Super 16: Blues take over top spot from Capitals

The St. Louis Blues are the new No. 1 team in the NHL.com weekly Super 16 power rankings.

The Blues take over the top spot from the Washington Capitals, who held it for five straight weeks. Washington is No. 2 this week.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, on the heels of a four-game winning streak and captain Sidney Crosby's return in a 7-3 win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, are up one spot to No. 3, pushing the Boston Bruins down to No. 4.
The Dallas Stars made the biggest move, jumping four spots to No. 7, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are making their Super 16 season debut at No. 15.
The Vegas Golden Knights are out of the Super 16 this week after coming in at No. 8 last week. Vegas has lost four in a row and fired coach Gerard Gallant on Wednesday, replacing him with former San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer.

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. St. Louis Blues (30-10-8)

Total points: 202
Last week: No. 2
Hit:The Blues had a nine-game home winning streak before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in overtime at Enterprise Center on Wednesday.
Miss: Defenseman Colton Parayko, who missed six games with an upper-body injury, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

2. Washington Capitals (31-11-5)

Total points:195
Last week:No. 1
Hit: Ilya Samsonov is 8-0-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average, .939 save percentage and one shutout since Nov. 30.
Miss: In that same time, Braden Holtby is 5-7-0 with a 3.31 GAA and an .880 save percentage.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (29-12-5)

Total points:175
Last week: No. 4
Hit:Crosby returned to the Penguins lineup on Tuesday after missing 28 games following core muscle surgery and had four points (one goal, three assists) against the Wild. The Penguins, who were 18-6-4 without Crosby, have won four straight and are 15-3-1 since Dec. 4.
Miss:Nothing.

4. Boston Bruins (27-9-12)

Total points:174
Last week: No. 3
Hit:David Pastrnak has eight goals in his past nine games. The forward leads the NHL with 36 goals this season.
Miss:Tuukka Rask sustained a concussion early in a 3-0 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The goalie was hit in the head by Columbus forward Emil Bemstrom's left arm and left the game 1:12 into the first period.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (28-14-4)

Total points:161
Last week:No. 6
Hit:Andrei Vasilevskiy is 9-0-0 with a 1.77 GAA, .943 save percentage and two shutouts since Dec. 23.
Miss:Forward Pat Maroon has missed two games with an upper-body injury, and defenseman Ryan McDonagh has missed five with an upper-body injury.

6. New York Islanders (28-13-4)

Total points:136
Last week:No. 5
Hit: Brock Nelson has four points (three goals, one assist) in his past two games. The center is on pace to score an NHL career-high 32 goals this season. His career high is 26 in 2015-16; he scored 25 goals last season.
Miss: Center Casey Cizikas has missed two games with a lower-body injury.

7. Dallas Stars (27-15-4)

Total points:127
Last week:No. 11
Hit:The Stars have won their past five games when they've allowed the first goal. They are 13-for-13 on the penalty kill in their past five games.
Miss: Corey Perry missed five games serving a suspension for an illegal check to the head of Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis on Jan. 1. The right wing is eligible to return to the lineup against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

8. Colorado Avalanche (25-15-6)

Total points:114
Last week:No. 7
Hit:Nathan MacKinnon has at least one point in 25 of Colorado's 31 games since Nov. 7, with 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) in that span. The center has been held off the score sheet in consecutive games once this season (Nov. 2-5).
Miss:The Avalanche are 0-2-2 in their past four games even though they've scored the first goal in each of the past three, including the first two goals against the New York Rangers (5-3 loss) and Dallas Stars (3-2 overtime loss).

9. Carolina Hurricanes (27-17-2)

Total points: 91
Last week:No. 12
Hit:The Hurricanes have allowed two goals in the past three games, including shutout wins against the Arizona Coyotes (3-0) and Los Angeles Kings (2-0). They also lost 2-0 to the Capitals. Carolina is 14-for-15 on the penalty kill in its past five games.
Miss: Carolina is 0-for-13 on the power play in its past five games.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs (25-16-6)

Total points: 88
Last week:No. 9
Hit: Mitchell Marner has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in an eight-game point streak. The forward has 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 17 games since Dec. 7, including nine multipoint games.
Miss: Toronto has allowed 21 goals in its past four games.

