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What’s Going On In The Pacific Division: The Flames and Canucks battle for the final wild card spot
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Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 8, 2025, 18:30 ESTUpdated: Jan 8, 2025, 19:04 EST
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We’re nearly midway through the 2024-25 season, and there is a clear line between playoff contenders and non-playoff contenders in the Pacific Division.
The Vegas Golden Knights maintain their lead in the Pacific Division as they have a 28-9-3 record with 59 points. Second in the division are the Edmonton Oilers, who have a 25-12-3 record with 53 points. However, the Los Angeles Kings aren’t far behind, as they have a 23-10-5 record with 51 points with two fewer games played than the Oilers.
Those three teams are in control of the three playoff spots, but the Vancouver Canucks hold on to one of the Wild Card spots with an 18-12-9 record with 45 points. The Calgary Flames also have 45 points thanks to a 19-14-7 record, but have one more game played.
Then you have the teams with almost no chance of making the postseason. The Anaheim Ducks have been playing better recently, but have a 17-18-5 record with 39 points. Below them are the Seattle Kraken who have a 17-21-3 record with 37 points, and the San Jose Sharks who have a 13-24-6 record with 32 points.
Let’s take a look at What’s Going On In The Pacific Division!

Anaheim Ducks

Since last Thursday’s article, the Ducks have gone 2-1-1 with wins over the Winnipeg Jets and  Tampa Bay Lightning, an overtime loss to the Calgary Flames, and a regulation loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Troy Terry leads the team in goals (14) and points (33) and was even named the second star of the week. Frank Vatrano signed a three-year extension and has 11 goals and 23 points in 39 games. Ryan Strome also has 23 points with seven goals, while rookie Cutter Gauthier has five goals and 18 points in 40 games. In net, Lukáš Dostál has a .913 save percentage and a 2.73 goals against average, while John Gibson has a .914 save percentage and a 2.72 goals against average.
The Ducks start a six-game road trip, with four of those games coming up before next Wednesday. They’ll face the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Washington Capitals this week.

Calgary Flames

It wasn’t a particularly great week for the Calgary Flames, as they were 1-2-0 with an overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks and regulation losses to the Utah Hockey Club and Nashville Predators.
Jonathan Huberdeau is having his best season as a Flame, as he has 17 goals and 30 points in 40 games, with Nazem Kadri’s 15 goals and 28 points not far behind. Connor Zary has 10 goals and 22 points but was injured in Tuesday’s game against the Ducks. In net, Dustin Wolf has a .914 save percentage and a 2.60 goals against average in 21 games played.
The Flames were set to play four games this week, but Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings in Los Angeles was postponed due to the wildfires. Instead, they’ll host the Kings on Saturday, before a road trip that’ll see them play the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday and the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers struggled briefly coming out of the Christmas break, but are now on a four-game winning streak. This past week, they won all three of their games by defeating the Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, and Boston Bruins.
Leon Draisaitl’s 29 goals lead the league while his 59 points lead the team and is second in the league. Connor McDavid has 16 goals and 55 points, while defenceman Evan Bouchard has seven goals and 30 points. In net, Stuart Skinner has a .902 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average in 27 games played.
The Oilers continue their road trip on Thursday, as they face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins, before heading to Chicago to face the Blackhawks on Saturday. They’ll return home for one game next Monday, as they host the Los Angeles Kings.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings’ strong play continues, as they won the only game they played since last Thursday’s article, a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Captain Anže Kopitar continues to lead the team in points, as he has 39 points and 12 goals this season. Adrian Kempe leads the team with 19 goals and also has 37 points, while Alex Laferriere has 13 goals and 26 points. In net, Darcy Kuemper has a .920 save percentage and a 2.17 goals against average in 19 games played, with an 11-2-5 record.
The Kings were supposed to host the Flames on Wednesday, but that game was postponed because of the wildfires. No more games will be postponed though, as they kick off a five-game road trip on Friday as they head to Winnipeg to face the Jets. They’ll play the Flames on Saturday, before a date with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks snapped an eight-game losing streak on Thursday with a 2-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning. They followed that up with a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils but fell 4-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
Mikael Granlund has 11 goals and 35 points, leading the team in the latter category. Former Flame Tyler Toffoli leads the team with 15 goals, while Macklin Celebrini has 13 goals and 28 points. William Eklund has eight goals and 30 points and Fabian Zetterlund has 11 goals and 27 points. In net, Yaroslav Askarov has a .923 save percentage and a 2.30 goals against average in seven games. It seems like he’ll be staying in the National Hockey League for the foreseeable future.
This week, the Sharks head to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Hockey Club before returning home to host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, They’ll kick off a five-game road trip on Tuesday, with a game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Seattle Kraken

It wasn’t a good week for the Seattle Kraken, as they went 0-2-1 with regulation losses to the Edmonton Oilers and the New Jersey Devils, while their only point came thanks to a shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Jared McCann leads the team with 29 points and is tied for the team lead in goals with 13 along with Jaden Schwartz. Oliver Bjorkstrand has 11 goals and 26 points, while Chandler Stephenson has five goals and 26 points. Joey Daccord has had a good season so far, posting a .912 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average in 23 games played. Philipp Grubauer has an .880 save percentage and a 3.45 goals against average in 18 games played.
This week, the Kraken start a road trip and will face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks had an okay week, as they went 1-1-1 with a win over the Seattle Kraken, a 3-0 defeat to the Nashville Predators, and a 5-4 overtime loss to the streaking Montréal Canadiens.
Quinn Hughes’s 44 points lead the team, but he’s still inactive due to injury. J.T. Miller has eight goals and 29 points, while Jake DeBrusk’s 17 goals lead the team. Conor Garland, like DeBrusk and Miller, has 29 points. Moreover, Brock Boeser has 14 goals and 26 points. In net, Thatcher Demko has an .881 save percentage and a 3.34 goals against average in seven games played. Kevin Lankinen has a .904 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average in 27 games played.
The Canucks continue their road trip this week, facing the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights look like the class of the Pacific Division, as they are currently on a three-game win streak. This past week, they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks.
Jack Eichel has 11 goals and 53 points, leading the team in the latter category. Mark Stone has 11 goals and 35 points in 26 games, while Ivan Barbashev’s 15 goals are tied for the team lead alongside Brett Howden. Pavel Dorofeyev also has 14 goals. In net, Adin Hill has a .904 save percentage and a 2.58 goals against average in 25 games played with a 17-6-2 record. Backup netminder Ilya Samsonov has a .907 save percentage and a 2.65 goals against average in 15 games played.
This week, the Golden Knights host the New York Islanders and New York Rangers, as well as the Minnesota Wild. They’ll start a three-game road trip, starting with a game against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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