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Handicapping the Pacific Division Playoff Race

February 3, 2020, 1:12 PM ET [32 Comments]
James Tanner
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The Coyotes currently sit fifth in the Pacific, six points out of first.

They are holding down the last Wild Card spot at the moment, but the Blackhawks have two games in hand and are only three points back.

Still, the situation isn't as gloomy as it might appear.

While anything can happen, all five Pacific contenders are better than the two Wild Card contenders from the Central (Chicago and Winnipeg) so odds are, the Coyotes do make the playoffs.

There is also the fact that Darcy Keumper - i.e the only reason they're not in the basement - has been injured since around the time Taylor Hall was added to the team.

Few, if any, NHL teams are going to get the kind of bump Kuemper will provide at the deadline, assuming his game stays at the level its been at for the last year and a half.

It's a toss up, the goalie needs to be good for them to win the division, but even as is they should be able to hold off the Blackhawks.

The Coyotes don't have good peripheral stats, but they've still got a significant expected-goals percentage lead over the Hawks (48-46).

Both teams are among the NHL's worst 5v5 teams, if we don't account for goalies.



Here is how the division will eventually shake out:

1. Vegas - they're deserving of mention with Toronto, Washington, Tampa and Boston. Goaltending aside, they should be the best team in the West, and I think they'll win the division.

2. Oilers - they are close to Calgary stats-wise, but they've got two of the best players in the game and it should take pretty bad goaltending for them to miss the playoffs.

They currently have the 5th worst goaltending in the NHL and are second in the division with 62 points. If they get even OK goaltending, they should scares teams.

Everyone vastly overrates the importance of team depth - the Oilers have two of the best players and if they get good goaltending will be nearly unstoppable.

3. Coyotes - This is where they'll finish with a good performance from Kuemper. If he's not up to his Vezina ways, they'll be lucky to finish ahead of Chicago. Then again, the entire division, save Vegas and Edmonton, is filled with bad teams, so I like their chances.

4. Calgary -

5. Vancouver - both of these teams are terrible. If the goalies hold up they're fine.

La and Anaheim are going nowhere and the Sharks are probably done. However, just a quick note on the Sharks - they have a roster that should allow them to compete for this division, if they rattled off eight or ten in a row and got themselves back in the race I would not be surprised.

The Coyotes have lost five in a row - though the last two were in OT - and they'll have a tough divisional match tomorrow against the Oilers.

All stats from naturalstattrick.com
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