Super 16: Predators continue to reign

The streaking Columbus Blue Jackets, winners of nine straight games, moved up three spots, and the Florida Panthers returned to the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings this week.
The Blue Jackets moved up to No. 11, and the Panthers, who dropped out last week, got back in at No. 16.

The Nashville Predators are No. 1 for a third consecutive week. They haven't lost in regulation since Feb. 17.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins are again No. 2 and No. 3, and the Winnipeg Jets flipped with the Vegas Golden Knights to get into the top four.
To create the power rankings, each of the participating staff members put together his or her version of what they think 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.

1. Nashville Predators (48-14-10)

Total points: 223Last week: No. 1
Hit:The Predators' point streak is 15 games (14-0-1), the best in their history. They have outscored their opponents 59-27 and have scored at least four goals in 10 of the 15 games.
Miss: Forward Calle Jarnkrok has missed three games with an upper-body injury.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (50-19-4)

Total points: 201Last week: No. 2
Hit: Ryan McDonagh has scored two goals in five games with the Lightning. The defenseman scored two goals in 49 games with the New York Rangers before he was traded to Tampa Bay on Feb. 26. Forward Ondrej Palat is back in the lineup after missing 26 games with a high ankle sprain.
Miss:The Lightning have allowed at least one power-play goal in 14 of 17 games since Feb. 13, going 40-for-57 (70.2 percent) on the penalty kill.

3. Boston Bruins (45-17-10)

Total points: 197Last week: No. 3
Hit: The Bruins have a League-leading 50 goals from eight rookies after Ryan Donato scored his second in his second NHL game Wednesday, a 2-1 overtime loss at the St. Louis Blues. The rookies have accounted for 21.1 percent of Boston's 237 goals.
Miss: The injury list is long with forwards Rick Nash (upper body), Jake DeBrusk (upper body), Patrice Bergeron (foot) and David Backes (leg laceration), and defensemen Zdeno Chara (upper body) and Charlie McAvoy (knee) out of the lineup.

4. Winnipeg Jets (44-19-10)

Total points: 176Last week: No. 5
Hit:The Jets have won three games in a row, and forward Kyle Connor has five goals in his past four games, including two multigoal games.
Miss: Patrik Laine could miss as many as three games with a lower-body injury, according to TSN. The forward was injured in a 2-1 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

5. Vegas Golden Knights (47-21-5)

Total points: 173Last week: No. 4
Hit: Jonathan Marchessault ended an 11-game goal drought by scoring in a 4-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The forward leads Vegas with 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists).
Miss:Marc-Andre Fleury did not travel for their game at the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. The details of the goalie's injury, from taking a shot off the mask Tuesday, are limited.

6. Washington Capitals (42-24-7)

Total points: 137Last week: No. 7
Hit: T.J. Oshie has four goals in his past four games. The forward had no goals in 19 games from Feb. 2-March 12.
Miss: Evgeny Kuznetsov has missed two games with an upper-body injury. The center is the Capitals' second-leading scorer with 71 points (21 goals, 50 assists), 10 behind Alex Ovechkin (44 goals, 37 assists).

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (42-27-5)

Total points: 132Last week: No. 6
Hit: Right wing Phil Kessel has reached 80 points for the third time in his NHL career. He tied his NHL career high of 82 points, which he had with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011-12, with two assists in a 5-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. He has an NHL career-high 53 assists, six more than his previous best, set last season.
Miss: The Penguins' 34 road points (15-19-4) are the fewest of any team in position to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

8. San Jose Sharks (41-23-9)

Total points: 124Last week: No. 10
Hit: The Sharks have won five consecutive games and have scored at least four goals in each of them, including at least five in four of them.
Miss: Forward Joonas Donskoi has missed three games with an upper-body injury.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (43-23-7)

Total points: 123Last week: No. 8
Hit:James van Riemsdyk has seven goals in his past four games, including three multigoal games with one hat trick. The forward leads the Maple Leafs with 33 goals.
Miss:Tomas Plekanec has no points in nine games since Toronto acquired the center in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 25.

10. Minnesota Wild (41-24-8)

Total points: 101Last week: No. 9
Hit:Eric Staal has 39 goals. The center hasn't scored 40 in a season since 2008-09 with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Miss: Left wing Mikael Granlund has no goals in 10 games in March.

11. Columbus Blue Jackets (41-28-5)

Total points: 93Last week: No. 14
Hit:The Blue Jackets have won nine games in a row and have scored at least four goals in seven of the nine games, outscoring the opposition 38-22.
Miss:Zip.

12. Colorado Avalanche (40-25-8)

Total points: 71Last week: No. 11
Hit:Forwards Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon each has 20 points in 10 games this month, tying for the NHL lead for March. Rantanen is second on the Avalanche behind MacKinnon with 79 points (26 goals, 53 assists). MacKinnon has 91 points (38 goals, 53 assists).
Miss: Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond, the Avalanche's second and third goalies behind Semyon Varlamov, are each out of the lineup with a concussion.

13. Los Angeles Kings (40-27-7)

Total points: 58Last week: No. 13
Hit: Anze Kopitar's 82 points (29 goals, 53 assists) in 74 games this season are 28 more than any Kings player (Drew Doughty, 54), 31 more than any Kings forward (Dustin Brown, 51), and 30 more than the center had in 76 games last season.
Miss: Part of the reason the Kings are not a lock for the playoffs is their home record. They are 5-5-0 at Staples Center since Feb. 22, and their 41 home points (19-14-3) are the fewest among the teams in position to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.

14. Anaheim Ducks (38-24-12)

Total points: 42Last week: No. 16
Hit:Center Ryan Getzlaf has 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 13 games since Feb. 19.
Miss:Defenseman Josh Manson missed his first game of the season Wednesday with an upper-body injury.

15. Philadelphia Flyers (37-25-12)

Total points: 26Last week: No. 12
Hit:Sean Couturier has points in five straight games (goal, six assists). The center ended a 15-game goal drought by scoring his 30th of the season in a 5-4 overtime loss at the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Miss: Petr Mrazek has allowed 13 goals on 86 shots (.849 save percentage) in his past four games. He has allowed 36 goals on 313 shots (.885 save percentage) in 12 games with the Flyers. He's 5-5-1 with a 3.27 goals-against average.

16. Florida Panthers (37-27-7)

Total points: 12Last week: NR
Hit:CenterAleksander Barkov has 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 14 games since Feb. 22, and 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 23 games since Feb. 1.
Miss: It's hard to find a glaring miss in a team that is 18-5-1 in its past 24 games. That's why they're in the Super 16 this week.
Dropped out:Dallas Stars (No. 15)
Others receiving points:New Jersey Devils 6, Dallas Stars 5, St. Louis Blues 4

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Columbus Blue Jackets; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Colorado Avalanche; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Philadelphia Flyers
NICK COTSONIKA
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. St. Louis Blues
LISA DILLMAN
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. New Jersey Devils
TOM GULITTI
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Florida Panthers
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Anaheim Ducks
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Columbus Blue Jackets; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. New Jersey Devils
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Columbus Blue Jackets; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Anaheim Ducks
TRACEY MYERS
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Anaheim Ducks
BILL PRICE
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. Florida Panthers
SHAWN ROARKE
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Colorado Avalanche; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. St. Louis Blues
DAN ROSEN
1. Nashville Predators; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. New Jersey Devils

MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Nashville Predators; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. New Jersey Devils