This article gives you a brief look into the NHL’s Pacific Division only, due to the fact that I cannot write about all teams in less than 4000 words.

Pacific Divison

The Edmonton Oilers bombed their home opening and lost 8-1, and the slide continues with only three points to their name, and 23 goals scored on them in the first four games alone. The Oiler’s offense seems to be a fraction of where they were last season, but that could be a rough start. The more concerning factor is the lack of a solid d-core to match the star pack offense, who tend not to be the most defensively inclined players. Coupling all this with the Connor McDavid injury that will keep him out for at least a week, things aren’t looking too good.

The Vancouver Canucks look to be about ten times better than they were last season; very well-composed. In the first game of the season Brock Boser, Hit ’em with the Four like Auston Matthews (Yes, that’s a real lyric from the Candian rap song Auston Matthews by SVDM) in the first game of the season. Both goaltenders have a save percentage hovering in the .930% range. The Canucks are looking to be a top-five team in the Pacific Division.

The Calgary Flames missed the playoffs last season and probably will again if they don’t shape things up. They are among the top three teams in goals scored against them. Honestly, it’s not that big of an offensive problem… They are barely in the bottom 16 teams of goals scored and really have no problems with shooting the puck. But defensively, they can’t keep letting those goals in, suffering a 5-2 loss yesterday to the Edmonton Oilers.

The Seattle Kraken are entering their third season as an NHL team, and after a failed playoff run last year, they are placed in an awkward spot. Climate Pledge Arena took their pledge really seriously when the stadium lights broke while playing the Rangers. The team is struggling to pick up points and only has six throughout nine games. Calder Trophy winner Matthew Beniers has yet to net a goal and only has three assists so far on the twenty goals the team has scored.

The Vegas Golden Knights can’t seem to lose this season, going 7-0 and only having one OT loss. This is only somewhat surprising coming from the team that won the Stanley Cup wearing the ugliest jerseys in the league. The team made few trades over the offseason, so most players are ones with Stanley Cup rings, and obviously, a multitude of things had to go right for them to win them last season. Both Goaltenders have an over .930 save percentage, and obviously, if all factors of this team continue, things look really good.

The Los Angeles Kings have no problem getting goals, but they can’t seem to win games in regulation like they should. One thing to note is there’s not a specific player you could attribute to getting a major hunk of the goals; it’s pretty much a team effort. Although Kevin Fiala only has one goal, he seems to be consistent at creating them with ten assists. As good as the Kings are at creating the goals– they have some problems defensively. This can be attributed to goaltending, but in some aspects, it’s the job of the defense to make up for this.

The San Jose Sharks are competing hard– for a participation trophy. With only one point to their name and last in the league in goals for their offensively, something else. Relative to that statistic, they are doing great defensively, with only 23 goals against (23rd in the league). Honestly, one bright spot on the team is the chance for the development of new players finally getting a crack at the opening roster and helping lead the team in scoring. Thomas Bordeleau finally got his first NHL goal, and William Eklund and Henry Thrun got some points too.

The Anaheim Ducks signed Frank Vatrono last season, and like most Rangers fans, I enjoyed him as a player during the brief time he played during the 2021-22 season. That being said, I did not expect him to be tied for second place for most goals scored in the season and have two hattricks and another two goals in only eight games. The Ducks have a good goaltending situation, and as long as the team doesn’t keep allowing 50 shots per game, it should stay that way. One exciting thing to watch was number two draft pick Leo Carlsson picking up his first NHL goal; in his first game against the Dallas Stars.

Things you need to know for this Article:

• There are 32 NHL teams, 8 in each division
• NHL teams play an 82-game season
• .930 throughout a full season is an overall high save percentage
• A record that’s 2-1-3 would mean the team had two wins (2 points), one loss (0 points), and three overtime or shootout losses (1 point)

A lineup example: