Super 16: Golden Knights closing gap on Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning remain No. 1 in NHL.com's weekly Super 16, but it's by the closest margin in the 15 consecutive weeks they have been at the top of the power rankings.
Tampa Bay, which debuted at No. 1 on Oct. 19, received 214 points, eight more than the Vegas Golden Knights, who have defeated the Lightning twice this season and are one point behind them with one game in hand in the League standings.

The Lightning were ranked No. 1 by seven of the 14 staff members who participated in the Super 16. They were ranked No. 2 by five people and No. 3 by three. The Golden Knights were ranked first by five staff members, and the Boston Bruins were ranked first by two.

The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche moved into the top 10, and the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota Wild replaced the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets in the Super 16.
To create the power rankings, each of the participating staff members puts together his or her version of what they think 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.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (33-12-3)

Total points: 214Last week: No. 1
Hit: Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will play in the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVA Sports), has matched Nikolai Khabibulin's Lightning record of seven shutouts in a single season. Khabibulin set the record in 2001-02. Six of Vasilevskiy's League-leading seven shutouts have come on the road.
Miss: Nikita Kucherov, who leads the NHL with 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) and also is an all-star, has not scored and has two assists in the past six games.

2. Vegas Golden Knights (32-11-4)

Total points: 206Last week: No. 2
Hit: The Golden Knights have at least a point in 12 consecutive home games (10-0-2). They need one win to tie the 1993-94 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Florida Panthers for most by an NHL team in its inaugural season.
Miss: Defenseman Brayden McNabb didn't practice Wednesday and is day to day with an undisclosed injury sustained in a 6-3 win against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

3. Boston Bruins (28-10-8)

Total points: 198Last week: No. 6
Hit: The Bruins are on a 17-game point streak (13-0-4), tied for the third-longest in their history. It has been nearly 35 years since their last 17-game point streak (15-0-2, Jan. 5-Feb. 13, 1983). The longest in their history is 23 games (15 wins, eight ties), accomplished in the 1940-41 season.
Miss: Forward Brad Marchand received a five-game suspension for elbowing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson in a 3-2 win Tuesday.

4. Nashville Predators (28-11-7)

Total points: 180Last week: No. 3
Hit: Defenseman P.K. Subban, who will be captain of the Central Division All-Stars, has 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 17 games since Dec. 13. Subban leads the Predators with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) despite being third among their defensemen in time on ice (24:07 per game), being on the ice for the most 5-on-5 faceoffs in the defensive zone (286), and the highest percent (58.37) among their defensemen.
Miss: Forward Filip Forsberg has missed nine games with an upper-body injury.

5. Winnipeg Jets (29-13-7)

Total points: 174Last week: No. 5
Hit: The Jets are 14-3-0 against Pacific Division opponents, including eight straight wins.
Miss: They are 7-5-2 against Central Division opponents, including 3-5-2 since Nov. 20.

6. Washington Capitals (28-15-5)

Total points: 152Last week: No. 4
Hit: Defenseman John Carlson has 17 shots on goal in the past four games, including eight of Washington's 26 in a 3-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 19. He has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 17 games since Dec. 12.
Miss: The Capitals have scored eight even-strength goals in five games since Jan. 11. They are 1-2-2 in those games.

7. St. Louis Blues (29-18-3)

Total points: 131Last week: No. 7
Hit: Brayden Schenn, an all-star, has scored a goal in three straight games, and forward Jaden Schwartz (broken foot) is close to returning to the lineup. The Blues are 9-10-1 in 20 games since Schwartz was injured Dec. 9 after starting 20-8-2 with him.
Miss: The Blues are 5-10-1 against teams from the Western Conference since Nov. 24.

8. Dallas Stars (28-17-4)

Total points: 121Last week: No. 11
Hit: The Stars are one of two teams in the NHL (Bruins) that have three 20-goal scorers. Tyler Seguin, an all-star, leads Dallas with 22 goals. Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov each has 20. Marchand (21), Patrice Bergeron (20) and David Pastrnak (20) are the three Bruins.
Miss: Not much. The Stars are 4-0-1 in their past five games and 12-4-3 since Dec. 11, including 5-2-2 on the road.

