1. Winnipeg Jets
37-14-3, 77 points; +64 goal differential
The Jets, who are eight points ahead of the Dallas Stars in the Central Division, are first in the NHL with 195 goals and also lead the league in goal differential. They have netted at least four tallies in each of their last five contests and are the only team with a pair of 30-goal scorers, as Mark Scheifele is tied for second in the NHL with 31 and Kyle Connor trails him by one. Scheifele and Connor both have notched seven points over their last four games. Meanwhile, two-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck is the league leader in wins (33), goals-against average (2.04), save percentage (.925) and shutouts (six). The 31-year-old netminder has lost just one of his last 10 starts. Winnipeg has just two games before the 4 Nations break -- both at home, where it has posted a 20-5-3 record.
2. Washington Capitals
34-11-7, 75 points; +53 goal differential
Washington has recorded just one victory in its last four games but has earned at least one point in 15 of its last 16 (10-1-5). Goaltender Logan Thompson, who is second in the NHL in GAA (2.15) and SP (.924), hasn't lost in regulation since Dec. 17, going 11-0-2 in his last 13 decisions. Alex Ovechkin has tallied in back-to-back contests and leads the Capitals with 24 goals in 36 games. The 39-year-old is 18 away from overtaking Wayne Gretzky (894) for first place in the all-time list.
3. Dallas Stars
34-17-1, 69 points; +40 goal differential
The Stars are one of the hottest teams in the league as they enter the week with a five-game winning streak. Jason Robertson has registered at least one point in 10 of his last 11 contests and hasn't been kept off the scoresheet in consecutive games since mid-November. Roope Hintz leads the team with 22 goals and began last week with back-to-back three-point performances before coming up empty in Sunday's 5-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dallas was active on the trade market last week, making a deal with the San Jose Sharks for their top scorer in Mikael Granlund (45 points) and defenseman Cody Ceci. The Stars begin a six-game road trip that wraps around the 4 Nations break, with three contests in California this week.
4. Carolina Hurricanes
32-17-4, 68 points; +30 goal differential
Carolina had its hopes for a perfect week spoiled Sunday when it dropped a 4-2 home decision to Los Angeles after having registered victories over the New York Rangers and Chicago. Seth Jarvis scored in two of the Hurricanes' three games to reach the 20-goal plateau for the second consecutive season. Mikko Rantanen, who is in the top 10 in the NHL with 26 goals and 66 points, still is getting acclimated to his new team as he has notched two points in four contests since being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche. Carolina had road matchups against Winnipeg and the Minnesota Wild before ending this week against the Utah Hockey Club at home.
5. Edmonton Oilers
32-16-4, 68 points; +29 goal differential
The Oilers ended their six-game homestand on a low note, losing to both the Detroit Red Wings (in a shootout) and Toronto Maple Leafs. Leon Draisaitl did not disappoint, however, registering three goals and five assists during the stretch at Rogers Place to increase his points total to 77 -- three behind NHL leader Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. The 29-year-old Draisaitl is first in the league with 36 tallies and, barring a disaster, will reach the 40-goal plateau for the sixth time in seven seasons. Connor McDavid hasn't had an electrifying season thus far, but he's still tied for sixth in scoring with 67 points despite missing six games. Edmonton visits the St. Louis Blues and Chicago before ending the week at home versus Colorado.
6. Florida Panthers
32-19-3, 67 points; +25 goal differential
Florida was perfect last week, winning each of its three games -- all at home. The Panthers kicked off Week 18 with a visit to the White House on Monday, one day ahead of their road matchup against the Capitals. Sam Reinhart is tied for second in the NHL with 31 goals and has notched six points in his last three contests. Carter Verhaeghe is heating up, as he has netted four tallies in his last two outings after producing only 11 over his first 52 games. Matthew Tkachuk is riding a three-game goal-scoring streak and has collected nine points in his last five contests. Florida, which has a three-point lead over Toronto in the Atlantic Division, also faces St. Louis on the road and Ottawa at home before the break.
