Super 16: Golden Knights take over No. 1 in NHL.com power rankings

The Vegas Golden Knights are the new No. 1 team in the Super 16 power rankings, overtaking the Tampa Bay Lighting by four voting points this week.

The Golden Knights and Lightning split the vote for the No. 1 team, each ranked first by seven of the 14 participating NHL.com staff members. But Vegas got the edge because it was ranked No. 2 six times opposed to four for Tampa Bay.
The Dallas Stars made the biggest move, jumping eight spots to No. 5. In fairness, the voters ranked the Stars at No. 13 last week without them having played. The Stars had their first four games postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak and then started their season with three wins in a row.
The Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers are new to the Super 16 after not being ranked last week.
The New York Islanders took the biggest tumble, falling seven spots to No. 16.
To create the Super 16, 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, who got one point.
Here is the Super 16:

1. Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-1)

Total points: 214
Last week: No. 2
Max Pacioretty has scored six goals in seven games after the forward had a hat trick in a 5-4 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Vegas outshot St. Louis 46-25 and has outshot its opponent six time this season.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (3-1-0)

Total points: 210
Last week: No. 1
The Lightning have been particularly impressive in the second period, outscoring the opposition 6-2 and outshooting it 54-34.

3. Washington Capitals (4-0-3)

Total points: 176
Last week: No. 4
The Capitals are 2-0-1 in three games since forwards Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, defenseman Dmitry Orlov, and goalie Ilya Samsonov had to quarantine because of COVID-19 protocol and local health restrictions. Their seven-game point streak to start the season ties a Washington record set in 2011-12, when it won the first seven games.

4. Montreal Canadiens (4-0-2)

Total points: 168
Last week: No. 8
Tyler Toffoli has a point in four straight games and the forward leads the Canadiens with five goals and eight points. Montreal is the one team in the Scotia North Division without a regulation loss.

5. Dallas Stars (3-0-0)

Total points: 148
Last week: No. 13
The Stars have started with three straight wins largely because of their power play. They are 9-for-16, including 8-for-12 in two wins against the Nashville Predators last week. Anton Khudobin has allowed three goals on 72 shots winning all three games.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs (6-2-0)

Total points: 147
Last week: No. 5
The Maple Leafs have won three in a row and five of their past six. They have scored at least one power-play goal in seven of their eight games, going 10-for-24 (41.7 percent). Toronto has scored 20 of its 26 goals after the first period.

7. Colorado Avalanche (4-3-0)

Total points: 144
Last week: No. 3
The Avalanche have scored at least seven goals twice and they've been limited to two or fewer three times, illustrating their inconsistent start. Goalie Philipp Grubauer has allowed nine goals on 128 shots (1.81 goals-against average, .930 save percentage) in his past five starts. Colorado is 11-for-11 on the penalty kill in three home games.

8. Boston Bruins (4-1-1)

Total points: 143
Last week: No. 11
The Bruins have won three games in a row at home, including in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Boston is 5-for-10 on the power play during the winning streak. Left wing Brad Marchand has scored six points (three goals, three assists) in the three wins.

9. St. Louis Blues (4-2-1)

Total points: 112
Last week: No. 6
Jordan Kyrou has scored seven points (three goals, four assists) with 20 shots on goal in seven games. The forward scored 12 points (five goals, seven assists) and had 55 shots on goal in 44 NHL games entering the season.

10. Winnipeg Jets (5-2-0)

Total points: 84
Last week: NR
Nikolaj Ehlers has scored in five straight games, an NHL career-long goal streak for the forward. Ehlers scored four points (one goal, three assists) in a 6-4 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, giving him 11 points (five goals, six assists) in seven games. Forward Andrew Copp also scored four points (two goals, two assists) against the Oilers, giving him nine (four goals, five assists) this season.

11. Pittsburgh Penguins (4-2-1)

Total points: 78
Last week: No. 16
The Penguins have a point in five straight games (4-0-1), all earned after trailing. They were down 2-0 at the Bruins on Tuesday but scored twice in the third period before losing 3-2 in overtime. Evgeni Malkin had an assist on the second goal, giving him 1,079 points (417 goals, 662 assists), tied with Jaromir Jagr for third in Penguins history.

12. Philadelphia Flyers (4-2-1)

Total points: 72
Last week: No. 7
James van Riemsdyk has scored four goals, three on the power play, in his past three games. The forward scored two goals in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Bruins a week ago and two more in a 5-3 win against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, when defenseman Ivan Provorov scored three points (one goal, two assists).

13. Florida Panthers (3-0-0)

Total points: 55
Last week: NR
Patric Hornqvist has scored four goals in three games to start the season. The forward scored the game-tying goal at 19:57 of the third period and the shootout-winning goal in a 4-3 shootout victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. He scored two goals in a 5-4 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 19.

14. Carolina Hurricanes (2-1-0)

Total points: 36
Last week: No. 12
The Hurricanes will play their first game in nine days when they host the Lightning on Thursday after four games were postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak. They won't have forwards Teuvo Teravainen, Jesper Fast, Warren Foegele and Jordan Martinook, or defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who are all in COVID-19 protocol.

15. Minnesota Wild (4-3-0)

Total points: 35
Last week: No. 15
Wild goalies Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen have combined for a 2.27 GAA and .921 save percentage. Talbot is 2-1-0 with a 2.34 GAA and .925 save percentage. Kahkonen is 2-2-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .918 save percentage.

16. New York Islanders (3-3-0)

Total points: 33
Last week: No. 9
The Islanders have lost their past two games, scoring two goals. They are 0-for-9 on the power play in their three losses and 4-for-16 (25.0 percent) in their three wins. Anthony Beauvillier is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The forward missed his first game Tuesday, a 3-2 loss to Washington.
Others receiving points:Calgary Flames 22, New Jersey Devils 16, Los Angeles Kings 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 4, Edmonton Oilers 1, Buffalo Sabres 1
Dropped out:Flames (No. 10), Nashville Predators (No. 14)
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Carolina Hurricanes
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Los Angeles Kings
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Montreal Canadiens; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. New Jersey Devils
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Montreal Canadiens; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Minnesota Wild
TOM GULITTI
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Los Angeles Kings
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. St. Louis Blues; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. New Jersey Devils
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Minnesota Wild
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Florida Panthers
TRACEY MYERS
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Montreal Canadiens; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. Edmonton Oilers
BILL PRICE
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. New Jersey Devils
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. New York Islanders
DAN ROSEN
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Florida Panthers
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Philadelphia Flyers; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. New Jersey Devils
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Buffalo Sabres