Golden Knights stumble in Minnesota, Flames hit bottom – Pacific Division roundup

Only one Pacific Division team took the ice on Monday, but there was no shortage of storylines. The Vegas Golden Knights were cooled off in Minnesota, the Calgary Flames slipped further into an early-season hole, and the Vancouver Canucks continued to search for answers in goal.

Golden Knights cooled off but still leading the Pacific

According to Sportsnet, the Minnesota Wild skated away with a 4-2 win over the Golden Knights, helped by a goal from Matt Boldy and two assists from Quinn Hughes, with special teams again playing a major role for the Wild. Sportsnet and Daily Faceoff report that forward Nico Sturm left the game late in the first period after being struck in the head by a puck. Off the ice, Daily Faceoff notes that defenceman Parker Wotherspoon, acquired from the Penguins in an off-season trade, is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Even with the loss, Vegas remains atop the Pacific at 5-2-0, and Daily Faceoff’s latest power rankings still place the Golden Knights in the league’s top three.

Flames still pointless as Honzek sidelined

The Flames’ rough start has gone from bad to worse. Calgary sits at the bottom of the Pacific with an 0-5-0 record and no points, well back of the pack. Sportsnet and Daily Faceoff report that forward Samuel Honzek is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury after going pointless in his first four games. In Daily Faceoff’s newest power rankings, the Flames are slotted at the very bottom of the NHL, underscoring how grim this opening stretch has been.

Canucks’ crease questions, Oilers’ depth push, Sharks and Kings storylines

In Vancouver, the crease is in flux. Sportsnet points out that with Thatcher Demko still sidelined and Kevin Lankinen struggling, Leevi Merilainen is getting an opportunity to show what he can do. The Hockey Writers highlight that at 2-5-0, the Canucks’ leaky penalty kill and overall team defence are front and centre heading into the week, even as names like Elias Pettersson remain part of the conversation.

Up the coast in Edmonton, Sportsnet notes that undrafted forward Owen Michaels is quickly making an impact for an Oilers team that sits second in the Pacific at 4-0-1 with 9 points. The Hockey News revisits Darnell Nurse’s first meeting with his former Oilers teammates since being traded to the San Jose Sharks, framing it as a glimpse of a fresh start for the 31-year-old on a Sharks squad that has opened 3-2-0.

In Los Angeles, The Hockey Writers describe the Kings under head coach Jim Hiller as being at an early-season crossroads, working through defensive adjustments and chemistry issues after a 0-2-2 start. The Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken were idle Monday but remain bunched in the middle of a Pacific Division that, for now, is led by Vegas and Edmonton at the top and anchored by a struggling Calgary at the bottom.