The Phoenix Coyotes were the story of the summer for all the wrong reasons: bankruptcy, lawsuits, a potential move back to Canada. Now they're the story of the NHL for their play on the ice, which has been nothing short of amazing. Here are this week's NHL power rankings, courtesy of Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline, with last week's rankings in ( ):

1. Washington (1): Alex Ovechkin is the best player in the NHL, but once again he's blurred the line between reckless and dirty.

2. San Jose (2): The Sharks have one more month of regular-season fun before the playoff pressure mounts again.

3. Chicago (3): Shoot first, ask questions later. The Blackhawks have 40-plus shots in 16 games this season.

4. Phoenix (5): The Coyotes have more points than the Penguins, Devils and Red Wings. Just give Dave Tippett the Jack Adams Trophy already.

5. Vancouver (6): Mikael Samuelsson has been a keen free-agent signing. He's already set career highs in goals (30) and points (53).

6. Pittsburgh (4): Sidney Crosby getting tangled up with Tampa Bay's Steve Downie looked nasty. Huge break for the Pens.

7. Colorado (7): When does Craig Anderson get a breather? He made 16 starts leading up to the Olympics and now seven straight after the games.

8. Los Angeles (8): Fredrik Modin now has more goals with the Kings (three) than he did all season with the Blue Jackets (two).

9. Nashville (13): The Predators' best attribute is resiliency. After giving up six third-period goals in San Jose, they bounce back with wins in Anaheim and L.A.

10. Detroit (12): A late entry into the rookie-of-the-year debate is Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. Where would Detroit be without him?

11. New Jersey (9): The Devils are 5-0 vs. Pittsburgh this season, but ugly losses to Edmonton and the New York Islanders have pockmarked the past week.

12. Montreal (16): Hottest team in the NHL since the Olympic break, which is all it takes to get into the playoff picture in the East.

13. Buffalo (10): Should Sabres fans be worried? Despite Ryan Miller's play, the Sabres are 8-10-6 (.333) since Jan. 8.

14. Calgary (18): After retooling their roster midseason, the Flames are playing well again. Huge test tonight against the Red Wings.

15. Ottawa (11): Since his last win Dec. 31, backup goaltender Pascal Leclaire is 0-5-1 with an .881 save percentage. He's been yanked three times.

16. Philadelphia (14): It's easy to forget how good Chris Pronger is, even at 35 years old. He's got 40 assists for the sixth time in his career, and he's plus-23.

17. Boston (15): So far, so good without top playmaker Marc Savard. But eventually his injury will catch up to the Bruins.

18. St. Louis (19): Trying to make a late-season run in the postseason for a second straight year. Watching them play, it's hard to bet against it.

19. Minnesota (20): There will be no playoff push in St. Paul. The Wild face San Jose (2), Calgary (2), Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles the rest of the way.

20. N.Y. Rangers (21): Looks like it'll come down to the Rangers and Bruins for the last playoff spot in the East. They play Sunday.

21. Anaheim (17): What happened to that post-Olympic push? The Ducks dropped five straight before a win Sunday over San Jose.

22. Tampa Bay (26): The Bolts, wanting a franchise goaltender, traded Brad Richards to Dallas for Mike Smith in 2008. Smith is now backing up Antero Niittymaki.

23. Florida (25): Los Panteros have won four of their past five games, including a stunning OT victory in San Jose.

24. Carolina (22): With goaltender Cam Ward hurt (again), the Hurricanes' second-half surge has slowed down a bit.

25. Dallas (23): So much for a playoff push. The Stars are 1-5-1 since the Olympic break, having given up 31 goals in seven games.

26. N.Y. Islanders (28): Rookie Jon Tavares looks tired, with only two goals in his past 29 games. He's not in the Calder conversation at this point.

27. Columbus (27): With 13 games to go, the Blue Jackets already have allowed as many goals this season (223) as last.

28. Atlanta (24): After spending one day in the No. 8 spot in the East, the Thrashers have dropped six straight by a combined score of 21-8. Goodbye, season.

29. Toronto (29): A good way to quantify sweeping changes made by GM Brian Burke: Luke Schenn, in his second NHL season, is the third-most tenured Maple Leaf.

30. Edmonton (30): The Oilers have never picked higher than No. 4 in the entry draft. They're all but guaranteed a top two pick this summer.

aportzline@dispatch.com