|
|
Pacific Division Power Rankings
- Quarter Season Mark Edition
Are they In or
Out?
| 11/26/17 - By Ryan Hall -
|
|
Hello, loyal reader, and Happy Thanksgiving! While
those of us north of the border don't have today off, we do appreciate your
festivities, and thank you for large amount of football we can watch as we try
to pass time until the Black Friday deals begin! For the 31 NHL clubs,
Thanksgiving is more than just a time to remember all the good things in their
lives; it's also the unofficial measuring stick of whether they are going to
make the post-season. While there have been some outliers in the previous
seasons, generally those in a playoff spot now, are the clubs we'll see come
April. So, what does that mean for the Pacific Division, home to hockey's
newest, hottest, and pluckiest squad? Join me as we see who's IN, and who's
OUT!
NOTE: Power Rankings reflect a teams' performance + expectations
+ recent play.
#1 Las Vegan Golden Knights (IN!!)
Ladies and
Gentlemen, let me introduce the darlings of the NHL, and the quickest team to
hit #1 in the Power Rankings. The Golden Knights came out of the gate on fire,
and while they cooled a bit in early November, lately they've found the winning
formula once more. Not only is their success impressive as they're an expansion
team, but at one point they were down to dressing their emergency 5th goalie
due to injuries. For a team, any team, to survive that is impressive. All logic
says the Knights can't keep up this pace, but call owner Bill Foley as I've
joined him as a believer.
Last Ranking: n/a
#2 Vancouver Canucks (Out)
By the stats, the
Vancouver Canucks are a middling team, boasting a true .500 record and even
goal differential. However, what the stats don't show is that the Canucks were
supposed to be awful this season, and reaching the lofty heights of average is
already a success. Driving this surge is the emergence of 20-year-old Brock
Boeser, who leads all rookies in scoring as is on pace to pot over 40 goals.
He's helped take the pressure off Bo Horvat and the Sedin's, giving Van City
decent scoring depth. Unfortunately, question marks remain in net, and the
defense corps is too green to be counted on for a full 82 games. Still, props
to the Canucks so far; I hope they're enjoying the ride.
Last Ranking:
n/a
#3 Calgary Flames (IN!!)
The Flames quietly
came out of the gate strong, and have continued to play solid hockey throughout
the first quarter of their schedule. While rarely flashy or newsworthy, they
have still managed to be the hottest team in the Pacific over the past 10
games, posting a solid 7-2-1 record, including wins over Pittsburgh and St.
Louis. Driving their success is the strong play of their stacked defense, and
the steadying influence of goalie Mike Smith who appears to be enjoying life in
Calgary. Up front, the kids are getting it done, with pint-sized wonder Johnny
Gaudreau leading the way. In fact, if it wasn't for the buzzsaw that is Tampa
Bay, Johnny Hockey would be leading the league in scoring. All of this points
to the Flames being serious contenders, and a lock to make the post-season.
Last Ranking: n/a
#4 - San Jose Sharks (IN!!)
We're at the point in the Rankings where the line between In and Out starts to
blur, and the gap between clubs gets razor thin. Currently, the Sharks get the
nod for the playoffs, and posted ahead of the other California teams based on
their health, recent stretch of play, and consistency. Team Teal has one
winning streak longer than 2 games this season, but only one losing streak
longer than 2 as well, meaning every night seems to be a crapshoot. Certainly,
there are issues when no player is on a 1.0 ppg pace, 38-year-old Joe Thornton
is 2nd on the club in scoring, and Brent Burns has yet to find the net, but
thus far the team has managed to stay afloat. Even if they keep muddling along,
it should be enough to make the playoffs. However, if the above concerns can be
resolved, the Sharks could once again be a dangerous post-season squad.
Last Ranking: n/a
#5 - Los Angeles King (Out)
Yes, right
now things are looking rosy in LA, as the Kings raced out of the blocks, sport
an impressive +13 goal differential, and sit second in the Pacific. However, if
you dig deeper, you'll see that this is an extremely streaky club that
struggles to score goals. Case in point, they are currently riding a 6-game
losing streak and have a total of 6 goals throughout that period. Some of that
will be addressed when Jeff Carter returns from injury in the New Year, but
until then putting the puck in the net may remain an issue. On the flip side,
this is a club that has long relied on Jonathan Quick to shut the door, and
cracks are starting to show on the backend as well. Currently, when Quick is in
net LA is allowing 32 shots per game, far above their previous seasons average
of 26. This can partly be explained by new coach John Stevens attempt to
transition the team to an attacking style, however that approach seems to be
ripping at the fabric of the club. It all seems like too much to overcome for a
full 82 games.
Last Ranking: n/a
#6 Anaheim Ducks (IN!!)
Let's be frank: the
Ducks have been decimated by injuries. Not only did Sami Vatanen and Hampus
Lindholm both miss the start of the campaign recovering from offseason shoulder
surgeries, but Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf have both been absent for
considerable periods of time as well. If you add in that Ryan Kesler hasn't
even played yet, and Patrick Eaves managed all of 2 games before his
Guillian-Barre syndrome diagnosis, it's amazing that Anaheim is tied for the
final Wildcard spot. As the roster gets healthy, expect the Ducks to begin
surging up the standings as they are simply too good of a club to be held down
for long. Whether that will translate into a Pacific Division title, or
sustained post-season success is less certain, but one thing is for sure: this
will be a playoff team.
Last Ranking: n/a
#7 Edmonton Oiler (IN!!)
That's right, I think
the Oilers are going to make the playoffs. It might seem like a sexy longshot
pick, but there's a method to this madness, so let me explain. Right now, the
Oil are playing about as poorly as they can, getting contributions from scant
few players not named McDavid or Draisaitl, and struggling in their own end.
However, there are reasons for optimism. First, so far Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
alone has been providing secondary scoring, but eventually those other players
are going to wake up. Secondly, Andres Sekera is slowly getting healthy, and
his return will provide more stability to a blueline that has struggled in his
absence. Slotting everyone down one place should allow players to find comfort
in roles they excelled at last season. Finally, confidence is a strange thing.
This is a young team, and that means they feel the ups and downs of a season
more acutely than a veteran club might. Right now, they are down, but once a
couple of bounces go their way, or they net a couple wins in quick succession,
watch out. Don't sleep on Edmonton just yet, as there's lots of season left to
go.
Last Ranking: n/a
#8 Arizona Coyotes (Out, a thousand times Out)
I'm going to try and remain civil as I speak about the Desert Dogs, because
this is supposed to be the start of a festive and happy season. However, it's
quite clear that the Coyotes are brutal. Historically brutal. Let's leave the
fact they didn't win in regulation for the first 20 games of the season, or
that they have a rookie coach who looks lost. I won't mention they dumped money
on free agents who have been busts, or that they appear to have broken the
spirit of otherworldly defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. I'll even gloss over
the way they ran Shane Doan out of town, dumped Mike Smith, and have set back
the development of their young players by not giving them a chance to develop
in the AHL. Instead, I'll focus on the bright spot that is Clayton Keller, the
19-year-old shining light in a very dark desert. He represents the future of
the franchise, and has been a revelation in his rookie season sitting tied with
Boeser for the rookie lead in goals with 11. For a fanbase that is already in
'next year' country, he's the lone thing worth celebrating in the here and now.
Last Ranking: n/a
Contact Ryan at at
ryanhall@letsgosharks.com
|
|
| What did you think of
this article? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
