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What’s Going On In The Pacific Division: The Golden Knights finally lost a game at the Fortress
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Photo credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Nov 13, 2024, 19:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 13, 2024, 18:08 EST
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The Pacific Division is ultra-competitive a month into the season.
It’s not necessarily anyone’s division, but five teams could realistically push for a postseason spot if their strong play continues – three of which are Canadian teams. Moreover, the San Jose Sharks are finally out of the basement of the division for the first time in a while.
Let’s take a look at all of that in the latest What’s Going On In The Pacific Division!

Anaheim Ducks

Since the last What’s Going On In The Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks lost a game to the Minnesota Wild, but defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2.
Lukáš Dostál continues to be a bright spot for the Ducks, as the netminder has a .922 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average in 11 games. Leading the way in points for the Ducks is Troy Terry, who has 11 points. He’s also tied for the team lead in goals with five, alongside Leo Carlsson.
The Ducks have a busy week ahead of them, as they’ll host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday and the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. They’ll embark on a two-game road trip on Monday, facing the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks in back-to-back games.

Calgary Flames

One thing is clear, the Flames don’t give up. They were down by two goals against the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres but managed to pick up a point in each game. The Flames also defeated the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, before falling to the Vancouver Canucks in a back-to-back on Tuesday.
Defenceman Rasmus Andersson continued his strong play, scoring four goals and 11 points. Jonathan Hubedeau leads the team in goals with six while also breaking the double-digit mark in points. Dustin Wolf has been the better of the two netminders, as he has a .913 save percentage and a 2.84 goals-against average, nearly picking up his first shutout against the Kings on Monday.
The Flames have just two games before next week’s WGOITPD article, hosting the Nashville Predators on Friday and the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

Edmonton Oilers

It was a hit-and-miss week for the Oilers, as they blew a lead to the Vegas Golden Knights, surrendering the game-winning goal to Noah Hanifin in the final minute. They bounced back with a massive 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, before blowing another lead in the third period to the New York Islanders but winning in overtime.
Leon Draisaitl’s 12 goals are tied for the league league, scoring two goals on Tuesday. Connor McDavid has been exceptional as well, scoring five goals and 17 points in 13 games, one away from 1,000 points in his career. Goaltending hasn’t been great though, as Stuart Skinner has an .881 save percentage and a 3.22 goals-against average in 11 games.
It’ll be a busy week for the Oilers, as they host the Nashville Predators on Thursday, before embarking on a three-game road trip to face off against the three Eastern Conference Canadian teams.

Los Angeles Kings

With a 9-5-3 record, the Los Angeles Kings sit on the throne of the Pacific Division with 21 points, albeit the Vegas Golden Knights have two games in hand. It wasn’t a great week either for the Kings, as they fell 4-2 to the Vancouver Canucks and 3-1 to the Calgary Flames, but picked up a win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Anže Kopitar leads the team with 18 points, while Alex Laferriere’s nine goals lead the team in that category. Moreover, Adrian Kempe, Brandt Clarke, Kevin Fiala, and Trevor Moore each have double-digit points, with Warren Foegele, Quinton Byfield, and Phillip Danualt sitting on nine points each. Darcy Keumper has a .903 save percentage and a 2.54 goals-against average in nine games played, while former Flame David Rittich has an .890 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average.
This week, the Kings play the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday in Denver, before returning home to host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Fun fact, they play at home all five Saturdays in November.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks aren’t good, but they haven’t been the worst team in the Pacific Division this season. Since their nine-game losing streak to open the season, the Sharks are 5-1-1 in their last seven games. This past week, they fell 5-2 to the Minnesota Wild, defeated the New Jersey Devils 1-0, and lost 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers in a shootout.
Mikael Granlund leads the team in goals and points with seven and 18 respectively, while William Eklund, Tyler Toffoli, and Fabian Zetterlund each have 11 points. Moreover, rookie Macklin Celebrini scored his first multi-goal game against the Wild. Netminder Mackenzie Blackwood has a .910 save percentage despite a 3.10 goals-against average. Vítek Vaněček has been solid as well, posting a .903 save percentage and a 3.25 goals-against average.
The Sharks have a tough schedule upcoming, facing off against the New York Rangers on Thursday, before completing their Eastern Conference road trip on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’ll return home to face the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.

Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken only played two games since the last WGOITPD, but both ended up being wins. On Friday, they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime, before a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Jared McCann has been by far their best player, as he leads the team in goals (eight) and points (19). Defenceman Brandon Montour has four goals and 11 points, while captain Jordan Eberle has six goals and 11 points. Joey Daccord has been great for the Kraken as he has a .916 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average, while Philipp Grubauer has an .877 save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average.
This week, the Kraken host the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers.

Vancouver Canucks

It was a strong week for the Vancouver Canucks since the last WGOITPD article, as they defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-2, as well as the Calgary Flames 3-1, but fell 7-3 to the Edmonton Oilers.
Defenceman Quinn Hughes leads the team in points with 16, along with three goals. Brock Boeser and Pius Suter are tied for the team lead in goals with six, while J.T. Miller has 13 points and Conor Garland has 11. Despite a rough start against the Oilers, Kevin Lankinen has a .911 save percentage and a 2.46 goals against in 11 games, with an 8-1-2 record.
The Canucks will complete their home stand over the next week, hosting the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, and New York Rangers.

Vegas Golden Knights

What a weird season it has been for the Vegas Golden Knights. They’re 8-1-0 at home, but 1-3-2 away from the Fortress. That one road victory came last Wednesday over the Oilers, but they fell 4-3 in overtime to the Seattle Kraken, before losing their first home game 5-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.
Jack Eichel leads the team in points with 24, while captain Mark Stone has six goals and 21 points in 13 games. Ivan Barbashev (eight goals and 17 points) and Pavel Dorofeyev (eight goals and 11 points) are tied for the team lead in goals, while Alex Pietrangelo, Tomáš Hertl, Shea Theodore, and Nicolas Roy all have double-digit points. The Knights are winning despite poor goaltending from starter Adin Hill, who has an .875 save percentage and a 3.41 goals-against average.
Over the course of the week, they’ll head on the road to face the Anaheim Ducks and Utah Hockey Club, before hosting the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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