NHL Power Rankings 2011: Minnesota Wild Falling Slightly, But Still Remain High

The Minnesota Wild are on a good streak right now, picking up three needed wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks and Colorado Avalanche. This is coming after a two-game losing skid, dropping games in San Jose and Los Angeles. Still, even before the last two wins, Minnesota occupied the top sport in the Northwestern Division and are starting to look like a team that knows how to win.

As such, they should be rising up the Week 7 NHL power rankings next week. As far as the Week 6 rankings are concerned, it's a mixed bag of results. A two-game losing skid is always a cause for concern, but you can find them dropping as much as eight spots in some of the rankings. They were all posted on Nov. 14, and do not reflect the last two games, but they're worth noting regardless.

ESPN drops the Wild eight spots in their rankings:

16. A big win in Anaheim helped stop a two-game slide for the Wild, who remain in the thick of the Western Conference playoff picture. Can Josh Harding keep up his magical ways in goal? Will the 26th-ranked power play ever come around?    

That power play still has not come around, but Harding isn't the only goaltender to be playing well on that Minnesota Wild team. Still, being at sixteen is higher than most expected them at this point in the season. New moving parts in Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi have really contributed to that. Setoguchi got the game-winner on Thursday against the Avalanche.

CBS Sports keeps a bit more of a level head with their rankings, dropping the Wild two spots:

Despite losing two-of-three last week Minnesota is still on top of the Northwest Division, thanks in part to their 3-2 win in Anaheim on Sunday.