NHL Recap: Pacific Division
The National Hockey League has stated that they do expect the season to resume at some point this summer. More and more it looks as if they will restart with the playoffs. I have been recapping each division in the NHL and today I will be taking a look back at the Pacific Division.
Vegas Golden Knights
Straight-Up Record:39-32
Points:86
O/U:33-34-4
Stanley Cup Odds: 5/1(via Vegas Insider)
The Vegas Golden Knights spent much of the season in the middle of the pack in the Pacific Division but a late surge allowed them to walk away with the divisional title. Their 86 points are the fewest of any division winner this year and yet according to Vegas Insider, they have the highest odds to win the Stanley Cup Title. Vegas has now reached the postseason in each of their first three years of existence. Vegas did have a stretch of games that saw them go just 4-9 but they followed that up by going 11-2 over their final 13 games and it was that finish that allowed the Golden Knights to win the division.
The Golden Knights have been above average at the offensive end this year, ranking 13th in the league in scoring at 3.15 gpg while also ranking 9th in powerplay conversions at 22.0% and 1st in shots taken at 34.5 spg. They did struggle a bit down the stretch, averaging just 2.71 gpg over their last seven games, compared to hanging up 4.22 gpg in their previous nine games. The Golden Knights have nine players with 10 or more goals and four of them have notched at least 21. This team does have some good weapons on it. Leading the team in goals has been Max Pacioretty with 32 while Reilly Smith is 2nd with 27 and Jonathan Marchessault is 3rd with 22. Pacioretty is the team leader in points with 66 while Mark Stone is 2nd with 63 and 3rd is Smith with 54.
At the other end of the ice, Vegas has been above average, ranking 13th in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 2.94 gpg while also ranking 27th in penalty kill at 76.6% and 3rd in shots allowed at 29.3 spg. Vegas played very well down the stretch, allowing just 2.33 gpg over their final 12 games, after surrendering 3.56 gpg in their previous 16 games. Vegas will need solid goaltending if they hope to win the Stanley Cup Finals. Marc-Andre Fleury has had a solid season, going 27-21 with a 2.77 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 49 games played. He has been a steady presence in the crease all throughout his career and nothing has changed since coming to Vegas three years ago. Fleury also has a ton of playoff experience, going 62-51 with a 2.65 GAA in 115 postseason games played. Malcolm Subban was his backup and he went 9-10 with a 3.18 GAA and a .890 GAA in 20 games before being traded to the Blackhawks. He was traded for Robin Lehner, who has gone 3-0 with a 1.67 GAA in three games for his new team.
Gambling Outlook:The Golden Knights are currently favored to win the Stanley Cup this year. They have a solid team with a good offense and plenty of postseason experience in the crease with Marc-Andre Fleury. He has played in 115 postseason games in his career and three years ago, he took the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup finals. St Louis and Colorado are solid teams, but there is something about this Vegas team that has me thinking they can at least get back to the Finals. I would look to play on the Knights more often than not, especially in the early rounds of the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers
Straight-Up Record:37-34
Points:83
O/U:37-34
Stanley Cup Odds: 18/1(via Vegas Insider)
The Edmonton Oilers did lead the division for much of the year but they were inconsistent down the stretch while the Golden Knights were hot and that had them falling to 2nd in the Pacific. Still, they will be back in the playoffs after a two-year hiatus. The Oilers finished three points out of first in the division and ould own the 4th seed in the west as long as the playoffs are played. The oilers were just 6-7 over their final 13 games while the Golden Knights were 11-2 in their last 13. That is the reason why the Oilers are 2nd and not first in the division.
The Oilers have been average at the offensive end this year, ranking 15th in the league in scoring at 3.14 gpg while also ranking 1st in powerplay conversions at 29.5% and 29th in shots taken at 29.6 spg. The offense did struggle down the stretch as the Oilers have averaged just 2.60 gpg over their last five games after putting up 3.50 gpg over their previous six games. Leon Draisaitl leads the team and the league in points with 110 while Connor McDavid is 2nd on the team and in the league in points with 97. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is 3rd on the team in points with 61. The Oilers have 10 players with 11 or more goals on the year and leading their attack was Draisaitl with 43 while McDavid is 2nd with 34 and Nugent-Hopkins is 3rd with 22. The Oilers will need their offense to step up in the playoffs or it could be a short stay for them.
