Colorado Avalanche land in the Top 5 in the latest CBS Sports NHL Rankings

The Colorado Avalanche have seen a lot of success as of late, and they are now clearly in the NHL's upper echelon. Want proof? They're ranked No. 5 in the latest NHL Rankings from CBS Sports.

"They now sit four points behind the Dallas Stars," writes CBS Sports writer Austin Nivison.

This week the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche acquired Lars Eller, a center. They had won 6 straight before losing to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. With the NHL playoffs on the horizon, despite that stumble this is what you call a team hitting its stride at just the right time.

"The Western Conference has been wide open for much of the season, and it will be tight the rest of the way," Nivison writes.