theScore's new series, "The Noise," is published every Monday. It kicks off each week with a quick look at three teams or players making headlines, good or bad.
Minnesota Wild
Winners of seven straight and grabbing points in nine of their last 10 games, the Minnesota Wild are one of the NHL's hottest teams.
The Wild installed coach Bruce Boudreau this offseason, and with that addition came a new philosophy - and a closet full of division championship banners. In four years with the Washington Capitals and another five with the Anaheim Ducks, Boudreau's collected eight division titles, winning his group every year except his first year in California, when he came on as a mid-season replacement.
Boudreau has brought those winning ways to Minnesota, where the Wild have collected 40 points in 30 games. While the team sits eight points back of the Chicago Blackhawks for the Central lead, it also has four games in hand. At plus-29, the Wild own the West's best goal differential, while starter Devan Dubnyk has allowed just 39 goals through 24 games.
New York Rangers
Impressive stat alert: The New York Rangers are now 34 games into their season and have not seen back-to-back losses along the way. In fact, their one low point - if you can call it that - was a slow spot toward the end of November in which they went 3-4-1 over an eight-game stretch.
But things are now back on pace for the Broadway Blueshirts, who are winners of six of their last seven and have suffered just three losses so far in December. Credit their special teams: at 21 percent, the Rangers' power play ranks ninth overall while their 86.8 percent effectiveness on the penalty kill is good for fourth.
Furthermore, as if owning one of the league's top goalies in Henrik Lundqvist wasn't enough, fans of the Rangers were pleased to learn that backup Antti Raanta is also capable of stealing the show. New York's No. 2 netminder strung together four straight starts through the middle of the month, coming away with three wins, just three goals against, and shutouts over his former club, the Blackhawks, and the rival New Jersey Devils.
Colorado Avalanche
Let the Colorado Avalanche serve as Exhibit A of why years of accumulating high draft picks doesn't guarantee future success, as the team remains mired in the NHL's basement.
With 23 points in 30 games, no team is worse than the Avalanche, who are on pace for a franchise-worst 63-point season, falling below their 68-point finish in 2010-11. That performance earned the Avalanche the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, which they converted into current captain Gabriel Landeskog. But he's not the Avs' only high pick in recent years. Forward Nathan MacKinnon went first overall in 2013, and four years earlier, Colorado grabbed Matt Duchene at third overall.
Meanwhile, fans are still waiting for the franchise's performance at the draft table to convert to the ice. This past offseason, Avalanche legend Patrick Roy walked away from his head coaching duties. Could a poor finish this year spell the end for another Colorado star in captain-turned-general manager Joe Sakic? Stay tuned.
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