The Vancouver Canucks are back at it following the All-Star break — but things ain’t pretty.
When the Vancouver Canucks went into the NHL All-Star break, the timing seemed perfect. The Canucks had started to fall far out of a playoff spot, and a little bit of rest can do wonders. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way.
Vancouver lost 2-1 in a shootout against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the very last team in the NHL standings, and fell to the Calgary Flames 4-1. Something needs to change if the club still wants to make the playoffs. If not, they might as well sell at the deadline.
Here are our Week 19 Pacific Division power rankings!
7. Edmonton Oilers (last week: 7)
Last Week’s Record: 2-2-0
Overall Record: 21-28-5
Connor McSaviour is back on the ice for the Edmonton Oilers, and he returned to score what might become the goal of the year. They beat the Blue Jackets 5-1 and the Ottawa Senators 7-2. The Oilers actually looked like a team that can win again. McDavid deserves his McSaviour nickname. But then came the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders and Edmonton lost with a combined score of 13-2. Yeah, forget about that first part, Edmonton is still Edmonton.
6. Vancouver Canucks (last week: 5)
Last Week’s Record: 0-1-1
Overall Record: 20-20-12
The Canucks are in free-fall mode. A 4-4-2 record is no worse than what the majority of the Pacific has, but it’s pretty terrible. The All-Star break didn’t help, Willie Desjardins doesn’t want to change up the lines, and nothing is changing. Playoffs or lottery pick? Right now, it looks more like the latter. I’d like to see a top prospect in Vancouver, so this isn’t all that terrible.
5. Calgary Flames (last week: 6)
Last Week’s Record: 2-1-0
Overall Record: 23-25-3
How did this team go from a second-round playoff team to 25th in the league after acquiring Dougie Hamilton in the offseason? It’s a mistery. Well, the Canucks shouldn’t care. Calgary is coming extremely close, but the Canucks need to focus on themselves. For the Flames, every point matters, as they are now eight points away from a divisional playoff spot. Sneaking into a wild card spot might actually turn out to be even harder.
4. Arizona Coyotes (last week: 4)
Last Week’s Record: 0-1-2
Overall Record: 24-22-6
The Arizona Coyotes have won only two of their last 10 games, but they are still in playoff contention. Rookie goalie Louis Domingue is cooling down and he will have to pick up the pace again to lead the Coyotes back into the top three. The upcoming week will determine where Arizona will go in the standings, as they are about to face Vancouver, Calgary and San Jose.
3. San Jose Sharks (last week: 2)
Last Week’s Record: 1-2-0
Overall Record: 27-20-4
Who would have thought the San Jose Sharks could make the playoffs once again? Joe Pavelski is absolutely on fire and Martin Jones is exceeding all expectations. Though they lost their final game of the week 6-2 against Nashville, they showed that they can win games against the league’s very best in a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Their next game is against the Chicago Blackhawks, so they can show what they can do against one of the biggest Stanley Cup favourites.
2. Los Angeles Kings (last week: 1)
Last Week’s Record: 1-1-0
Overall Record: 31-17-3
It has finally happened. The Los Angeles Kings were bumped off the top of our Pacific Division power rankings for the first time. LA won one and lost one last week, and the loss is the important part. The Kings lost 4-2 in a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. LA is still eight points ahead of Anaheim, but since this is a weekly ranking, the Ducks surpass the Kings.
1. Anaheim Ducks (last week: 3)
Last Week’s Record: 3-0-0
Overall Record: 25-18-7
The Anaheim Ducks are on a six-game winning streak and have an 8-2-0 record through their last 10. Most importantly, they beat the previous top-three Pacific Division teams — the Kings, the Sharks and the Coyotes — in a very convincing manner. An upcoming seven-game road trip can either solidify the Ducks’ position in the ranking or push them back down. We shall see.
Next: Canucks Week 19 Outlook and Staff Predictions
Where do you think the Canucks will go next week? Let us know in the comments?