It looks to be anyone’s race in the Pacific Division. Well, minus the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, of course.
Things have changed quite a bit since the last look at the Pacific Division a couple of weeks ago. For example, the Oilers went from second last with a 4-5-1 record to fourth in the division with a 9-7-1 record. Also, the Calgary Flames are sticking around after their great start, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings keep battling over first place. Let’s get into it.
Vegas Golden Knights
As of Friday morning, the Vegas Golden Knights occupy the top spot in the Pacific Division with a 10-4-2 record and 22 points in 16 games. They are 8-1-0 at home and 2-3-2 on the road. In the past two weeks, they are 3-1-1 with wins over the Edmonton Oilers, Utah Hockey Club, and Anaheim Ducks, while losing in regulation to the Carolina Hurricanes for their first home loss. They also lost 4-3 in overtime to the Seattle Kraken.
Jack Eichel leads the team with 25 points (five goals) in 16 games, while captain Mark Stone has six goals and 21 points in 13 games. Pavel Dorofeyev leads the team with nine goals, while Ivan Barbashev has eight goals and 17 points. Four other players have double-digit points.
Goaltending has been one area of concern for the Knights, as starter Adin Hill has an .879 save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average in 11 games, despite his 7-3-1 record. Ilya Samsonov has been better, as he has a .906 save percentage and a 2.95 goals-against average in five games played.
Los Angeles Kings
The most surprising start to the season for any team in the Pacific Division is the Los Angeles Kings, who sit second in the division with a 9-6-3 record. In the past two weeks, they are 3-3-1 with wins over the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, and Columbus Blue Jackets, while losing to the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and the Chicago Blackhawks, the latter being in a shootout.
Anže Kopitar leads the team in points with 20 in 18 games, while Alex Laferriere has broken out this season, scoring a team-high nine goals. Moreover, Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala each have seven goals, while former Oiler Warren Foegele has six goals.
Darcy Kuemper has started 10 games for the Kings with a 4-2-3 record and a shutout. He has a .903 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average. David Rittich has an .887 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average in nine games played with a 5-4-0 record.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks have played 15 games, tied for the fewest in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks. Despite that, they have an 8-4-3 record and are sitting third in the division thanks to games in hand over the Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Kraken. In the past two weeks, the Canucks are 4-2-0, with wins over the San Jose Sharks, Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and Flames, while losing to the Oilers and New York Islanders.
Defenceman Quinn Hughes looks poised to win another Norris Trophy this season, as he has three goals and 16 points in 15 games. J.T. Miller has five goals and 14 points, while Conor Garland has four goals and 11 points. Brock Boeser and Pius Suter each have six goals. Their first-round pick in 2022, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, scored his first career goal on Thursday.
Kevin Lankinen had a good start to his season but has allowed quite a few goals over his past three starts, seven in the game against the Oilers and four against the Islanders. Still, he has a .907 save percentage and a 2.60 goals-against average with an 8-2-2 record. They need Thatcher Demko back in the worst way.
Edmonton Oilers
It appears that the Edmonton Oilers are so back. Two weeks ago, they had a 4-5-1 record, but are 5-2-0 in their last seven games. One loss was on the second night of a back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils, while they were less than a minute away from overtime in their 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. They’ve defeated the Nashville Predators twice, as well as the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and New York Islanders.
Leon Draisaitl leads the team in both goals and points, with 12 and 20 respectively. His 12 goals are tied for second in the league. Despite a three-game absence, Connor McDavid has six goals and 19 points in 14 games, scoring his 1,000th point on Thursday. After McDavid and Draisaitl, four defencemen (Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, and Brett Kulak) are next in scoring. They need depth scoring to come around soon.
Depth scoring isn’t the Oilers’ only problem though, as goaltending has been rough, to say the least. Stuart Skinner has started 12 games for the Oilers, posting a 5-5-1 record with an .881 save percentage and a 3.22 goals-against average. Calvin Pickard has been better, as he has an .890 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average.