11. Arizona Coyotes (26-18-5)

Total points: 77
Last week: No. 10
Hit:Taylor Hall has six goals in 14 games with the Coyotes since being traded from the New Jersey Devils. The left wing had six goals in 30 games prior to the trade.
Miss:Nick Schmaltz has no points in five games. The forward leads the Coyotes with 35 points (seven goals, 28 assists).

12. Calgary Flames (25-18-5)

Total points:46
Last week:No. 14
Hit:Johnny Gaudreau has seven points (three goals, four assists) and 25 shots on goal in his past six games. The forward is averaging 4.17 shots on goal per game in the six games the Flames have played in 2020. He averaged 2.62 shots on goal per game in his first 42 games this season.
Miss:The Flames have been shut out six times in 48 games this season, including 2-0 by the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. They were shut out five times last season.

13. Edmonton Oilers (25-18-5)

Total points: 45
Last week:No. 13
Hit:The Oilers have gotten 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) from defensemen in their past six games, an average of 2.33 per game. It's a small sample size but an uptick in production; Oilers defensemen averaged 1.71 points per game in the first 42 games.
Miss: Forward Zack Kassian will not play against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, serving the second game of a two-game suspension for serving as the aggressor in an altercation with Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk in a 4-3 loss Sunday.

14. Philadelphia Flyers (25-16-6)

Total points:31
Last week:No. 15
Hit:Nolan Patrick is expected to return this season, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said this week. It's not clear when the forward, who hasn't played this season because of a migraine issue, will be cleared by the medical staff.
Miss:Carter Hart will miss the next 2-3 weeks with an abdominal strain after the goalie was injured in practice Tuesday. The good news is the Flyers have nine days off from Jan. 22-30.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets (23-16-8)

Total points: 27
Last week:NR
Hit:Elvis Merzlikins is 6-2-0 with a 1.64 GAA, .950 save percentage and two shutouts since Dec. 31. He has an active shutout streak of 137:51.
Miss:Forward Nick Foligno hasn't scored in 22 straight games.

16. Vancouver Canucks (25-18-4)

Total points: 24
Last week: NR
Hit: Bo Horvat has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 12 games since Dec. 19. The forward had two points (one goal, one assist) in the seven games prior (Dec. 3-17).
Miss: The Canucks are 1-for-24 on the power play in their past six games.

Others receiving points: Vegas Golden Knights 23, Winnipeg Jets 21, Florida Panthers 11
Dropped out: Golden Knights (No. 8), Jets (No. 16)
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Islanders; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Dallas Stars; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Arizona Coyotes; 12. Vancouver Canucks; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Boston Bruins; 2. St. Louis Blues; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Arizona Coyotes; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Vancouver Canucks
BRIAN COMPTON
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Islanders; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Vancouver Canucks; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Vancouver Canucks; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
TOM GULITTI
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Islanders; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Arizona Coyotes; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Edmonton Oilers
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. St. Louis Blues; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Arizona Coyotes; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Washington Capitals; 2. St. Louis Blues; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. New York Islanders; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Arizona Coyotes; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Vancouver Canucks
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. St. Louis Blues; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. New York Islanders; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Arizona Coyotes; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets
TRACEY MYERS
1. Washington Capitals; 2. St. Louis Blues; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Islanders; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Arizona Coyotes; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Vancouver Canucks
BILL PRICE
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Islanders; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Arizona Coyotes; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Vancouver Canucks
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Arizona Coyotes; 12. Carolina Hurricanes; 13. Vancouver Canucks; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
DAN ROSEN
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Arizona Coyotes; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Calgary Flames
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. New York Islanders; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Arizona Coyotes; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Vancouver Canucks; 16. Winnipeg Jets
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