Super 16: Avalanche climb into top 5, Sabres, Hurricanes among risers

The Colorado Avalanche moved up seven spots to No. 2 in the NHL.com Super 16 this week, but they weren't the only team that made a big move in the power rankings.

The Carolina Hurricanes moved up three spots to No. 3, the Buffalo Sabres jumped four spots to No. 9 and the Pittsburgh Penguins got in at No. 11 after being unranked last week.
On the other end, the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals each dropped five spots. The Blues moved down to No. 7 and the Capitals to No. 12. The Calgary Flames fell four spots to No. 14.
The Boston Bruins remained No. 1 for the second straight week.
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. Boston Bruins (5-1-0)

Total points: 193
Last week:No. 1
Hit:The Bruins' top line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand has combined for 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in six games, including 10 points from Pastrnak (six goals, four assists) and nine points from Marchand (four goals, five assists).
Miss: Sean Kuraly (two points) is the only other Bruins forward who has more than one point.

2. Colorado Avalanche (5-0-1)

Total points: 185
Last week:No. 9
Hit:Rookie Cale Makar is the fifth defenseman in NHL history to start his career with a five-game point streak. He had six assists prior to getting no points against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
Miss: Nothing here for the Avalanche, who have yet to lose a game in regulation. They have scored the first goal in five of their six games.

3. Carolina Hurricanes (6-2-0)

Total points:172
Last week: No. 6
Hit:Their 6-1-0 record before losing to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday was their best through seven games to start a season in history. Their previous best record through seven games was 5-2-0 in 1996-97, their final season as the Hartford Whalers.
Miss:Forward Jordan Martinook is expected to be out 6-8 weeks following surgery for a core muscle injury.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning (3-2-1)

Total points:147
Last week: No. 3
Hit:Forward Steven Stamkos has goals in four of his past five games and has eight points (four goals, four assists) this season.
Miss:The Lightning have given the opposition nine power plays in the past two games. They have been on the penalty kill at least four times in four of their six games.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3-1)

Total points:141
Last week: No. 4
Hit:Defenseman Morgan Rielly has nine assists through Toronto's first eight games, including four in a 4-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Miss: Toronto has allowed the first goal in five of its eight games.

6. Nashville Predators (4-2-0)

Total points:140
Last week:No. 8
Hit:Filip Forsberg has points in each of the Predators six games (five goals, three assists), tying the team record for consecutive games with a point to start a season (Marek Zidlicky, 2003-04).
Miss: Forsberg left the game against the Golden Knights in the third period Tuesday, and the forward was "being evaluated," according to coach Peter Laviolette.

7. St. Louis Blues (3-1-2)

Total points: 132
Last week:No. 2
Hit: The Blues have scored a power-play goal in four of six games, and they're 9-for-9 on the penalty kill in the past five games.
Miss: They are 0-2 in games decided in overtime.

8. Vegas Golden Knights (4-3-0)

Total points:116
Last week: No. 5
Hit: Rookie forward Cody Glass has points in five of his first seven NHL games (two goals, three assists).
Miss: Defenseman Nate Schmidt (lower body) and forward Alex Tuch (upper body) remain out with injuries. Schmidt has missed six straight games and Tuch hasn't played this season after he was injured in a preseason game on Sept. 27.

9. Buffalo Sabres (5-1-1)

Total points:99
Last week:No. 13
Hit:Victor Olofsson scored his sixth power-play goal on Wednesday. The rookie forward is the first player in NHL history to score his first eight career NHL goals on the power play. He had two power-play goals in six games last season.
Miss: Conor Sheary has missed four straight games with an upper-body injury. The forward had two goals in a season-opening 3-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 3.

10. Edmonton Oilers (6-1-0)

Total points: 98
Last week:No. 11
Hit: The Oilers have an NHL-best 45.5 power-play percentage (10-for-22) and are fifth on the penalty kill with a 88.5 percentage (23-for-26).
Miss:They have trailed by one goal 11 times in seven games and have allowed the first goal in four games.

11. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-2-0)

Total points: 91
Last week:NR
Hit:Kris Letang is the first defenseman to have 500 points with the Penguins. He has 501 points (114 goals, 387 assists) in 754 games.
Miss: The Penguins are without forwards Evgeni Malkin (lower body), Alex Galchenyuk (lower body), Nick Bjugstad (lower body) and Bryan Rust (upper body). Malkin and Bjugstad have missed five straight games. Galchenyuk has missed four in a row and Rust hasn't played this season.

12. Washington Capitals (4-2-2)

Total points: 90
Last week:No. 7
Hit:John Carlson leads all NHL defenseman with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in eight games.
Miss: The Capitals have failed to win three of the six games they've been leading after two periods (3-1-2). They have a minus-7 goal differential in the third-period (12-5).

13. Anaheim Ducks (5-2-0)

Total points: 43
Last week:No. 12
Hit:The Ducks are second in the NHL for lowest goals against per game (1.71).
Miss: Anaheim is 1-for-18 on the power play.

14. Calgary Flames (3-3-1)

Total points:39
Last week:No. 10
Hit:The Flames are 2-0-1 at home and have 106 shots on goal in their past three games overall (35.3 per game).
Miss: Calgary has been outscored 7-3 in the first period this season and is 3-for-22 (13.6 percent) on the power play with one shorthanded goal against.

15. Winnipeg Jets (4-4-0)

Total points:23
Last week:No. 16
Hit:Mark Scheifele has goals in three straight games and the center is tied with right wing Patrik Laine for the team lead with 12 points (four goals, eight assists). Laine has nine assists, tied for third in the League.
Miss:The Jets have allowed 11 goals in their past two games, both losses, after giving up five in a three-game winning streak. They are 2-for-6 on the penalty kill in the past three games.

16. Vancouver Canucks (3-2-0)

Total points:16

Last week:NR
Hit:The Canucks have won three in a row and are an NHL-best 93.8 percent on the penalty kill (15-for-16).
Miss: They have been outshot 55-38 in the second period, the period of the long change.
Others receiving points: Philadelphia Flyers 12, New York Rangers 10, Florida Panthers 9, New York Islanders 6, San Jose Sharks 4, Arizona Coyotes 1, Detroit Red Wings 1
Dropped out: New York Rangers (No. 14), Dallas Stars (No. 15)
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Buffalo Sabres; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Vancouver Canucks
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Nashville Predators; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Florida Panthers
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Vancouver Canucks; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Vancouver Canucks; 14. Tampa Bay Lightning; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Vegas Golden Knights
TOM GULITTI
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. St. Louis Blues; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. New York Islanders
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Nashville Predators; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Arizona Coyotes
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Nashville Predators; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Calgary Flames
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Vancouver Canucks
TRACEY MYERS
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. Nashville Predators; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Detroit Red Wings
BILL PRICE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Buffalo Sabres; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. San Jose Sharks
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Nashville Predators; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Buffalo Sabres; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Florida Panthers
DAN ROSEN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Nashville Predators; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Buffalo Sabres; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Vancouver Canucks; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Calgary Flames
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. St. Louis Blues; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Vancouver Canucks; 14. New York Rangers; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. Calgary Flames