At the other end of the ice, Edmonton has been average, ranking 15th in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 3.03 gpg while also ranking 2nd in penalty kill at 84.4% and 20th in shots allowed at 32.0 spg. The Oilers were tough down the stretch as they allowed just 2.70 gpg over their final 10 games. Mike Smith has been decent this year going 19-18 with a 2.95 GAA and a .902 save percentage in 39 games played. He came over from Calgary in the offseason and has he has paid dividends. Smith has some postseason experience, going 11-12 with a 2.17 GAA in 24 games played. Mikko Koskinen has played in 38 games this year and he has gone 18-16 with a 2.75 GAA and a .917 save percentage in those games.
Gambling Outlook:The Oilers were a very average team this year during the regular season with average numbers at both ends of the ice. If the playoffs take place, the Oilers will have the 4th seed and take on the Calgary Flames in the first round. They will have to hope for better results against them than they had during the regular season, going just 1-3 in four games against the Flames. Edmonton does have a better offense than they have shown and Mike Smith has playoff experience. I like the Oilers to get past the first round, but not past the 2nd round.
Calgary Flames
Straight-Up Record:36-34
Points:79
O/U:34-32-4
Stanley Cup Odds: 35/1(via Vegas Insider)
The Calgary Flames led the Western Conference in points last year and while they will not do that this year, they have accumulated enough to reach the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row and the 4th time in their last six years. The Flames did with three of their final four games but going back a bit further and we see that they have gone just 10-11 over their last 21 games. A little more consistency down the stretch and the Flames could have had a higher seed in the West.
The offense was unspectacular down the stretch but it was steady as the Flames scored three goals exact in their last six games in a row but we also note that they have averaged 4.07 gpg in their last 15 games. I guess it was more spectacular than originally thought. LOL. Despite the solid numbers over their last 15 games, the Flames are still ranked 20th in the league in scoring at 2.91 gpg while also ranking 12th in powerplay conversions at 21.2% and 15th in shots taken at 31.6 spg. The Flames have seven players with 10 more goals but six of them do have at least 16. No one else has more than eight. Leading their attack was Elias Lindholm, who had 29 while Matthew Tkachuk had 23 and Sean Monahan. The Flames will need to find a couple of more scoring options in the playoffs if they hope to make a deep run. Leading the team in points has been Tkachuck with 61 while Gaudreau is 2nd with 58 and Lindholm is 3rd with 54.
At the other end of the ice, Calgary has been a bit below average, ranking 16th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.06 gpg while also ranking 8th in penalty kill at 82.1% and 24th in shots allowed at 34.2 spg. The Flames have been a bit more solid down the stretch as they have allowed just 2.63 gpg over their last eight games. David Rittich has been the main guy in the crease and he has gone 24-23 with a 2.97 GAA and a .907 save percentage on the year. They could have used more from him this year, especially after the Flames let Mike Smith go in the offseason. Backing up Rittich has been Cam Talbot and he has gone 12-11 with a 2.63 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 26 games played. Talbot has been a nice pickup and while the record was spectacular, he did have nice numbers otherwise.
Gambling Outlook:The Flames had a very average season and I just don’t see them getting past the Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flames did take three of four from the Oilers during the regular season but in this series, they will not have home-ice advantage and that gives the oilers a sizeable edge. I would expect it to be a low scoring series as the Flames have struggled to score of late while their play in the crease has been solid down the stretch. It will be a tight series with the Oilers, but the Flames will fall just short of moving on.
