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The NHL Down the Stretch: Pacific Division

With the trade deadline passed, every team in the NHL knows where they stand, and while some are gearing up for what they hope will be a long and successful run, others are simply playing out the string and waiting for the draft in June. 

The LWOS hockey department has taken a division-by-division snapshot of where each team is at going down the stretch run of the 2015-16 season, and what each team can expect by season’s end, taking into account recent deadline moves, as well as the team’s remaining strength of schedule. 

Finally, here’s a look at the Pacific Division, brought to you by Dave Gove (@LAKingsDave), Markus Meyer (@Markus_Meyer27),  Zachary Devine (@zakkthebear) and Ken Hill (@LWOSPuckHead).

The NHL Down The Stretch: Pacific Division

1. Los Angeles Kings – 40-22-4, 84 Points, 38 ROW

With less than 20 games remaining in the season, the Kings are clinging to first place in the Pacific Division. Whether they can stay there or not depends largely on if their offense can step up down the stretch.

The Kings are once again the best possession team in the league are are currently tied for best GA/GP at only 2.27. Even with all the question marks the team has faced on the blueline this season, the overall team system coach Darryl Sutter has in place continues to produce great defensive teams. However, Kings fans have to be wondering why recent reacquisition Rob Scuderi is getting so much ice time since his return.

Up front the Kings offense has grown stagnate of late. Somehow the team’s been able to compile a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games, while only scoring two goals in seven of of those games. Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli have both struggled with slumps recently, forcing Anze Kopitar to pick up the bulk of the offensive slack. As the team pushes for the division title they’ll need the second line to step up like they were early in the season. Drew Doughty has been more involved offensively this year and will need to continue helping out as nobody else on the blueline has done much recently. Where have you gone Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin?

At the trade deadline the Kings traded to get Kris Versteeg from the Carolina Hurricanes. So far the trade has been underwhelming as Versteeg has zero points in four games while going -1 and racking up 7 PIM’s including an embarrassing fight during the team’s recent game with the Anaheim Ducks. Kings fans have to be worried that this trade will be similar to the Andrej Sekera deal last year that never really panned out.

The Kings are overall in a great position right now, but it would be nice to see this team finish a season strong after their recent late season lacklustre efforts. Jonathan Quick turns into a different beast when things are on the line. Can he do it down the stretch to help the team win their first division title since 1991?

2. Anaheim Ducks – 37-20-9, 83 Points, 34 ROW

Wednesday night the Ducks lost their first game in regulation since February 8th. In that month the team went 12-0-2, and had gone 18-1-1 before their shootout loss to the Capitals earlier this week. Their recent two game losing streak is the first they’ve had since December 21-22nd. Needless to say, the Ducks have been the hottest team in the league of late.

The recent surge for the Ducks saw them jump into first in the Pacific temporarily after their recent victory over the Kings. Amazingly, the Ducks were last in the division on December 2nd and have climbed all the way back since. The turnaround is largely due to Ryan Getzlaf turning things around offensively, and second line center Rickard Rakell coming into his own this year. With both of the team’s top two lines contributing more offensively, the team’s third line, centered by Ryan Kesler, has been able to fill its shutdown role better, making it harder for other teams to matchup with the Ducks.

Ducks fans have to give some thanks to General Manager Bob Murray for not only sticking with Coach Bruce Boudreau after such a rough start, but also acquiring David Perron, who has exceeded expectations playing on a line with Getzlaf and allowing Corey Perry to drop to the second line and form a balanced attack. The Ducks will continue to need that down the stretch.

The Ducks are tied with the Kings for best defense in the league right now, and they’re doing it collectively. This isn’t a team with a true #1 defenseman to eat up big minutes. While Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, and Sami Vatanen have been solid this season, nobody is getting more than 23 minutes a night. The team defense is encouraging, as it means even if something is to happen to one player the rest can hopefully carry the load.

If there is any question mark about the Ducks heading into the playoffs, it’s in net. However, it’s not because they have a weakness there. It’s that both goaltenders have played well. John Gibson and Frederik Andersen have both shone strengths, as Gibson has a better GAA, while Andersen’s SV% is slightly higher. At some point will one of the two grab the reins and charge into the playoffs? Boudreau having goalie issues heading into the playoffs? Who would have guessed.

3. San Jose Sharks – 37-24-6, 80 Points, 34 ROW

With the Kings and Ducks playing so well lately it’s been hard for the Sharks to catch up in the Pacific Division. However, San Jose has been playing pretty well recently, going 6-3-1 in their last ten to separate from the bottom of the division and entrench themselves in a playoff spot.

The Sharks have got to where they are this season on the strength of their top five offense. Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski are both having good seasons, while Brent Burns is having a great season on the blueline. Logan Couture returned at the midway point of the season and helped to balance out the attack for San Jose. Now if only their defense could match the offense, the Sharks would be scary.

