Although the National Hockey League season only started in October, there still is so much to talk about already. Who are some of the worst so far, and who should we not overlook? So much is happening, so here is your one way ticket to hockey information.
San Jose Sharks are already the worst team this season?
Yep, I thought I was going crazy too. San Jose, while not historically stellar, has yet to win a game yet. They had no wins in the entire month of October and are 0-10-1 at the time of this writing.
If this team continues to lose, they may catch up to the 18 game losing streak. set by the 2020-21 Buffalo Sabres and the 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins. When counting the 2023 season, San Jose has had 17 losses in a row, so they’re just shy one game until they tie that first place title.
The team suffered back-to-back games where, in each game, their opponent scored 10 goals. This is the first time this has happened in 58 years. San Jose clearly needs some reworking, especially after they traded James Norris Memorial Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh over the offseason. Even when they had him though, they still weren’t one of the better teams in the league.
Were the Sabres overlooked too soon?
The Buffalo Sabres, while maybe underestimated at first due to suffering disappointing losses, have proven that they’re still in this.
While some had fears about their goaltending, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stepped up and earned his first NHL shut-out against the Colorado Avalanche Oct. 29. Luukkonen also stopped 38 of 40 shots in their win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1., and the young goalie currently has a save percentage of .901.
The Sabres offense also started out rough, but now are excelling. Between Oct. 12 and Oct. 23, the team only scored a max of three goals in each game. Their offense snapped back into their high-scoring selves, though, when they won 6-4 against the Senators. Since that game, they had seemed more like the Sabres everyone was expecting them to be: high scorers with impressive gameplay.
A few honorable mentions of the team include the two current point leaders, Casey Middelstadt and Jeff Skinner. Both have played remarkably well. Middelstadt has had many multipoint nights by various methods. His assists have really helped his teammates around him score, which shows how much of a team player he is. Skinner also has six goals,which is very impressive due to how their season began.
Even though they might have had some discouraging defeats, the Sabres have shown how hard they can bounce back and still continue to play well.
A very embarrassing Edmonton team
As much as I am not an Edmonton Oilers fan, I really expect them to play well. 2-7-1 is not it. Especially for a playoff team to go immediately down like that.
We certainly can’t talk about the Oilers unless we mention Conner McDavid. McDavid ended the 2022-2023 season with The Hart trophy, the Ted Lindsay award, and the Art Ross Trophy. So, when I saw the team’s record, I was shocked. As the ‘22-’23 MVP, I think he is strongly underperforming.
After they won their heritage classic game against the Calgary Flames, I thought they would have turned the corner and gotten better, but I have yet to see any improvement from the team so far.
I don’t think they should have to panic yet, but they do need to start figuring out how to improve their record since they’re lying in 7th place in the Pacific Division. That’ll be difficult for them later on when the playoff picture comes into play.
The Knights continue to conquer… but because of who?
The ‘22-’23 Stanley Cup champions continue to have one of the best NHL records right now.
The Vegas Golden Knights’ first regulation loss so far this year was against the Anaheim Ducks, where they were defeated 4-2. This also might’ve been due to this being a back-to-back game.
Vegas’ goaltending may help explain their talent. Adin Hill had to fill in for the Knights during their playoff run last season, starting 16 games and ultimately helping Vegas clinch their Stanley Cup victory.
This season, Hill has started 7 games and has a save percentage of 0.938. Hill also had a very impressive 41-save shutout as well against the star Colorado Avalanche team. Hill’s only loss was a close overtime game. So, does this mean Vegas’s star puzzle piece is their goaltending? While their team does have many good players, what I have seen from their goaltending leads me to believe that is what is keeping them in the game.
Conclusion
As we watch more gameplay continue, who knows. Maybe the Sharks will officially become the worst team in NHL history, or maybe they’ll be able to save themselves. Edmonton and San Jose play each other Thu. Nov. 9, so that will truly be an exciting battle against the two worst teams in the pacific division.