Vancouver Canucks
Straight-Up Record:36-33
Points:78
O/U:38-28-3
Stanley Cup Odds: 35/1(via Vegas Insider)
The Vancouver Canucks had the regular season end at just the right time. They are currently in the 8th spot in the Western Conference playoff standings and will be in the postseason for the first time since the 2014/15 season. They are tied with the Wild at 78 points each, but the Canucks own the tiebreaker so they will be heading to the postseason as a result of that. Vancouver did not play well down the stretch as they lost 11 of their final 17 games but they were able to still get in.
The Canucks have been very solid at the offensive end this year, ranking 8th in the league in scoring at 2.91 gpg while also ranking 4th in powerplay conversions at 24.1% and 18th in shots taken at 31.2 spg. Vancouver has been hit or miss on offense of late as they have averaged 5.33 gpg over their last six wins, compared to putting up just 1.91 gpg in their last 11 losses. The Canucks do have plenty of weapons as eight players have at least 12 goals and five of those players have at least 21 goals. Leading the way has been J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson both have 27 goals while Bo Horvat is 2nd with 22. Tyler Toffoli does have 24 goals on the year but just six with the Canucks. He scored his first 18 with the LA Kings. Miller leads the team in points with 72 while Pettersson is 2nd with 66 and Horvat along with Quinn Hughes are both 3rd with 53.
At the other end of the ice, Vancouver has been below average, ranking 21st in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.10 gpg while also ranking 16th in penalty kill at 80.5% and 28th in shots allowed at 33.3 spg. The Canucks have not been very good down the stretch, allowing 3.56 gpg over their last 16 games and that includes allowing 4.09 gpg in their last 11 losses. They will need that to change in the playoffs. Jacob Markstrom is the lead guy and he has gone 23-20 with a 2.75 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 43 games played. Thatcher Demko has gone 13-12 on the year but with a 3.06 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 27 games played. Louis Domingue came over from New Jersey and has played just one game for the Canucks and lost 5-3 to the Blue Jackets in that game. Domingue has gone 3-11 with a 3.81 GAA on the year overall. Markstrom must play well for them to have a chance at moving on.
Gambling Outlook:The Canucks were able to sneak into the postseason, despite going just 6-11 down the stretch. It is their first time back after a four-year hiatus. I don’t think it will be a long stay as their opponent will be the st Louis Blues in the first round. The Canucks have been solid on offense overall but the Blues are tough on the crease and Vancouver has averaged just 1.91 gpg in their last 11 losses. St Louis can shut them down and the Canucks do not have the kind of goaltending to make up for a struggling offense. Vancouver may win a game or two but that will be all.
Arizona Coyotes
Straight-Up Record:33-37
Points:74
O/U:30-38-2
Stanley Cup Odds: 60/1(via Vegas Insider)
For a while, it looked as if the Arizona Coyotes were going to be in the playoffs but they went just 8-17 over their last 25 games and that was the nail in their coffin this year. Arizona ultimately finished just four points out of the 8th spot in the Western Conference playoff standings and they will now miss the postseason for the 8th year in a row. The Coyotes will now look to regroup in the offseason.
The Coyotes have struggled at the offensive end this year, ranking 23rd in the league in scoring at 2.71 gpg while also ranking 18th in powerplay conversions at 18.2% and 14th in shots taken at 31.7 spg. Overall, the offense was not great but it has been even worse down the stretch as the Coyotes averaged just 2.52 gpg over their final 21 games and that includes putting up an average of just 1.86 gpg in their last 14 losses. Leading the team in points has been Nick Schmaltz with 45 while Clayton Keller is 2nd with 44 and Conor Garland is 3rd with 39. Taylor Hall has the most points for the season with 52 but just 27 of those points have come with the Coyotes after he came over from New Jersey in a trade. The Coyotes are reportedly trying to sign Hall to a long term contract now. Arizona has 10 players with at least 10 goals and leading the pack has been Garland with 22 while Christian Dvorak has 19 and Keller and Carl Soderberg both have 17.
