The Pacific Division is one of the toughest divisions in the NHL, and the Calgary Flames currently have the fourth-best record. How have the rest of the teams performed in the past week?
The Pacific Division features two of the NHL's top five teams, the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers. The battle for the division title should come down to the final days of the regular season, while three teams, including the Calgary Flames, are currently contesting spots in the wildcard race.
Let's examine each Pacific Division team's performances since January 13.
#1. Edmonton Oilers (3-1-0)
The Oilers lost only one game in the past four contests, falling to the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Saturday night. Moreover, they will be without captain Connor McDavid, who was suspended for three games for a cross-checking incident.
#2. Seattle Kraken (3-1-0)
The Seattle Kraken had a good end to a five-game road trip last week, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins and then holding one of the league's top teams, the Winnipeg Jets, in check in a 2-1 loss. Meanwhile, they started a homestand with back-to-back victories over the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings.
#3. Calgary Flames (2-2-0)
The Calgary Flames had brilliant beginnings and ends of a four-game road trip, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks (5-2) and the Winnipeg Jets (3-1) thanks to Dustin Wolf's brilliant performances. However, it was rough in the middle as the St. Louis Blues swept them in two games, outscoring Calgary 6-2.
#4. Vancouver Canucks (1-2-0)
As mentioned, the Canucks only highlight of the week was beating the Oilers in a penalty-filled affair, which led to a couple of suspensions on both sides. Outside of that one-goal game, Vancouver had a rough week, getting blown out by the Jets (6-1) and Kings (5-1).
#5. Los Angeles Kings (1-3-0)
The Kings just played their first home game since the Southern California wildfires roared through the area. Uncharacteristically, Los Angeles has won once in the past four games and was shut out by the Oilers for only the second time this year.
#6. San Jose Sharks (1-3-0)
The San Jose Sharks picked up only one win in the past week, but it was great. They halted the Detroit Red Wings' seven-game win streak last Tuesday before dropping games to the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, and Boston Bruins.
#7. Vegas Golden Knights (0-3-1)
Overall, the Golden Knights are in a funk at the moment, earning a 1-5-1 record in their past seven games, going winless in the past week, including a 5-3 loss to the 32nd-ranked Chicago Blackhawks. Despite scoring 12 goals, they were outscored, giving up at least five in three of the past four games.
#8. Anaheim Ducks (0-2-1)
No other team in the Pacific Division had a rougher week than the Anaheim Ducks. They have scored only three goals in the past three games and were shut out by the Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers. Surprisingly, the Ducks took the Tampa Bay Lightning to a shootout and lost 4-3 on Thursday.
Check back next Tuesday to see how the upcoming week shuffles the Pacific Division power rankings.