7. Vegas Golden Knights
31-16-6, 68 points; +28 goal differential
The Golden Knights had a rough week, dropping overtime decisions to Dallas and Columbus at home before losing to the Rangers in regulation on the road to fall to 3-7-3 in their last 13 games. That setback kicked off a four-game trek that continues this week against the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins. Jack Eichel scored both goals in the 4-2 loss to the Rangers, giving him seven in as many contests, and he hasn't gone back-to-back games without a point since Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Tomas Hertl didn't find the back of the net in his last outing after scoring in eight of his previous 10 but is one of two players on the team (Pavel Dorofeyev, 22) with at least 20 goals.
8. Minnesota Wild
31-18-4, 66 points; +3 goal differential
Minnesota's winning streak ended at three games with Sunday's 6-0 setback at Ottawa. The loss dropped the Wild to 3-1-0 on their five-game road trip, which concludes at Boston on Tuesday. They then finish the week at home against the Hurricanes and Islanders. With leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) on long-term injured reserve, Minnesota will need more production from Marco Rossi (one goal in his last eight games) and Matt Boldy (seven-game drought), who are tied for second on the team with 18 goals apiece.
9. Colorado Avalanche
31-21-2, 64 points; +12 goal differential
After beginning last week with a 5-2 road loss to the Islanders, Colorado clamped down defensively, shutting out both St. Louis and the Philadelphia Flyers at home. Mackenzie Blackwood was in the crease for both blankings, turning aside all 43 shots he faced as he improved to 12-5-2 since being acquired from San Jose. MacKinnon, the reigning Hart Trophy winner who leads the NHL with 80 points, has been held without one in consecutive games just once this season (Nov. 25-27). Martin Necas is fitting in nicely with the Avalanche, as he has recorded five points in as many contests since being obtained from Carolina. Colorado begins a five-game road trip with contests at Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton this week.
10. New Jersey Devils
29-19-6, 64 points; +30 goal differential
New Jersey's struggles continued as it lost two of its three games last week. With Sunday's 4-3 setback at Buffalo, the Devils fell to 5-8-3 since Dec. 28. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt are in the midst of five-game points streaks. Hughes has registered three goals and three assists during his run, while Bratt has netted one tally and set up six others. The Devils have a home meeting with Vegas sandwiched between road games against Pittsburgh and Montreal this week.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs
31-19-2, 64 points; +9 goal differential
The Maple Leafs ended a three-game slide and kicked off a four-game road trip with a 4-3 triumph at Edmonton last Saturday. They continue the trek this week with contests at Calgary, Seattle and Vancouver. Reigning Maurice Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews has gone three games without a goal after having tallied in five straight and seven of eight. But William Nylander has scored in back-to-back contests in five of his last seven to reach the 30-goal plateau for the fourth consecutive season.
12. Ottawa Senators
29-20-4, 62 points; +11 goal differential
Ottawa, which has gone seven seasons without a playoff appearance but currently occupies third place in the Atlantic Division, will look to extend its five-game winning streak in the Sunshine State as it plays back-to-back games in Tampa Bay before ending the week at Florida. It will have to do so without Josh Norris, however, as the 25-year-old center is dealing with an undisclosed injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for "a couple weeks," according to head coach Travis Green. Norris scored in back-to-back contests before getting hurt and is one tally away from his second career 20-goal season. Leading scorer Tim Stutzle (53 points) is riding a five-game points streak during which he has collected two goals and six assists.
