Week 6 Power Rankings: Jackets nudge up

Yahoo.com
Rank: 16 (+3)
Kristian Huselius has provided the skill Scott Howson was looking for. After a slow start, R.J. Umberger is coming on. He has seven goals in his last eight games.

CBSSports.com
Rank: 17 (+4)
Key offseason acquisition R.J. Umberger is finally paying dividends after a scoreless October. Umberger has seven goals in eight November games.

TSN.ca
Rank: 16 (-1)
The Jackets have recorded points in eight of the last nine, even though the power play is 1-for-22 (4.5%) in the last five games.

Sportsnet.ca
Rank: 16 (-2)
The Blue Jackets are inching closer and closer to that elusive eighth and final playoff spot (I know, I know, there's still lots of time left).

CBC.ca
Rank: 14 (-1)
If they can find a front-line centre...

FoxSports.com
Rank: 18 (-1)
Derick Brassard picked up at least a point in each game last week for the Jackets, but the club still managed to lose two of them. Columbus was only able to light the lamp once on the power play last week, while giving up three extra-man goals to its opponents.

CNNSI.com
Rank: 18 (+2)
Considering most teams live and die by the power play, it's a miracle the Jackets can even sniff .500 let alone stand a game above it. They've scored just five times with the extra man in their last 14 games, clicking at a pathetic 7.5 percent pace. Over the same span, they've coughed up four shorties. As strong as rookie Derick Brassard has been, it may be too early to use him on the point for the PP. On the plus side, Pascal Leclaire returned after an eight-game stint on IR, reclaiming his starting role with a 6-1 win over Buffalo. Look for Steve Mason to be returned shortly to the AHL.

ColumbusDispatch.com
Rank: 15 (unchanged)
A 5-1-3 stretch has them back above water, but the ugly loss to Phoenix begs the question: can these guys be trusted?

ESPN.com
Rank: 14 (-2)
Ken Hitchcock is keeping the Jackets competitive despite a league-worst 11.9 percent power play that has scored just one goal in its past 25 chances.

Meta-score: 16 (last week 17.6)

Lots of comments about Brassard, Umberger and the PP struggles.

This week its ESPN and CBC who give the Jackets the highest ranks at #14 while FoxSports and CNNSI clock in with the lowest at 18.

With only two games this week, including a blow out loss to Edmonton on Friday, the Jackets need a win in Atlanta on Saturday or else we'll see a pretty big tumble this time next week.

-LTL