It has been a crazy start to the shortened 2020-21 season, one that was supposed to be an easy-to-predict three man race for the top spot. Instead, a deep, competitive Honda West division arose, with much parity from top to bottom.
Comfortably in first place, are the Vegas Golden Knights (.735 Points %). Despite having played one less game than the next closest teams, the youngest franchise of the group leads the way. Vegas has been a powerhouse overcoming injuries and COVID absences, fueled by the career resurgence of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (9-3-0, 1.59 GAA, .941 SV%).
Shockingly in second, are the Minnesota Wild (.667), who trail Vegas by a mere point with one more game played. They’re red hot heading into two games with Vegas, having won six games in a row. In my preseason rankings, I had Minnesota slotted in the four seed and they’re capitalizing on a youth movement. Kirill Kaprizov was a highly touted prospect and he’s delivering as the teams leading point-getter.
Rounding out the playoff positions are the St. Louis Blues (.571) and Colorado Avalanche (.639). The Blues have been struggling of late and have yet to find consistency in their game. They’ve shown flashes of how dangerous they can be, sputtering to a pedestrian 6-6-1 February finish against the bottom four teams in the division.
Highlighted by a festive Outdoor Game, the Avalanche and Golden Knights fought tooth and nail in a four-game series in February. The Avalanche were in a transitional period , after playing without Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog for a few games and split the series, two games apiece. Fleury blanked the high-powered Avs in the first and last games of that four-game set.
Two minuscule points separate the Avalanche and the Golden Knights. Although Vegas is in good shape, holding a game in hand over the Wild and Avalanche and three games over the Blues, winning those matchups will be integral to the Golden Knights’ seeding.
They’ll meet those teams a total of 19 more times before the season comes to a close. A crucial 38 points are on the line, with six of those games coming in the final eight games of the Golden Knights’ schedule.
Just a point under the playoff line are the Los Angeles Kings (.550), who have been a far tougher go than anyone should’ve expected. They’ve battled admirably, despite a season full of Blues, Avalanche, and Wild games. Six of their last eight games of the season come against the Ducks and Coyotes making the Kings a team to watch down the stretch.
Much of their success hinges on what version of Jonathan Quick they get. If he can be the three-time All Star, two-time Stanley Cup winning, Conn Smythe goalie of past seasons on more nights than not, LA becomes a real player in the Honda West division. Together with Cal Petersen, the Kings have the potential for quite the tandem.
Rounding out the bottom are the Arizona Coyotes (21 points - 21 GP), Anaheim Ducks (17 points - 21 GP), and San Jose Sharks (16 points - 18 GP). This is the portion of the division where the goal differentials hit the red (negative), but all three teams remain in the hunt. This new division-only schedule will come down to the wire, with every game presenting an important four-point swing in the standings.
Backed by solid goaltending, the Ducks and Coyotes always seem to play the Golden Knights tough. More so in Anaheim’s case, the Golden Knights are forced to bear down and win one-goal games, something Head Coach Pete DeBoer admittedly gets his team ready for.
Although the Golden Knights are a stellar 4-1-0 against the Ducks this season, four of those games have been determined by one goal. The adrenaline-filled season opening 5-2 win stands out in the bunch. Both Ryan Miller and John Gibson have played well against the Golden Knights, giving the Ducks a shot in each of those games.
Just as the Ducks’ goalie tandem can cause problems for the Vegas offense, the Coyotes are backstopped by two quality netminders in Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta not to mention Adin Hill on the Taxi Squad who is seemingly ready to take Raanta’s gig. Goaltending mixed with a young, hungry core has the Coyotes trending in the right direction. Conor Garland and Clayton Keller are two names worth monitoring.
Rivalries have a way of making bad teams relevant. The San Jose Sharks are a bad team. Fresh off a 7-6 loss to the Blues, it’s evident to everyone but the Sharks, that they’ll only be as good as Martin Jones. He’s been shaky as the clear-cut No. 1 and while he didn’t play in the Blues disaster, his 3.85 GAA and .877 SV% do the Sharks no favors.
Regardless of how bad the goaltending is, how hurt their best players are, and how testy Evander Kane gets, a rivalry keeps games close. Even from last place, the Sharks only trail the VGK by nine points. The Golden Knights would be best served to forget about DeBoer’s old club and focus on the task at hand: a Stanley Cup in Year Four.
The team gets back to work Monday night at home, in front of home fans for the first time this season. Two games against the Wild (Wednesday) present a stiff challenge against a team that DeBoer “expects to see as one of the final four playoff teams”. Expect Fleury to make his ninth consecutive start in Robin Lehner’s absence, hoping to snap the Wild’s winning streak. Puck drops at 7pm, doors open at 5:45.
Be sure to check out the COVID protocols released by the NHL/VGK ahead of their first game with fans in attendance. Don’t get turned away at the door. https://www.t-mobilearena.com/plan-your-visit/healthy-safety-protocols/
Follow along all season for your VGK news and updates! Check me out at the links below!
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