At the other end of the ice, Arizona has been strong, ranking 3rd in the league in goals allowed, giving up 2.61 gpg while also ranking 5th in penalty kill at 82.7% and 23rd in shots allowed at 32.4 spg. If the offense could have shown up a bit more down the stretch, the Coyotes could be in the playoffs right now as their goaltending has been very solid overall, and especially of late. The Coyotes come in with strong numbers overall and even better numbers of late as they have allowed just 2.10 gpg over their last 10 games. Darcy Kuemper Missed two months of the season but he has been solid when playing, going 16-13 with a 2.22 GAA and a .928 save percentage in 29 games played this year. Antti Raanta has played in 33 games and he has gone 15-17 with a 2.63 GAA and a .921 save percentage on the year. Adin Hill saw some action, going 2-7 with a 2.62 GAA.
Gambling Outlook:The Coyotes will not be in the postseason if the NHL resumes so there is no gambling outlook for them. Arizona struggled down the stretch and especially with their offense which is why they will not be involved in the NHL’s 2nd season. The Coyotes will need to wrangle up some more offense for next year or they could miss out on the p0ostseason again. The offense was the downfall of their season as they were 23rd in the league in scoring, compared to ranking 3rd in goals allowed. The goaltending situation is strong and if they find more offense then Arizona will compete for the division title next year.
Anaheim Ducks
Straight-Up Record:29-42
Points:67
O/U:38-32-1
Stanley Cup Odds: 5000/1(via Vegas Insider)
The Anaheim Ducks had a stretch of six seasons in a row that they reached the playoffs but after another bad season, they will be left out of the NHL’s 2nd season for the 2nd year in a row. They finished in 6th place in the Pacific Division and that is where they will wind up this year as well. Anaheim was 11 points out of the 8th spot in the Western Conference and they will now be looking to regroup for next year.
The first thing that the Ducks will need to do is find more offense after ranking 29th in the league in scoring at 2.56 gpg while also ranking 30th in powerplay conversions at 14.7% and 27th in shots taken at 29.7 spg. The offense was a bit better down the stretch as the Ducks averaged 3.33 gpg over their last 10 games but it wasn’t enough to help them close the gap in the race for a playoff spot. Anaheim has just five players that have notched 10 or more goals and leading while no one on the team posted more than 43 points. As I stated, they need help at the offensive end of the ice. Leading the team in points has been Adam Henrique with 43 while Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell each had 42. Henrique led the team in goals with 26 while Jakob Silfverberg was 2nd with 21 and Rakell was 3rd with 15.
At the other end of the ice, Anaheim was poor, ranking 25th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.17 gpg while also ranking 26th in penalty kill at 77.0% and 21st in shots allowed at 32.1 spg. It’s hard to win games when you can’t score and also have bad play between the pipes. They were a bit worse down the stretch, allowing an average of 3.50 gpg over their last 10 games. John Gibson is normally solid in the crease but he was 20-31 with a 3.00 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 51 games this year. Gibson will need to bounce back next and despite the rough numbers this season, he still has a career 2.53 GAA. Backing him up was Ryan Miller, who went 9-10 with a 3.10 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 29 games played.
Gambling Outlook:The Ducks had a rough season and they will need to find some help at the offensive end of the ice. John Gibson had a bad season but he has been very solid in his career and is more than capable of bouncing back. The offense will be the key. They had just five players with 10 or more goals and that has to change or Anaheim will be missing the postseason for the 3rd year in a row.
Los Angeles Kings
Straight-Up Record: 29-41
Points: 64
O/U: 26-40-4
Stanley Cup Odds: NA (via Vegas Insider)
The LA Kings had a stretch that saw them make the postseason five years in a row and won the Stanley Cup title in two of those years. It has not been so rosy for them of late as the Kings have now missed the postseason in four of their last six years and the two times they made it, LA was knocked out in the first round. The Kings finished in 7th place in the Pacific Division and 14 points out of the 8th spot in the Western Conference playoff standings.
