Super 16: Capitals near unanimous No. 1

As the weeks tick off the schedule and the 2017 NHL Trade Deadline nears, it's becoming clear that knocking the Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins out of the top three of NHL.com's weekly Super 16 power rankings is going to be impossible.
The Capitals, Wild and Penguins are first, second and third for the fourth consecutive week.

Washington was one point short of being a unanimous No. 1, but Tim Campbell, our Western Canada regional writer, continued his refusal to rank the Capitals first despite the fact that they lead the League with 84 points, four more than the Wild.
Tim has ranked Minnesota No. 1 four weeks in a row. He has not ranked Washington first this season.
So, Capitals fans, you know who to blame.

But that's the beauty of the Super 16: All 13 NHL.com staff members who participate get to weigh in with their opinion. The majority have favored the Capitals, and that's why Washington is No. 1 for the fifth straight week.
The rankings are 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.
Check out where they all landed once the math was finished, and be sure stay for the information:

1. Washington Capitals (39-11-6)

Total points: 207
Last week: No. 1
Hit:The Capitals on Wednesday acquired defenseman Tom Gilbert from the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations. Gilbert, who is reporting directly to Hershey of the American Hockey League, is a smart get by general manager Brian MacLellan because he's a depth defenseman with NHL experience, a luxury the Capitals did not have in Hershey before the trade.
Miss: The worst part about the Capitals having six days between games is their 6-4 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday was their sixth straight win. The hope has to be that the time off doesn't stunt them, but they've built up a big enough cushion that even if it does they probably won't be hurt by it.

2. Minnesota Wild (37-13-6)

Total points: 190
Last week: No. 2
Hit: The Wild have outshot the opponent in eight of their past 10 games, including 37-23 in a 1-0 loss to the Ducks on Tuesday.
Miss: Defenseman Matt Dumba has missed two straight games with a lower-body injury and likely will be out for at least three more, coach Bruce Boudreau said Wednesday. The Wild have three games remaining before they get their five-day break.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (35-13-7)

Total points: 184
Last week: No. 3
Hit: Center Evgeni Malkin is back after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. He had a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday in his return to the lineup.
Miss: We're not suggesting this is a concern, but it's a fact that center Sidney Crosby is having a difficult time getting to 1,000 points for his NHL career. Crosby got an assist Tuesday, putting him at 999 points. It's his only point in the past three games. He didn't get a point in the two previous games, marking the first time he went without a point in consecutive games since Feb. 24 and 27, 2016.

4. New York Rangers (37-18-1)

Total points: 163
Last week: No. 6
Hit: The Rangers carry a season-high six-game winning streak into their game against the New York Islanders at Barclays Center on Thursday.
Miss: Rookie forward Pavel Buchnevich will be a healthy scratch against the Islanders. He has one point, an assist, in the past 10 games and played nine minutes, including 5:46 at even strength, in a 3-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

5. Chicago Blackhawks (35-17-5)

Total points: 159
Last week: No. 7
Hit:The Blackhawks, who are off until Saturday, have won five in a row, all on the road. They scored four or more goals in each of the wins and went 6-for-12 on the power play.
Miss: Nothing here. They have won all five games they've played this month and are relatively healthy save for defenseman Michal Rozsival's lower-body injury.

6. San Jose Sharks (34-18-6)

Total points: 140
Last week: No. 4
Hit: Forward Patrick Marleau became the 10th player in NHL history to play 600 consecutive games in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.
Miss: Forward Joonas Donskoi has missed 10 straight games with an upper-body injury and isn't likely to return until at least after the Sharks return from their five-day break Feb. 25. Donskoi was injured against the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 23.

7. Columbus Blue Jackets (36-15-5)

Total points: 134
Last week: No. 5
Hit:Brandon Dubinsky has 14 points (five goals) in his past 15 games after he had 15 (three goals) in his first 39.
Miss:The Blue Jackets are 1-for-18 on the power play in their past 10 games. They were 0-for-14 before going 1-for-4 in a 5-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

8. Anaheim Ducks (30-18-10)

Total points: 114
Last week: No. 9
Hit: Goalie John Gibson made 37 saves in a 1-0 win against the Wild on Tuesday. It was arguably his best performance of the season considering the opponent, how much pressure they applied throughout the game, and the fact it came on the heels of him allowing five goals on 38 shots in a 6-4 loss at the Capitals on Saturday.
Miss:The Ducks face the possibility of not having center Antoine Vermette for an extended period of time because of a potential suspension for his abuse of officials in the third period Tuesday. Any supplementary discipline in Vermette's case would be issued by the NHL Department of Hockey Operations.

