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In the past few NHL seasons, there have been two assumptions made by most hockey experts before the start of each year: The Pacific Division is the most difficult division in the NHL...

NHL Pacific Division: Big Three No Longer a Lock for Playoffs

by Andy Bensch (Analyst)

13

400 reads

Preview/Prediction

October 07, 2008


In the past few NHL seasons, there have been two assumptions made by most hockey experts before the start of each year:

  1. The Pacific Division is the most difficult division in the NHL.
  2. Both the Kings and Coyotes will be easy matchups for opposing teams.

Think again Hockey fans, we may be in for a rude awakening. Let's take a look at the "Big Three"—Dallas, Anaheim, and San Jose. 

Dallas bounced an aging Ducks team from the playoffs last season, winning two out of three games in Anaheim, in route to four-games-to-two series victory. 

The Ducks have young studs in Getzlaf, Perry, and Kunitz, but Pronger and Niedermayer are getting up there in age, and I question how that defense will fare after losing Matheiu Schneider to Atlanta in an offseason trade. I expect this team to make the playoffs, but I don't see them getting past the first round.

Dallas, the team that knocked out both divisional foes—the Ducks and the Sharks—in the playoffs last season, is once again being overshadowed in their division. And it is hard not to—both the Ducks and Sharks have star-studded rosters, with the likes of Giguere, Nabokov, Selanne, Thornton, Pronger, Marleau, Niedermayer, Boyle...I could go on and on about those teams. 

Another year of age for some of Dallas' top players may push them out of the playoffs this season. Modano, Lehtinen, and Zubov are not getting any younger. And yes, the Stars have players in their prime, such as Morrow, Ribiero, and Richards, but I don't see enough up-and-coming talent for them to compete this year. The only prime acquisition this offseason was the pest Sean Avery—and with the rosters of the Sharks and Ducks, that may not have been enough.

The Sharks, despite a training-camp injury to young center Torrey Mitchell, are front-runners for the Pacific Division title, as they should be.

General manager Doug Wilson has addressed his team's needs this offseason. Brian Campbell signed with Chicago, so Wilson brought in Rob Blake, Dan Boyle, and Brad Lukowich to replace him. 

He has also recently put declining defenseman Kyle Mclaren on waivers, making room in the starting six for up-and-comers Marc Eduoard-Vlasic and Douglas Murray. The Sharks have proven their defense can prevent other teams from scoring and that their forwards can put the puck in the net. 

But their Achilles heel of years past is that they could not rely on offense from their defense. They have fixed that this year with the additions of Blake and Boyle. 

They also have world-class goaltending from their starter Evgeni Nabokov, an experienced backup in Brian Boucher, an enforcer in Jody Shelley, and one of the best playmakers in the league in Joe Thornton. If this team plays to its potential, they will go wire-to-wire atop the Pacific Division.

However, with all that said, this article is supposed to show that the division is different this year.

For starters, do not sleep on the Coyotes. With "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky behind the bench once again, and with Ilya Bryzgalov between the pipes, the Phoenix Coyotes will win some games that they're not supposed to this year. 

Author Poll

Which division will have 2 representatives or less?

  • Pacific
  • Central
  • North West
vote to see results
Author Poll Results

Which division will have 2 representatives or less?

  • Pacific

    11.1%

  • Central

    44.4%

  • North West

    44.4%
  • Total votes: 9
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13 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Mark Cardoso 9 months ago

    a few grammatical errors, but overall solid job

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  2. Andy Bensch 9 months ago

    yeah thanks for the criticism and compliment, if i had time to edit it, i would have, but im busy with homework and just wanted to get my thoughts out to people ASAP. The stuff i write just comes to me at random times, so i write even when im busy with other stuff

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  3. Andy Bensch 9 months ago

    haha i didnt realize that was u, when i posted my comment, sheesh cardoso. you shoulda said like "hey andy" and then this, this and this.

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  4. Chris Bensch 9 months ago

    Columbus? You're out of your mind. Detroit is still going to dominate that division. No way three teams from the central make it. I'll put money on it.

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  5. Andy Bensch 9 months ago

    I don't think you followed their off-season moves.

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  6. Gradin santana 9 months ago

    sharks sucks ducks sucks dallas sucks that whole divison is overrated

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    • Reed Kaufman 9 months ago

      Spoken like a true East Coaster who never watches any of those teams play. I do think Anaheim will falter again this year and it's tough to say what Dallas and San Jose will do, but over the last 2 years, those 3 teams have been among the top 10 teams in the NHL, maybe top 5. That's why the winner of the West has walked all over the winner of the East the last 2 years, even after very competitive series in the Easter playoffs. As soon as an Eastern team hoists the Stanley Cup, you can say the Pacific Division teams are overrated.

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  7. MJ Kasprzak 9 months ago

    I don't see the Jackets beating out the Ducks, and Dallas and San Jose are in. You forgot to mention that the Kings have no goaltending--that's why they will be easy picking for the rest of the division. Good article otherwise.

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    • Andy Bensch 9 months ago

      jonathon bernier is going to be a good goalie but for some reason hes not rostered, hes the best goalie in the organization and he started out with the big club last year b4 being sent down, idk why he isnt up with them right now.

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    • MJ Kasprzak 9 months ago

      He WILL be the best goalie, and he MAY be now, but he will still struggle until he has time to develop his skills at this level.

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  8. Brian Bechtel 9 months ago

    as much as i love the sharks, dallas will probably win the division; they're a lock for the playoffs for sure and the sharks and ducks will make it as well, so pretty sure all three will make it, if i had to single one out it would be anaheim, but they are much better than columbus, chicago, and the entire northwest. i like chicago to make it keeping only 2 from the central (nashville didn't do anything to improve, i think they're out). and then i like the wild/oilers/flames coming out of the northwest.

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  9. Bobby Russell 8 months ago

    The Blackhawks will have a good year, and I actually agree with you about the Blue Jackets.

    But three teams from the Northwest? Edmonton is the trendy pick, but I would say they're a borderline playoff team at best (but I do think they'll sneak in at #8). The Flames are good but starting to struggle under Mike Keenan, the Avalanche have bad goaltending and lack depth in the scoring department, the Canucks have NO scoring threats (plenty of playmakers, though), and the Wild are just plain bad.

    Three from the Pacific, Three from the Central, Two from the Northwest.

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