DON’T FRET JUST YET, CANADIAN NHL FANS
Ottawa the only team north of the border that is currently outside the playoff bubble
We are nearly a quarter of the way through the NHL season and six of the seven Canadian teams are currently holding down a playoff spot and the one that isn’t is in line for a top-three draft pick.
That’s the good news. The bad? Check back with us next week.
While things look promising today, we cannot be sure they will stay this way. Unlike a year ago when Calgary, Toronto and Winnipeg were separating themselves from the pack, no one is necessarily playing like a Stanley Cup contender. On some nights, none look like a playoff contender.
That being said, all you have to do is get in. Right now, it looks like six teams are heading that way.
EDMONTON OILERS 12-5-2, 26 points, first in Pacific
What a difference 12 months (two coaching changes and a new GM) can make.
At this time last season, the Oilers had a losing record and were on the verge of firing head coach Todd McLellan. Now, with Dave Tippett behind the bench and Ken Holland in the front office, they have the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Of course, the main reasons for success look familiar.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are first and second in overall scoring, having combined for 64 points. And while James Neal (12 goals) has given Edmonton a third option on offence, the fact the trio has combined for 65 per cent of the team’s goals would be troubling if not for a major improvement in net.
The jury might still be out on Mikko Koskinen. But former GM Peter Chiarelli’s decision to lock up the unproven goalie isn’t looking like the disaster it was a year ago. Statistically, Koskinen is a top-five goalie with a 7-1-1 record and a 2.16 goalsagainst average. Combined with the off-season addition of Mike Smith and suddenly the Oilers have the fourth-best save percentage in the NHL.
CALGARY FLAMES 10-7-3, 23 points, second in Pacific
Maybe it’s because the Oilers are above them in the standings, but this year’s Flames don’t necessarily look like the same team that finished with the second-best record in the NHL last year.
Yet Calgary has the same amount of points as a year ago. There are slight differences, of course.
It’s not that the offence isn’t clicking or the goaltending has been disappointing. It’s that not everyone seems to be in sync.
Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm have 10 goals each, but Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan have combined for just nine. And while Milan Lucic is doing a spot-on imitation of the 2018-19 version of James Neal, Mark Giordano isn’t producing like a Norris Trophy winner.
Still, the Flames have gone the last six games without a regulation loss. They have the second-best record in their division. And they are doing it without their best players playing their best.
Imagine what this team will look like once the power play starts to click. 9-6-3, 21 points, third in Pacific
No one really knew what to expect of the Canucks after they finished with the fourth-worst record in the Western Conference with a roster that was led in scoring by a rookie. We probably still don’t. But one month in, we know this for sure: the future is bright.
Much of that is because of the kids.
Elias Pettersson’s six goals are half as many as he had after as many games as a rookie last year. But thanks to Brock Boeser and newcomer J.T. Miller, who have eight goals each, he has more points.
Rookie Quinn Hughes leads the defence with 12 points, nine of which have come on the power play. And while Jacob Markstrom (.918 save percentage) has been giving the team a chance to win, first-year goalie Thatcher Demko has even better numbers in half as many games.
Still, making the playoffs is going to be a dogfight in a division that also includes Vegas, Arizona and underachieving San Jose.
The Canucks lost three times in regulation in the first 15 games, but are currently on a four-game losing streak. With whom they’re playing in the next couple of weeks — Colorado, Dallas, Washington, Nashville twice — they could easily lose four more. Then again, if the kids continue stepping up, the opposite could be true.
WINNIPEG JETS 10-7-1, 21 points, fourth in Central (first wild card spot)
When the Jets announced they would be without Dustin Byfuglien, it was safe to assume the worst. That’s how big of an effect the minute-munching defenceman had on the team.
And though Winnipeg has been able to keep its head above water, Byfuglien’s absence has seriously affected the makeup of a team that was long considered Canada’s best hope of ending its championship drought. Without Big Buff, something feels different with the Jets.
This doesn’t look like a Cup contender at the moment. That being said, they’re not far off.
On one hand, Winnipeg is ranked fourth in the Central. On the other, being fourth best in this division isn’t necessarily a disappointment.
After going .500 in their first eight games, the Jets won six of their next nine and haven’t had a regulation loss in their last five. They have the fourth-best power play. And they have a goalie in Connor Hellebuyck who has a 2.28 GAA and a .933 save percentage.
Hellebuyck also has an 8-5-1 record. It’s somewhat reflective of a team that should be better than it says in the standings.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 9-6-4, 22 points, second in Atlantic
The Leafs have the second-best record in the Atlantic. But keep in mind they have also played at least two more games than anyone else in the division (the Lightning has played four fewer games).
Also keep in mind they have lost all five games backup goalie Michael Hutchinson has started. That explained why the team waived him Monday. But it doesn’t explain everything.
The Leafs, who missed John Tavares for seven games and will now be without Mitch Marner for at least four weeks, should be better than this.
With their offence, they should be running goalies out of the building. Instead, the opposite is happening.
Auston Matthews is ranked third in goals and Marner was on pace for 82 points before his injury, but Toronto has gone from having the fourth-best offence to the 10th best. Most of that can be blamed on a power play ranked 18th. But regardless of what the numbers suggest, Toronto’s biggest stars haven’t necessarily been their brightest — or most consistent.
On paper, the Leafs should be better than this. They will have to be because eventually the rest of the league will have played as many games as Toronto has.
MONTREAL CANADIENS 9-5-3, 21 points, third in Atlantic
Montreal’s top goal-scorers, Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher, are ranked 40th in the NHL with seven goals apiece. McDavid and Draisaitl they are not.
While the Canadiens might not have the same top-end firepower as the Oilers, they actually have a more potent offence. It’s just spread out. Six players have five or more goals and eight have at least 10 points. That includes Shea Weber, whose five goals are among the 13 that have come from the defence.
Of course, Montreal’s success has always been about goals against — not goals for.
Carey Price is 8-4-2 with a .914 save percentage. He’s been good, but not great. Thankfully, he hasn’t needed to be great. The Canadiens are in the bottom half in shots allowed and are in the upper half in goals scored.
That’s with Jesperi Kotkaniemi (two goals, one assist) stuck in a sophomore slump and Max Domi (four goals) not finishing with the regularity of a year ago. If those two can find their offence — and if backup Keith Kinkaid can improve his 4.35 GAA — Montreal’s firstmonth success might be sustainable.
OTTAWA SENATORS 6-9-1, 13 points, seventh in Atlantic
The Senators headed into Monday’s game against the Hurricanes with the second-fewest points in the NHL. And their top three goal-scorers are free agents at the end of the year.
In other words, it’s been a success so far in Ottawa.
This is another rebuilding year. A year when the kids get ice time and learn how to be pros, while the team bottoms out and (fingers crossed) lands the No. 1 pick in Alexis Lafreniere. So far, #Lose4Lafreniere is on track.
The Senators are losing, but unlike Detroit (minus-30) or Los Angeles (minus-23) their minus-6 rating suggests they are losing with dignity.
Much of that is because of the offensive contributions of somewhat established players like Jean- Gabriel Pageau, Vladislav Namestnikov and Connor Brown, along with some somewhat spectacular goaltending from Anders Nilsson (.930 save percentage).
As for the kids, there’s reason to be optimistic that Lafreniere won’t be alone if he ends up in Ottawa next year.
Brady Tkachuk (five goals and 10 points) is on pace for better numbers than he had last season — and slightly better numbers than his older brother Matthew had in his second season.
Thomas Chabot, meanwhile, is averaging 26:16 in ice time with seven even-strength points.