Super 16: Flames rise in power rankings

The Calgary Flames are hot, and it's being noticed.

The Flames, who have won six straight games when coached by Geoff Ward and are 7-0-1 since Nov. 23, made it into the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings for the first time since Nov. 7. They are No. 13 this week.
The Colorado Avalanche (No. 3) and Carolina Hurricanes (No. 7) each moved up three spots.
The Washington Capitals moved back into the top spot after ceding it to the Boston Bruins last week. The Bruins are No. 2.
To create the power rankings, each of the 13 participating staff members puts together his or her version of what the Super 16 should look like. Those are submitted and a point total is assigned to each.
The team picked first is given 16 points, second gets 15, third gets 14 and so on down to No. 16, which gets one point.
Here is the latest Super 16:

1. Washington Capitals (23-5-5)

Total points:204
Last week:No. 2
Hit: Nicklas Backstrom is back for the Capitals after the center missed eight games with an upper-body injury. He has three points (one goal, two assists) in two games since returning, including an assist on John Carlson's game-winner in a 3-2 victory against the Bruins on Wednesday.
Miss: Nothing.

2. Boston Bruins (20-6-6)

Total points:199
Last week:No. 1
Hit: Patrice Bergeron has returned to the Bruins lineup after missing seven straight games and nine of 11 with a lower-body injury. The center scored a goal in his first game back, a 5-2 loss at the Ottawa Senators on Monday, but was held without a point against the Capitals.
Miss: Boston is 2-for-25 on the power play in its past eight games, including 0-for-5 against Washington.

3. Colorado Avalanche (20-8-3)

Total points:171
Last week:No. 6
Hit: Ryan Graves has six points (three goals, three assists) in the past eight games. The defenseman leads the NHL with a plus-23 rating.
Miss: Cale Makar has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury and is day to day. The defenseman has 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists), tied for the lead among NHL rookies with Buffalo Sabres forward Victor Olofsson (12 goals, 16 assists).

4. New York Islanders (20-7-2)

Total points:167
Last week:No. 4
Hit: Semyon Varlamov is 3-1-1 with a 1.54 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in seven games, including five starts, since Nov. 23.
Miss: Derick Brassard has one point, a goal, in nine games since Nov. 23. The forward led the Islanders with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in the previous 12 games from Oct. 24-Nov. 21.

5. St. Louis Blues (18-8-6)

Total points:163
Last week:No. 3
Hit: Backup goalie Jake Allen is 4-1-2 with a 1.89 GAA and .940 save percentage in eight games since Nov. 2.
Miss:The Blues have lost three straight games in regulation by a combined 13-4. Prior to this stretch they had not lost two games in a row in regulation this season.

6. Winnipeg Jets (19-10-2)

Total points:126
Last week: No. 8
Hit: The Jets have won four straight home games, outscoring their opponents 17-7, and are 6-1-1 in eight home games since Nov. 5.
Miss: Winnipeg has scored 20 first-period goals this season. Only the Detroit Red Wings (19) and Calgary Flames (17) have fewer.

7. Carolina Hurricanes (19-11-1)

Total points: 111
Last week: No. 10
Hit: The Hurricanes have won three games in a row and have scored 12 goals, including five by Sebastian Aho, in their past two. The center leads Carolina with 18 goals, including 15 since Nov. 1, the most of any player in the NHL in that span.
Miss: Jordan Staal has no goals in 12 straight games and one in 20 games since Oct. 29. The center has three goals in 31 games this season and 14 goals in 81 games since the beginning of last season.

8. Edmonton Oilers (18-11-4)

Total points: 109
Last week: No. 5
Hit: The Oilers lead the NHL in road penalty-kill percentage (90.7 percent; 49-for-54).
Miss: Edmonton is 24th in home PK percentage (78.0 percent; 39-for-50) after going 1-for-4 in a 6-3 loss to Carolina on Tuesday.

9. Philadelphia Flyers (17-9-5)

Total points: 109
Last week: No. 7
Hit: The Flyers have 28 points since Nov. 1, tied for second in the NHL with the Jets and Dallas Stars behind the Capitals (30).
Miss: Travis Konecny is out indefinitely with a concussion. The forward leads Philadelphia with 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists).