Calgary Flames
After a good start to their season, the scrappy Calgary Flames have stuck around towards the top of the division. In the past two weeks, they are 3-2-2, with overtime losses to the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres, while losing in regulation to the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. On the other hand, they defeated the New Jersey Devils, Montréal Canadiens, and Los Angeles Kings.
The Flames are currently in a “scoring by committee” phase, as Leon Draisaitl, on goals alone, would lead the Flames in points. Defenceman Rasmus Anderson leads the team with 11 points, while Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team with six goals and is the only other player with double-digit points. They’ll be without Anthony Mantha for the remainder of the season as he injured his ACL and underwent surgery.
Netminding has been strong for the Flames though. Rookie Dustin Wolf has played eight games, posting a 5-2-1 record along with a .913 save percentage and a 2.84 goals-against average. Daniel Vladař has played nine games and has a 3-4-2 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are the Pacific Division’s most mediocre team. They aren’t good like the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, or Vancouver Canucks. They aren’t surprising like the Los Angeles Kings or Calgary Flames, and they aren’t bad like the Anaheim Ducks or the San Jose Sharks. Instead, they have an 8-8-1 record with 17 points and are 3-4-0 in their last two weeks. Mediocre.
One player who hasn’t been mediocre for the Kraken this season is Jared McCann, who leads the team with eight goals and 20 points. Defenceman Brandon Montour looks like he’s worth every penny, scoring four goals and 11 points, while former Oiler and Kraken captain Jordan Eberle has six goals and 11 points.
Joey Daccord has been by far their best goalie in the 11 games he’s played, as he has a 6-3-1 record with a .918 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average. However, the Kraken continues to play Philipp Grubauer, who has a 1-5-0 record in seven games, with an .877 save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average.
San Jose Sharks
I think for the first time since I started this series nearly two years ago, the San Jose Sharks aren’t at the bottom of the Pacific Division. After a 0-7-2 start, they are 5-3-1, losing to the Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild, and New York Rangers in regulation (all in the past two weeks). On the other hand, they’ve defeated the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Chicago Blackhawks, along with a shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers to give them a 3-3-1 record the past two weeks.
The Sharks also have as many players with double-digit points as the Oilers do. Mikael Granlund’s seven goals are tied for the team lead with Fabian Zettelund, while Granlund’s 18 points lead the Sharks. Zetterlund has 12 points, as does Tyler Toffoli who has six goals. Youngster William Eklund has two goals and 12 points, while Macklin Celebrini has three goals and four points in six games.
Mackenzie Blackwood may be the best goalie available at the trade deadline. Despite a 3.11 goals-against average, the 27-year-old has a .910 save percentage and is 3-5-2 in his 10 games. Vítek Vaněček has a .903 save percentage and a 3.25 goals-against average in nine games this season.
Anaheim Ducks
The San Jose Sharks only fully committed to the rebuild a few seasons ago. On the other hand, the Anaheim Ducks haven’t been good in quite some time, and they don’t appear to be getting any better. This season, they have a 5-8-2 record and are 1-4-1 in the past two weeks. Oof.
Troy Terry has been their best skater, as he has five goals and 11 points in 15 games. Leo Carlsson also has five goals and seven points, while former Oiler Ryan Strome has three goals and seven points. Trevor Zegras continues to struggle, scoring a goal and three points in 15 games, while soon-to-be free agent Frank Vatrana has two goals and six points. Not great.
Lukáš Dostál has by far, been the Ducks’ best player this season. Here’s a bold prediction, the 24-year-old Czechian will win the Vezina Trophy in the next five seasons. With the awful Ducks, he has a .922 save percentage and a 2.75 goals-against average in 12 games, with a 4-6-2 record. Imagine him with a proper defence in front of him. John Gibson returned recently, saving 38 shots in 40 opportunities.
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