There are less than 10 games left in the 2024-25 regular season, which means we are getting into crunch time for NHL playoff races. The Pacific Division is tight and this week could determine everything. The three teams competing for seeding – Vegas, Los Angeles, and Edmonton – each have three games this week with a couple of games between one another.

Right now, it feels like nobody can stop the Vegas Golden Knights. Last week, they hit the road and cruised past Minnesota, Chicago, and Nashville, extending their win streak to six games. With that, they’ve stretched their lead over LA to seven points.

Tomas Hertl missed the trip, but Shea Theodore made his long-awaited return after being sidelined since February 8th. He played in all three games, clocked about 20 minutes of ice time per night, and racked up three assists. Not a bad comeback.

Meanwhile, Jack Eichel is on fire. He became the first player in franchise history to hit 100 points in a season and backed it up with a monster week, netting a hat trick against Minnesota and adding three more points against Chicago and Nashville. His point streak now sits at six games.

With just nine games left in the regular season, Vegas is in prime position to lock up the Pacific Division for the fourth time. This week, they’ll host Edmonton and Winnipeg before hitting the road to face Calgary on Saturday. If they keep this momentum going, the division crown is theirs for the taking.

The LA Kings had a jam-packed week with four games on the schedule, but luckily, only one required packing their bags. Unfortunately, that lone road trip didn’t go so well, as a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche let the Edmonton Oilers close the gap for second place in the Pacific Division.

But the Kings weren’t down for long. Last night, they roared back with a dominant 8-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, reclaiming a two-point lead over Edmonton. Still, the race is far from over. All eyes are on Saturday when these two rivals face off in what feels like a preview of the inevitable: another first-round playoff clash, their fourth straight showdown.

The big question? Can the Kings flip the script this time, or will history repeat itself?

Leon Draisaitl returned on the weekend for the Oilers, and it was a welcomed one because they couldn’t grab any points against Dallas and Seattle while he was injured. They were outscored 10-to-4 in those two games and the Golden Knights increased their lead with those losses.

Draisaitl did drag Edmonton to victory in the Battle of Alberta on Saturday night, scoring the game-tying and overtime-winning goal. Edmonton now hits the road for four games down the West Coast. It’s do-or-die season for them if they want to catch LA for second in the Pacific Division, with a matchup scheduled between the two on Saturday.

Edmonton is still without Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm and Stuart Skinner, who didn’t make the trip. However, Evander Kane and Trent Frederic did. The Oilers already announced that Kane won’t play this season, but perhaps he will stay in California to play for the Bakersfield Condors a few times before returning.