9. San Jose Sharks (26-14-7)

Total points: 117Last week: No. 9
Hit: Timo Meier has a point in four straight games, including a goal in three. He has scored nine of his 11 goals and 13 of his 17 points in 24 games since Dec. 1.
Miss:Center Joe Thornton has a right MCL injury and will miss several weeks, general manager Doug Wilson said.

10. Colorado Avalanche (27-17-3)

Total points: 82Last week: No. 16
Hit: The Avalanche's top line of all-star Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen has 125 points (53 goals, 72 assists) in 37 games since Oct. 28.
Miss: Defenseman Tyson Barrie (hand, 12 games), goalie Semyon Varlamov (lower body, eight games) and forward Sven Andrighetto (lower body, nine games) each remains sidelined by injury, and forward Colin Wilson has missed the past three games because of illness.

11. Calgary Flames (25-16-7)

Total points: 74Last week: No. 10
Hit: The Flames are 50-0-3 when leading after the second period since the start of the 2016-17 season. They lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings in overtime Wednesday after taking a 1-0 lead into the third.
Miss: Forward Michael Frolik has missed 11 straight games with an upper-body injury, but he is skating and is nearing a return, likely after the All-Star break.

12. Philadelphia Flyers (24-16-8)

Total points: 50Last week: NR
Hit: Travis Konecny has scored in overtime in each of the past two games and has a point on four of the past five game-winning goals for the Flyers. He has at least one point in four straight games and 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 13 games since being put on Philadelphia's top line with Sean Couturier and all-star Claude Giroux on Dec. 23.
Miss: The Flyers are 1-for-14 on the power play in their past five games, but that's hardly hurting them, because they have won four straight and are 8-1-0 in nine games since Jan. 4.

13. Toronto Maple Leafs (27-18-5)

Total points: 41Last week: No. 14
Hit: Defenseman Jake Gardiner has six assists in a four-game point streak.
Miss: The Maple Leafs are 2-3-2 in their past seven games at home, where they haven't won in regulation since Dec. 19.

14. New Jersey Devils (24-15-8)

Total points: 39Last week: No. 8
Hit: Will Butcher leads NHL rookie defensemen with 26 assists. The only rookie with more assists than Butcher is New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (34).
Miss: The Devils have lost three in a row and are 2-6-3 in their past 11 games. All-star forward Taylor Hall has missed the past two games with a hand injury.

15. Pittsburgh Penguins (26-21-3)

Total points: 36Last week: No. 15
Hit:The Penguins are 6-2-0 during all-star center Sidney Crosby's eight-game point streak (three goals, 13 assists). Goalie Casey DeSmith, who had not started an NHL game before Jan. 18, has started three straight and allowed four goals on 100 shots.
Miss: Forward Jake Guentzel's goal in a 3-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday was his third in 23 games since Dec. 2.

16. Minnesota Wild (26-17-5)

Total points: 33Last week: NR
Hit: The Wild are 7-0-2 and have outscored the opposition 35-17 at home since Dec. 27. They are 14-1-3 at home since Nov. 14.
Miss: They are 2-5-0 on the road since Dec. 17, and forward Nino Niederreiter has missed the past six games with a lower-body injury.

Dropped out:Los Angeles Kings (No. 12), Columbus Blue Jackets (No. 13)
Others receiving points: Columbus Blue Jackets, 28; Anaheim Ducks, 19; Los Angeles Kings, 9

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Nashville Predators; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Colorado Avalanche; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. San Jose Sharks; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Dallas Stars; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Colorado Avalanche; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Anaheim Ducks
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Nashville Predators; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. San Jose Sharks; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Anaheim Ducks
NICK COTSONIKA
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs
LISA DILLMAN
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Nashville Predators; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Calgary Flames; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Colorado Avalanche; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs
TOM GULITTI
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Philadelphia Flyers; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. New Jersey Devils
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Nashville Predators; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Minnesota Wild
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. San Jose Sharks; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Los Angeles Kings
TRACEY MYERS
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Los Angeles Kings
BILL PRICE
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs
SHAWN ROARKE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Nashville Predators; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets
DAN ROSEN
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets

MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Nashville Predators; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins