The rankings are calculated by a points system based on the submissions by 12 NHL.com 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 Tampa Bay Lightning are either first or second on all 12 rankings submitted, enough to land in the top spot on the first in-season NHL.com Super 16 power rankings.

The Lightning are ranked No. 1 by six staff members and No. 2 by the other six. The Montreal Canadiens are ranked first by five staff members and in the top four of nine submissions, good enough to finish two points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for No. 2 this week.

Shawn Roarke and Adam Kimelman are the Canadiens' toughest critics. Roarke has them at No. 6 and Kimelman has them at No. 9.

The Edmonton Oilers are creating the biggest early-season rankings headache, leading to the biggest discrepancy.

The Oilers are ranked as high as No. 3 by Tim Campbell, Brian Compton, Kimelman and Robert Laflamme, but they are No. 13 on rankings submitted by Bill Price, Amalie Benjamin and Tom Gulitti. The ever-critical Roarke has the Oilers at No. 15.

Nick Cotsonika is the only staff member who ranked the Oilers at No. 8, which is where they landed in the following Super 16:

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (5-1-0)

Total points: 186

Hit: Captain Steven Stamkos has five goals in his past five games, including three in his past two.

Miss: Goalie Ben Bishop has allowed three goals or more in each of his first four starts for a 3.51 goals-against average and .885 save percentage.

Video: TBL@TOR: Stamkos rips a one-timer past Andersen

2. Montreal Canadiens (6-0-1)

Total points: 166

Hit: Forward Alexander Radulov has looked comfortable, motivated and confident, indications that he will be worth the one-year contract/gamble the Canadiens took on him.

Miss: Center Alex Galchenyuk has struggled with faceoffs. He's won 30 percent of his faceoffs this season.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (4-2-1)

Total points: 164

Hit: Captain Sidney Crosby is back after missing the first six games with a concussion.

Miss: Defenseman Kris Letang remains out with an upper-body injury. He has missed the past three games.

4. Washington Capitals (3-2-1)

Total points: 147

Hit: They have scored the first goal in five of their six games.

Miss: The second period, the long-change period for defensemen, has been problematic. They have been outscored 8-2 in the middle 20 minutes.

5. St. Louis Blues (4-2-1)

Total points: 128

Hit: Their special teams are humming along nicely with the power play at 25.9 percent and the penalty kill at 91.3 percent.

Miss: Jake Allen and Carter Hutton have allowed 17 goals on 179 shots for a .905 save percentage.

Video: STL@CGY: Perron tallies three times in 6-4 win

6. New York Rangers (5-2-0)

Total points: 112

Hit: Rookie right wing Pavel Buchnevich is close to returning and could play at the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, according to coach Alain Vigneault. He has missed five consecutive games with back spasms.

Miss: Left wing Chris Kreider remains out on a day-to-day basis with neck spasms. He had seven points in the first five games.

7. San Jose Sharks (4-3-0)

Total points: 111

Hit: They are the best in the Western Conference at limiting shots on goal, yielding 24.9 per game through seven games.

Miss: They are limiting shots against and are among the best in terms of limiting shot attempts (55.12 SAT percentage) despite being the worst faceoff team in the League at 42.3 percent.

8. Edmonton Oilers (6-1-0)

Total points: 104

Hit: Are tied for first in the League with New York Rangers in goals per game (3.86) after scoring four against Washington Wednesday.

Miss: Scoring on 13.4 percent of their shots which, historically, is a statistic that will regress. No team has shot higher than 10.7 percent in the past five 82-game seasons.

9. Detroit Red Wings (5-2-0)

Total points: 84

Hit: Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek have combined for a .935 save percentage. They combined for a .914 save percentage last season.

Miss: Captain Henrik Zetterberg has no goals and only eight shots on goal through seven games. He was second on the team last season with 214 shots in 82 games.

Video: CAR@DET: Vanek puts home Athanasiou's feed in 1st

10. Chicago Blackhawks (3-3-1)

Total points: 79

Hit: Corey Crawford has a League-best even-strength save percentage of .973 for goalies with four or more starts (107 saves on 110 shots).

Miss: The Blackhawks have allowed a League-high 14 power-play goals, including 12 given up by Crawford, who has a .647 shorthanded save percentage.