13. Detroit Red Wings
27-21-5, 59 points; -9 goal differential
The Red Wings' postseason drought is at eight seasons, but they also are making a strong attempt to return. They are 14-4-1 under head coach Todd McLellan, who was hired on Dec. 26, and enter Week 18 with a six-game winning streak. It's their second lengthy run under McLellan, as they won seven straight contests after losing his debut. Alex DeBrincat is tied with Dylan Larkin for the team lead with 23 goals after converting twice -- including in overtime -- at Vancouver on Sunday. Detroit looks to finish perfect on its four-game road trip when it visits Seattle before finishing the week at home against Tampa Bay.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
26-20-7, 59 points; +1 goal differential
Columbus' stretch of good fortune ended Sunday at Dallas, where it suffered a 5-3 loss after having recorded three consecutive wins in overtime. Adding injury to insult, it lost leading goal scorer Kirill Marchenko (21) indefinitely to a broken jaw in that contest. In addition, Zach Werenski -- third among NHL defensemen with 57 points -- exited the game with an undisclosed injury and will miss Tuesday's contest in Buffalo. That means the Blue Jackets will be counting on Kent Johnson to continue his surge, as the 22-year-old center is in the midst of a seven-game points streak during which he has recorded three goals and five assists. Columbus also has home meetings with Utah and the Rangers before the break.
15. Calgary Flames
26-19-7, 59 points; -11 goal differential
The Flames split their four games last week and play all three in Week 18 at home, where it is 16-8-3 this season but has lost two of its last three. Jonathan Huberdeau's goal in Sunday's 3-2 victory at Seattle was just his second in 11 contests but gave him 20 for the seventh time in his 13-year career. Morgan Frost also tallied in that triumph, his second since being acquired from Philadelphia along with Joel Farabee during last week's trading frenzy.
16. Los Angeles Kings
27-17-6, 60 points; +12 goal differential
Los Angeles lost four straight games and eight of 10 before ending last week with a 4-2 victory at Carolina. The team returns home from a 1-3-1 trek for home matchups with Montreal, Dallas and Anaheim before the break. Adrian Kempe leads the Kings with 24 goals and 44 points but has been ice cold, failing to land on the scoresheet in five consecutive contests. Kevin Fiala tallied twice against the Hurricanes after scoring only two goals over his previous 13 outings.
17. Boston Bruins
26-22-6, 58 points; -26 goal differential
The Bruins salvaged last week with a 6-3 home victory against the Rangers after allowing a total of 13 goals in losses to Buffalo and Winnipeg. This week, they visit the Rangers between home matchups with Minnesota and Vegas. David Pastrnak recorded a hat trick and added an assist in Saturday's win to extend his points streak to 10 games. The 28-year-old Czech has posted seven multi-point performances while registering totals of 10 goals and 13 assists during the run.
18. New York Islanders
24-21-7, 55 points; -7 goal differential
Like all good things, the Islanders' winning streak came to an end Sunday as they suffered a 6-3 loss at Florida. It ended their seven-game run, which helped them get back in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. The club entered Week 18 trailing Columbus by four points for the second wild card spot. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo has notched three points in five games since signing with the Islanders on Jan. 24, while rookie center Marc Gatcomb scored a goal in two of his last three contests.
19. Tampa Bay Lightning
27-20-4, 58 points; +34 goal differential
Tampa Bay has underperformed of late, winning only two of its last seven games (2-4-1). The Lightning are 1-1-1 on their five-game homestand, which concludes with back-to-back matchups against Ottawa. They finish the week on the road against Detroit and Montreal. Nikita Kucherov is third in the NHL with 76 points and has landed on the scoresheet in 14 of his last 15 contests. Tampa Bay is the only team in the league that entered Week 18 with four 20-goal scorers.
20. Vancouver Canucks
23-18-11, 57 points; -16 goal differential
The Canucks lead the NHL in Petterssons, as they have three on the roster after acquiring Marcus from Pittsburgh last week and recalling Elias the defenseman from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League. Elias the center has struggled offensively this season, scoring only 11 goals after recording at least 32 each of the previous three campaigns. Vancouver began last week with a 2-1-0 road trip before losing at home to Detroit in overtime. Reigning Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes, who leads all defensemen with 59 points, will miss Tuesday's home game against Colorado with an undisclosed injury but hopes to be back in the lineup later this week at San Jose and versus Toronto.
