The Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks remain the hottest teams in the league. However, the St. Louis Blues are joining the conversation, closing in on the Central Division leaders despite a banged-up roster.

Here are this week's NHL power rankings:

1. Washington Capitals
(Last Week: 1)

The Capitals became the fastest team to 44 wins in NHL history on Monday. With a matchup against the Canadiens on Wednesday, something tells us they'll be the fastest team to hit the 45-win mark too.

2. Anaheim Ducks ▲
(Last Week: 5)

Remember when the Ducks went 1-7-2 in October? They're 30-12-6 since, 12-1-1 in their last 14 games, and four of their next five contests are against the struggling Sabres, Oilers, Canadiens, and Coyotes.

3. St. Louis Blues ▲
(Last Week: 4)

Brian Elliott went 12-3-2 in 17 games during Jake Allen's absence, but the Blues just can't seem to shake the injury bug - placing the red-hot goalie and his vintage mask on long-term injured reserve. You're up, Jake.

4. Chicago Blackhawks ▼
(Last Week: 3)

The Blackhawks lost their second consecutive outdoor game - and third of four overall - on Sunday, getting embarrassed 6-1 by the Wild. To no one's surprise, Patrick Kane scored Chicago's lone goal, putting him 15 points clear of Jamie Benn in the Art Ross Trophy race.

5. Dallas Stars ▼
(Last Week: 2)

The Stars have dropped three of four games, giving up 18 goals in the process. You can only get so far with a potent offense, and general manager Jim Nill must make landing a top-four defenseman at the deadline a priority.

6. New York Rangers ▲
(Last Week: 9)

The Rangers are 4-1-1 in six games without their captain, thanks in large part to the suddenly unmovable Keith Yandle. The pending unrestricted free agent has a point in six of his last seven games.

7. Florida Panthers ▼
(Last Week: 6)

Enough said.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning ▲
(Last Week: 14)

After falling out of a playoff position, the Lightning have won four games in a row, clawing their way up the standings and putting pressure on the Atlantic-leading Panthers.

9. New York Islanders ▲
(Last Week: 11)

Thanks to their captain, the Islanders are 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Tavares' impressive numbers should only get better: New York's next four games are against the Flames, Oilers, Canucks, and Jets.

10. Los Angeles Kings ▼
(Last Week: 7)

Anze Kopitar scored the game-winner in his return to the lineup Tuesday. The Kings have 11 goals in their last six games, and Kopitar has five of them despite missing over 100 minutes of action during that span. Note to Jeff Carter: Four goals in 31 games since Dec. 1 isn't good enough.

11. San Jose Sharks ▼
(Last Week: 9)

The Roman Polak era begins in San Jose on Wednesday. Adding to the excitement, the Sharks joined the Capitals as the only teams to clinch a winning road record this season.

12. Detroit Red Wings ▲
(Last Week: 13)

Red Wings legend Nicklas Lidstrom got a firsthand look at the kids carrying the torch in Detroit on Tuesday. Petr Mrazek got back on track with an impressive 28-save performance, while 21-year-old Andreas Athanasiou scored a beautiful shootout winner.

13. Nashville Predators ▲
(Last Week: 15)

Ryan Johansen's recorded just one assist in his last seven games, but that hasn't stopped Nashville from picking up critical points: The Predators haven't lost in regulation during his cold stretch.

14. Boston Bruins ▼
(Last Week: 10)

With seven goals in his last seven games, Loui Eriksson is certainly giving the Bruins something to think about ahead of the trade deadline.

15. Pittsburgh Penguins ▼
(Last Week: 12)

Gino's return can't come soon enough. The Penguins sit just one point up on a playoff spot heading into a massive tilt with the Bruins on Wednesday.

16. Minnesota Wild ▲
(Last Week: 25)

The Wild put on a show in front of 50,426 fans Sunday. They're finally playing good hockey again, winning four in a row - while scoring 20 goals - to jump back into the playoff race with their new bench boss.

17. Carolina Hurricanes
(Last Week: 17)

The Hurricanes are still alive with points in seven of 10, snapping Shayne Gostisbehere's record-setting point streak in the process.

18. Ottawa Senators ▲
(Last Week: 21)

Is a 21-3-3 run to end the season possible two years in a row? Winners of four straight, the Senators sit just four points back of a playoff spot with 21 games to go.

19. Colorado Avalanche ▼
(Last Week: 16)

The Avalanche have come back to earth after going 18-8-2 from Dec. 1 to Jan. 27, putting together a 4-5-1 stretch since the All-Star break.

20. New Jersey Devils ▼
(Last Week: 18)

Pretty much.

21. Philadelphia Flyers ▼
(Last Week 19)

With 34 points in 41 games as a rookie, Gostisbehere has been the lone bright spot in yet another disappointing season in Philadelphia.

Elite company.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets ▲
(Last Week: 23)

John Tortorella's Blue Jackets are playing themselves out of the Auston Matthews sweepstakes, going 7-2-4 for points in 11 of their last 13.

