New York Rangers roar into power rankings lead

No Henrik Lundqvist. No Martin St. Louis. No problems.

The New York Rangers' 7-2 rout of the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday moved them into a tie atop the league's standings and into first place in the latest vote of the Paste BN Sports' NHL power rankings panel.

The Rangers have avoided the typical doldrums that seem to plague Stanley Cup runners-up. But the rise to first has been surprising because it was done without Lundqvist. They have gone 16-6-3 since the goalie was hit in the neck by a puck and Cam Talbot showed he was a strong alternative.

The race for the Presidents' Trophy will be tight this season, with two points separating the top five teams in the league.

The Rangers hold a seven-point edge on the Ducks and Montreal Canadiens in the power rankings.

In the player vote, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price continues to lead the MVP and goalie categories while Nashville's Shea Weber is top defenseman.

Even though Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau has moved into the rookie scoring lead, Nashville's Filip Forsberg remained the top vote-getter in that category.

PHOTOS: NHL player power rankings