from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

The New York Rangers will be No. 1 in my Power Rankings today, and how can they not be?

The trade that brought defenseman Keith Yandle over from the Arizona Coyotes deal last March was an indication the team knows it's Stanley Cup window is open. The Rangers overpaid for Yandle, and have dealt away a bunch of high picks the last few years. The time is now and the Rangers mean business.

Normally, superstar goalie Henrik Lundqvist struggles in the opening month, and even that didn't happen this year. Overall, New York was winning in October while not playing its best hockey, but the Rangers have elevated their play in November. They're the best team in the NHL right now. And they're going to be among the four or five teams with the best shot at the Stanley Cup this spring.

read on for more Rangers talk from the ESPN hockey crew plus some Bernier talk..