It's a good time to be a good hockey team.
The NHL season is nearing its final stretch, and a collection of elites seems to have distanced itself, albeit slightly, from the league's rank and file.
The Colorado Avalanche are first overall in the league standings and, thanks to a majority vote this week, atop the B/R NHL Power Rankings for the eighth consecutive time.
Still, they are not alone in their preeminence.
The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes wound up second and third in the voting and have consistently held places in the top five this season.