Super 16: Surging Sabres reach top five

A 10-game winning streak is enough to vault the Buffalo Sabres to No. 4 in the Super 16 power rankings this week, but clearly there are some skeptics among our 13-member voting panel.

The Sabres were ranked as high as No. 1 by two voters and as low as No. 8 by two others. Three people had them at No. 3, four at No. 4, one at No. 5 and one at No. 6.
The wide range in votes validates a question being asked around the NHL these days:
Do you believe in Buffalo?
The Sabres have nine wins by one goal during their winning streak, including seven that were decided after regulation (four in overtime, three in the shootout). However, during the streak they've defeated four teams that are ranked in the top 11 this week, including the No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Sabres made their season debut in the Super 16 at No. 12 on Nov. 15. They climbed to No. 8 last week and leapt four more spots this week.
The Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche also made big jumps this week, moving up six spots each. The San Jose Sharks dropped six spots, the biggest tumble of the week.
To create the power rankings, each of the 13 participating staff members put 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 latest Super 16, with some news and notes to follow for each team:

1. Nashville Predators (17-7-1)

Total points: 204
Last week: No. 1
Hit:The Predators already have tied their record for most hat tricks in a season with four (Austin Watson, Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons, Filip Forsberg, one each). They also had four in the 2015-16 season.
Miss: They were 13-0-0 when scoring the game's first goal until they lost 3-2 to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, when forward Ryan Hartman scored the first goal. The loss also ended a six-game home winning streak.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (17-7-1)

Total points: 190
Last week:No. 3
Hit: The Lightning have won five of eight games (5-3-0) without goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is on injured reserve with a fractured left foot. Louis Domingue has started all eight games and has a 2.90 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
Miss:Defenseman Anton Stralman, who has missed nine games with an upper-body injury, will be out at least another week, if not longer.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs (18-8-0)

Total points: 172
Last week: No. 2
Hit: Auston Matthews scored two goals and had an assist in a 5-3 win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday in the center's return after missing 14 games with a shoulder injury.
Miss: Nazem Kadri hasn't scored in eight consecutive games dating to Nov. 15; he has two assists in that span.

4. Buffalo Sabres (17-6-2)

Total points:167
Last week: No. 8
Hit: The Sabres have 10 consecutive wins, tying the longest streak in their history. They are first in the NHL with 36 points in 25 games.
Miss: Nothing.

5. Washington Capitals (14-7-3)

Total points:151
Last week: No. 11
Hit: The Capitals have won six straight games, all without injured forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie, each out with an upper-body injury. Forward Tom Wilson has 11 points (five goals, six assists) during the winning streak and 12 points (six goals, six assists) in eight games since returning after missing the first 16 games of the season while suspended for an illegal check against St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist during the preseason.
Miss: Kuznetsov and Oshie still are out.

6. Colorado Avalanche (15-6-4)

Total points:136
Last week: No. 12
Hit: The Avalanche have won five consecutive road games and lead the NHL with 20 road points (9-4-2).
Miss: Nothing for now.

7. Winnipeg Jets (13-8-2)

Total points: 116
Last week: No. 4
Hit: Patrik Laine has scored 16 goals in November, a Jets/Thrashers record for the most goals in one month. His next goal will be his 100th in the NHL.
Miss: The Jets have lost three of their past four games (1-3-0) and have allowed at least four goals in all four games.

8. Boston Bruins (13-7-4)

Total points: 115
Last week: No. 6
Hit: The Bruins have not lost back-to-back games in regulation this season.
Miss:The latest blow to the battered Boston defenseman group happened in Toronto on Monday when Kevan Miller was hit in the throat with a puck and sustained a cartilage injury to his larynx during the first period of a 4-2 loss. He's expected to miss at least five weeks. The Bruins already were missing injured defensemen Brandon Carlo (upper body), Zdeno Chara (knee), Charlie McAvoy (concussion symptoms) and Urho Vaakanainen (concussion).

9. Columbus Blue Jackets (14-8-2)

Total points:105
Last week: No. 9
Hit: Pierre-Luc Dubois has 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 17 games since Oct. 23.
Miss: The Blue Jackets have allowed at least four goals in three of their past four games, including four in a span of 29:43 in a 7-5 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, when they had a 5-1 lead that became 5-4 and eventually 6-5.

