What’s Going On In The Pacific Division: The Canucks clinch first in the division, the Kings or Golden Knights will play the Oilers, and more!

Photo credit:© Stephen R. Sylvanie - USA Today

11 days ago

One more time.

This is the final “What’s Going On In The Pacific Division” article of the season. While one team, the Edmonton Oilers, are in action on Wednesday and all eight Pacific Division teams are in action on Thursday, it’s time to wrap this series up.

The division has been clinched and there are still some exciting races taking place in the division. Let’s dig in!

Anaheim Ducks

With 67 points and just a single game remaining, the Anaheim Ducks will finish with the third fewest points in the league. This gives them an 11.5% chance of landing Macklin Celebirni, but their highest odds are of dropping to the fourth-overall pick, as they have a 39.7% chance of doing so.

The team’s MVP without question is Frank Vatrano, as he scored a team leading 34 goals and 57 points, surpassing his career highs (24 goals, 41 points). It wouldn’t be all too surprising to see him traded either in the off-season or at the deadline. Other candidates include Troy Terry (20 goals, 54 points), and Mason McTavish (19 goals, 42 points).

Goaltending wasn’t great this season, as John Gibson currently has an .888 save percentage and a 3.54 goals-against average, but he split the games nearly 50% with young Czech netminder Lukáš Dostál, who had a .900 save percentage and a 3.39 goals-against average.

Their final game will be against the Vegas Golden Knights, and they have a chance to play spoiler. More on that later though.

Calgary Flames

Unlike the Anaheim Ducks, the Calgary Flames’ position in the standings isn’t solidified, as they and the Seattle Kraken each have 79 points with one game remaining. Right now, the Flames have the tiebreaker, meaning that they have a 5% chance of landing the first-overall pick, but those odds could move up to 6%.

The Flames’ MVP is Nazem Kadri, who has 29 goals and 75 points this season and will lead the team in points for the first time in his tenure in Calgary. With that being said, there are certainly other candidates as well, as Yegor Sharangovich scored a career-high 31 goals, Blake Coleman scored a career-high 29 goals, and MacKenzie Weegar’s 19 goals rank fourth for defencemen.

Jacob Markström was in consideration for the team’s MVP, but his play after the deadline regressed, likely due to the team trading away their entire second-pairing. The Swedish netminder has a .905 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average this season. Rookie netminder Dustin Wolf will surely get some playing time next season, and he has an .891 save percentage and a 3.30 goals-against average in 16 games played.

The Flames’ final game will be on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

Edmonton Oilers

The first Pacific Division team that we’ll look at who has made the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers will have home ice advantage in the first round and will either play the Vegas Golden Knights or the Los Angeles Kings.

Connor McDavid is the team’s clear MVP, scoring 32 goals and 132 points, becoming just the fourth player with 100 assists in a season, and the first player in a long while with consecutive 130-point seasons. Other nominees include Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Zach Hyman, who has a career-high 54 goals this season.

Netminder Stuart Skinner has had an up and down season, but after a disastrous start, he has a .907 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average in 58 games played, along with a 36-15-5 record. Calvin Pickard filled in well in the backup role, posting a .912 save percentage and a 2.41 goals-against average in 21 games played.

The Oilers are the only team with two games remaining, as they’ll play what will likely be the final game in Arizona on Wednesday, before heading to Denver to play the Colorado Avalanche.

Los Angeles Kings

On top of the battle to finish with eighth-best odds of landing the first-overall pick between the Calgary Flames and the Seattle Kraken, there is another battle in the Pacific Division. This race gives a team the right to play the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, and the Los Angeles Kings are currently a point behind the Vegas Golden Knights.

It’s hard to pick an MVP of the team, as they have three real contenders for the award. Adrian Kempe (27 goals, 73 points) Kevin Fiala (29 goals, 73 points) and Anže Kopitar (26 goals, 70 points) are all good candidates, as they’ve led the team in points through the season. Trevor Moore’s 30 goals lead the team, while defenceman Drew Doughty has 15 goals and 50 points.

You could also point to their two netminders. Cam Talbot has a .915 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average in 53 games played. Another former Flame in David Rittich also has a .921 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average, helping stabilize the team during Talbot’s struggles.

Their final game will be against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

San Jose Sharks

With 47 points on the season and a game remaining, the San Jose Sharks have the best odds (25.5%) to land Macklin Celebrini, with their highest percentage (55.7%) of dropping down to the third overall pick.

Mikael Granlund is playing like he wants to get out of San Jose as soon as possible, as he has 12 goals and 59 points in 68 games this season. Rookie William Eklund has 16 goals and 45 points, while Fabian Zettelund leads the team with 23 goals and 43 points.

However, the clear MVP of the team is Mackenzie Blackwood, who has an .899 save percentage and a 3.45 goals-against average in 44 games played this season. The Sharks allowed a ton of goals this season, but it could’ve been so much worse if Blackwood didn’t play his butt off.

Their final game will be against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken will either finish with the eighth or ninth-highest odds to move up to the first overall-pick, depending on how theirs and the Calgary Flames’ game goes on Thursday Currently, the Flames have lower odds due to having the tiebreaker over the Kraken.

For the third straight season, Jared McCann led the team in both goals and points, as he has 29 goals and 61 points. He is the clear MVP of the team, and is arguably the best player in franchise history. Oliver Bjorkstrand matched his career-high in points with 57, while defenceman Vince Dunn has 11 goals and 46 points.

Joey Daccord also deserves some recognition, as he has a .916 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average in 49 games this season, along with an 18-18-11 record with three shutouts. Philipp Grubauer has an .899 save percentage with a 2.85 goals-against average in 36 games.

The Kraken’s final game will be against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Vancouver Canucks

With a win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks clinched their first division title since the 2012-13 season, when they won the five-team Northwest Division (and were swept in the playoffs). They’ll more than likely face off against the Nashville Predators in the first round.

The team’s MVP by far is defenceman Quinn Hughes, who has 17 goals and 91 points in 81 games so far, and will more than likely win the Norris Trophy for the first time in his young career. Of course, J.T. Miller deserves some recognition as well, as he has 37 goals and 103 points,the first time he’s hit the century mark. Elias Petterson has 34 goals and 89 points, while Brock Boeser set a new career-high in goals with 40 (and 73 points).

Thatcher Demko will likely receive some Vezina Trophy votes, as he has a .918 save percentage and a 2.44 goals-against average in 50 games played this season. Casey DeSmith struggled while he was down, in turn, the team nearly choked away the Pacific Division crown. He has an .896 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average in 29 games played this season.

The Canucks’ final game will be against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, in what will surely be an exciting game.

Vegas Golden Knights

It’s becoming more and more likely that the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, as their 98 points rank them third in the Pacific Division, one ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.

The team’s MVP is Jonathan Marchessault, who leads the team with 42 goals and 69 points in 81 games. Other candidates include Jack Eichel, who has 30 goals and 67 points in 62 games, while William Karlsson deserves some credit as well, scoring 30 goals and 59 points in 69 games this season.

Goaltending looked like a strength heading into this season, but Adin Hill has struggled since returning from injury, as he now has a .910 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average in 34 games played. Logan Thompson has played the majority of the Knights’ games, and has a .908 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average.

Their final game will be played against the Anaheim Ducks. A point will guarantee a showdown against the Edmonton Oilers, but if they fail to pick up a point and the Kings defeat the Blackhawks, the Knights will head down the Central pathway and faceoff against the Dallas Stars.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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