Super 16: Golden Knights No. 1, Panthers climb NHL.com power rankings

The Vegas Golden Knights stayed No. 1 in the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings for a third straight week, edging the Carolina Hurricanes by one voting point.

The Golden Knights and Hurricanes were each ranked first by six of the 14 participating staff members, but Vegas got the edge with five No. 2 votes. Carolina had four.
The Washington Capitals dropped three spots to No. 8. The Nashville Predators moved up three to No. 13.
The St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens got back into the Super 16 after falling out last week.

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 (37-13-2)Total points: 212Last week: No. 1
The Golden Knights play their next three games at home, where they have won five in a row and are 19-4-2 with a plus-34 goal differential this season.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (36-10-7)Total points: 211Last week: No. 2
The Hurricanes have won five consecutive games, outscoring the opposition 21-8, and they're 9-0-3 in 12 games since April 15. Center Sebastian Aho has scored 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in a nine-game point streak.

3. Colorado Avalanche (34-13-4)Total points: 198Last week: No. 3
The Avalanche reached 50 games with 34 wins, most in Colorado/Quebec Nordiques history through 50 games of a season. They got to 70 points in their 49th game, the fastest since 2000-01, when they did it in 48 games before winning the Stanley Cup.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning (36-14-3)Total points: 188Last week: No. 4
Steven Stamkos and
Nikita Kucherov
have been cleared for contact and returned to practice, but neither forward is expected to be ready to play until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kucherov hasn't played this season after having surgery on his right hip Dec. 29. Stamkos has been out with a lower-body injury sustained April 8. He scored 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 38 games.
5. Florida Panthers (35-14-5)Total points: 159Last week: No. 6
The Panthers have won four games in a row and their 10 overtime wins lead the NHL (10-3).

6. Pittsburgh Penguins (35-16-3)Total points: 139Last week: No. 7
Evgeni Malkin has three assists and six shots on goal in two games since returning after the center missed 23 games with a lower-body injury.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (33-13-6)Total points: 134Last week: No. 9
The Maple Leafs have a point in six straight games (5-0-1) since losing five straight (0-3-2) from April 12-20. Auston Matthews has scored 18 goals in 18 games since March 27 after the center went five straight without one. He leads the NHL with 39 goals.

8. Washington Capitals (34-14-5)Total points: 128Last week: No. 5
Alex Ovechkin has missed five of the past six games and played one shift totaling 39 seconds at the New York Rangers on Monday because of a lower-body injury. The forward is one goal from tying Marcel Dionne for fifth in NHL history (731).
9. Minnesota Wild (33-14-5)Total points: 122Last week: No. 8
The Wild are one of three teams (Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins) that have not lost more than two games in a row this season. They have four games remaining, two each against the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues.
10. Boston Bruins (31-14-7)Total points: 107Last week: No. 10
The Bruins are 10-2-1 with a plus-23 goal differential (46-23) despite going 13.3 percent on the power play in 13 games since April 13. They're averaging 10 more shots on goal per game (36.6-26.6) than their opponents in the 13-game stretch.

11. Edmonton Oilers (32-17-2)Total points: 85Last week: No. 12
The Oilers have won three in a row, five of their past six, and 14 of 20 (14-4-2) since March 17. Connor McDavid has scored an NHL-high 93 points (31 goals, 62 assists) in 51 games, putting the center on a 102-point pace for the season. McDavid has scored at least two points in 29 games.
12. New York Islanders (31-16-6)Total points: 80Last week: No. 11
The Islanders are 5-6-2 in 13 games since April 9 with their wins against the New York Rangers (four) and Philadelphia Flyers (one). Forward Josh Bailey has six assists in his past four games.
13. Nashville Predators (29-23-2)Total points: 51Last week: No. 16
The Predators have used 29 skaters in 26 games since March 15 because of injuries and climbed back into the playoff race in the Discover Central Division. They have used 12 rookies this season, the most in one season in Nashville history.
14. St. Louis Blues (24-19-8)Total points: 31Last week: NR
The Blues are on a seven-game point streak (5-0-2). Center Ryan O'Reilly scored 11 points (six goals, five assists) in those games.
15. Montreal Canadiens (24-19-9)Total points: 28Last week: NR
The Canadiens had won three straight and four of five before losing 5-1 at the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. Montreal has four games remaining, two each against the Maple Leafs and Oilers.

16. Winnipeg Jets (28-21-3)Total points: 24Last week: No. 13
The Jets clinched a playoff berth with a 4-0 win against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. They were 1-for-3 on the power play after they were 1-for-19 during a seven-game losing streak.
Others receiving points: Dallas Stars 5, Rangers 2
Dropped out: Rangers (No. 14), Stars (No. 15)
HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Winnipeg Jets
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Montreal Canadiens
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Dallas Stars
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Winnipeg Jets
TOM GULITTI
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Winnipeg Jets
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Dallas Stars
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. St. Louis Blues
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. New York Islanders; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 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. Florida Panthers; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 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. Nashville Predators; 14. Winnipeg Jets; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. St. Louis Blues
BILL PRICE
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Winnipeg Jets
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Dallas Stars
DAN ROSEN
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Dallas Stars
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Florida Panthers; 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. Montreal Canadiens; 16. St. Louis Blues
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. New York Rangers; 16. Dallas Stars