When you’re battling for a division title it’s hard to win close games with a penalty kill below 80%. The Sharks have let several games slip away due to bottom ten penalty kill. Bringing in Roman Polak at the trade deadline will hopefully help out this area of the team, but is it enough? The Sharks will need to tighten things up here considering they’re in a position to play the Kings or Ducks in the first round. Two teams with top five power play units right now.

It’s hard to gauge what the Sharks expect heading toward the playoffs right now. It doesn’t appear that they’re better than the Kings or Ducks, but with the firepower they possess it’s going to be fun to see them matchup with either team. At this point most Sharks fans will be happy if the team makes it past the second round. Can Martin Jones be the guy to lead them there? A first year starter on a team with mediocre defense. It’s going to be a tall order, but perhaps some of the Quick’s playoff swagger worn off on Jones when he was in LA.

4. Vancouver Canucks – 26-28-12, 64 Points, 22 ROW

Over the course of the 2015-16 campaign, the Canucks have been mostly in the playoff race. Until recently, that is. Over the past several weeks, the Canucks have established themselves as out of the running, and seem to have bought into the idea that the remainder of the season should be dedicated to developing their youth.

The arrival of Nikita Tryamkin from the KHL solidifies this philosophy. The hulking Russian defender, selected in the 3rd round of the 2014 entry draft, adds a new dynamic to the Canucks blueline and is widely regarded as one of the team’s most intriguing prospects. Boasting a skill set ripe with potential – from his physical stature, to his booming shot, to his strong skating ability, fans will be watching the promising blueliner closely over the stretch run.

Additionally, supporters will be keeping a close eye on forward Brendan Gaunce. Recently called up, Gaunce has had a superb season with the AHL’s Utica Comets. With 15 goals and 33 points in 43 games played, Gaunce added an offensive dynamic to what was an otherwise defensive-based game. Because of this, he has established himself as one of organization’s most intriguing and most promising young forwards. The 21-year-old will get the shot to play regularly for the rest of the season, and will all but certainly have a spot in the bottom-six locked up by the time 2016-17 rolls around.

Another interesting storyline will be the way the second line of Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat are deployed. With the games all but meaningless in terms of positioning in the standings, the coaching staff will have more freedom in terms of lineup usage, which may mean that Baertschi and Horvat will begin to receive more offensive opportunities, such as time on the first unit power play, and the chance to play in the late stages of close games. With the Sedins on the downward side career (despite still putting up more than respectable offensive numbers), developing these two into consistent offensive threats should be among the top priorities for the Canucks going forward.

There’s nothing left to play for in terms of reaching the post-season these days, but it may be good for Canucks fans. They’ll finally get to see the young stars shine, which will be fully beneficial for the organization going forward. It should be fun to follow for the remainder of the 2015-16 season.

5. Arizona Coyotes – 28-32-7, 63 Points, 27 ROW

The laundry list of issues that have plagued the Arizona Coyotes reads like a “How to Get more Draft Lottery Ping Pong Balls?” handbook. Throughout the organization, the Coyotes are either 30 years of age and older, or 25 and younger. Only four players on the roster are filling the void between the two age groups: goalie Anders Lindback, defender Kevin Connauton and forwards Viktor Tikhonov and Martin Hanzal filling the age group void. Not a recipe for success, especially when only Hanzal can be considered a bonafide NHL player out of that group.

On the blueline, All-Star Oliver Ekman-Larsson leads a serviceable top four consisting of veterans Zbynek Michalek and Nicklas Grossman along with the emerging Michael Stone. Stone has been steadily improving, setting a career high with 29 points while playing over 22-minutes per night.

At forward, the over-30 veterans lead by Shane Doan, Alex Tanguay and Antoine Vermette are doing what they can, but it isn’t enough to cover up the lack of depth up and down the lineup. Max Domi has been solid in his first professional campaign, and Anthony Duclair has had a great first full NHL campaign, eclipsing the seven points in 18 games that constituted his rookie year with 17 goals and 37 points this year.

Goaltending has been the crux of the issue for the Coyotes. Mike Smith and Anders Lindback have both spent the bulk of the year on the injured reserved list and have a combined .898 save percentage. Youngster Louis Domingue has been able to provide some semblance of professional work in the crease with a modest .911 save percentage.

The Coyotes made one trade of note at the deadline, sending power play specialist Mikkel Boedker to Colorado in exchange for (inexplicably) Tanguay and prospects Conner Bleackley and Kyle Wood.

The Desert Dogs have not been unlucky, posting a PDO of .993, but sport the 24th ranked Corsi For percentage (48.3 )and rank 29th in team save percentage, ahead of only the lowly Calgary Flames. Adding all that up equals a ticket to the draft lottery.

