Super 16: Hurricanes return to No. 1; Lightning move up power rankings

The Carolina Hurricanes are back in the top spot of the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings this week after dropping to a season-low No. 5 last week.

The Hurricanes came in two voting points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning, four ahead of the Florida Panthers and five in front of the Washington Capitals, the closest vote of the season to date.
The Lightning are up four spots to No. 2. The Panthers, who knocked the Hurricanes out of the top spot two weeks ago, are No. 3. The New York Rangers are down six spots to No. 8.
To create the NHL.com power rankings, each of the 14 participating staff members put together his or her version of what they think it should look like. Those were submitted and a point total assigned to each.
The team that was selected first was given 16 points, second got 15, third 14 and so on down to No. 16, which got one point.
Here is the Super 16:

1. Carolina Hurricanes (19-7-1)

Total points: 199
Last week: No. 5
The Hurricanes were coming off a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, which ended a four-game winning streak, when their game against the Minnesota Wild two days later was postponed with six players and one member of the training staff in NHL COVID-19 protocol. It would have been the last of a five-game road trip (3-1-0).

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (18-6-4)

Total points: 197
Last week: No. 6
The Lightning are 9-2-1 since center Brayden Point sustained an upper-body injury Nov. 20. He was expected to be out 4-6 weeks; Saturday will be four weeks.

3. Florida Panthers (18-6-4)

Total points: 195
Last week: No. 1
The Panthers have lost two in a row, including 8-2 to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, after getting a point in five straight games (4-0-1). Center Aleksander Barkov has missed three games with an upper-body injury and has played one of 12 games since Nov. 18. Florida placed five players and one member of its travel party in COVID-19 protocol Wednesday. Forwards Sam Bennett, Ryan Lomberg and Carter Verhaeghe; and defensemen Radko Gudas and Brandon Montour won't play against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

4. Washington Capitals (17-5-7)

Total points: 194
Last week: No. 3
Nicklas Backstrom had an assist in his season debut for the Capitals on Wednesday, a 5-4 overtime loss at the Chicago Blackhawks. The center missed the first 28 games recovering from a left hip injury that has bothered him since last season, when the 34-year-old led Washington with 53 points (15 goals, 38 assists) in 55 games. Center Evgeny Kuznetsov entered COVID-19 protocol Wednesday and did not play against Chicago.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs (20-8-2)

Total points: 178
Last week: No. 7
The Maple Leafs are the first team to 20 wins this season, arriving with a 5-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. They are 11-for-21 on the power play in their past six games. Center Auston Matthews has scored 13 goals in 10 games since Nov. 24 and has 20 this season.

6. Minnesota Wild (19-8-1)

Total points: 153
Last week: No. 4
The Wild have lost back-to-back games. Forward Marcus Foligno has scored in two straight games, four of his past five and six of his past eight.

7. Colorado Avalanche (17-7-2)

Total points: 141
Last week: No. 9
The Avalanche have won five in a row and are 6-0-1 since Dec. 2. They have won eight straight and are 9-0-1 at home since Oct. 30. They are 26-2-2 in home games dating to March 10.

8. New York Rangers (19-7-3)

Total points: 131
Last week: No. 2
The Rangers rallied for a 3-2 win at the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, but forward Artemi Panarin sustained a lower-body injury and is day to day, according to coach Gerard Gallant. New York lost its previous two games and three of four, including twice against Colorado.

9. St. Louis Blues (16-8-5)

Total points: 100
Last week: No. 12
The Blues have a point in five consecutive games (4-0-1) and nine of their past 10 (6-1-3). They have gone six straight without allowing a power-play goal (13-for-13) and have been shorthanded once in each of their past four.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins (15-8-5)

Total points: 80
Last week: No. 15
The Penguins have won five straight games, allowing six goals and none while shorthanded (10-for-10). They have not given up a power-play goal in 14 games since Nov. 16, going 32-for-32 on the penalty kill. Sidney Crosby has scored 15 points (three goals, nine assists) in nine games since Nov. 26.

11. Calgary Flames (15-7-6)

Total points: 79
Last week: No. 8
The Flames are shut down through at least Tuesday because of COVID-19. They have 16 players and three coaches in protocol, and their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets scheduled for Saturday was postponed. Calgary is next scheduled to play Tuesday at home against the Anaheim Ducks. It's lost four in a row (0-3-1), including 4-2 to the Boston Bruins on Dec. 11.

12. Vegas Golden Knights (17-11-0)

Total points: 67
Last week: No. 14
Max Pacioretty has scored 10 goals in a seven-game goal-scoring streak, the longest in Golden Knights history and his NHL career. He has three multigoal games during the streak and three game-winning goals. Vegas has won five of its past six games while scoring at least three goals in seven straight.

13. Nashville Predators (17-10-1)

Total points: 65
Last week: NR
The Predators swept a four-game road trip against the Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Rangers last week. They have won five in a row and six of seven but have six players and four coaches in COVID-19 protocol.

14. Anaheim Ducks (17-9-5)

Total points: 61
Last week: No. 13
Though the Ducks were 5-1-2 in eight games since Nov. 30 entering their 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, with five extending into overtime and four ending in a shootout, they were 2-for-14 on the power play in those eight games, including 0-for-6 in the last five, and were 26th in power plays per game (2.63).

15. Edmonton Oilers (16-11-0)

Total points: 34
Last week: No. 10
The Oilers have lost six straight games in regulation, scoring nine goals total, including six in their past five. Forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined to score four of the goals, and McDavid has four assists. Edmonton is 3-for-20 on the power play in the losing streak.

16. Boston Bruins (14-9-2)

Total points: 21
Last week: No. 16
Center Patrice Bergeron has scored five points (two goals, three assists) in his past four games. Bergeron and forwards Brad Marchand and Craig Smith are in COVID-19 protocol. Marchand and Smith missed a 4-1 loss to Vegas on Tuesday. The Bruins are 1-2-1 without Marchand, their leading scorer (27 points).
Others receiving points: Winnipeg Jets 4, Vancouver Canucks 3, Dallas Stars 2
Dropped out:Stars (No. 11)

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. Nashville Predators
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. Nashville Predators
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. New York Rangers; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Edmonton Oilers
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Edmonton Oilers
TOM GULITTI
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Nashville Predators; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Boston Bruins
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Florida Panthers; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Rangers; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Winnipeg Jets
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Washington Capitals; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Boston Bruins
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Calgary Flames; 9. Nashville Predators; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
TRACEY MYERS
1. Toronto Maple Leafs; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Winnipeg Jets
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Nashville Predators; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Vancouver Canucks
DAN ROSEN
1. Toronto Maple Leafs; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. New York Rangers; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Vancouver Canucks; 16. Edmonton Oilers
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Florida Panthers; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Nashville Predators; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Boston Bruins
PAUL STRIZHEVSKY
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Nashville Predators; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Edmonton Oilers
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Edmonton Oilers