Super 16: Lightning remain No. 1 in power rankings

The Tampa Bay Lightning's two straight wins against the Chicago Blackhawks were enough to keep the defending Stanley Cup champions in the top spot of the Super 16 power rankings eight days into the regular season.

The Lightning were ranked first or second by all 14 participating writers with 11 of the voters ranking them at No. 1, convinced by their back-to-back wins against Chicago by a combined 10-3.
The Vegas Golden Knights were ranked No. 1 by the other three voters.
Twenty-four teams were ranked at least once.
The Dallas Stars had the widest range among the 14 voters, likely because they have yet to play a game this season. They were ranked as high as No. 2 and as low as 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. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0-0)

Total points:221
Preseason rank: No. 1
The Lightning have eight players who've scored at least one goal and 13 at least one point. Forward Steven Stamkos leads them with five points (two goals, three assists).

2. Vegas Golden Knights (4-0-0)

Total points:207
Preseason rank:No. 3
Alex Pietrangelo appears to be a fit; the defenseman scored his first goal with Vegas in a 5-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday and entered averaging more than 26 minutes of ice time per game. The Golden Knights have shown resiliency by coming back to win games against the Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks after falling behind in each of them.

3. Colorado Avalanche (2-1-0)

Total points: 180
Preseason rank: No. 2
The Avalanche responded to their season-opening 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues by scoring 11 straight goals across five periods before allowing two in the third period of a 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 500th NHL point against the Kings. The center has 191 goals and 309 assists in 528 games, all with the Avalanche.

4. Washington Capitals (2-0-2)

Total points:161
Preseason rank:No. 6
The Capitals added forwards Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, defenseman Dmitry Orlov and goalie Ilya Samsonov to the list of players who are unavailable due to COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday. They were also fined $100,000 for player violations of the NHL's COVID-19 protocols.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-0)

Total points:144
Preseason rank:No. 9
John Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Auston Matthews have combined for 10 goals. The Maple Leafs have nine different goal scorers and are 6-for-16 on the power play (37.5 percent).

6. St. Louis Blues (2-1-1)

Total points:139
Preseason rank:No. 4
The Blues overcame their first bit of adversity this season. They lost 8-0 to the Avalanche on Jan. 15 and trailed the San Jose Sharks 2-0 in the first period Monday before coming back for a 5-4 win. Forward Jordan Kyrou's speed is a positive factor.

7. Philadelphia Flyers (3-1-0)

Total points: 125
Preseason rank:No. 5
Travis Konecny has scored four goals, including a hat trick in a 5-2 win against the Penguins on Jan. 15. The forward has scored a team-high six points (four goals, two assists), all in Philadelphia's three wins. But the Flyers are playing without Sean Couturier, who is expected to be out at least two weeks with a rib injury sustained Jan. 15. The center won the Selke Trophy last season, given to the best defensive forward in the NHL.

8. Montreal Canadiens (2-0-2)

Total points: 116
Preseason rank: No. 15
Jake Allen got his first win with the Canadiens when he made 25 saves in a 3-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, when rookie defenseman Alexander Romanov scored his first NHL goal. Montreal won two in a row in Edmonton by a combined 8-2 and started a set of three games in four nights against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Wednesday with a 6-5 shootout loss.

9. New York Islanders (2-1-0)

Total points:107
Preseason rank:No. 12
Semyon Varlamov has shutouts in each of his starts, making 24 saves in a 5-0 win against the New York Rangers on Jan. 14 and 27 in a 1-0 win against the Boston Bruins on Monday. Varlamov was scheduled to start against the Rangers on Jan. 16 but was injured in warmups. Ilya Sorokin allowed five goals in his NHL debut.

10. Calgary Flames (2-0-1)

Total points:101
Preseason rank:NR
Jacob Markstrom has a .935 save percentage (six goals against on 93 shots) and 1.99 goals-against average in his first three starts for the Flames. He allowed two goals on 59 shots in two games against the Vancouver Canucks, his former team, in wins Jan. 16 (3-0) and Monday (5-2).

11. Boston Bruins (1-1-1)

Total points: 95
Preseason rank: No. 8
The Bruins have allowed five goals, but they have scored three goals, none at even strength, proving their offense is a work in progress without right wing David Pastrnak, who is still recovering from offseason hip surgery.

12. Carolina Hurricanes (2-1-0)

Total points: 81
Preseason rank: No. 10
Andrei Svechnikov has factored in on five of the Hurricanes' nine goals (three goals, two assists) and Carolina has scored seven goals in the third period. The Hurricanes have had all games postponed through at least Saturday after five players were placed on the COVID-19 protocol list.

13. Dallas Stars (0-0-0)

Total points: 62
Preseason rank:No. 7
The Stars are scheduled to play their season opener against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Friday. Their first four games were postponed and moved to later in the season because of precautions related to COVID-19.

14. Nashville Predators (2-1-0)

Total points:50
Preseason rank: NR
Though Filip Forsberg has scored in each of his first three games, the Predators are struggling on the power play. They're 1-for-11, including 0-for-6 in two straight wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets (3-1 and 5-2).

15. Minnesota Wild (3-1-0)

Total points: 38
Preseason rank:NR
Rookie forward Kirill Kaprizov has scored five points (one goal, four assists) in his first five NHL games, including in overtime of the Wild's season-opening 4-3 win at the Kings. But Minnesota has one power-play goal in 20 opportunities following its 3-2 win against the Ducks on Wednesday.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-2-0)

Total points:17
Preseason rank: No. 13
The Penguins rallied to win two consecutive games against the Capitals, coming back from down 2-1 and 3-2 to win 4-3 in a shootout Jan. 17. They scored the last three goals, including a 5-on-3 shorthanded goal from forward Teddy Blueger and the overtime winner from center Sidney Crosby, in a 5-4 win Tuesday. Crosby has scored has five points (three goals, two assists).
Others receiving points:New Jersey Devils 16, Florida Panthers 15, Winnipeg Jets 14, Arizona Coyotes 4, Buffalo Sabres 4, Edmonton Oilers 3, Vancouver Canucks 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 1
Dropped out:Canucks (No. 11), Oilers (No. 14), Blue Jackets (No. 16)

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

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