23. Buffalo Sabres ▼
(Last Week: 22)

The Sabres head west to take on the Ducks, Sharks, and Kings without leading scorer Ryan O'Reilly. Good luck with that.

24. Arizona Coyotes ▼
(Last Week: 20)

After going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games ahead of Monday's trade deadline, the Coyotes might want to rethink this strategy, and fast:

25. Montreal Canadiens ▲
(Last Week: 26)

P.K. Subban's response to Michel Therrien's ridiculous postgame comments? Back-to-back 30-minute performances to get the Canadiens three of four points. Fans certainly have reason to be upset with their star player, though: Montreal would already have locked up a top-three pick without him.

26. Calgary Flames ▼
(Last Week: 24)

The Flames dropped back-to-back games to the Ducks and Kings, giving them the second-worst road record in the NHL at 9-17-3.

27. Vancouver Canucks ▲
(Last Week: 28)

The Canucks surrendered five goals in four consecutive games over six days last week, leaving us all thinking the exact same thing:

28. Winnipeg Jets ▼
(Last Week: 27)

Andrew Ladd has likely played his last game in Winnipeg. With four straight losses and the Stars, Penguins, Panthers, and Islanders - all currently playoff teams - on the horizon, the Jets appear primed to add to their impressive prospect pool.

29. Toronto Maple Leafs ▲
(Last Week: 30)

They aren't winning on the ice, but Rich Clune and the Maple Leafs are certainly making headlines off of it - and a pair of second-round picks for Polak and Nick Spaling was an absolute steal.

30. Edmonton Oilers ▼
(Last Week: 29)

Five losses in a row make the once-laughable thought of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews on the same team much less funny.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could get a gigantic boost ahead of a critical stretch of games as Evgeni Malkin is expected to return to the lineup Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets.

In the meantime, Malkin will miss his ninth consecutive game due to a lower-body injury Wednesday against the Boston Bruins.

The 29-year-old forward has 23 goals and 26 assists in 49 games this season.

The Penguins have gone 5-2-1 in his absence, sitting just one point up on the New Jersey Devils for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

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Mike Yeo might have seen the writing on the wall before being fired by the Minnesota Wild, but the former head coach admitted Wednesday that it still affected him.

"I wasn't prepared for what it would feel like. ... When it first happened, it buckled me," Yeo told Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Yeo said things just didn't seem right, even when the Wild were winning earlier in the season.

"We had the best (first half) in franchise history, and things never felt right."

Even though the Wild's previous success ultimately played a role in his dismissal, Yeo said he was most proud of the fact that the Wild raised expectations.

Minnesota fired Yeo on Feb. 13 after suffering their eighth straight defeat, a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins.

After the game, the 42-year-old said, "I'm a realist. You can't lose every game and expect to think that there's not going to be changes."

Yeo conceded Wednesday that trade rumors proved to be a distraction, particularly the team's pursuit of Ryan Johansen before the forward was dealt to the Nashville Predators, according to Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

He also said the Wild would have made the playoffs had he not been fired.

As for the immediate future, Yeo has some big things on the agenda.

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Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

Zucker suffered a concussion when he was leveled by an open-ice hit from Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival during Sunday's Stadium Series game.

The news comes after interim head coach John Torchetti told reporters Tuesday that Zucker had not suffered a concussion.

With the 24-year-old sidelined, the club recalled forward Jordan Schroeder from the Iowa Wild.

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Longtime San Jose Sharks defenseman Scott Hannan officially announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday.

Hannan played 16 seasons in the league, spending parts of 11 as a member of the Sharks. He went unsigned as a free agent this season.

"I was extremely fortunate to play in the NHL with five great organizations," Hannan said in a release. "I'd like to thank all of my teammates and coaches over the years who have contributed so much to my career. It's also very gratifying to end my NHL career where it started - with the San Jose Sharks.

"I'd be remiss for not also thanking Bruce Hamilton and Lorne Frey with the Kelowna Rockets for putting me on the path to have a chance to play in the NHL. Most importantly, I want to thank all of my family, particularly my wife Kristina and my boys, Gage and Owen. Their sacrifices have allowed me the opportunity to follow this dream of playing in the National Hockey League."

The 37-year-old sits sixth on the Sharks' all-time games played list with 626, and is one of only six Sharks to suit up in more than 600 games with the franchise.

After being drafted by the team in the first round in 1997, Hannan spent his first six seasons in San Jose before stints with the Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators.

Hannan returned to the Sharks for his final three seasons.

He concludes his career with 38 goals and 217 points in 1,055 games played.

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Rich Clune gave one of the best intermission interviews you'll ever see Tuesday night.

Clune told TSN's Mark Masters what he said to Nashville Predators center Cody Bass when the two tough guys got up close and personal during the pregame warmup prior to the Predators' 3-2 win.

It's as close as the NHL gets to cutting WWE-style promos, and it didn't take long for others to make that connection.

Clune might have a future in wrestling when his hockey career is over.

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