Super 16: Penguins take over No. 1

There's a new No. 1 in the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings for the second straight week. And it was the closest race of the season to get there.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who have won three games in a row and eight of their past 10 (8-1-1), finished No. 1 this week, edging the Chicago Blackhawks by one point in the voting. The Blackhawks were No. 1 last week, when they received two more points than the Washington Capitals.

It is the first time the Penguins have been No. 1 since the rankings of Jan. 12.
The Super 16 is calculated by a points-based system based on the votes of the 13 participating staff members. Point values are assigned to each ranking. The point values are assigned as follows: 16 points for a No. 1 ranking, down to one point for a No. 16 ranking.

The Blackhawks had more No. 1 votes than the Penguins (6-5), but Pittsburgh was ranked in the top three by 12 of the 13 staff members, and Chicago was ranked in the top three by 11.
The Capitals were right in the mix as well, finishing with 190 points, but they dropped to No. 3.
The Edmonton Oilers made the biggest jump, moving up three spots to No. 9. The Toronto Maple Leafs also got back in the Super 16 after dropping out last week.
Check out where the Super 16 landed once the math was finished, and be sure to stay for the information:

1. Pittsburgh Penguins (46-17-9)

Total points: 195
Last week: No. 3
Hit: Sidney Crosby has six goals in the past three games and seven in the past five. His 41 goals lead the NHL, and his 81 points are second behind Oilers center Connor McDavid, who has 85.
Miss: Rookie forward Jake Guentzel was diagnosed with a concussion after getting hit by Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen in a 3-1 Stanley Cup Playoff-clinching win Tuesday. Guentzel has 25 points in 35 games, and he's been on a dynamic line with Crosby and Conor Sheary.

2. Chicago Blackhawks (47-20-6)

Total points: 194
Last week: No. 1
Hit:Ryan Hartman has had a strong, if unheralded, rookie season. He has 18 goals and 29 points in 68 games. Hartman had two goals against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
Miss:They are 17-3-1 in their past 21 games. Let's not nitpick now other than to point out that they are without center Artem Anisimov, who has missed four straight games with a lower-body injury.

3. Washington Capitals (47-17-8)

Total points: 190
Last week: No. 2
Hit:Nicklas Backstrom has had at least three points in three of his past four games. He has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in those games. He's fifth in the League in scoring, seven points behind McDavid.
Miss:Center Lars Eller has no points in 10 straight games. He hasn't scored a goal in 18 straight games.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets (47-19-6)

Total points: 173
Last week: No. 4
Hit:The Blue Jackets are the only team in the League this season that hasn't lost three straight games. They have lost back-to-back games in regulation three times.
Miss:Forward Brandon Saad has one goal in the past nine games.

5. Minnesota Wild (44-22-6)

Total points: 143
Last week: No. 5
Hit:The Wild ended a five-game losing streak (0-5-0) with a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Goalie Devan Dubnyk got his 37th win of the season, tying the Wild record (Niklas Backstrom, 2008-09).
Miss:Defenseman Ryan Suter has three points, all assists, in the past 14 games despite playing more than 27 minutes in 11 of those games.

6. New York Rangers (45-25-4)

Total points: 135
Last week: No. 7
Hit: Brady Skjei has 30 assists, making him the fourth defenseman in Rangers history to have at least 30 in his rookie season and first since Brian Leetch (48) did it in 1988-89. He is the first Rangers rookie regardless of position to have at least 30 assists since Tony Amonte (34) in 1991-92.
Miss: They have allowed at least one power-play goal in eight consecutive games. Their penalty kill is 17-for-27 (63.0 percent) in that time.

