Super 16: Canadiens back in top spot

A former No. 1 team is back in the top spot in NHL.com's Super 16 power rankings this week.
The Montreal Canadiens, who have been in the top three in each of the first five Super 16s this season, are No. 1 after dropping to No. 3 last week.

The Canadiens have the edge over the New York Rangers, who were No. 1 last week, because they are ranked first or second by 11 of the 12 NHL.com staff members who select the Super 16 every week.

The rankings are calculated by a points-based system using the ballots of the 12 staff members. Point values are assigned to each ranking. The point values are assigned as follows: 16 points for a No. 1 ranking, down to one point for a No. 16 ranking.
The Chicago Blackhawks are the consensus best team in the Western Conference for the second straight week. The Blackhawks are ranked as high as third by 10 staff members. They are No. 1 in Shawn Roarke's rankings.
The New Jersey Devils, losers of three in a row without left wing Taylor Hall, are the team that dropped the furthest this week, falling from No. 8 to No. 15. The Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-0-1 in their past five games, are up six spots to No. 9.
Here's where they all landed once the math was finished:

1. Montreal Canadiens (14-4-2)

Total points: 184
Last week:No. 3
Hit:Alex Galchenyuk is building on his production from last season, when he had 30 goals and 56 points in 82 games, by playing at a point-per-game pace. Galchenyuk has 21 points in 20 games. He has at least one point in 16 games.
Miss: Max Pacioretty has four goals on 54 shots on goal, an average of 2.70 shots per game. He averaged 3.72 shots per game and 35.3 goals per season in each of the past three seasons.

2. New York Rangers (14-5-1)

Total points:182
Last week:No. 1
Hit:Kevin Hayes has looked leaner, faster, more motivated and just better than he did last season. Hayes, who had two points in a 5-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, when he was promoted to top-line center, is tied for the New York scoring lead with 18 points.
Miss: The injury bug has bit the Rangers. Mika Zibanejad is out 6-8 weeks with a broken left fibula, and Pavel Buchnevich likely is out three weeks with a back injury.

3. Chicago Blackhawks (13-5-2)

Total points:170
Last week: No. 4
Hit: The Blackhawks are outscoring the opposition 28-17 and outshooting it 220-186 after the second period. They are 4-1 in overtime.
Miss: They have allowed the first goal in three of their past four games and in five of their past eight. They are 3-2 in those five games, but if the trend continues, it's unlikely to be a recipe for sustained success.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (11-5-3)

Total points: 152
Last week: No. 2
Hit: Rookie Jake Guentzel scored two goals in his NHL debut Monday playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.
Miss: Like the Rangers, the Penguins are dealing with injuries to key forwards. There is no timetable for the return of Patric Hornqvist (concussion), who is day to day, and Chris Kunitz (lower body) is week to week.

5. Washington Capitals (11-5-2)

Total points:141
Last week: No. 5
Hit: Nicklas Backstrom has eight points in the past four games after he had one in his previous four games and nine in his first 13.
Miss: The Capitals have scored more than two goals in regulation once in their past seven games. That was in their 7-1 win against the Penguins, when Backstrom had five points.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (12-7-1)

Total points: 140
Last week:No. 6
Hit:Tyler Johnson has at least one point in four straight games, including a goal in back-to-back games. He has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 20 games.
Miss: Anton Stralman has missed five straight games with an upper-body injury.

7. St. Louis Blues (11-6-3)

Total points:110
Last week: No. 9
Hit: Robby Fabbri had a four-game point streak with three goals and two assists before he was held without a point in a 4-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. He was a healthy scratch against the Nashville Predators on Nov. 10.
Miss: Alexander Steen has missed three straight games with an upper-body injury. He's expected to miss his fourth in a row Wednesday, when the Blues play at the Capitals. He's considered day to day. Steen had no points in four games before sustaining the injury.

8. Boston Bruins (11-8-0)

Total points: 85
Last week: No. 12
Hit: Brandon Carlo has looked more like a veteran than a 19-year-old rookie defenseman. He's playing on the top pair with Zdeno Chara and averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per game, second behind Chara, who is over 23 minutes per game.
Miss:ForwardDavid Pastrnak has missed three straight games with an undisclosed injury.

9. Columbus Blue Jackets (10-4-3)

Total points:82
Last week: No. 15
Hit: Seth Jones returned Monday after missing six games with a fractured foot. He played 23:46 and had four shots on goal and seven shot attempts in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Colorado Avalanche.
Miss: It's hard to find much wrong with the Blue Jackets of late. They are 4-0-1 in their past five games, and in the OT loss, they outshot the Avalanche 42-27 and had a 92-52 edge in total shot attempts.