10. Arizona Coyotes (18-11-4)

Total points: 90
Last week: No. 9
Hit: The Coyotes are 9-2-2 on the road since Oct. 25.
Miss: They are 4-6-1 at home since Oct. 30.

11. Dallas Stars (18-11-3)

Total points: 80
Last week: No. 12
Hit: The Stars, who have won three straight, are 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in their past four games. Alexander Radulov has three points (one goal, two assists) in two games since the forward was a healthy scratch.
Miss: Tyler Seguin has no goals in his past nine games. The center has four assists in those games, but he has gone without a point in seven of them.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins (17-10-4)

Total points: 78
Last week: No. 13
Hit: The Penguins are second in the NHL in goals scored after the first period with 81, including three in overtime. The Capitals lead with 85.
Miss: Pittsburgh is tied for 24th in first-period goals with 22.

13. Calgary Flames (17-12-4)

Total points: 53
Last week: NR
Hit: The Flames are 5-0-1 in one-goal games during their eight-game point streak.
Miss:Matthew Tkachuk didn't play in a 5-2 win at Arizona on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury. The forward, who leads Calgary with 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists), is day to day.

14. Vegas Golden Knights (16-12-5)

Total points: 47
Last week: No. 11
Hit: Reilly Smith has eight points (three goals, five assists) in his past seven games. The forward leads Vegas with 13 goals. Marc-Andre Fleury has returned following the death of his father, Andre, on Nov. 27. The goalie made 28 saves in a 5-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, his first start after backing up Malcolm Subban the previous two games and missing five while on personal leave.
Miss: The Golden Knights have allowed at least one power-play goal in three straight games.

15. Florida Panthers (15-10-5)

Total points: 26
Last week:No. 15
Hit: Sergei Bobrovsky has made 109 saves on 113 shots (.965 save percentage) in three straight starts since Saturday. He made a season-high 46 saves in a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
Miss: Vincent Trocheck has no points in four consecutive games. The center has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 15 games since Nov. 9, when he returned from a lower-body injury.

16. Tampa Bay Lightning (15-11-3)

Total points: 21
Last week: No. 15
Hit: Alex Killorn has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past five games. The forward, who has 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists), had a goal and an assist in the 2-1 win against the Panthers.
Miss:Tyler Johnson is week to week with a lower-body injury. The center has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 27 games this season and has missed the past two games.
Others receiving points: Buffalo Sabres 9, Nashville Predators 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Dropped out: San Jose Sharks (No. 16)
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. New York Islanders; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Arizona Coyotes; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Tampa Bay Lightning
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. New York Islanders; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Arizona Coyotes; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Tampa Bay Lightning; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Buffalo Sabres
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. New York Islanders; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Arizona Coyotes; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Philadelphia Flyers; 5. New York Islanders; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Arizona Coyotes; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Vegas Golden Knights
TOM GULITTI
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. New York Islanders; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. St. Louis Blues; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Philadelphia Flyers; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Arizona Coyotes; 12. Dallas Stars; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Buffalo Sabres
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. Philadelphia Flyers; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. New York Islanders; 9. Arizona Coyotes; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Buffalo Sabres
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. New York Islanders; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Arizona Coyotes; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Dallas Stars; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Tampa Bay Lightning
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. New York Islanders; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Philadelphia Flyers; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Arizona Coyotes; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Tampa Bay Lightning; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Calgary Flames
TRACEY MYERS
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. New York Islanders; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. St. Louis Blues; 6. Philadelphia Flyers; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Arizona Coyotes; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. Buffalo Sabres
BILL PRICE
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. New York Islanders; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Philadelphia Flyers; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Arizona Coyotes; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Florida Panthers
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. New York Islanders; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Dallas Stars; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Arizona Coyotes; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Tampa Bay Lightning
DAN ROSEN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. New York Islanders; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Philadelphia Flyers; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Arizona Coyotes; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. Florida Panthers
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. New York Islanders; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Arizona Coyotes; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Dallas Stars; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Buffalo Sabres