What We Learned This Week About the Canadian NHL Teams
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We are very deep into November in Canada! Snow is flying across most of Canada, or the Arctic cold has plunged in. The better question always is, how are the nation's NHL teams doing?
Let’s take a look.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers endured a split week where they won one and lost one. Edmonton lost a spot in the standings and is temporarily fourth in the Pacific Division, just behind teams like the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings.
Edmonton did score a big win against the Florida Panthers on the road over the weekend. However, this week's looms a little larger with games against Los Angeles and Vegas. Then the Oilers head to the East Coast.
Calgary Flames
Calgary bottomed out last week but has won two consecutive games for the first time since the beginning of the season. It survived a wild game on Monday night against the Kings, winning 6-5. Expect more of those types of contests.
For those wondering, Calgary keeps sliding in the NHL Futures to 14.17, according to Sports Interaction. Toronto is first among Canadian teams at 12.67, with Edmonton dropped to 15.71.
The Flames still cannot feel good about themselves. Calgary spends American Thanksgiving out East playing teams like Pittsburgh, Florida, and Tampa Bay on a six-game road trip.
Winnipeg Jets
Scott Arniel and Rick Bowness have kept the Jets five games above .500 at 9-4-1, way above expectations. Their +10 goal differential is third in the Central Division, as they sit one point behind the Dallas Stars.
Winnipeg started playing the type of game we expected from a Rick Bowness squad. They won 3-2 against Seattle and lost to Calgary. Darryl Sutter joked, “it’s a 3-2 league”. This week, he was not kidding.
Again, Connor Hellebuyck determines the fortunes of Winnipeg ultimately. The Jets allow quite a few scoring chances, but the goaltender has stood tall often. Winnipeg has an interesting homestand with games against Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and Carolina this week.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are enjoying an excellent November. Naturally, the Leafs have gone 5-1-1 since that 4-4-2 start. John Tavares is turning back the clock, and Auston Matthews is playing like Auston Matthews. Even Matt Murray stonewalled his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping only two shots.
Ontario sports bettors allowed Toronto’s Stanley Cup futures to slide back a hair to 12.67. Even betting money is going away from the Maple Leafs, who will face the red-hot New Jersey Devils on Thursday. After that, their homestand continues against the rival Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is still hanging in there with an 8-7-1 record. The Canadiens won two of their three games last week. They ran into the streaking New Jersey Devils and fell 5-1. Despite that, Montreal remains on the edge of the playoff race.
Jake Allen has looked human in goal of late, allowing three or more goals in four of his last five starts. Against New Jersey, Allen yielded four more goals on 38 shots. The Canadiens have winnable games this week against Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Columbus.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa's 2022-23 season is still an uneven mess. It split the week, going 1-1-1. On Daniel Alfredsson’s night, the Senators faltered against the New York Islanders at home, creating more questions again.
D.J. Smith’s keeps getting hotter. There are problems in the nation’s capital, and team defense is a big reason. Ottawa plays offensive teams like Buffalo and New Jersey before going out West.
Vancouver Canucks
Bruce Boudreau and the Vancouver Canucks appeared to be turning the corner, then lost three straight games. Vancouver got routed by Boston and Montreal on its road trip but beat Ottawa and Buffalo on the bookends of the trip. Going 2-3 was expected.
Vancouver gets home for two challenging games versus Vegas and Los Angeles. The Canucks are just 2-3-1 and will have to continue to outscore their defensive shortcomings.
Do not forget “Coaches Hot Seat” column comes out again this Friday. Thanks for reading.
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