11. Minnesota Wild (4-2-1)

Total points: 73

Hit: They are 20-for-21 on the penalty kill (95.2 percent).

Miss: They are 3-for-26 on the power play (11.5 percent).

12. Florida Panthers (3-2-1)

Total points: 71

Hit: Discipline has been key as the Panthers have been shorthanded a League-low 13 times but outscored only 2-1 in those situations.

Miss: Defenseman Keith Yandle, with one point through six games, has not made a big impact offensively, a significant reason Florida's power play is 3-for-22 (13.6 percent). Yandle is averaging 3:20 of power-play ice time per game.

13. Dallas Stars (3-2-1)

Total points: 60

Hit: Tyler Seguin has six points in six games and he's averaging 18:51 of ice time per game, indicators that he's overcome his injury problems of the past seven-plus months.

Miss: Injuries have been the story of the season, with Jason Spezza (lower body), Patrick Sharp (concussion), Ales Hemsky (groin), Jiri Hudler (illness), Cody Eakin (knee) and Mattias Janmark (knee) out of the lineup.

Video: WPG@DAL: Eaves doubles the lead with one-timer PPG



14. Nashville Predators (2-4-0)

Total points: 32

Hit: The Predators, despite going 1 for 5 on Wednesday, lead the League with 10 goals on the power play.

Miss: Filip Forsberg, who should be first or second on the Predators in shots, has no goals on 13 shots. He had 33 goals on 247 shots last season.

15. Ottawa Senators (4-2-0)

Total points: 27

Hit: Craig Anderson had his best game of the season Tuesday when he made 22 saves in a 3-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks.

Miss: The Senators allowed four or more goals in four of their first five games.

16. Vancouver Canucks (4-2-1)

Total points: 23

Hit: They have gotten points (nine out of a possible 14) despite not getting a goal from Loui Eriksson, who has four assists.

Miss: They have lost three in a row (0-2-1), allowing at least three goals in each game, which magnifies the fact that Eriksson hasn't scored.

Others receiving points: Anaheim Ducks (19), New York Islanders (13), Calgary Flames (9), Colorado Avalanche (8), New Jersey Devils (6), Philadelphia Flyers (4), Los Angeles Kings (4), Boston Bruins (2).

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

ARPON BASU

1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Detroit Red Wings; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Chicago Blackhawks; 13. Dallas Stars; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Vancouver Canucks; 16. Los Angeles Kings.

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. Chicago Blackhawks; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Detroit Red Wings.

TIM CAMPBELL

1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. New York Rangers; 9. St. Louis Blues; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Chicago Blackhawks; 12. San Jose Sharks; 13. Vancouver Canucks; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. New Jersey Devils.

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. New York Islanders.

NICK COTSONIKA

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. New York Rangers; 6. San Jose Sharks; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Detroit Red Wings; 10. Nashville Predators; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Chicago Blackhawks; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Vancouver Canucks.

TOM GULITTI

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Montreal Canadiens; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. St. Louis Blues; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Nashville Predators; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. San Jose Sharks; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Chicago Blackhawks; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Detroit Red Wings; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. New York Islanders.

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Chicago Blackhawks; 6. St. Louis Blues; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Detroit Red Wings; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Vancouver Canucks; 16. Florida Panthers.

ROBERT LAFLAMME

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Montreal Canadiens; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. St. Louis Blues; 6. Vancouver Canucks; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Detroit Red Wings; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Chicago Blackhawks; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Colorado Avalanche.

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. San Jose Sharks; 8. St. Louis Blues; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Chicago Blackhawks; 14. Vancouver Canucks; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. New York Islanders.

BILL PRICE

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. San Jose Sharks; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Nashville Predators; 9. Chicago Blackhawks; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Detroit Red Wings; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. New York Islanders.

SHAWN ROARKE

1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. St. Louis Blues; 4. San Jose Sharks; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Chicago Blackhawks; 9. Dallas Stars; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Los Angeles Kings.

DAN ROSEN

1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. San Jose Sharks; 6. Chicago Blackhawks; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Detroit Red Wings; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Dallas Stars; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. New York Islanders.