Despite the rough season overall, the Kings were one of the hottest teams in the league when the season was halted as they have won their last seven games in a row. The Kings were very bad at the offensive end this year, ranking 30th in the league in scoring at 2.53 gpg while also ranking 26th in powerplay conversions at 17.1% and 4th in shots taken at 33.2 spg. They did score 13 goals in their final three games bt also put up just 11 total goals in their previous six games. LA had just five players with 11 goals or more while no one else had more than seven. Leading their attack was Anze Kopitar, who had 21 while Alex Iafallo, Dustin Brown, and Jeff Carter were each 2nd with 17. Kopitar led the team in points with 62 while Iafallo was 2nd with 43 and Drew Doughty was 3rd with 35.
At the other end of the ice, Los Angeles has been a bit above average, ranking 14th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 2.99 gpg while also ranking 24th in penalty kill at 77.4% and 25th in shots allowed at 29.7 spg. The Kings were very strong down the stretch, allowing a total of just nine goals over their last seven games. That is after allowing 3.50 gpg over their previous 10 games. Jonathan Quick was 16-26 on the year but with a decent 2.79 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 40 games played. Jack Campbell was backing him up, going 8-12 with a 2.85 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 20 games before being traded to Toronto. Calvin Petersen was the backup at the end of the season and he went 5-3 with a 2.64 GAA in eight games played.
Gambling Outlook: Jonathan Quick played well and Calvin Petersen was a solid backup to end the season. The goaltending should be solid for the Kings next year. The area that they will need to step it up is at the offensive end of the ice. The Kings had one of the worst offenses in the league and that is the reason why they are missing the postseason. LA will also hope to build on their finish, which saw them win their last seven games in a row. It should be a busy offseason for the Kings.
San Jose Sharks
Straight-Up Record: 29-41
Points: 63
O/U: 30-39-1
Stanley Cup Odds: NA (via Vegas Insider)
The San Jose Sharks Had mad the postseason four years in a row and 14 of the last 15 years. They will not keep those streaks going after finishing last in the Pacific Division. Their 63 were the fewest of any team in the Western Conference and the 3rd fewest in the league. We also note that the 63 points are their fewest in a season with more than 48 games since 1996/97. The Sharks are not used to having a season this bad and they will be looking to regroup in the offseason.
San Jose did not finish the season strong at all as they lost their final four games and nine of their last 12. The Sharks have struggled at the offensive end this year, ranking 27th in the league in scoring at 2.57 gpg while also ranking 23rd in powerplay conversions at 17.5% and 26th in shots taken at 30.0 spg. The offense was truly bad on offense down the stretch as they averaged just 2.40 gpg over their final 16 games, including just 1.90 gpg in their last 10 losses. San Jose had just six players with 12 or more goals and leading the attack was Evander Kane, who had 26 while Timo Meier had 22 and Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl each had 16. Leading the team in points was Meier, who had 49 while Kane had 47 and Brent Burns had 45. The offense needs plenty of help in the offseason.
At the other end of the ice, San Jose has been poor, ranking 27th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.21 gpg while also ranking 1st in penalty kill at 85.7% and 10th in shots allowed at 30.6 spg. With very little offense, it has been rough for them to win games without solid goaltending either. They were a bit better down the stretch, allowing just 2.84 gpg over their final 13 games. If San Jose had played that well for the full season, they could have stayed in the race for a playoff spot. Martin Jones was the lead guy and he went 17-23 with a 3.00 GAA and a .896 save percentage in 41 games played. Aaron Dell has been his backup and he went 12-18 with a 3.01 GA and a .907 save percentage in 33 games played. Both will need to be far better next year.
Gambling Outlook: The Sharks had one of the worst seasons in their history so they will look to have a busy offseason to regroup. The offense is a big issue as they ranked 27th in the league in scoring. The Sharks will be looking to spruce up that end of the ice in the offseason. Yes, they also had their struggles at the other end of the ice but Jones and Dell have the tools to be solid goalies and bounce back. I fully expect the Sharks to be in the playoffs next year.
