"The Pacific Division is a hot mess right now. It's hyper-competitive with the top six teams separated by five points (as of the afternoon of Nov. 18). This parity means that every team is imperfect and has at least one trait that should make fans nervous. Some clubs can't score, some have worrying play in between the pipes, and a few look great until you dig into the numbers."
"A team giving up 31.8 scoring chances per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 is basically inviting chaos every night. For the Anaheim Ducks, it means their structure falls apart often enough, and their goalies have to bail them out way too much. This is some fun heavy-metal type of hockey. But this formula is unsustainable and will catch up with them. If they can't tighten up defensively, they may slip down the standings."
"Only grabbing 28.6 percent of points at home is brutal. If the New York Rangers hadn't been worse, the focus would be on these Los Angeles Kings. Good teams build their seasons around taking care of business in their own building, and the Kings just are not doing that. If they cannot fix it, they fall out of the division race and end up losing to the Edmonton Oilers for a fifth straight year."
"Creating the fewest scoring chances at 5-on-5 per 60 is like having no offense at all. The Seattle Kraken just are not generating enough, and that makes every game a grind. When you cannot create looks, you either need perfect defense, red-hot goaltending, or a lot of puck luck. Fortunately, the Kraken have upper-tier shooting and save percentages (PDO). Otherwise, they will start getting exposed."
The Pacific Division is tightly packed, with the top six teams separated by five points, producing widespread flaws across clubs. Anaheim allows a league-high 31.8 scoring chances per 60 at 5-on-5, forcing goalies to compensate and risking regression. The Los Angeles Kings earn only 28.6 percent of possible home points, undermining their ability to anchor a season. The Seattle Kraken create the fewest scoring chances per 60, relying on elevated PDO to mask offensive shortfalls. These specific weaknesses make many teams vulnerable and suggest outcomes will hinge on defensive improvement, goaltending, or luck.
Read at The Hockey Writers
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