9. Montreal Canadiens (31-19-8)

Total points: 96
Last week: No. 8
Hit:Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin made a sensible if still emotional decision to fire Michel Therrien and replace him with the more accomplished Claude Julien on Tuesday. The Canadiens, who are 18-18-7 since their 13-1-1 start and 2-5-1 since the All-Star break, need a jolt, and Julien could give it to them.
Miss: Julien won't get a full practice with the Canadiens until Friday afternoon, when they return to prepare for their game against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday following their five-day break.

10. Edmonton Oilers (30-19-8)

Total points: 93
Last week: No. 10
Hit: After scoring five goals in their previous five games, the Oilers broke out in a 5-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. They'll try to build on that against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
Miss: The game against Philadelphia is Edmonton's last home game in February. The Oilers start a six-game road trip Saturday and won't play at Rogers Place again until March 4.

11. St. Louis Blues (30-22-5)

Total points: 68
Last week: No. 14
Hit: Forward Patrik Berglund has six goals in his past six games, including his first NHL hat trick in a 4-2 win against the Canadiens on Saturday.
Miss: It's not considered a serious injury, but center Paul Statsny was put on injured reserve with a lower-body injury Tuesday. Stastny did not play against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday and likely won't play against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

12. Ottawa Senators (29-19-6)

Total points: 61
Last week: No. 13
Hit:The Senators penalty kill, a hit last week, remains a hit this week. Ottawa is 10-for-10 in three games since the Super 16 came out last week and is 26-for-27 in its past nine games.
Miss:The other half of Ottawa's special teams haven't been so special. The Senators are 0-for-12 on the power play in their past five games and 2-for-25 in the past eight games.

13. Toronto Maple Leafs (26-19-11)

Total points: 52
Last week: No. 12
Hit:Goalie Frederik Andersen has a .938 save percentage (six goals-against on 97 shots) in his past three starts after he had an .833 save percentage (19 goals-against on 114 shots) in his previous four.
Miss: Rookie defenseman Nikita Soshnikov has missed the past four games because of an upper-body injury.

14. Nashville Predators (27-21-8)

Total points: 42
Last week: No. 11
Hit:Defenseman Roman Josi has four goals in the past three games and six points in the past four.
Miss: The Predators have allowed five power-play goals and have been shorthanded 15 times in the past two games, including nine times in their 5-3 win against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Dallas scored all of its goals on the power play.

15. Boston Bruins (29-23-6)

Total points: 39
Last week: NR
Hit: The Bruins are 3-0-0 and have scored 14 goals since Bruce Cassidy took over as coach for Julien.
Miss: Just as the Bruins were heating up, they hit a break in the schedule. They will have had six days off before starting a four-game road trip Sunday in San Jose.

16. Los Angeles Kings (28-23-4)

Total points: 14
Last week: NR
Hit:The Kings return from their five-day break Thursday trailing the Calgary Flames by one point for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, but Los Angeles has three games in hand.
Miss: Goalie Peter Budaj has allowed 12 goals on 75 shots (.840 save percentage) in his past three starts.
Others receiving points: New York Islanders 11, Florida Panthers 1
Dropped out from last week: New York Islanders, Calgary Flames
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
ARPON BASU
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Chicago Blackhawks; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. New York Islanders; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Boston Bruins
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. New York Rangers; 5. San Jose Sharks; 6. Chicago Blackhawks; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Florida Panthers
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Minnesota Wild; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Chicago Blackhawks; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Columbus Blue Jackets; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Boston Bruins
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Chicago Blackhawks; 6. Columbus Blue Jackets; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Los Angeles Kings
NICK COTSONIKA
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Chicago Blackhawks; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Los Angeles Kings
LISA DILLMAN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Chicago Blackhawks; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. New York Islanders
TOM GULITTI
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4 Chicago Blackhawks; 5. New York Rangers; 6 Columbus Blue Jackets; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Los Angeles Kings
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Chicago Blackhawks; 5. New York Rangers; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Los Angeles Kings
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Chicago Blackhawks; 6. New York Rangers; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. New York Islanders
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Washington Capitals; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Boston Bruins
BILL PRICE
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Chicago Blackhawks; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Nashville Predators: 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Los Angeles Kings
SHAWN ROARKE
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Chicago Blackhawks; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Nashville Predators; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Edmonton Oilers: 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Los Angeles Kings
DAN ROSEN
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Chicago Blackhawks; 5. New York Rangers; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Montreal Canadiens; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Ottawa Senators