The end of 2009 doesn’t end the Devils’ reign atop the WEEI Power Rankings. Here’s to every team having a happy start to the New Year.

^[3] 1. (1) 27-9-1  Each week we think about making a change at the top. But it’s tough to argue with the fact that the team that has played the fewest games (37) has the most wins (27).

^[4]2. (2) 26-10-3  Beating Detroit once and Nashville twice in the last week helps the Blackhawks maintain a solid hold on their lead in the Central Division. Now they host the Devils Thursday, with a chance to move atop our rankings.

^[5]3. (5) 24-8-7  The Sharks knock off the Blackhawks, Ducks and Coyotes, and Joe Thornton ^[6] now leads the league in scoring. That’s a good week.

^[7]4. (4) 24-9-6  This would be Exhibit A in the case suggesting the Capitals simply don’t have the right focus to be taken as a serious contender. They beat Buffalo and New Jersey, then lose to Carolina at home.

^[8]5. (6) 24-11-4  Rallying from a three-goal deficit to take a 4-3 victory over the Penguins Tuesday allows the Sabres to leap past Pittsburgh.

^[9]6 . (3) 26-13-1  After squandering a 3-0 lead in Tuesday’s loss at Buffalo, the Penguins have dropped three of their last four games.

^[10]7. (10) 25-13-3  Who says the desert is no place to play hockey? The Coyotes took a 3-2 shootout victory over Vancouver Tuesday and set a franchise record with their 10th straight win on home ice.

^[11]8. (9) 22-12-6  The surprising Avalanche may be in the fight for the long haul. Colorado has gone 7-3 in its last 10 games.

^[12]9. (7) 23-14-3  Tough sledding for the Predators this past week, losing to Vancouver and twice to Chicago. A 4-3 victory over St. Louis got Nashville back on track Tuesday.

^[13]10. (11) 21-12-5  This says a lot about the NHL. The Flames are 4-6-2 in December, but that’s good enough to tread water and stay among the top 10 points leaders.

^[14] 11. (8 ) 22-14-3  Ryan Smyth returns, and two shifts into Saturday’s contest linemate Justin Williams ^[15] is lost with a broken leg. The young Kings are getting plenty of experience handling adversity.

^[16] 12. (12) 19-12-7  Finding ways to generate offense could remain a concern long after the Winter Classic rink at Fenway is done and gone.

^[17]13. (16) 23-16-1  The streak is over. The Canucks suffered their first non-regulation loss Tuesday, dropping a 3-2 game in Phoenix in a shootout.

^[18]14. (17) 20-15-4  Past Senators teams would be devastated by last week’s loss of captain Daniel Alfredsson ^[19] to a shoulder injury. But adherence to coach Cory Clouston’s defensive system could help Ottawa survive.

^[20]15. (13) 19-14-6  My, how times have changed. The Red Wings have been shut out in three of their last four games, including a 1-0 setback in Columbus Monday.

^[21] 16. (14) 17-11-11  Pesky Steve Ott ^[22] scored twice to help the Stars knock off the Blackhawks 5-4 on Tuesday. Dallas improved to 7-1-2 in its last 10 home games.

^[23] 17. (20) 20-17-3  The up-and-down Wild had won three in a row before a 4-2 loss in Anaheim Tuesday. Minnesota has the most one-goal wins (15) in the league.

^[24]18. (17) 18-16-4  The Thrashers return to Boston Wednesday having lost four straight.

^[25]19. (23) 19-19-3  Goalie Jaroslav Halak ^[26] earns top-star honors in the NHL this week. He went 3-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .959 SP, helping the Canadiens move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

^[27]20. (18) 17-17-5  Tuesday’s setback vs. Nashville leaves the Blues winless in three, but they did end a 0-for-11 stretch on the power play.

^[28] 21. (22 ) 18-16-4  Signs of life in Manhattan. The Rangers win four straight before losing to the Islanders on home ice.

^[29]22. ( 27) 18-18-2  Three wins in a row for the Flyers with a contest against the Rangers still to be played before the Winter Classic.

^[30] 23. (24) 15-15-9  After beating the Bruins Monday, the Lightning have won three of their last four. Martin St. Louis ^[31] is getting hot, with two goals and six assists in his last five games.

^[32]24. (20) 16-16-7  Bobby Ryan ^[33] scored twice and the Ducks ended a two-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over Minnesota Tuesday. Goalie Jonas Hiller ^[34] has gone 5-0-1 in his last six starts, with a .934 SP.

^[35]25. (19) 16-17-7  The Bruins managed to cool off the Panthers’ top line in Sunday’s 2-1 Boston win. Nathan Horton ^[36], Stephen Weiss ^[37] and Michael Frolik ^[38] had combined for 14 goals in eight games.

^[39]26. (29) 16-18-7  Yes, must-see TV Tuesday, as the Islanders and Blue Jackets went to a shootout. Rob Schremp ^[40]‘s shootout goal lifted the Isles to victory, their third win in four games.

^[41]27. (28) 14-17-9  Vesa Toskala ^[42] stepped in as the Maple Leafs ended a three-game losing streak by defeating the defending champion Penguins in Pittsburgh Sunday. That’s got to help team confidence.

^[43] 28. (25) 15-18-8  Things are not good when the Blue Jackets say goodbye to Columbus. Tuesday’s shootout loss on Long Island was the team’s 12th straight road loss.

^[44]29. (26) 15-20-4  The free-fall continues. The Oilers have lost seven straight games since going 5-0 on a road trip in early December.

^[45]30. (30) 10-22-7  A 6-3 win against the Caps in DC shows the Hurricanes still have some talent and pride.