Disclaimer: This Super 16 series is much closer to the original NHL.com articles. One bad week (usually) won't tank a team from the power rankings. Quick Note: Only 6 weeks left. w0w. Time flies when you're having fun! Vote in the poll, please. Super 16: Coyote Country 1. San Jose Sharks (8-1-0) Last Week: 8 (+7) Hit: Just an absolutely huge rivalry win against the Canucks. The Canucks' lockerroom was literally in shambles after the game. A win like that is just a great tone setter for the following week, in my opinion. Miss: Not much to pick from here. even their lone loss was just a tough game against a WPG top line. 2. Arizona Coyotes (9-0-0) Last Week: 13 (+11) Hit: I mean they didn't lose a single game. Two big wins versus MIN and VGK really highlighted the week, and beating CHI, even in overtime, is huge considering they're currently jockeying for position in the Central. Miss: None 3. Vancouver Canucks (7-2-0) Last Week: 11 (+8) Hit: Some shrewd trades seem to have worked out as all 3 additions to the team go 3-0, then again, the team was already winning a lot before they got here. Miss: Game of the night. Huge rivalry matchup between the Sharks and the Canucks. Somebody gets too eager and gets a major late in the 3rd changing the course of the game. H8 2 c it. 4. New Jersey Devils (5-3-1) Last Week: 2 (-2) Miss: Seems like there's some penalty trouble going on. 6 members of the Devils took at least 2 minor penalties in Week 3. Extra Miss: The unthinkable happens; the top line drops 2 games this week. Luckily, the Devils are a deep team and shake it off. 5. Detroit Red Wings (6-3-0) Last Week: 6 (+1) Hit: They've been one of the better teams defensively and that continued this week. If the Wings score 3, they should be getting a W. Miss: Somebody get the 7 mil defenseman the puck. Pretty hard to hit the LTs without the puck. Honestly, though, maybe they dropped a couple points that could have moved them ahead of Tampa, but wut r u gonna do. Wayshe goes. 6. Tampa Bay Lightning (5-4-0) Last Week: 1 (-5) Hit: Pretty good week for trades around the league, and it's the same in Tampa. @Eatchy and @Merle both had decent weeks and are probably excited to be on the Lightning roster. Miss: Trading away @FtB x Sauce can only mean one thing. The Tampa Bay Lightning practice facility was built on top of an ancient Native American burial ground. Is the team cursed? 7. Chicago Blackhawks (4-3-2) Last Week: 3 (-4) Hit: Even in a bad week, still grab 10 points. This is certainly below their expectations, but they mostly keep pace with their division. Miss: Bad avail or maybe people didn't want to play with @R0tes . Personally, I don't blame them. He is not a swell guy. 8. Ottawa Senators (6-2-1) Last Week: 14 (+6) Hit: @TxVxH 17 and @Jxcou 91 quietly having really good seasons as the Sens have another big week. Miss: The 3rd line gets pummeled again. Some really tough matchups for them, but somehow other 3rds around the league are getting it done. If they find a way to be competitive, the Senators will be scary. 9. Carolina Hurricanes (4-5-0) Last Week: 4 (-5) Hit: @Vaporize 17 calling out @Archon Assassin for using an ogre build in LG. Great for two reasons which I will now elaborate: Hurricanes have one of the worst shoutbox presences in the league. Everyone knows that shoutbox presence is weakly correlated with on-ice success. Lol get rekt Archon idiot Miss: I don't know what to make of this team. They have the top-end talent, and most of their depth guys are pretty solid. I suppose a mixture of tough lines and bad luck this week. 10. Winnipeg Jets (6-2-1) Last Week: 15 (+5) Hit: This is more like the Jets I envisioned. Good on the owners to reel that toxic jerk @D4D USA in when he was getting out of line. (See, that's funny cuz @D4D USA talks about fishing sometimes, and I said reel him in like you would a fish.) Miss: It's certainly nice when you get to use a former 8+ mil guy as an ECU, but what happens when those games run out? Can @DuffMcGriff play forward? 11. Toronto Maple Leafs (7-2-0) Last Week: Not Ranked (+) Hit: @Rockxt 5 scores 20 points (most in the league this week), and somehow is still outshined by my boy @Byfuglien x33l . #DD4lyfe The Leafs really improved through trades this season. I wouldn't expect them to drop out of the Super 16 any time soon. Miss: @Neil x 25 goes 2-1, should his bags still be packed? #neilwatch 12. Vegas Golden Knights (5-4-0) Last Week: 7 (-5) Hit: First line drops two, but the owner's line picks up some yuge wins for the boys. Now that is high on the list of things you love to see. Looks like things are gelling right now for Vegas. Miss: Sources tell me that Vegas absolutely trashed the Bridgestone Arena visitor's lockerroom after beating the doors off the Preds Tuesday night. I get celebrating a big win, but cmon guys. 13. Philadelphia Flyers (3-4-2) Last Week: 5 (-8) Hit: @AG7859 is pulling the ol' Brandon Pirri with 22 goals and just 3 assists, and I have to say that I'm here for it. Miss: "How come I only one on Flyers that can win game? Next line to lose game I am cutting hair" - @Melvin x 94 Extra Miss: Heard there was a rage quit in one of the games. 