The NHL season is most effective two weeks outdated, and but 4 groups — the Boston Bruins, the Dallas Stars, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Colorado Avalanche — have not begun to style defeat in law. Simplest the Stars aren’t working at a one hundred pc points-percentage, having misplaced to the aforementioned Knights in a shootout. However nobody cares a few shootout.
So are those groups simply that a lot better? It sort of feels strange that there could be such a lot of groups, even two weeks in, unblemished. At this level final season, each and every group had misplaced in law once or more. However on the other hand, all 4 of those groups had been discussed as conceivable Cup contenders, they usually must be at or close to the highest in their divisions.
Neatly, excluding for the Bruins. After dropping their best two facilities to the ravages of time — in a different way referred to as retirement — the Bs have been unquestionably intended to take a step again. The protection used to be nonetheless some of the higher blue traces within the league, they nonetheless had the most efficient goaltending tandem within the NHL, however the place precisely have been the aims going to return from?
Some of the solutions they’ve get a hold of is rookie Matthew Poitras, who has 3 aims in six video games, to sign up for in at the a laugh that David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are all the time having. He’s even earned the position of centering Marchand’s line.
Any other prepared technique the Bruins have had up to now is to simply play groups that suck ass. Of their six video games, they’ve performed the Hawks two times, the Preds, the Sharks, and the Geese — all groups that aren’t truly anticipated to be anyplace close to the playoffs come April. Simplest the Kings have popped up at the time table which might be observed as an actual group, although nobody can work out fairly but what it’s they’re just right at even supposing they’ve made the playoffs the previous two seasons.
The Bruins are nonetheless possession-heavy as they’ve been, although possibly now not fairly as sharp defensively as they’ve been (thirteenth in xGA according to 60). However the goalies have made all of it OK, with a .957 save proportion at even energy. That can come down, and the Bs may search a decrease degree than the penthouse when it does.
As for the Avs and Knights, they have been the consensus powers within the Western Convention and not anything observed within the two weeks of the season goes to dissuade any individual from that. The Avalanche are merely doming groups up to now, main the league in each Corsi and expected-goals percentage and pushing 60 % in each classes. And Cale Makar is as soon as once more bobbing up with silliness like this:
They’re getting contributions from everywhere, even the SS Ryan Johansen has 5 aspects in seven video games taking part in in Nathan MacKinnon’s wake on the second one line. Most probably we’ll see the Avs on this very spot all season.
The Knights are a marginally extra smoke-and-mirrory, which goes their location simply fantastic. They’re most effective heart of the pack so far as the metrics cross, however the whole lot goes in for them. They’re taking pictures just about 11 % at even-strength up to now, and outrunning their anticipated aims beautiful closely for this level within the season. Their goalies have performed out of this international, with each Adin Hill and Logan Thompson wearing save percentages over .930. Possibly Hill and Thompson are that just right. Or possibly they’re Adin Hill and Logan Thompson. One thing goes to move off the boil right here, although with the Oilers’ struggles the Knights most definitely nonetheless stroll to the department name.
As for the Stars, they’re right here even supposing Jason Robertson most effective has one objective. They’re getting scoring from up and down the lineup (10 guys have scored once or more), they’ve killed off actually each and every energy play they’ve observed, and Jake Oettinger has a save proportion of .952. He’s additionally 3rd in aims stored above anticipated. If the Stars proceed to run a one hundred pc penalty kill price, they’ll proceed to run with the Avs.
So yeah, now not an excessive amount of smoke in those begins as opposed to the Bruins time table. However aspects gathered in October rely the similar as they do in March. Highest to get them when everybody’s wholesome they usually come simple.
Observe Sam on Twitter @Felsgate and on Bluesky @Felsgate.bsky.social
