Ducks stumble, battered Oilers, rolling Golden Knights: Pacific Division roundup

It was a quieter but telling day in the Pacific Division: Anaheim and Edmonton took turns in the spotlight on the ice, while Vegas continued to set the pace and Calgary and Vancouver stayed mired in early-season trouble.

Ducks waste opportunity against Bruins, become a Flames blueprint

In Anaheim, the Ducks couldn’t close the deal against an Eastern powerhouse. Sportsnet reports that the Boston Bruins rallied for a 4-2 win, driven by a strong outing from Hampus Lindholm, and in the process collected their fourth straight victory. The result leaves the Ducks fourth in the Pacific at 4-3-0, with 8 points in seven games.

Off the ice, Sportsnet notes that Anaheim’s rebuild is increasingly being held up as the model for what the Calgary Flames are trying to launch under GM Craig Conroy. While the current group tries to turn promise into wins, The Hockey Writers looks back at franchise icon Paul Kariya, calling him the original "Mighty Duck" and the early face of the club.

Banged-up Oilers finally lose in regulation

Edmonton sits second in the Pacific at 5-1-1 with 11 points, but The Hockey Writers points out that the Oilers finally took their first regulation loss, 4-2 at home to the Utah Mammoth. In a separate piece, the outlet argues that the club should consider breaking up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and underlines how hard injuries have hit the forward group, listing Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matt Savoie, Colton Dach, Jason Dickinson, Mattias Janmark and Zach Hyman as missing.

Daily Faceoff, however, says Hyman is expected to return against Utah and notes that Edmonton is opening a five-game homestand and "getting healthy at the right time." The Hockey Writers also highlights early-season success from Vasily Podkolzin, one of the bright spots in a stretch that has otherwise been dominated by injury news.

Golden Knights on top, Flames and Canucks under pressure

At the top of the division, the Vegas Golden Knights lead with 14 points in nine games (7-2-0). According to Daily Faceoff, their long-running sellout streak — nine years’ worth of full buildings — has ended this season, an indication that even in Vegas, selling every seat is no longer automatic. On the ice, The Hockey Writers recalls a 6-2 win over Calgary, which quickly cooled off the Flames after their first victory of the season came against the Ducks. The same outlet already floats four potential trade destinations for defenceman Zach Whitecloud, while another article spotlights prospect Chase Harrington, described as a 6-foot-1, 203-pound, highly physical presence with 105 penalty minutes.

In San Jose, The Hockey Writers recaps a 3-2 shootout win by the Sharks over the Nashville Predators, a result that fits their positive 4-3-0 start and fifth-place spot in the Pacific. Seattle, meanwhile, appears in a broad NHL rumour rundown that touches on several teams, including the Kraken and Canucks.

Vancouver’s situation continues to darken. The Hockey Writers writes that the Canucks have big decisions to make as they figure out what kind of team they want to become, including whether to move Aatu Räty, while also riding the ups and downs in goal. Another piece notes that Vancouver has dropped six straight, most recently losing to the powerhouse Florida Panthers on the strength of Brady Tkachuk’s second hat trick of the season. That skid leaves the Canucks sixth in the Pacific at 2-6-1 with 5 points, ahead of only the Kings and Flames in the standings.