21. New York Rangers
25-23-4, 54 points; -4 goal differential
The Rangers ended their three-game losing streak with a 4-2 home triumph over Vegas on Sunday. J.T. Miller has performed well since returning to the Broadway Blueshirts, scoring two goals in a loss at Boston before notching a pair of assists against the Golden Knights. The Rangers host Boston and Pittsburgh this week before visiting Columbus.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins
22-24-8, 52 points; -36 goal differential
Pittsburgh began last week with its third consecutive loss but bounced back with victories at Utah in overtime and against Nashville at home. The triumph in Salt Lake City ended the Penguins' 3-4-0 road trip, while the win over the Predators gave them back-to-back triumphs for the first time since Dec. 17-19. Sidney Crosby enters Week 18 with a four-game goal-scoring streak and at least one point in six of his last seven contests. The future Hall-of-Famer will have the opportunity to extend his run when Pittsburgh hosts New Jersey and visits the Rangers and Flyers this week.
23. St. Louis Blues
24-25-4, 52 points; -16 goal differential
The Blues halted their four-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory at Utah on Sunday. This week, they host Edmonton, Florida and Chicago before returning from the 4 Nations break to complete a six-game homestand. After recently parting ways with Brandon Saad, who signed with Vegas on Jan. 31 following his release, St. Louis could be on the verge of making some trades in order to stock up for the future.
24. Anaheim Ducks
22-24-6, 50 points; -30 goal differential
That's right, the Ducks are rising up the ranks by virtue of their recent performances. Anaheim has won four of its last five games, scoring at least four goals in three of the victories. Frank Vatrano is riding a three-game goal-scoring streak and has tallied in five of his last six outings. The Ducks host Dallas and visit Los Angeles prior to the break.
25. Montreal Canadiens
24-23-5, 53 points; -23 goal differential
Montreal is headed in the opposite direction, as it went 0-3-0 last week and has lost five consecutive contests (0-4-1). The Canadiens begin Week 18 with visits to San Jose and Los Angeles before concluding it at home against New Jersey and Tampa Bay. Cole Caufield is three goals away from matching the career high of 28 he set last season but has scored just once in his last nine games.
26. Buffalo Sabres
21-26-5, 47 points; -13 goal differential
The Sabres were perfect last week, scoring a total of 15 goals while winning all three games. Tage Thompson, who leads Buffalo with 26 goals and 48 points, was named Second Star of the Week after recording four goals and four assists in those contests. However, he will miss the finale of the team's four-game homestand on Tuesday against Columbus with an upper-body injury. The Sabres end Week 18 at Nashville.
27. Utah Hockey Club
21-22-9, 51 points; -11 goal differential
Utah went 0-1-2 last week and is in the midst of a five-game slide (0-3-2). The club hosts Philadelphia on Tuesday before finishing the week on the road against Columbus, Carolina and Washington. Clayton Keller has been kept off the scoreboard in two of his last three outings following a seven-game streak during which he collected four goals and nine assists.
28. Philadelphia Flyers
23-25-6, 52 points; -29 goal differential
Scoring continues to be a problem for Philadelphia, which scored a total of four goals in three games two weeks ago and was shut out in its final three contests last week. The Flyers open Week 18 on the road against Utah before hosting Washington and Pittsburgh.
29. Seattle Kraken
23-28-3, 49 points; -12 goal differential
The Kraken lost three of four games last week and are 1-2-0 on their five-game homestand, which continues against Detroit and Toronto. The team then visits Calgary before the 4 Nations break.
30. Nashville Predators
18-27-7, 43 points; -33 goal differential
Nashville kicked off Week 18 with its fifth consecutive loss, a 5-2 home setback against Ottawa. The Predators visit Chicago before hosting Buffalo.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
16-31-5, 37 points; -44 goal differential
The Blackhawks went 1-2-0 on the road last week and are 2-6-3 in their last 11 overall games. They host Edmonton and Nashville before ending Week 18 at St. Louis.
32. San Jose Sharks
15-33-6, 36 points; -61 goal differential
San Jose split its two games last week but is just 2-10-0 in its last 12. It has allowed at least six goals in each of its last five defeats. The Sharks welcome Montreal, Vancouver and Dallas to the SAP Center before beginning a seven-game road trip after the 4 Nations break.