14. Washington Capitals (5-4-0) Last Week: 9 (-5) Hit: Every win counts for the Caps. If they don't make playoffs, then that's just not money well spent. Miss: Line jumbling resulting from some trades over the weekend. Maybe that's the culprit, but some members of the Caps are definitely underperforming. You know who I'm talking about; I'm looking right at YOU. 15. Florida Panthers (5-3-1) Last Week: 12 (-3) Hit: They won 5 games with points in 6 this week. Maybe this is a start to the turnaround everyone is expecting? @Kuznyy @Vincennnzo @Crow I50I leading the way with 3 wins albeit 3 games they should usually win. More than ever, though, it seems you can't take any lineups for granted. Miss: Almost put them on the Hot Seat this week. It was this *holds index finger and thumb a centimetre apart in front of face* close. Stop losing games. 16. Buffalo Sabres (6-3-0) Last Week: Not Ranked (+) Hit: "They did it! Those bastards actually did it!" - Guy from that documentary about a dinosaur theme park, the perfect quote for the Sabres getting @BigJay x89 his first win of the season Miss: Being on the bubble for the Super 16 usually comes with increased anxiety and performance issues. I'm not sure if the Sabres are ready for it, to be honest. Biggest Surprise of the Week: Buffalo Sabres Charge Towards Wildcard It hasn't really been a secret that the Sabres were relying heavily on their top line. The line of @Regs84 @Chriz and @cj142 has 8 of the team's 14 wins (and 6 of the team's 8 wins prior to this week). Things seem to have fallen into place for them in week 3 as they nearly double their team's win total and find themselves within a single point of the second wildcard in the East. Some of LG's finest analysts had counted Buffalo out early, though there is usually at least a couple surprise teams that challenge for the postseason spots. If the top line continues at their current pace, and the lower lines pick up 2 or 3 extra wins like they proved they can this week, maybe they can make it out of the bloodbath that is the Atlantic Division and into the postseason. The Hot Seat: @Matt4for4 and @Dame l13l There are so many good choices for the Hot Seat right now, it took me almost 20 minutes to choose the Isles. I was told I was sleeping on the Isles in preseason. The team they have is very similar to the team they had post-bidding, and it seems to be clear that at least a couple changes need to be made to push this team forward. The big issue is that they don't have much consistency whether it's performances or even availability. Their d-corps never seemed that impressive; however, they aren't hemorrhaging goals, so they must be doing something right. Their offense rarely seems to just explode in a game which you might expect looking at a couple of their forwards. The good news is they haven't fallen too far behind the wildcard. Are they still being slept on, or is this team just a bubble team that will likely just not quite make it? New City, New Me: @Berube x 9 Obviously, don't unpack your bags yet, but @Berube x 9 was able to grab 5 of 6 points for his team this week which has Columbus seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel. He was also in on 6 of his team's 8 goals with 2 goals and 4 assists through those 3 games. @Stewkos @Stewkos is on his 3rd team in as many weeks. 3-0 with 9 points and a +9 is pretty impressive for his first week with another new team. Possibly even good enough to keep him from calling a fourth city home for week 4. @xJLucas Another guy on his 3rd team through 3 weeks of S36. 3-0, +7 on the week, and 2 of those wins came in big division matchups that have the Canucks one step closer to a playoff spot. Granted, his party presence is awful (no headset? what is this, the 60s?), but still a good week @Eatchy Usually, a 2-1-0 week wouldn't be worthy of a ton of merit, but poor @Eatchy had the virtual hockey gods cursing his name as he went 0-6 through the first two weeks. Luckily, a change of scenery had the old @Eatchy showing up as he scored 5 points in the 3 games and more than doubled his hit total with 19 hits this week. Goonderk Quote of the Week: Bonus Quote (Cuz I <3 My Fans)
"Miss: @Neil x 25 goes 2-1, should his bags still be packed? #neilwatch" @PureRippin has been hinting at a deal coming
