NHL

NHL power rankings: Not the same old Jets

Sometimes, coaching changes are made just to stir things up in hopes that a struggling team will turn it around, even if the coach did nothing to merit being fired. That seems to have been the case in Winnipeg, where Clause Noel was let go Jan. 12 with the Jets riding a five-game losing streak.

Well, something has worked, whether it’s been new coach Paul Maurice’s doing or not. The Jets have a 9-2-0 record — the only losses a 1-0 setback in San Jose and a 4-3 loss versus Nashville – since Maurice took over, scoring 35 goals and allowing 22 in that span.

The Jets were 12th in the Western Conference, 10 points out of a playoff spot, when Maurice took over. Now they are just four points behind a wild-card spot. Blake Wheeler leads the team with 22 goals, and Al Montoya has played well in net (10-4-1, 2.14 goals against average, .928 save percentage) as the former Atlanta Thrashers franchise looks for its second playoff berth in 14 seasons.

(Last week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Ducks (1): All of a sudden, the Ducks can’t win at home, with four losses in six games at Honda Center. They get a chance to turn that around Wednesday night against the Blackhawks.

2. Penguins (3): Talk about consistency. The Penguins have not lost back-to-back games since Nov. 23 and Nov. 25.

3. Blues (2): Losers of two of three. But Thursday’s showdown with the Bruins is a potential Stanley Cup finals preview.

4. Bruins (4): It’s tough to argue this team isn’t the best in the Eastern Conference right now. Winners of seven of their past eight games, the Bruins seem to find a way to win every night, and the losses are always close.

5. Blackhawks (5): Patrick Kane had two goals and an assist in a 5-3 win against the Kings on Monday, hours after learning of his grandfather’s death.

6. Avalanche (8): At 36-15-5, Patrick Roy has done a marvelous job coaching a team that wasn’t expected to compete for a playoff berth and is only five points behind the Blackhawks for the Central Division lead.

7. Sharks (6): Not sure where the offense has gone, but the Sharks have scored five goals in five games, though they still rank in the top 10 in goals scored.

8. Lightning (7): A double dose of good news for Tampa Bay: Ondrej Palat was named Rookie of the Month with five goals and 16 points in January, and Steven Stamkos (leg) could return Saturday.

9. Wild (9): In two games last week, Team USA captain Zach Parise had three goals and four assists, showing the Wild what they missed when he was out a month with a foot injury.

10. Maple Leafs (11): This may sound like a broken record, but the Leafs are going nowhere if they can’t limit the amount of shots on goal they allow. In a 4-1 loss to the Panthers on Tuesday, Toronto allowed 48 and took 21.

11. Rangers (12): Starting to look like the team that came within two games of the Stanley Cup finals two seasons ago, with four straight wins featuring stout defense (six goals allowed) and accelerating offense (18 goals).

12. Canadiens (13): Don’t blame the Canadiens’ recent struggles on Carey Price, who has allowed four goals on 107 shots in three games.

13. Kings (10): Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” should be playing in the locker room. The Kings have lost four in a row and nine of 10.

14. Blue Jackets (17): Back to their winnings ways, Columbus has allowed five goals during a three-game winning streak, including an impressive 4-2 win Monday in Anaheim.

15. Flyers (15): Any time you take two of three games on a West Coast trip to Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose, it counts as a success.

16. Canucks (14): John Tortorella lost his first two games back from his 15-day suspension to the Red Wings and Bruins. That’s five straight defeats for the reeling Canucks.

17. Stars (18): Tyler Seguin has reemerged, with three goals and 10 points in six games for the Stars.

18. Senators (16): Allow 50 shots and get the win? That’s what the Sens did Tuesday night in a 5-4 triumph over the Blues. They’ll take it.

19. Jets (23): They don’t have one star, but can trumpet a league-high nine players with 10 or more goals.

20. Red Wings (21): Detroit begins a five-game road trip Thursday against the Panthers, who have beaten the Red Wings three times already.

21. Hurricanes (24): Carolina had a 10-win month, for the first time in roughly five years.

22. Coyotes (20): Antoine Vermette has seven goals in seven games, but the Coyotes have alternated wins and losses in their past six games.

23. Capitals (19): Washington has been in a league-high 15 shootouts and has eight wins. Those seven losses are points will come in handy if the Capitals are fighting for a playoff spot in April.

24. Predators (25): Shea Weber had two goals including the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory against the Devils on Friday, and leads all NHL defensemen with 15 goals.

25. Devils (22): Allowed the tying goal with less than two minutes remaining in each of the past three games, losing two. Which explains why Cory Schneider has 10 wins and 19 losses despite a 1.91 GAA (second in NHL) and .925 save percentage (tied for fifth).

26. Flames (27): The Flames had won five in a row before a 2-0 shutout loss to the Canadiens on Tuesday. It’s been another long season in Calgary.

27. Islanders (26): John Tavares hasn’t scored a goal in seven games, so it’s no surprise the Islanders have just two wins in that span.

28. Panthers (28): In the crowded Eastern Conference, the Panthers have made tremendous strides, but are still 11 points back of the final playoff spot.

29. Oilers (29): It happened a week ago, but have to acknowledge Ben Scrivens’ 59-save performance in a 3-0 win against the Sharks last Wednesday, a record for saves in a regular-season game.

30. Sabres (30): In a battle of the league’s worst teams, the Sabres lost 3-2 to the Oilers on Monday, so they stay in the basement.