7. Montreal Canadiens (41-23-9)

Total points: 128
Last week: No. 8
Hit: The Canadiens are getting secondary scoring of late. Twenty of the 22 goals they've scored in the past nine games have come from players other than Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov. Paul Byron has six of them.
Miss:The problem is Pacioretty, Galchenyuk and Radulov haven't been producing, and that's why they were split up in practice Wednesday. Galchenyuk is expected to play left wing with Andrew Shaw and Artturi Lehkonen against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

8. San Jose Sharks (42-24-7)

Total points: 127
Last week: No. 6
Hit: Backup goalie Aaron Dell has a .947 save percentage in his past seven starts (11 goals-against on 208 shots). He has allowed two or fewer goals in six of those starts.
Miss:They have lost four in a row, all in regulation, and have scored four goals in the process.

9. Edmonton Oilers (39-25-9)

Total points: 93
Last week: No. 12
Hit: Goalie Cam Talbot's seven shutouts are the most by an Edmonton goalie in a season since Tommy Salo had eight in 2000-01.
Miss: Though he's been playing better, forward Jordan Eberle had three goals in his past 24 games.

10. Ottawa Senators (40-24-8)

Total points: 87
Last week: No. 10
Hit: The Senators have won five in a row against the Boston Bruins, who could be their opponent in the Eastern Conference First Round if each qualifies for the playoffs.
Miss:Forward Mark Stone, whose 50 points are third on Ottawa, has missed six straight games with a lower-body injury.

11. Calgary Flames (41-28-4)

Total points: 82
Last week: No. 9
Hit: The Flames have won 12 of their past 14 games (12-2-0) and have scored three or more goals in 11 of the games.
Miss: Forward Sam Bennett has been held without a point in 30 of his past 35 games and hasn't scored a goal in his past 11.

12. Anaheim Ducks (39-23-11)

Total points: 79
Last week: No. 11
Hit: Rickard Rakell had 10 goals in his past 12 games.
Miss:Goalie John Gibson remains out with a lower-body injury.

13. St. Louis Blues (39-28-5)

Total points: 47
Last week: No. 15
Hit: The Blues have won three games in a row and eight of their past nine, outscoring the opposition 28-13 in that stretch.
Miss:Center Paul Stastny is week to week with a lower-body injury he sustained in a 4-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Stastny has 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) in 66 games.

14. Nashville Predators (36-25-11)

Total points: 39
Last week: No. 14
Hit:Defenseman Ryan Ellis has two goals and two assists in the past two games. He is up to 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 62 games.
Miss: Center Mike Fisher missed practice each of the past two days. His status for the game against Calgary on Thursday is unclear.

15. Boston Bruins (38-29-6)

Total points: 27
Last week: No. 13
Hit: The Bruins have scored 3.67 goals per game in 18 games since Bruce Cassidy took over as coach for Claude Julien on Feb. 7. They scored 2.56 goals per game in their 55 games under Julien.
Miss: They've lost three in a row, all in regulation, and have allowed 14 goals in the process, including five when shorthanded.

16. Toronto Maple Leafs (34-23-15)

Total points: 26
Last week: NR
Hit:William Nylander has three goals and seven assists during a nine-game point streak.
Miss:Forward Zach Hyman, who does so many things well for Toronto, most notably retrieving pucks on the forecheck, has struggled in the scoring department of late. He has five points in 25 games since the All-Star break. He had 21 points in 47 games before the All-Star break.

Others receiving points: New York Islanders 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 1
Dropped out from last week: Tampa Bay Lightning
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
ARPON BASU
1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Boston Bruins
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. New York Rangers; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Anaheim Ducks. 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Columbus Blue Jackets; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Boston Bruins
NICK COTSONIKA
1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Boston Bruins
LISA DILLMAN
1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Columbus Blue Jackets; 4. Chicago Blackhawks; 5. Calgary Flames; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. San Jose Sharks; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Boston Bruins
TOM GULITTI
1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Boston Bruins
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. St. Louis Blues
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Columbus Blue Jackets; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Columbus Blue Jackets; 4. Chicago Blackhawks; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Ottawa Senators; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. New York Islanders
BILL PRICE
1. Chicago Blackhawks: 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. New York Rangers; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. New York Islanders
SHAWN ROARKE
1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Tampa Bay Lightning
DAN ROSEN
1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Boston Bruins