10. San Jose Sharks (10-8-1)

Total points: 75
Last week:No. 7
Hit:Logan Couture's offense finally might be coming around. He has goals in two of the past three games and in three of the past six after going 10 straight games without a goal.
Miss: Tomas Hertl has a knee injury that required a "minor procedure" on Tuesday, according to general manager Doug Wilson. There is no timetable for his return. Hertl also sustained a knee injury in the Stanley Cup Final last season, and it was bad enough to keep him out of the World Cup of Hockey 2016 three-and-a-half months later.

11. Anaheim Ducks (9-7-4)

Total points: 72
Last week: No. 10
Hit:Rickard Rakell has been dynamic since returning to the lineup. He has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 11 games. He had 43 points in 72 games last season.
Miss:Their power play, strong at home, has been the exact opposite on the road, going 4-for-37 (10.8 percent) in 10 games away from Honda Center.

12. Edmonton Oilers (11-8-1)

Total points:61
Last week:No. 16
Hit:The Oilers have won two in a row, scoring five goals in each game. Connor McDavid has contributed on five of the goals, scoring three of them.
Miss: Although they've bucked the trend the past two games, the Oilers have allowed the first goal in 12 of their 20 games. They are one of seven teams to allow the first goal in at least 12 games and the only one in a playoff spot entering Tuesday.

13. Florida Panthers (10-9-1)

Total points:38
Last week:NR
Hit:Nick Bjugstad made his season debut Tuesday after missing the first 19 games with a hand injury. He played 11:18 and had two shots in a 3-1 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Miss: Roberto Luongo and James Reimer have combined for a .881 save percentage in the third period (21 goals on 177 shots). They have a .922 save percentage in the first two periods (32 goals on 412 shots).

14. Los Angeles Kings (10-9-1)

Total points: 33
Last week: NR
Hit:The Kings have won three in a row and have scored at least three goals in all three games. They had scored no more than two goals in each of their previous four games, all losses.
Miss: They're scoring and winning despite missing captain Anze Kopitar, who has been out the past five games with an upper-body injury.

15. New Jersey Devils (9-6-3)

Total points: 32
Last week:No. 8
Hit: The Devils are getting offense from their defense, a change from last season. Their defensemen have scored seven of their past 12 goals and 11 of their 40 goals this season (27.5 percent). Defensemen accounted for 20 of New Jersey's 182 goals last season (10.9 percent).
Miss: They had to play against the Sharks on Monday without Taylor Hall (left-knee surgery), Kyle Palmieri (upper body) and Michael Cammalleri (personal reasons). They lost 4-0.

16. Minnesota Wild (9-7-2)

Total points: 21
Last week: No. 13
Hit:Of their League-low 35 goals-against, 17 have come in the first 40 minutes of games. They have allowed eight goals in the first period and nine goals in the second period.
Miss: They have been limited to two goals or fewer in six straight games with a power play that is 2-for-17 in those games.
Others receiving points: Dallas Stars 19, Nashville Predators 16, Ottawa Senators 13, Winnipeg Jets 6
Dropped out from last week: Jets, Senators
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
ARPON BASU
1. New York Rangers; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. Montreal Canadiens; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. San Jose Sharks
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. New York Rangers; 2. Montreal Canadiens; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Florida Panthers
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. New York Rangers; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. San Jose Sharks; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Minnesota Wild
BRIAN COMPTON
1. New York Rangers; 2. Montreal Canadiens; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. Ottawa Senators
NICK COTSONIKA
1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins 5. Chicago Blackhawks; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Ottawa Senators
TOM GULITTI
1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. San Jose Sharks; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Ottawa Senators
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. New York Rangers; 2. Montreal Canadiens; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. Los Angeles Kings
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. New York Rangers; 2. Montreal Canadiens; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Chicago Blackhawks; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Nashville Predators; 10. Anaheim Ducks. 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. New Jersey Devils
BILL PRICE
1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. San Jose Sharks; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Columbus Blue Jackets; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Los Angeles Kings
SHAWN ROARKE
1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Montreal Canadiens; 3. New York Rangers; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Washington Capitals, 8. San Jose Sharks; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Anaheim Ducks, 13. Columbus Blue Jackets, 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Edmonton Oilers
DAN ROSEN
1. New York Rangers; 2. Montreal Canadiens; 3. Chicago Blackhawks; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Columbus Blue Jackets; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Dallas Stars