We are into the final month of the season and for the first time in almost two decades, the Bruins are not in the playoff picture. You have to go back to the 2006-07 season under coach Dave Lewis that the B’s were such a non-factor down the stretch. Yes, they are technically still in the hunt but, with five games on the road starting in Vegas on Thursday, it’s hard to imagine them not slipping into oblivion within the next week and half.

How long will it take for them to get back to prominence? They should get two top four defenseman (Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm) back next season and you can reasonably hope to get a better performance from Jeremy Swayman. That right there could put them back into at least playoff contention. But GM Don Sweeney will have to do some of his best work in the offseason if he’s to put the B’s back among the league’s elite any time soon.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at how everyone stacks up in the latest installment of our Power Rankings:

1. Winnipeg Jets – The Jets remain on top, but you still wonder how they’ll respond to the pressure of the playoffs. In the Four Nations, their leading scorer, Kyle Connor, was scratched for the championship game for the US, which their goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, couldn’t lock down.

2. Washington Capitals – As dominant as the Jets have been in the West, the Caps have been that way in the East. But I do wonder how much jump Alex Ovechkin will have once the Gretzky goal record chase is pushed to the side.

3. Dallas Stars – If Mikko Rantanen can find the game he had in Colorado, the Stars are a legitimate threat. He’d better. Dallas gave up a very good young player in Logan Stankoven to get him from Carolina.

4. Colorado Avalanche – They have the superstars at center (Nathan MacKinnon) and defense (Cale Makar). Now with Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle, the Avs have their desired depth down the middle. The goaltending has to hold up, though.

5. Vegas Gold Knights – Vegas has hit a snag, losing four of their last five, but the bet here is Bruce Cassidy will straighten out the Knights. They also have a get-right game coming up against the Bruins on Thursday.

6. Carolina Hurricanes – Moving the ill-fitting Rantanen has seemingly agreed with the Canes, who won the first four games out of the deadline. The Freddie Andersen/ Pyotr Kochetkov tandem in net is tough to bet on, however.

7. Florida Panthers – Some chinks have been visible in the defending Stanley Cup champions’ armor. Matthew Tkachuk could be out until the playoffs, Aaron Ekblad will miss the first two games of the post-season because of his PED suspension and the newly acquired Seth Jones hasn’t been great. The club could use an infusion of what Brad Marchand can bring.

8. Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers looked brutal coming out of the Four Nations break but they appear to have settled things down with a sweep of the New York teams.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs – People assumed that under Craig Berube, the Leafs’ shaky post-season performances will be a thing of the past. They won’t have the Bruins to worry about, but I’m not buying it. The Leafs are now in a dogfight for home ice advantage.

10. Tampa Bay Lightning – GM Julian Brisebois has been vindicated for letting captain Steven Stamkos walk.

11. Los Angeles Kings – Remarkably, the Kings have just three regulation losses at home, which makes their chase for home ice advantage in the first round rather important for them.

12. New Jersey Devils – Losing Jack Hughes was a tough blow. But while the Devils appear stuck in second-tier contender status, they’ve at least figured out how to keep the puck out of their net this season.

13. Ottawa Senators – Linus Ullmark has been a difference-maker for the Sens. Now it’s time for him to do it in the playoffs.

14. Minnesota Wild – The Wild have been decimated by injuries and they desperately need Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek to return. Jonas Brodin appears close to coming back.

15. Vancouver Canucks – When you think they’ll win, they lose. When you think they’ll lose, they win. The latest example of that is the Canucks’ victory over Winnipeg on Tuesday.

16. Montreal Canadiens – The Habs may or may not make the playoffs, but the long-term plan of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes is coming together.

17. St. Louis Blues – Jim Montgomery has done a good job in stabilizing the Blues. They’re the only team with a plus goal differential (plus-3) not inside the playoff brackets. Guess here is they catch the Canucks for the last Western Conference playoff spot.

18. New York Rangers – The Blueshirts should be better. They’re just not. Every time they’re faced with a big game, they fall flat.

19. Calgary Flames – Goalie Dustin Wolf is the real deal. The Flames (minus-24 goal differential) are not.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets – Still pulling for the Jackets, but they picked the wrong time for a swoon, losing their last four.

21. Utah Hockey Club – It looks like hockey might stick in Utah. Now it’s time to find a name for the team.

22. New York Islanders – It was hard to believe in the Islanders before the deadline. It’s even more so now that they’ve dealt Brock Nelson. But they’re still hanging around.

23. Detroit Red Wings – Todd McLellan looked like he had the answers to get the Wings over the hump. Now it looks like they’ll miss the playoffs for the ninth straight year.

24. Anaheim Ducks – Not sure if Greg Cronin will be able to get the Ducks to the mountaintop, but his old school ways have had a positive impact.

25. Boston Bruins – Fear not, B’s fans. They have a chance to sink even lower for a better pick.

26. Seattle Kraken – The Kraken affirm that what the Golden Knights have been able to pull off was not as easy as it looks despite the favorable expansion rules.

27. Pittsburgh Penguins – This is no way for Sidney Crosby to play out the final years of his Hall of Fame career.

28. Nashville Predators – The Preds are a cautionary tale against building your team through free agency. Zdeno Charas don’t come around very often.

29. Philadelphia Flyers – After a surprisingly competitive season last year under John Tortorella, the Flyers just as surprisingly could not build on it.

30. Buffalo Sabres – Note to self: Pay no attention to the Sabres’ late season wins.

31. Chicago Blackhawks – Connor Bedard is a tremendous talent, but the Hawks need a sidekick of equal skill – preferably someone bigger than Bedard’s 5-foot-10 stature – to take some heat off him.

32. San Jose Sharks – Macklin Celebrini’s complete game at 18-years-old is truly impressive. But the Sharks (minus-77) still have a long way to go.