Is there any doubt the pacific will be the weakest again?

[Tage2Tuch]

Kings.... 0 3
Ducks 0 3 1
FLames 0 2 1 (3-3 with Buffalo right now)
Arizona 1 1 (mike smith just got hurt)
Edm 2 1
Van 2 0 (but come on )
San Jose (legit)


Don't you only need to be a top three team and in a seven team division to make it? A division that has teams on The decline and teams that aren't ready well....someone like the flames Canucks or oilers have a real shot if the kings ducks and flames have bad years of regress like some think. I don't think the ducks or Kings will score enough personally and I see that problem being true for almost every team there except San Jose and edmonton

We're one week in so the records above don't mean much but I am really thinking this will be the worst division.

Click to read more...

 

[GOAT AINEC]

Nope, Ducks window is closed and the Kings season ended as soon as it started when Quick got inured opening night.

Sharks are the only good team.

 

[kingsfan28]

Nope, Ducks window is closed and the Kings season ended as soon as it started when Quick got inured opening night.

Sharks are the only good team.

How many times have we seen the Sharks win October and then finish 2nd or 3rd in the division? It may be even weaker for reasons you stated, but really who cares? Although we'll probably hear some player from the central crying because they had more points than the 3rd place team in the pacific .

 

[voxel]

You saying Oilers have a chance at the playoffs!?!?!? Yes!!!

 

[Markable89]

No doubt about it being the weakest.......and I love it!

I've watched hockey long enough to have seen the other side....these things go in cycles.

 

[hohosaregood]

I'm pretty psyched about it. I love seeing these other guys doing badly.

 

[Alwalys]

about time the sharks caught a break on that front. for years the pacific division meant death in the current playoff format.

that said, LONG SEASON. plenty more to go.

 

[Ace]

Depends who is Reffing the games. If they can get tonight's Flames crew they'll all go undefeated.

 

[belair]

Yep. The weakest and then off to the Cup finals.

 

[Evincar]

Still think the California teams will finish top 3. The other 4 teams are still bad.

 

[snipes]

Edm 2 1

3-1

Still super early obviously. SJS are clearly the class of the division, they are in their own tier in the Pacific in my view. Solid goaltending. Two #1 quality Dmen and solid depth on the back end, Vlasic is the best defensive Dman in the NHL. Loaded up front with talent and experience, definitely a Stanley Cup favourite to come out of the West.

Outside of the Sharks, the Pacific is wide open. Still way too early to come to definitive conclusions though, but right now ANA looks very weak in their bottom 6 and slow. LAK likewise are weaker in their bottom 6 compared to previous powerhouse teams they've had. LAK still have Doughty, Carter, Kopitar, and eventually Quick when he's healthy again, so definitely can't be written off.

ARZ might surprise some people, and I don't think VAN is as bad as people think they are. VAN lacks team speed overall, but they have some good veteran players and an underrated D core. CGY lacks forward depth and have suspect goaltending, but they have some offensive fire power in their top 6 and Brodie is a top 10 Dman in the NHL. Gio is a very good player too.

I think the Oilers are stronger and more balanced than they have been in awhile. Larsson and Russell have been a huge blessing for our D core. We have a legit top 4 with Klefbom, Larsson, Sekera, and Russell. Far from an elite top 4, but it's an actual NHL calibre top 4. We haven't had that in a decade. This team is still growing and finding their identity, we still have a long ways to go but are on the right track.

Should be an interesting year. The Pacific, outside of SJS seems open for the taking. As for the weakest division? The Atlantic doesn't look that strong either, actually fairly comparable. TBL are like SJS, then you have FLA who look good, but huge questions for everyone else.

 

[canuckster19]

Kings.... 0 3
Ducks 0 3 1
FLames 0 2 1 (3-3 with Buffalo right now)
Arizona 1 1 (mike smith just got hurt)
Edm 2 1
Van 2 0 (but come on )
San Jose (legit)


Don't you only need to be a top three team and in a seven team division to make it? A division that has teams on The decline and teams that aren't ready well....someone like the flames Canucks or oilers have a real shot if the kings ducks and flames have bad years of regress like some think. I don't think the ducks or Kings will score enough personally and I see that problem being true for almost every team there except San Jose and edmonton

We're one week in so the records above don't mean much but I am really thinking this will be the worst division.

3-0... see you Thursday

 

[honkerhitter]

Depends who is Reffing the games. If they can get tonight's Flames crew they'll all go undefeated.

That was abysmal!!

 

[The Duck Knight]

The playoff teams in the Pacific will be San Jose, Edmonton, Arizona in that order unless Murray pulls a rabbit out of his hat and manages to keep Lindholm/Fowler/Vatanen while adding a top 6 wing (not happening). San Jose with a cakewalk to the Conference Finals.

 

[Hockey Gangsta]

That's what I hope for every year. I don't care about being considered a good division. Never understood why people do. All I care about is the LA Kings.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

nah man McJesus is so good that he makes the Pacific the best division in sports

 

[Dominate Kesler]

How many times have we seen the Sharks win October and then finish 2nd or 3rd in the division? It may be even weaker for reasons you stated, but really who cares? Although we'll probably hear some player from the central crying because they had more points than the 3rd place team in the pacific .

Obviously SJS has no problem in winning the division in the past. Hell, I don't think the Kings have won the division before. It doesn't really matter. . .

That said, I think the Ducks and Canucks will definitely make the playoffs. The Kings have absolutely no depth. I could see them fighting the Oilers for last place very easily. . .

 

[LaVar]

Did you not make this exact topic like 2 years ago?

 

[thepuckmonster]

We're gonna go 82-0 and trail until the third and win all the things

 

[McDynasty]

We're gonna go 82-0 and trail until the third and win all the things

That would be what they say in hockey...Unsustainable.
But great start to the season for you team.

 

[WTG]

Somehow the canooks are the best possession team in the league RN.

I think the rest of the league is just weak compared to the strong Pacific

 

[thepuckmonster]

Somehow the canooks are the best possession team in the league RN.

I think the rest of the league is just weak compared to the strong Pacific

We have all the corsi! We have things again!

 

[Not So Mighty]

It's odd that you write off the Canucks perfect record as being ridiculous but also use the Ducks/Kings winless records as accurate measuring sticks... and only four games into the season.

 

[thepuckmonster]

It's odd that you write off the Canucks perfect record as being ridiculous but also use the Ducks/Kings winless records as accurate measuring sticks... and only four games into the season.

I'm pretty sure 95% of us Canucks fans are just here for the ride and the winning is bonus. We're just happy that Doug Jarvis has come in and made us look like a non-ECHL team.

We know we can't hang with the big boys that long but it's fun for right now. We gave a very strong Blues team fits which feels nice amongst our angst and sadness.

 

[Not So Mighty]

I'm pretty sure 95% of us Canucks fans are just here for the ride and the winning is bonus. We're just happy that Doug Jarvis has come in and made us look like a non-ECHL team.

We know we can't hang with the big boys that long but it's fun for right now. We gave a very strong Blues team fits which feels nice amongst our angst and sadness.

It there's ever a year to sneak in to the playoffs, it's this year (and 2015 I guess ).