While the current season is a total loss, the future is looking full of promise for the Coyotes. Sprinkled throughout North American is a prospect list that any general manager in the NHL would love to raid: diminutive right wing Conor Garland leads the QMJHL in scoring with 121 points. Dylan Strome is finishing his major junior career for the Erie Otters and played exceedingly well at the Under-20 World Junior Championship for Team Canada. Christian Fischer, Christian Dvorak, Nick Merkley, and the hulking Brendan Perlini are top forwards for their clubs.

Adding one of the three big defenders available from the OHL in the 2016 draft should be the Coyotes focus. Windsor Spitfire defender Mikhail Sergachev could be the exact type of two-way defender Arizona needs, but Jakob Chychrun from the Sarnia Sting or London Knight Olli Juolevi all slot in nicely as well for a blueline in need of refreshing.

6. Calgary Flames – 28-34-5, 61 Points, 26 ROW

In the Great Canadian Auston Matthews Derby, the Calgary Flames have ensured their hat is in the ring for the talented American center.

“Johnny Hockey” Gaudreau has posted 26 goals and 66 points in 66 games to lead the Flames in scoring and Sean Monahan has contributed 48 points as well. Sam Bennett has hit a sophomore slump with two goalless droughts of 14 games or more this season. Offensive help from the forwards has been hard to find outside of these three.

Defensive partners Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie have carried the heavy load, with both defensemen averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per game. Dougie Hamilton has turned the corner after a rough start in Alberta and

The Flames have struggled to find reliable goaltending this year. Kari Ramo played adequately, which gave the Flames a puncher’s chance at the playoffs, but since going down Jonas Hiller’s save percentage of .883 is dead last in goalies with 10 or more starts. Joni Ortio has returned to form, bringing a shred of respectability to the Flames crease. The product of Turku, Finland sports a .915 save percentage since February 23.

Overall, the Flames have the worst save percentage in the entire NHL (.8956) and have had terrible puck luck with a PDO of 986, only good for 27th in the league. When combined, bad luck and worse goaltending do not give a young squad much of a shot at the playoffs. But the news hasn’t been all bad for the Flames. Calgary’s Corsi For percentage has increased since last year to 49%, which ranks 19th in the NHL, and they are right in the middle of the pack in goals for with 178 markers.

The Flames made some substantial upgrades to their future as well, sending Markus Grandlund to Vancouver for talented winger Hunter Shinkaruk and shipping the shot-blocking Kris Russel to the Dallas Stars for a kings ransom. The Flames also sent last season’s leading scorer Jiri Hudler to the Florida Panthers for 2016 second-round and 2018th fourth-round picks.

The Flames also have a top goalie prospect Jon Gillies, who won the NCAA National Championship at Providence College last year. Gillies is currently recovering from surgery, finally repairing a nagging hip injury. He is likely a year or two away, but for a team that is contending only for lottery position, the wait will be had wether Calgary likes it or not.

7. Edmonton Oilers – 27-36-7, 61 Points, 23 ROW

It’s been a common refrain from both NHL observers and Oilers fans alike: This is the year they take the next step. Some thought it would happen two years ago, but instead the franchise hit the reset button. Prior to this season, with a new front office and other offseason changes (including, of course, the addition of wunderkind Connor McDavid), it appeared the club was more ready than ever to finally fulfill at least some of the promise the club’s rebuild had been fostering for years.

Instead McDavid missed a huge chunk of the season after dazzling early, the team’s offense and defense have been abysmal, and they sit 27th overall (again) with 12 games to go.

That isn’t to say the team hasn’t been entirely void of feel-good stories this season. Goaltender Cam Talbot hasn’t been the savior some prayed he could be, but his numbers (2.48 GAA, .920) are impressive given the moribund blueline corps in front of him. German winger Leon Draisaitl has shown a massive improvement over his strange and truncated rookie season, as he’s potted 17 goals and is currently second on the club with 46 points. Then of course there’s Taylor Hall, the assumed next captain of the club and one of the best left wingers in the NHL, again leading the way with 57 points in 70 games.

The Oilers were, as expected, busy in the week leading up to the trade deadline, shipping out Justin Schultz, Teddy Purcell and Anders Nilsson while getting picks and a goaltending prospect in return. They also made a small deal on deadline day itself, hoping to buy low on winger Patrick Maroon.

As for what to expect down the stretch, the focus will be on how low they can dip in the standings, combined with the intrigue of whether or not McDavid can impress enough to earn the Calder Trophy. While they’re six points clear of Toronto for 30th overall and the highest percentage in the draft lottery, they’re only two points up on Winnipeg. Of course, if the hockey gods have anything to say about it, they’re just going to win the lottery again anyway.

As for McDavid, the 19-year-old has the 3rd best points per game percentage (1.06) in the NHL, behind only Patrick Kane and Jamie Benn, serving notice that he is already one of the elite players in the league. Currently with 35 points, it’s not out of the question to suggest McDavid could hit 45 of 50 with 12 games left, forcing Calder voters to make a very difficult decision.

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