10. Minnesota Wild (14-8-2)

Total points: 99
Last week: No. 7
Hit: Matt Dumba has 10 points (five goals, five assists) during a seven-game point streak. He needs a point against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, FS-N, FS-WI, NHL.TV) to set the Wild record for longest point streak by a defenseman. Dumba is tied with Ryan Suter, who has two seven-game point streaks for Minnesota (one goal, eight assists from Feb. 26-March 10, 2013, and seven assists from Dec. 11-23, 2013).
Miss: Devan Dubnyk has allowed 11 goals on 69 shots (.841 save percentage) in his past three starts and 18 goals on 129 shots (.860) in his past five. He also had a stomach illness that he overcame in time to play against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday, when he allowed four goals on 14 shots in a 4-3 loss.

11. San Jose Sharks (12-9-5)

Total points: 96
Last week: No. 5
Hit:The Sharks lead the NHL in first-period goals (32) and have the best goal differential in the first period (plus-10) despite falling behind 3-1 against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Miss: They are tied for 25th in the NHL in second-period goals (21), and they are tied for last with the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks in goal differential in the second period (minus-10).

12. Calgary Flames (14-9-2)

Total points: 79
Last week: No. 10
Hit: They have the fourth-best power play in the NHL in home games (29.6 percent) and are tied for fifth on the penalty kill in road games (83.3 percent).
Miss: The reverse of each isn't so good for the Flames, who are 29th in road power play (11.4 percent) and last in home penalty kill (67.6 percent).

13. New York Rangers (13-10-2)

Total points: 39
Last week: No. 15
Hit:The Rangers have had 21 players score through 25 games this season, tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the most players with at least one goal in the NHL. They haven't had 21 players with at least one goal through their first 25 games since 1988-89.
Miss: Forward Vladislav Namestnikov is in the concussion protocol and did not travel with the team to play the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDS, MSG, NHL.TV). He was injured when he was hit by Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot late in the third period of a 4-2 win Monday. Another forward, Mats Zuccarello, will miss his third straight game and ninth in the past 11 with a groin injury.

14. Carolina Hurricanes (12-9-3)

Total points: 25
Last week: NR
Hit: Goalie Curtis McElhinney is 4-0-0 with a .967 save percentage (145 saves on 150 shots) in his past four starts, including 48 saves in a 2-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
Miss: Defenseman Brett Pesce has missed seven games with a lower-body injury, and defenseman Haydn Fleury has missed the past two with a concussion.

15. Dallas Stars (13-10-3)

Total points: 23
Last week:No. 16
Hit:Defenseman Miro Heiskanen has 11 points (four goals, seven assists), including two game-winning goals, and leads NHL rookies in ice time per game (22:57).
Miss: Goalie Ben Bishop has missed five straight games with a lower-body injury sustained during a 2-1 loss at the Rangers on Nov. 19.

16. Vegas Golden Knights (13-12-1)

Total points: 22
Last week:NR
Hit:The Golden Knights have won four games in a row and six of their past eight (6-2-0), averaging 4.12 goals per game during that span, including 5.00 per game in their six wins.
Miss: Nothing much here. Things are good for Vegas right now.
Others receiving points: New York Islanders 13, Pittsburgh Penguins 11, Anaheim Ducks 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
Dropped out: Montreal Canadiens (No. 13), New York Islanders (No. 14)

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Columbus Blue Jackets; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Buffalo Sabres; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. San Jose Sharks; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. Vegas Golden Knights
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. San Jose Sharks; 12. Columbus Blue Jackets; 13. Dallas Stars; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. New York Rangers; 16. Carolina Hurricanes
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Buffalo Sabres; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. San Jose Sharks; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Anaheim Ducks
NICK COTSONIKA
1. Buffalo Sabres; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. San Jose Sharks; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. New York Rangers; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
TOM GULITTI
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Buffalo Sabres; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. New York Rangers; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Carolina Hurricanes; 16. Vegas Golden Knights
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Carolina Hurricanes; 16. Dallas Stars
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. San Jose Sharks; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Buffalo Sabres; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Columbus Blue Jackets; 13. Dallas Stars; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Carolina Hurricanes
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Dallas Stars; 14. New York Rangers; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
TRACEY MYERS
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Dallas Stars
BILL PRICE
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. San Jose Sharks; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. New York Islanders; 15. New York Rangers; 16. Dallas Stars
SHAWN ROARKE
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Buffalo Sabres; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
DAN ROSEN
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Calgary Flames; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Dallas Stars
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. San Jose Sharks; 12. Columbus Blue Jackets; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. New York Rangers; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. New York Islanders