Super 16: Golden Knights No. 1 in final NHL.com power rankings of season

The Vegas Golden Knights are No. 1 in the final NHL.com Super 16 power rankings of the season.

The Golden Knights, No. 1 for a fourth straight week, were ranked first by eight of the 14 participating staff members. The Colorado Avalanche, who moved up one spot to No. 2, were ranked first by four voters, and the Carolina Hurricanes received the other two No. 1 votes.
The Hurricanes dropped one spot to No. 3.
The same 16 teams from last week are ranked this week. They are the 16 teams that will compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begin Saturday.

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. Vegas Golden Knights (40-14-2)Total points: 217Last week: No. 1
The Golden Knights have not used the same goalie in back-to-back games since Marc-Andre Fleury played March 25 and 27. Fleury and Robin Lehner each started 12 games since March 29.
2. Colorado Avalanche (38-13-4)Total points: 205Last week: No. 3
Samuel Girard returned Wednesday after the defenseman missed six games with a lower-body injury. Nathan MacKinnon (undisclosed) missed the game Wednesday and won't play in the regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, but the center should be ready for the start of the playoffs.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (36-12-8)Total points: 200Last week: No. 2
The Hurricanes were 6-0-0 against the Nashville Predators before losing two to them to end their season after they clinched first place and the top seed in the Discover Central Division. Carolina will play Nashville, the No. 4 seed, in the Stanley Cup First Round.

4. Florida Panthers (37-14-5)Total points: 177Last week: No. 5
The Panthers enter the playoffs on a six-game winning streak and were 11-2-1 in their last 14 games. They scored at least four goals in each of the six games, including at least five goals in four.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning (36-17-3)Total points: 169Last week: No. 4
The Lightning lost their last three games by a combined 14-3, including the final two to the Panthers (5-1 and 4-0). They will play the Panthers in the first round but could look like a different team with forwards Steven Stamkos,
Nikita Kucherov
and Ondrej Palat, and defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta all possibly returning for Game 1.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (37-16-3)Total points: 149Last week: No. 6
Jeff Carter scored five goals against the Buffalo Sabres in the last two games of the regular season, including four in an 8-4 win at Pittsburgh on May 6. The forward scored nine goals in 14 games after he was acquired in a trade with the Kings on April 12; he scored eight goals in 40 games for Los Angeles. The Penguins are the No. 1 seed in the MassMutual East Division and play the No. 4 New York Islanders in the first round.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (35-13-7)Total points: 141Last week: No. 7
Frederik Andersen made 24 saves for the Maple Leafs on Wednesday. The 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators was his first game since March 19; he missed 23 with a knee injury. Toronto, the No. 1 seed in the Scotia North Division, plays the Montreal Canadiens in the first round.
8. Washington Capitals (36-15-5)Total points: 119Last week: No. 8
Although forward Alex Ovechkin played in the regular-season finale Tuesday, a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins, their opponent in the first round, the Capitals enter the playoffs with health issues. T.J. Oshie is considered day to day with a lower-body injury and the forward did not play Tuesday. Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov is on the NHL COVID-19 protocol list. Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said goalie Ilya Samsonov also is in COVID-19 protocol. Defenseman John Carlson missed the last two games with a lower-body injury.
9. Minnesota Wild (35-15-5)Total points: 111Last week: No. 9
The Wild are 7-1-2 in the second game of a back to back this season and play the second of a back to back and their final regular-season game against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
10. Boston Bruins (33-16-7)Total points: 107Last week: No. 10
Taylor Hall scored 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 16 games since the Bruins acquired the left wing in a trade with the Sabres on April 12. He scored six more goals in 21 fewer games with the Bruins to close the regular season than he did with the Sabres before the trade.

11. Edmonton Oilers (35-18-2)Total points: 89Last week: No. 11
The Oilers are the No. 2 seed in the North Division and will play the No. 3 Winnipeg Jets in the first round. Edmonton was 7-2-0 against Winnipeg in the regular season, winning in regulation each time and outscoring the Jets 34-22. Edmonton center Connor McDavid scored 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in the nine games, with at least two points in each game.
12. New York Islanders (32-17-7)Total points: 68Last week: No. 12
The Islanders were 92.9 percent on the penalty kill (39-for-42) in their last 19 games and 83.7 percent for the season. They play the Penguins in the first round. Pittsburgh was 23.7 percent on the power play.
13. Nashville Predators (31-23-2)Total points: 56Last week: No. 13
The Predators were 11-16-1 and sixth in the eight-team Central, 10 points behind the fourth-place Chicago Blackhawks, on March 13. They went 20-7-1 to finish their season and play the Hurricanes in the first round. Juuse Saros was 16-6-1 with a 1.90 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage and three shutouts during the run.
14. St. Louis Blues (26-20-9)Total points: 48Last week: No. 14
Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko has missed five straight games and seven of eight with a lower-body injury.

15. Winnipeg Jets (29-23-3)Total points: 29Last week: No. 16
The Jets became the last team to clinch a playoff berth when they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-0 on Tuesday. It was their second win in 11 games (2-9-0) since April 17.
16. Montreal Canadiens (24-21-11)Total points: 16Last week: No. 15
The Canadiens should have several key players back for Game 1 against the Maple Leafs, including goalie Carey Price (concussion), defenseman Shea Weber (upper body), and forwards Phillip Danault (concussion) and Brendan Gallagher (hand). Jonathan Drouin (leave of absence) is not expected to return.
Others receiving points:Dallas Stars 2, Ottawa Senators 1
Dropped out:None
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. New York Islanders; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Montreal Canadiens
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Montreal Canadiens
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. New York Islanders; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Winnipeg Jets
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Montreal Canadiens
TOM GULITTI
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Montreal Canadiens
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Montreal Canadiens
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Montreal Canadiens
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Winnipeg Jets
TRACEY MYERS
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Montreal Canadiens
BILL PRICE
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Montreal Canadiens
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. Ottawa Senators
DAN ROSEN
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Montreal Canadiens
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. New York Islanders; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Winnipeg Jets
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Montreal Canadiens