just 5th overall and giving them just one first-place vote. Here’s betting that next week this relatively unknown team pressure the Caps and Blackhawks for the top spot.
PLEASE READ: Western Conference rankings are determined by votes from Western Conference bloggers, Eastern Conference bloggers for Eastern rankings. The Top 10 Power Rankings are determined by a separate vote of Western and Eastern Conference bloggers.
| NHL Top Ten Power Rankings | ||||
| Rank | Last Wk | Team | Comments | |
 | 1 | 3 | Chicago Blackhawks | So much for goaltending issues. The Blackhawks now lead the NHL in goals allowed, giving up just 2.06 per game. |
 | 2 | 1 | Washington Capitals | A slight stumble last week, but things look to be back on track after a 6-1 drubbing of Colorado. |
 | 3 | 5 | New Jersey Devils | The best road team in the NHL is currently 5-2-0 in a stretch where they play nine-of-ten games at home. |
 | 4 | 4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | A healthy Pens team is doing some damage once again, winners of three in a row. |
 | 5 | 7 | Los Angeles Kings | The surprising Kings now sit along atop the Western Conference standings. Who would have taken the best that would be the case midway through the season? |
 | 6 | 2 | San Jose Sharks | The Sharks are now in the midst of a season-high six game losing streak. Consolation prize: three games went to overtime? |
 | 7 | 8 | Buffalo Sabres | Led by goaltender Ryan Miller and a suffocating defense, the Sabres are now 8-2-0 in their past ten games. |
 | 8 | 6 | Calgary Flames | The Flames barely hold on in the top ten after going 1-2-1 in the past week. |
 | 9 | - | Colorado Avalanche | The Avs are still holding on to their top spot in the Northwest division, with Calgary nipping at their heels two points behind. |
 | 10 | 9 | Boston Bruins | A loss to rival Philadelphia on Monday put a damper on what had been good start to December; now the Bruins are just 3-2-1 on the month. |
Western Conference
Biggest Winner: Edmonton Oilers (+3)
Biggest Loser: St. Louis Blues (-2)
| Western Conference Power Rankings | ||||
| Rk (Prv) | Team | Record | SB Nation Blog | |
| 1 (1) | Chicago Blackhawks | 20-8-3 | Second City Hockey |
| 2 (4) | Los Angeles Kings | 22-11-3 | Battle of California |
| 3 (2) | San Jose Sharks | 19-8-7 | Fear The Fin |
| 4 (3) | Calgary Flames | 19-10-4 | Matchsticks and Gasoline |
| 5 (5) | Colorado Avalanche | 19-11-6 | Mile High Hockey |
 | 6 (6) | Phoenix Coyotes | 19-12-2 | Five For Howling |
 | 7 (9) | Dallas Stars | 14-8-10 | Defending Big D |
 | 8 (7) | Nashville Predators | 20-11-3 | On the Forecheck |
 | 9 (8) | Detroit Red Wings | 17-11-5 | Winging It In Motown |
 | 10 (10) | Vancouver Canucks | 19-14-0 | Nucks Misconduct |
 | 11 (14) | Edmonton Oilers | 15-14-4 | The Copper & Blue |
 | 12 (11) | Columbus Blue Jackets | 14-14-6 | The Cannon |
 | 13 (13) | Minnesota Wild | 16-14-3 | Hockey Wilderness |
 | 14 (12) | St. Louis Blues | 14-12-5 | St. Louis Game Time |
 | 15 (15) | Anaheim Ducks | 12-13-7 | Anaheim Calling |
Eastern Conference
Biggest Winner: Motreal Canadiens (+3)
Biggest Loser: Tampa Bay Lightning (-6)
| Eastern Conference Power Rankings | ||||
| Rk (Prv) | Team | Record | SB Nation Blog | |
| 1 (1) | Washington Capitals | 21-7-6 | Japers' Rink |
| 2 (2) | Pittsburgh Penguins | 23-10-1 | PensBurgh |
| 3 (3) | New Jersey Devils | 22-8-1 | In Lou We Trust |
| 4 (5) | Buffalo Sabres | 20-9-2 | Die By The Blade |
| 5 (4) | Boston Bruins | 16-10-6 | Stanley Cup of Chowder |
 | 6 (6) | Atlanta Thrashers | 17-11-3 | Bird Watchers Anonymous |
 | 7 (7) | Ottawa Senators | 16-12-4 | Silver Seven |
 | 8 (11) | Montreal Canadiens | 15-16-3 | Habs Eyes On The Prize |
 | 9 (9) | New York Islanders | 12-14-7 | Lighthouse Hockey |
 | 10 (10) | New York Rangers | 14-15-3 | Blueshirt Banter |
 | 11 (13) | Florida Panthers | 13-14-7 | Litter Box Cats |
 | 12 (14) | Toronto Maple Leafs | 12-14-7 | Pension Plan Puppets |
 | 13 (12) | Philadelphia Flyers | 15-16-1 | Broad Street Hockey |
 | 14 (8) | Tampa Bay Lightning | 11-13-9 | Raw Charge |
 | 15 (15) | Carolina Hurricanes | 7-19-6 | Canes Country |
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