Last season the NW division teams played each other 8 times for a total of 32 divisional games each. That is almost 40% of whole schedule. Let's look a little closer at those divisional results to see what separated the teams last year and maybe look for clues for the upcoming season.
Flames: 16-12-4 36pts. +5 ESGD. -8 STGD. 1-1 SO record.
Oilers : 13-16-3 29pts. -17ESGD. -4 STGD. 4-2 SO record.
Wild : 17-11-4 38pts. -4ESGD. +12STGD. 1-3 SO record.
'Lanche: 20-10-2 42pts. +14ESGD. -1STGD. 5-0 SO record.
Canucks: 14-13-5 33pts. +2ESGD. 0STGD. 0-5 SO record.
Where:Teams followed by divisional record and pts aquired; ESGD is even strength goal differential; STGD is special teams goal differential (powerplay goals for/against + shorthanded goals for/against); SO is shootout record. Empty net goals have been removed.
Hmm, please forgive the table formatting, I don't know how to make tables in Blogger. Anyway I think its clear enough to make the following observations: The Flames were a good ES team, whose Special Teams sucked, the Oilers were just a bad team Evens and ST, the Wild are amazingly efficient and with a v. good PP, the Avalanche are ES warriors and whose Shootout record was great, and the Canucks were basically meh both ES and ST but their SO record of 0-5 killed them within the division. I have to say I was surprised at Colorado's ES dominance within the division, I had thought of them more as a PP team. Calgary is just getting killed when killing penalties (I predict that this will become my 'cowbell'), easily the worst record in the division, and the biggest difference between the Wild (division winners) and the Flames.
Looking forward to 08-09 season when there will be 8 less divisional games, I think Colorado is going to lament not being able to beat up on the NW and their Shootout Record will probably start to even out or worse considering their new goalie rotation. Flames struggled on ST against the whole league last season so it probably doesn't mean a ton for the Flames. Vancouver was probably unlucky they didn't do a little better and looking at the shootout record it looks like the NW is starting to figure out Luongo a bit, Vancouver wasn't a terrible ES team last year, more Eastern Conference games might help the Canucks. The Wild will continue to button it down, but losing Rolston and Demitra, I think will hurt their PP, where they were dominant, if they have to rely on ES play, their record is going to start to approach Vancouver's. The Oilers were very bad early last year and came on later in the year, especially in the late season divisional games. They should probably be a better PP team this year, but at ES they still look a mess.
