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What’s Going On In The Pacific Division: Five teams in the division hold a post-season spot a week before Christmas
Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Dec 18, 2024, 19:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 18, 2024, 18:28 EST
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The 2024-25 season is flying by.
As of Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights remain in the top spot in the Pacific Division with a 20-8-3 record with 43 points. The Los Angeles Kings trail by three points with an 18-9-4 record, while the surging Oilers have 38 points and an 18-11-2 record.
In the first wild card spot sit the Vancouver Canucks, who have a 16-9-5 record for 37 points, followed by the Calgary Flames 36 points and a 15-11-6 record. The Seattle Kraken are still in the hunt, as they have a 15-16-2 record for 32 points, while the San Jose Sharks (11-18-5 with 27 points) and the Anaheim Ducks (11-14-4 with 26 points) are well out of the race.
Let’s take a look at what happened this past week.

Anaheim Ducks

Since last Wednesday’s “What’s Going On In The Pacific Division” (WGOITPD), the Anaheim Ducks are 1-2-0 with an overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with losses to the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Troy Terry leads the team with eight goals and 24 points, while Frank Vatrano has seven goals and 14 points. Leo Carlsson, Alexander Killorn, and defenceman Jackson LaCombe each have six goals. Between the pipes, John Gibson has a .909 save percentage and a 2.90 goals against average, while Lukáš Dostál has a .920 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average in 17 games played.
This coming week, the Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche, before a two-game road trip against the Utah Hockey Club and the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday and Monday.

Calgary Flames

For the second consecutive week, the Calgary Flames went 1-1-1, with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Florida Panthers, an awful 8-3 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a 4-3 overtime loss. This season, the Flames have been involved in seven 4-3 games, four of which ended in overtime or a shootout.
Nazem Kadri has a four-game scoring streaking, giving him a team-leading 12 goals, while his 21 points are second to Jonathan Huberdeau, who has 11 goals. Connor Zary has seven goals and 17 points, while defenceman MacKenzie Weegar has four goals and 15 points. Netminder Dustin Wolf has been terrific this season, posting a .913 save percentage and a 2.72 goals against average in 16 games played.
The Flames only have two games before the Christmas break, hosting the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are looking like the team that went to the Stanley Cup Final last season, as they went 2-1-0 this past week. They defeated the Minnesota Wild 7-1, with another win over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 6-3. However, they fell 6-5 in a Stanley Cup Final rematch.
Leon Draisaitl’s 23 goals lead the league, while his 47 points lead the Oilers. Connor McDavid isn’t far behind, as he has 14 goals and 44 points. Defenceman Evan Bouchard has six goals and 23 points, while Zach Hyman has 10 goals and 15 points in 26 games. Stuart Skinner’s play has improved lately, as he now has an .892 save percentage and a 2.98 goals against average.
This week, before their Christmas break, the Oilers host the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, and Ottawa Senators.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are over the halfway mark into their second seven-game road trip. Like the Flames, they went 1-1-1 with a 5-1 victory over the tail-spinning New York Rangers, with a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils and a 3-2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Anže Kopitar’s elite play continues, as he has eight goals and a team-leading 35 points. Adrian Kempe’s 16 goals lead the team in that regard while also picking up 31 points. Alex Laferriere has 12 goals, while Kevin Fiala has 10 goals. In net, Darcy Kuemper has a .915 save percentage and a 2.24 goals against average in 14 games played.
The Kings will finish their seven-game road trip this week, facing the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, the Nashville Predators on Saturday, and the Washington Capitals on Sunday.

San Jose Sharks

The Calgary Flames have seven different games that have seen a final score of 4-3 this season. This past week, the San Jose Sharks had all three of their games end 4-3 in regulation, with a win over the St. Louis Blues, and losses to the Utah Hockey Club and Winnipeg Jets.
Mikael Granlund has kept his point-per-game pace this season, scoring 11 goals and 32 points, while William Eklund had five goals and 25 points. Defenceman Jake Walman has five goals and 24 points, while Fabian Zetterlund and Macklin Celebrini each have 11 goals. Former Flame Tyler Toffoli leads the team with 13 goals. Since the trade, Alexandar Georgiev has played two games with an .868 save percentage and a 3.52 goals against average.
This week, the Sharks host Mackenzie Blackwood and the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, before a mini two-game road trip against the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks.

Seattle Kraken

It wasn’t a great week for the Seattle Kraken, as they went 1-2-0 with a win against the Boston Bruins, before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators.
Jared McCann leads the team with 26 points and is tied for the team lead in goals with 11, alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand, who also has 22 points. Chandler Stephenson has three goals and 21 points, while defenceman Brandon Montour has eight goals and 20 points. Joey Daccord continues to play well, as he has a .915 save percentage and a 2.46 goals against average in 21 games played.
The Kraken hit the road this week, facing the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.

Vancouver Canucks

It was a successful week for the Vancouver Canucks, as the shutout the Florida Panthers, fell 5-1 to the Boston Bruins, but came back and defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 to go 2-1-0.
Defenceman Quinn Hughes still leads the team in points with 35, along with seven goals. Pius Suter and Kiefer Sherwood each have 11 goals, while Jake DeBrusk has 14 goals and 23 points in 30 games. Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland each have eight goals. Thatcher Demko hasn’t had a great return, as he has an .881 save percentage and a 3.32 goals against average in three games.
Out of any Pacific Division team, the Canucks have the busiest schedule this week. On Wednesday, they face the Utah Hockey Club, before immediately heading to Sin City to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. They’ll return home on Saturday to play the Ottawa Senators, before a date with the San Jose Sharks on Christmas Eve Eve.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights had a difficult week, facing the Winnipeg Jets and winning 3-2 in overtime, falling 6-3 to the Edmonton Oilers, before another 3-2 win, this time against the Minnesota Wild.
Jack Eichel has nine goals and a team-leading 42 points in 31 games this season, while Ivan Barbashev leads the team with 15 goals (along with 30 points). Defenceman Shea Theodore has four goals and 26 points, while captain Mark Stone has six goals and 24 points in 17 games. Netminder Adin Hill has an .899 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average in 20 games this season.
It’s a return to the Fortress this week for the Golden Knights, as they host the Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken, and the Anaheim Ducks before the Christmas break.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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