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What’s Going On In The Pacific Divison: The Flames find themselves in a postseason spot to begin 2025
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 2, 2025, 19:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 2, 2025, 19:35 EST
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It’s the New Year and the Calgary Flames remain in a post-season position.
As of Jan. 2 before the slate of games, the Vegas Golden Knights’ 25-9-3 record with 53 points leads the Pacific Division. The Los Angeles Kings have a 22-10-5 record with 49 points, with the Oilers and the 22-12-3 record with 47 points not trailing far behind. In the final Wild Card spot is the Calgary Flames, who have an 18-12-7 record with 43 points, with fellow Canadian team, the Vancouver Canucks, posting a 17-11-8 record with 42 points.
The bottom three teams in the division are the Seattle Kraken (17-19-2 with 36 points), the Anaheim Ducks (15-17-4 with 34 points) and the San Jose Sharks (11-23-6 record with 28 points).
Let’s take a look at what has happened the past week in the Pacific Division.

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks had another solid week, falling 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers, but winning 5-3 against the Edmonton Oilers and 3-2 against the New Jersey Devils.
Troy Terry remains their best player this season, as he has 11 goals and 28 points in 36 games. Second in scoring is Frank Vatrano, who has nine goals and 19 points, while Ryan Strome also has 19 points and seven goals. Netminder Lukáš Dostál continues to impress this season, as he has a .914 save percentage and a 2.72 goals against average in 23 games played. John Gibson has a .909 save percentage and a 2.84 goals against average.
The Ducks have a busy week, as they have a back-to-back against the Winnipeg Jets and the Oilers. They’ll then return home to face the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Calgary Flames.

Calgary Flames

It was a successful week for the Calgary Flames, as they went 2-1-0 with a pair of 3-1 wins, one against the San Jose Sharks and the other against the Vancouver Canucks to enter 2025 in a playoff spot. They also lost 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Jonathan Huberdeau looks to be as advertised now, as he has 16 goals and 29 points in 37 games. Nazem Kadri has also had a good season, scoring 14 goals and 26 points in 37 games. Youngster Connor Zary has nine goals and 21 points, while Matt Coronato has nine goals and 18 points. In net, Dustin Wolf has a .914 save percentage and 2.61 goals against average in 19 games.
This week, the Flames host the Utah Hockey Club and Nashville Predators, before heading to Anaheim to face off against the Ducks.

Edmonton Oilers

Coming into the Christmas break, the Edmonton Oilers were 15-5-1 in their last 20 games. However, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings saw them lose the second spot in the division before they suffered an embarrassing 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. On New Year’s Eve, they defeated the Utah Hockey Club 4-1 to get back in the win column.
Leon Draisaitl continues to lead the league in goals with 27, while also leading his team in points with 56. Connor McDavid isn’t far behind though, as he has 15 goals and 54 points. Defenceman Evan Bouchard has seven goals and 28 points, while Zach Hyman has 13 goals and 21 points. In net, Stuart Skinner has an .897 save percentage and a 2.81 goals against average in 25 games played.
This week, the Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, before heading to Seattle to face the Kraken for the first time this season. This is the first game of a four-game road trip, where they’ll also play the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are fighting the Edmonton Oilers for the second spot in the division, with the two teams having finished in the two spots for the past three seasons. Well, it was a successful 3-0 week for the Kings, as they defeated the Oilers 4-3 in overtime, the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4, and the New Jersey Devils 3-0.
Captain Anže Kopitar leads the way with 39 points with 12 goals. Adrian Kempe’s 18 goals leads the team as he also has 36 points. Alex Laferriere has 13 goals and 26 points, while Warren Foegele has 11 goals and 23 points. Kevin Fiala also had 14 goals. Darcy Kuemper seems to be a long-term solution in net, as he has a .916 save percentage and a 2.24 goals against average in 18 games played.
The Kings have just one game this week, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

San Jose Sharks

After a good November, it was a tough month for the San Jose Sharks as they finished the month with an eight-game losing streak. This past week, they fell 6-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-1 to the Calgary Flames, and 4-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers.
That doesn’t stop them from being an exciting team though. Mikael Granlund has 11 goals and a team-leading 34 points. Rookie Macklin Celebrini has 12 goals and 27 points, while former Flame Tyler Toffoli has 14 goals and 25 points in 40 games. Fabian Zetterlund has 11 goals and 26 points, while Luke Kunin has 10 goals and 16 points. 
A big reason for their drop off is because they traded Mackenzie Blackwood, who has found success with the Colorado Avalanche. Yaroslav Askarov has been good, posting a .915 save percentage and a 2.62 goals against average in five games. Alexandar Georgiev has not been good, as he has an .869 save percentage and a 4.08 goals against average in his five games.
The Sharks’ home stand continues, as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, and the Vegas Golden Knights this week.

Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken continue to be mediocre this season, but they went 2-0 this week with wins over the Vancouver Canucks (5-4 in overtime) and the Utah Hockey Club (5-2).
Leading the Kraken in both goals and points is Jared McCann, potting 13 goals and 28 points. Trailing closely behind is Oliver Bjorkstrand (11 goals and 26 points) and Jaden Schwartz (12 goals and 25 points). Chandler Stephenson has three goals and 23 points, while defenceman Brandon Montour has eight goals and 21 points. In net, Joey Daccord has a .912 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average.
This week, the Kraken continue their home stand, facing off against the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have been struggling as of late, winners of just one game in their last six, a 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks. Over their last six, they are 1-2-3, with an overtime loss against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday and a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on New Year’s Eve.
Defenceman Quinn Hughes has been their best player this season, scoring eight goals and 42 points in 34 games, but he’s currently out week-to-week. Elias Pettersson has 10 goals and 28 points, while Jake DeBrusk’s 16 goals lead the team. Brock Boeser has 14 goals and 25 points, while Pius Suter and Kiefer Sherwood each have double-digit goals. Thatcher Demko has struggled since returning, as he has an .879 save percentage and a 3.43 goals against average in six games.
This week, the Canucks face the Seattle Kraken away, the Nashville Predators at home, and the Montréal Canadiens on the road.

Vegas Golden Knights

Lastly, we have the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights, who look like an absolute wagon this season. They won 6-3 against the San Jose Sharks, following that up with a 3-0 victory over the Calgary Flames. However, they fell 3-2 to the Montréal Canadiens on New Year’s Eve.
Jack Eichel has 10 goals and 48 points, leading the team in the latter category. Ivan Barbashev is tied for the team lead with 15 goals, but was placed on the Injured Reserve recently. Brett Howden also has 15 goals, while Pavel Dorofeyev has 13 goals. Captain Mark Stone has eight goals and 30 points in 23 games. Adin Hill has played better as of late and has a .902 save percentage and a 2.65 goals against average in 24 games.
This week, the Golden Knights host the Philadelphia Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres, before heading on the road to face the San Jose Sharks.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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