|
|
Pacific Division Power
Rankings
We wish you a Merry Christmas
Edition!
| 12/15/13 - By Ryan Hall -
|
|
Pacific Division Power Rankings We wish you a
Merry Christmas Edition! By Ryan Hall It's the most wonderful time of the year
isn't it?! December brings holidays, plenty of hockey, and enough games to
start measuring what each team is lacking; as with Tuesday's games every team
has officially hit the 30 game. Some teams have been playing nice, while others
have developed naughty habits that are threatening to turn a promising start
into a lump of coal. However, at heart each of these teams are just big kids
chasing a puck around the rink, and with Christmas in the air thoughts of toys
and presents are floating in every player's head. In this edition of the Power
Rankings we'll take a look at what each team is lacking, and hoping to find
underneath their tree's come December 25th!
#1 - Anaheim Ducks
(Transformers)
For the second time in a row the Ducks find themselves
occupying the top spot in the Pacific Division Rankings due to their
Grinch-like play at home, where they remain the only team in the NHL without a
regulation loss! Sadly, things aren't quite so good for Anaheim when they hit
the road with a rather Who-vian 10-7-3 mark, meaning that a truly Merry
Christmas would involve a way to take some of their home play with them on the
road; a problem more vexing than the instructions on changing Optimist Prime
into his robot form! Still, if the Ducks want to truly contend they'll need to
find a way to master this skill, or else come April they run the risk of being
discarded alongside all those impossibly difficult action figurers!
Last Ranking: 1
#2 - Vancouver Canucks (Toboggan)
After a
rough first couple months the Canucks have really started to hit their stride,
backed in no small part by the solid goaltending of Roberto Luongo. This
improved play has turned a nightmare before Christmas break into a time of
goodwill and peace for Van-city, and the festivities just continue to roll.
Right now, the most pressing need facing this team is simply a way to keep
riding the wave of success, and nothing says cruising in style like a waxed
wood toboggan barrelling down a snow packed hill. While there may be bumps, and
perhaps a crash or two since the offense isn't lighting the world on fire, at
the moment Torts and co. seem capable of navigating any obstacles that might
crop up.
Last Ranking: 5
#3 - Los Angeles Kings
(Tickle-Me-Elmo)
You might be asking 'Why on earth the Kings would be
hoping for a laughing Muppet doll underneath their Christmas tree' so let me
tell you: no team has endured more injuries, inconsistency, and general dark
clouds in this division than the LA Kings so far. Through it all they keep on
ticking along, though they must surely be longing for some laughter and
happiness during the holidays and into the New Year, and nothing embodies that
more than the infamous Elmo. Additionally, though many people have claimed that
the Muppet toy is annoying, what better attribute could be used to describe
Darryl Sutter's squad that checks, grinds, and gets under the skin of opponents
every game. Tickle-me-Elmo and the Los Angeles Kings: can't you see the
similarities?!
Last Ranking: 4
#4 - San Jose Sharks (Tonka
Trucks)
Picture it if you will: Christmas morning and little Joe
Thornton and the Sharks gather around the tree to see what Santa has left them.
After ripping through mounds of wrapping paper they find themselves
face-to-face with an entire fleet of cast metal toy dump trucks, front-end
loaders, and plows; the perfect gift for a team that often mails-in the work
ethic! Let's be honest, the past 10 games haven't been all that merry for the
Sharks, and the only ones to blame for the ups and downs are the boys in teal
themselves who far too often are content to sit around rather than getting in
the dirt to play. No further proof is needed than the current 4 game losing
streak, and the fact that after 10 games the Sharks were +24 in goals, and in
the next 21 they're only +2. The only remedy to all that affects them is hard
work, perseverance, and maybe a visit from the ghost of Sharks failures past.
Last Ranking: 3
#5 - Calgary Flames (1980's DeLorean DMC-12 Model Car)
The Flames really are a hard team to read, aren't they? Like little
Timmy in the Christmas Carol we know there is something dreadfully wrong with
them, yet the moxie and spunk they show makes it hard not to feel sympathy for
this never say die squad. Sadly, while Timmy is eventually rescued by a
rehabilitated Ebenezer Scrooge, there is no one to save the Flames from their
play in November which proved a fatal blow to contending. If there was a way to
go back in time and change the past than the Flames would gladly take it I'm
sure, however the DeLorean from Back to the Future just doesn't exist; and
neither do mulligans in hockey. Still, the return of Mike Giordano has helped
to stabilize their backend, and that should mean that Calgary will continue to
be a thorn in the side of teams for a while longer. Now, if only Marty had left
them a note about taking a month off…
Last Ranking: 6
#6
- Phoenix Coyotes (BB Gun)
'Twas two weeks before Christmas, and all
through the desert; not a goal horn was sounding, and the Coyotes were hurt!'
Okay, poetry aside, the desert dogs have been on the decline for a while now
caused by their inability to score goals. When you add in the poor play of Mike
Smith it becomes clear that Phoenix is facing a plate of fruitcake while the
real contenders are eating cookies! Unfortunately, the play in net doesn't look
to have an easy answer (unless Thomas Greiss can work a Christmas miracle), so
what the Coyotes really want for Christmas is a legitimate sniper who can add
some firepower to their attack. Until they find that missing piece though,
things are looking grim for the only team bringing a pop gun offense to the
league's toughest division.
Last Ranking: 2
#7 - Edmonton
Oilers (Legos)
I was sorely tempted to move the Oilers up from 7th
this cycle as there has been definite signs of life in this squad. Heck, they
have almost caught the Flames! Yet watching the two clubs play I can't help but
feel that Edmonton just doesn't quite get it yet. They're getting close, but as
any kid can tell you, Christmas being close just isn't as good as it being
there. What this squad lacks is that final step where they put all the pieces
together, learning how everyone fits and overlaps to form a sturdy and enduring
construction. While the big day hasn't yet arrived in Edmonton, I swear there
are times when you can catch the jingle of sleigh bells heralding its arrival.
The rest of the Pacific Division should take note, as with a little more time
something truly magnificent could start to emerge in Edmonton.
Last
Ranking: 7
Contact Ryan at
ryanhall@letsgosharks.com
 |
|
| What did you think of
this article? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
