Photo credit: AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez
8. Anaheim Ducks (7-18-3)
Last week: 8
After starting the week with a 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Ducks got spanked 6-1 at home by the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
Ryan Strome has been quietly lately, putting up just two goals and an assist over his last 12 games, but he was the OT hero against Carolina.
Ryan Strome's (@strome18) 7th of the year is the @Energizer overtime winner! 🦆 pic.twitter.com/SEnM0MqKvS
— NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2022
This week: @ OTT, @ TOR, @ MTL, @ EDM
7. San Jose Sharks (9-16-5)
Last week: 7
The Sharks scored 11 goals in two games last week, but only managed to pick up three of four points. Before that 6-1 demolition of Anaheim was a 6-5 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Nico Sturm is looking like a solid addition for San Jose. After scoring just nine goals in 74 games with the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche last season, Sturm has already scored seven in just 22 games with the Sharks this year.
Nico Sturm is the first to the crazy carom and tallies in tight, second Sharks goal in 8 seconds!#SJSharks pic.twitter.com/VaAmJz6iOc
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) December 10, 2022
This week: VS ARI, @ LA, VS CGY
6. Vancouver Canucks (12-13-3)
Last week: 6
The Canucks played a pair of nutty games last week. They erased a 4-0 deficit to the Montreal Canadiens, then blew a late 5-4 lead and went down 6-5, then ended up winning 7-6 in overtime. Then they went to San Jose and beat the Sharks, 6-5 in OT, before a calm, quiet 3-0 loss to the Wild on Saturday.
Dakota Joshua entered this season with four goals in 42 NHL games. He’s scored six in 25 for Vancouver so far this year and netted a pair in the OT win against San Jose.
Dakota Joshua scores his second goal of the game on the power play and sends the #Canucks to the locker room with a 2-1 lead to end the first. pic.twitter.com/jh472m90cJ
— Lachlan Irvine (@LachInTheCrease) December 8, 2022
This week: @ CGY, VS WPG
5. LA Kings (15-11-5)
Last week: 5
The LA Kings are 2-1-1 on their road trip so far, picking up solid wins over Montreal and the Ottawa Senators. But Thursday’s 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Sunday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets were both ugly. They looked completely outclassed by the Maple Leafs and the OT loss to the Blue Jackets was the same sort of mistake-filled game that the Kings have had far too many of this year.
After scoring an empty-netter against the Canadiens, Adrian Kempe scored his 100th career goal against the Blue Jackets on Sunday. Hopefully, this will help jumpstart Kempe after an extended scoring slump.
Adrian Kempe's 100th career goal ties it at 5 👑 pic.twitter.com/NEj9FxC73N
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 12, 2022
This week: @ BUF, @ BOS, VS SJ
4. Calgary Flames (13-11-4)
Last week: 4
The Flames had a three-game winning streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to the Blue Jackets on Friday, then blew three leads in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Rasmus Andersson shattered his career high with 50 points last season and the Calgary blueliner has followed that up with 20 points (4G-16A) in 28 games so far this season.
Rasmus Andersson puts the Flames on 🔝 pic.twitter.com/wOPQBp60JN
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 8, 2022
This week: @ MTL, VS VAN, VS STL, @ SJ
3. Seattle Kraken (16-8-3)
Last week: 2
The Kraken snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday, beating the Florida Panthers 5-2.
Daniel Sprong’s career high in points is 23. He already has 15 (6G-9A) in just 20 games so far this season.
Daniel Sprong makes no mistakes on the power play one-timer from the circle, padding the Seattle lead to 3 in the third!#SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/PSWnVE7GOL
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) December 12, 2022
This week: @ TB, @ CAR, VS WPG
2. Edmonton Oilers (16-12-0)
Last week: 3
The Oilers bounced back from a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, beating the Arizona Coyotes 8-2 and the Wild 5-2 to close out their homestand.
Ryan-Nugent Hopkins is quietly putting together a career year. He recorded six points (3G-3A) in the wins over the Coyotes and Wild and has 33 (14G-19A) in 28 games on the season.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (@RNH_93) with the icebreaker in Edmonton. 🧊 pic.twitter.com/scdtVxOLy7
— NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2022
This week: @ MIN, @ NSH, VS STL, VS ANA
1. Vegas Golden Knights (20-9-1)
Last week: 1
They closed out their road trip with a 4-3 shootout win over the Boston Bruins in Bruce Cassidy’s return to Boston, but then they went 1-2-0 on a three-game homestand, scoring just three regulation goals in three games.
Jonathan Marchessault scored the winner in Friday’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, extending his goal streak to four games before it was snapped in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Bruins.
MARCHY ⚔️
Jonathan Marchessault (@JMarchessault18) calls game and buries the @Energizer overtime winner for the @GoldenKnights! pic.twitter.com/xYVkZRUFiD
— NHL (@NHL) December 10, 2022
This week: @ WPG, @ CHI, VS NYI