Yo.
It's been two weeks since I last rolled this sucker out so let's get back in the swing of things. While I currently ignore the Avs latest meltdown, this time at the hands of the hosting Sharks, the division has a chance to look quite a bit different next week.
While the Avs have a very tough 3-game schedule this week, the rest of the division largely plays each other and slugs it out to see if anybody can stop the whirling dervish that is the Minnesota Wild. If someone can manage it, surely it's the up-and-coming powerhouse Calgary Flames, right? No? Maybe the spry Edmonton Oilers can hand a dose of Earth to them? How about the old dominate guard Vancouver Canucks? No? Yes? PLEASE someone beat these clowns so the world can start to return to normal.
Thanks in advance, rivals <3
Team capsules after the jump.
All standings related info taken from NHL.com...
Calgary Flames (31 GP 14-14-3 31 Pts)
Last Week: A lot of games have happened since I last wrote this >_<
Conference Standing: 11th Place
Overall Rankings:
- Goals For: 2.5 (25th)
- Goals Against: 2.7 (16th)
- Power Play %: 15.2 (22nd)
- Penalty Kill %: 82.6 (17th)
This Week: Calgary finishes up a 4-game roadie with tilts Friday at Florida and Sunday at Chicago before heading home for a divisional bop with JUGGERNAUT MINNESOTA Tuesday night and taking on not-quite-as-good-as-Minnesota Detroit Thursday. What an awful sentence. Ugh.
News: Derek Smith has carved out a nice niche on this wacky Calgary team.
The Flames had six prospects in World Junior selection camps. Impressive collection, actually.
It's cold out. Have a heartwarming story!
Transactions: Recalled D Brett Carson on December 11 from Abbotsford of the AHL.
Injuries: omgomgomg they updated it AGAIN.
- Anton Babchuk is on IR with a hand injury.
- David Moss is on IR with a foot injury.
- Mark Giordano is on IR with a hamstring injury.
- Henrik Karlsson is on IR with an MCL injury.
Colorado Avalanche (32 GP 14-17-1 29 Pts)
Last Week: A lot of games have happened since I last wrote this >_<
Conference Standings: 13th place
Overall Rankings:
- Goals For: 2.5 (21st)
- Goals Against: 3.0 (21st)
- Power Play %: 20.8 (3rd)
- Penalty Kill %: 78.8 (26th)
This Week: We all know the story with this one. Big time home games Saturday against Washington and Monday versus white-hot Philadelphia. Oh yeah, then another go round with the Ex-Avs Curse Wednesday as the Avs host St. Louis. Awesome.
Edmonton Oilers (31 GP 14-14-3 31 Pts)
Last Week: A lot of games have happened since I last wrote this >_<
Conference Standings: 12th place
Overall Rankings:
- Goals For: 2.7 (12th)
- Goals Against: 2.6 (12th)
- Power Play %: 19.8 (7th)
- Penalty Kill %: 83.1 (14th)
This Week: The Oilers finish up a 3-game roadtrip Saturday in San Jose before heading home for a WEEK OF DOOM as they play near-juggernaut Detroit Monday and SUREFIRE JUGGERNAUT SUPREME Minnesota Thursday. They will surely lose all 3.
News: The next great G Roy in the NHL?
I didn't realize Edmonton had an "inner city"?
Super obnoxious F Ryan Jones continues to hone his NHL skills.
I love the title of this story.
And the picture in this story gives me the creeps. Stop staring at me, swan!
Transactions: D Colton Teubert was assigned to Oklahoma City of the AHL.
Injuries:
- Cam Barker is out 3 months with an ankle injury.
- Corey Potter is out 2 weeks with an ankle injury.
- Taylor Hall is out 2-4 weeks with a shoulder injury.
Minnesota Wild (32 GP 20-8-4 44 Pts)
Last Week: A lot of games have happened since I last wrote this >_<
Conference Standing: 1st place
Overall Rankings:
- Goals For: 2.5 (23rd)
- Goals Against: 2.1 (4th)
- Power Play %: 16.9 (17th)
- Penalty Kill %: 85.3 (9th)
This Week: Minnesota has a big week ahead as they attempt to DEATHGRIP the Northwest Division with 3 divisional games. Before they get to the slaughtering of the pathetic sheep following them in the standings, the UNSTOPPABLE JUGGERNAUT that is the Wild Odds-Defying Domination Machine rolls on in an ezpz win at home Saturday night against the Islanders. Piece of cake for these studs. Then they allow a plane to be graced with their presence with a laugher of a back-to-back Monday in Vancouver and Tuesday in Calgary. They finish quenching their near-insatiable thirst for standings points Thursday in Edmonton. Watch out for these guys. Records will be broken this week. BOOK IT.
News: TRUF.
Awwww yeah success has lots of mysteries.
Minnesota produces hockey players. lol?
If you want to be an expert and see a replay, and I mean REALLY see a replay, click me.
Transactions: Lots of back and forth with the IR and AHL guys as usual but the end results of the week were G Matt Hackett, D Nate Prosser, and F Jeff Taffe being reassigned to Houston of the AHL while C Warren Peters was recalled.
Injuries: Lazy copy/paste mode ENGAGE.
- Guillaume Latendresse returned on Tuesday after missing 14 games with a concussion and scored a goal.
- Marek Zidlicky suffered a concussion and was placed on injured reserve on November 23. He has been activated off of the injured reserve and will be a gametime decision for Wednesday's game.
- Justin Falk was placed on injured reserve, but has begun practicing with the team and is nearing a return.
- Cal Clutterbuck returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing two games with a lower body injury.
- Josh Harding suffered an upper body injury last week and has missed three games. He has been practicing and is nearing a return.
- Devin Setoguchi suffered a lower body injury last Tuesday. He has been placed on IR. The injury is not thought to be serious, but he will not play in Winnipeg.
- Matt Cullen missed Tuesday's game due to illness. He did skate on Wednesday morning and will be a gametime decision.
- Pierre-Marc Bouchard suffered a facial injury after being checked from behind into the boards on Tuesday and will be out of the lineup Wednesday.
Vancouver Canucks (31 GP 18-11-2 38 Pts)
Last Week: A lot of games have happened since I last wrote this >_<
Conference Standing: 6th place
Overall Rankings:
- Goals For: 3.2 (3rd)
- Goals Against: 2.4 (7th)
- Power Play %: 25.6 (1st)
- Penalty Kill %: 86.6 (6th)
This Week: Vancouver finishes up a 5-game roadtrip (2-1-1 so far) Saturday in Toronto before heading home for the first time in a couple weeks to face off against the new greatest team of all-time Minnesota on Monday night. Somehow the Canucks will have to pick themselves off the floor in time to host Detroit on Wednesday. Here's to hoping their spirits aren't too broken to compete!
News: Since it's been a while, a quick link at what the realignment means for the Canucks.
And now a sad story.
Transactions: Bill Sweatt and Mark Mancari have been recalled, Mancari on emergency basis.
Injuries:
- Andrew Ebbett is out indefinitely with a foot injury
- Steve Pinizzotto is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury
- Byron Bitz is out indefinitely with a lower body injury
- David Booth is out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury.
- Daniel Sedin is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
- Aaron Volpatti is out 4-6 months with a shoulder injury.