Pacific Division Notebook: The Golden Knights finally lost in regulation, the Sharks allowed 10 goals in back-to-back games, and more
8 months ago
Another week, another Pacific Division Notebook.
It’s been a rough season for the Oilers after 10 games, but how has the rest of the Pacific Division done after the month of October and the first few days of November? Well, let’s find out.
Vegas Golden Knights:
11-1-1, 52 Goals For, 28 Goals Against
The Vegas Golden Knights have finally lost a game in regulation. On Sunday, November 5, they fell 4-2 to the Ducks, breaking their 12 straight games with a point. Still, they have 23 points on the season and look to be the front runners for the Pacific Division crown for the 2023-24 season.
Despite being dominant this season, they don’t have a true superstar. However, they have five players with 10 or more points: William Karlsson (15), Jack Eichel (14), Mark Stone (12), Shea Theodore (12), and Chandler Stephenson (10).
Goaltending for Vegas has been great, as Adin Hill has a .938 save percentage and a 1.81 goals-against average in seven games. Logan Thompson has also been great in 2023-24, posting a .923 save percentage with a 2.31 goals-against average in six games.
Vancouver Canucks:
8-2-1, 48 Goals For, 22 Goals Against
There probably isn’t a bigger surprise in the Pacific Division than Vancouver’s excellent start to their season. Since Tuesday’s article, where we looked at Pacific Division teams in October, Vancouver demolished the San Jose Sharks 10-1, and beat a tough Dallas Stars team 2-0.
Elias Petterson looks like a true superstar now, scoring six goals and 20 points in just 11 games. J.T. Miller has six goals and 16 points in 11 games, Quinn Hughes has four goals and 16 points, and Brock Boeser has eight goals and 13 points in 11 games. Heck, even Filip Hronek has 11 assists in the 11 games he’s played.
Add in the fact that goaltender Thatcher Demko looks to be a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy, posting a .947 save percentage and a 1.55 goals-against average in eight games, and they genuinely look like a team that can go far in the playoffs this season.
Los Angeles Kings:
7-2-2, 47 Goals For, 33 Goals Against
The Los Angeles Kings look good once again. Since defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs on Halloween, they beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 before shutting out the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0.
Like Vegas, the Kings lack a true superstar, but they’ve been getting goals by committee. Adrian Kempe is tied for the team in points with four goals and 12 assists, while Kevin Fiala has one goal and 12 points. Anže Kopitar is aging like fine wine, scoring six goals and 11 points, which, ironically, is the exact total that Trevor Moore has.
In the last Pacific Division Notebook, former Oiler Cam Talbot had a 4-2-1 record with a .914 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average. In the last week, he’s boosted that to a 6-2-1 record with a .923 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average. It’s good to see Talbot succeed, but does it have to be for a division rival?
Anaheim Ducks:
7-4-0, 37 Goals For, 32 Goals Against
The Ducks aren’t too much of a surprise, as they have a young core that is ready to win. However, it was a bit surprising that they could pull off an upset win against the Golden Knights, while also winning in overtime against the Arizona Coyotes.
What’s actually surprising is the fact Trevor Zegras has been relatively poor in 2023-24, scoring just a goal and two assists in Anaheim’s 11 games. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Frank Vatrano has nine goals and 12 points. His career high is 24 goals and 41 points, which he’ll surely break at this pace. Mason McTavish is also having a great season, scoring six goals and 13 points.
Their defence is still allowing too many shots on goal, though. Lukas Dostal has a .920 save percentage and a 2.80 goals-against average in six games, while John Gibson has a .910 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average in the same amount of games.
Seattle Kraken:
4-6-2, 31 Goals For, 42 Goals Against
And now, we get to the struggling teams of the Pacific Division. Seattle has one win and one loss in November, beating the Nashville Predators 4-2, before losing to the Flames 6-3 this past Saturday.
The offence has been stagnant for Seattle this season, as Jaden Schwartz, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Vince Dunn are all tied for the team lead with 10 points. It’s not unfair to say that Vince Dunn has been their best player, as he’s a defenceman, but yikes.
Their goaltending has been hit or miss as well. Joey Daccord has been the better goalie so far, posting a .912 save percentage and a 2.88 goals-against average in just five games. Philipp Grubauer, who is supposed to be their number one, has a .902 save percentage and 3.01 goals-against average in seven games this season.
Suppose you’re curious about how all five former Oilers are doing. In that case, Justin Schultz has a goal and five points, Kailer Yamamoto has two goals and four points, Jordan Eberle has a goal and three points, Devin Shore has a goal and an assist in six games, and Adam Larsson has points in his 12 games.
Calgary Flames:
3-7-1, 28 Goals For, 41 Goals Against
Hey, at least the Flames suck as well, right? After losing to the Dallas Stars, they ended a six-game losing streak against the Seattle Kraken this past Saturday. Still, they find themselves near the bottom of the Pacific Division.
Unlike basically every team in the Pacific Division except for the Sharks, Calgary has yet to have a player with 10 points. The closest is Elias Lindholm, who has two goals and eight points, while the suspended Andrew Mangiapane has four goals and seven points. In Saturday’s game, Mangiapane cross-checked Seattle’s Jared McCann on the neck after he blocked a shot. Somehow, he only got a one-game suspension for this act.
Goaltending has been poor for the Flames. Jacob Markstrom has a .897 save percentage and a 3.03 goals-against average in the eight games he’s started this season, along with a 1-6-1 record. Daniel Vladar has been even worse, with a .844 save percentage and a 4.00 goals-against average in three games. Vladar has a 2-1-0 record.
Edmonton Oilers:
2-7-1, 27 Goals For, 41 Goals Against
The Edmonton Oilers are in the same boat (and province) as the Calgary Flames. Like the Flames, they lost 4-3 to the Dallas Stars, before losing 5-2 to the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
After a great start to his season, Leon Draisaitl has cooled down considerably, assisting on just two goals in his past four games. Moreover, he has been held goalless since October 17, a total of seven games. Connor McDavid is second on the team in points, scoring two goals and 10 points in eight games, but he looks injured. Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Evander Kane have all had bright spots throughout the season, but this team can’t seem to get it going.
A significant reason why that’s the case is because goaltending has been abysmal. Jack Campbell has a .873 save percentage and a 4.50 goals-against average in five games this season, owning a record of 1-4-0. Stuart Skinner hasn’t been better, registering a .861 save percentage and a 3.62 goals-against average in six games this season.
At least Sam Gagner scored twice in his first game with the Oilers since 2020.
San Jose Sharks:
0-10-1, 12 Goals For, 55 Goals Against
You got to feel for the San Jose Sharks and their fans. Since November started, they’ve played and lost two games, but they made history doing so. They are the first team since 1966 to have allowed 10 goals in two straight games since the 1966 Bruins. Yes, since the NHL expanded past the original six teams, this has not happened.
Tomas Hertl is the only player attempting to do something for the Sharks, scoring a goal and seven points in 11 games. Fabian Zetterlund is the team leader with three goals while also assisting on one.
In the last Pacific Division Notebook, both Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen had a .907 save percentage. After they both allowed 10 goals, Blackwood’s save percentage dropped to .879, while Kahkonen dropped to a .876 save percentage. Yikes.
If you enjoy my content, you can follow me on Twitter @Brennan_L_D.
Recent articles from Ryley Delaney
