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What’s Going On In The Pacific Division: Oilers are within striking distance of the Golden Knights
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Photo credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 15, 2025, 19:30 ESTUpdated: Jan 15, 2025, 19:39 EST
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The race to finish first in the Pacific Division is heating up.
As it stands, the Vegas Golden Knights hold onto first in the Pacific Division thanks to a 29-12-3 record with 61 points. However, the Edmonton Oilers have a 27-13-3 record with 57 points and aren’t far behind. The Los Angeles Kings are also in the vicinity, as they have a 24-12-5 record with 53 points.
Then you have the two Wild Card contenders. The Calgary Flames currently occupy the final Wild Card spot as they have a 21-15-7 record with 49 points. Not far behind them are the Vancouver Canucks, who have a 19-14-10 record with 48 points.
Lastly, you have the three Pacific Division teams who don’t have much of a chance to make the post-season. Sixth in the division is the Anaheim Ducks, who have an 18-21-5 record with 41 points, the same amount as the Seattle Kraken who have a 19-23-3 record. Last in the Pacific Division is the San Jose Sharks, who have a 14-26-6 record.
Let’s take a look at what happened the past week in the Pacific Division.

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks had a solid week leading into last week’s What’s Going On In The Pacific Division article. However, the same cannot be said for this past week as they went 1-3-0 with losses to the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals while defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime.
Troy Terry’s 14 goals and 33 points lead the team in both categories, while Frank Vatrano has 11 goals and 24 points. Defenceman Jackson LaCombe has eight goals and 20 points, while Cutter Gauthier has seven goals and 20 points. In net, John Gibson has a .908 save percentage and a 2.84 goals against average, while Lukáš Dostál has a .910 save percentage and a 2.89 goals against average in 26 games played.
This week, the Ducks continue their Eastern Conference road trip with games against the two Florida-based teams, before returning home to face the Panthers in a home-and-home on Tuesday.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames keep finding ways to win. This past week, they defeated the Los Angeles Kings, before thumping the Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately, their three-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday as they fell 2-1 to the St. Louis Blues.
Jonathan Huberdeau looks re-energized this season, as his 18 goals and 32 points lead the team in both categories. Matt Coronato and Connor Zary each have 10 goals, while defenceman MacKenzie Weegar has 22 points, as does forward Blake Coleman. In net, Dustin Wolf has a .916 save percentage and a 2.50 goals against average and is a legitimate candidate to win the Calder Memorial Trophy.
It’s a light upcoming week for the Flames, as they play the second straight game against the Blues in St. Louis, before heading to Winnipeg on Saturday to face off against the Jets.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers look dangerous this season and have continued to win. Their first game of the week saw them fall 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they returned with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks and a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Leon Draisaitl is the Hart Memorial Trophy front-runner, as he has a league-leading 31 goals and a team-leading 64 points. Connor McDavid has 17 goals and 59 points, while defenceman Evan Bouchard has seven goals and 32 points. Zach Hyman has returned to form, potting 14 goals this season. In net, Stuart Skinner has a .902 save percentage and a 2.68 goals against average in 29 games played with a 17-9-3 record.
It’s a busy week for the Oilers as they have a tough upcoming schedule. First up is the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, before flying to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche in a back-to-back. They’ll then head to their fourth timezone in two weeks to face the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers’ week ends with a game against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are falling behind the Edmonton Oilers, as it wasn’t a particularly great week for them. They defeated the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in overtime, before falling 2-1 in regulation to the Calgary Flames on Saturday. On Monday, they fell 1-0 to the Oilers to fall four points behind the Oilers, albeit with two fewer games played.
Anže Kopitar leads the team with 40 points and also has 12 goals. Adrian Kempe isn’t far behind with 39 points and a team-leading 20 goals, while Alex Laferriere has 13 goals and 26 points. Warren Foegele (11 goals) and Kevin Fiala (14 goals) also have double-digit goals. In net, Darcy Kuemper has been fantastic for the Kings, as he has a .923 save percentage and a 2.06 goals against average in 21 games played.
This week, the Kings continue their road trip with games against the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken, before hopefully returning home to face the Pittsburgh Penguins.

San Jose Sharks

As per usual, it wasn’t a great week for the San Jose Sharks, as they went 1-2-0. They fell 2-1 to the Utah Hockey Club and 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild, before snapping the Detroit Red WIngs’ seven-game winning streak with a 6-3 victory.
Mikael Granlund has 12 goals and 37 points, leading the team in the latter category. Tyler Toffoli’s 16 goals lead the team, while William Eklund, Macklin Celebrini, Fabian Zetterlund, and Luke Kunin each have double-digit goals. In net, Yaroslav Askarov has a .917 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average in eight games played, while Alexandar Georgiev has an .887 save percentage and a 3.56 goals against average in eight games played.
It’s a busy week for the Sharks as they continue their road trip. First up is the Columbus Blue Jackets, before heading to Long Island to face the New York Islanders. The Sharks will then head to Boston to play the Bruins and Nashville to play the Predators in a back-to-back.

Seattle Kraken

The most mediocre team in the Pacific Division had another mediocre week, going 2-2-0. On Thursday, the Seattle Kraken fell 6-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, before defeating the Buffalo Sabres by the same score. Another 6-2 loss came at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings before they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. Too bad the Kraken couldn’t score two more goals in that game.
Jared McCann’s 33 points lead the team, while his 13 goals are tied for the team lead alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jaden Schwartz. They also have five players with eight goals, while Chandler Stephenson has six goals and 30 points. In net, Joey Daccord has a .914 save percentage and a 2.47 goals against average in 27 games, while Philipp Grubauer has an .870 save percentage and a 3.76 goals against average.
This week, the Kraken face the Winnipeg Jets on the road, before returning home to face the Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have been unable to replicate the success they found last season, as they sit outside of a Wild Card spot more than halfway through the season. It wasn’t a great week for them either, as they went 1-2-1, with a shutout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs being their only highlight.
Defenceman Quinn Hughes leads the team with 47 points, nine of which are goals. Conor Garland has 11 goals and 30 points, with Jake DeBrusk scoring a team-leading 17 goals to go along with 29 points. He is one of three players with 29 points for the Canucks, as Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each have 29 points as well. In net, Thatcher Demko has an .883 save percentage and a 3.17 goals against average in eight games played. Kevin Lankinen has a .903 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average in 30 games played.
This week, the Canucks start a three-game home stand, facing the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Buffalo Sabres. Expect a handful of those games to go to overtime.

Vegas Golden Knights

It looked as if the Vegas Golden Knights had a stranglehold on the Pacific Division, but they have struggled as of late. This past week, the 2023 Stanley Cup champions went 1-3-0, with their only win coming against a depleted Minnesota Wild team, while they fell to the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and Nashville Predators.
Jack Eichel has 11 goals and 54 points, leading the team in the latter category. Mark Stone and Tomáš Hertl each have 12 goals, while Pavel Dorofeyev’s 19 goals lead the team. Ivan Barbashev, Brett Howden, and Keegan Kolesar each have double-digit goals as well. In net, Adin Hill has a .904 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average in 27 games played.
This week, the Golden Knights have a road back-to-back, facing the Carolina Hurricanes and the Chicago Blackhawks. They’ll return home to host the St. Louis Blues on Monday.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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