Nearly a month into the NHL season, looks safer than Edmonton鈥檚 playoff chances, there might be a challenger for the worst team in league history and the Stanley Cup hangover is nowhere to be seen in Las Vegas.
Alex Ovechkin off to an uncharacteristically slow start, the Oilers鈥� terrible goaltending and the their first 11 games are among some of the disturbing early trends. Elsewhere, the , for Chicago and following a disappointing first-round exit.
for being in a playoff position is still two weeks away, but there are good signs for Detroit, Vancouver and Anaheim. Not so much for Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Calgary.
Even with some jagged starts, no one except San Jose is more than six points out of a playoff spot.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a situation throughout the league,鈥� Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a few teams that are firing on all cylinders, but I think there鈥檚 quite a few teams that are, like us, trying to find their game and be consistent at it.鈥�
OVI鈥橲 2 IN 10
Ovechkin has scored just twice 鈥� and once into an empty net 鈥� matching his lowest total through 10 games in his nearly two-decade career with the Capitals. Just like the previous two times (in 2008-09 and 2013), it came after training camp with a new coach.
鈥淚鈥檓 having chances, but sometimes you just have to look at yourself and think what you should do differently,鈥� Ovechkin said Tuesday. 鈥淚f you have that kind of slump when you can鈥檛 score, you just have to work and find a way to create chances for yourself, for your teammates and find a way to put the puck in.鈥�
Exactly 300 of Ovechkin鈥檚 824 goals 鈥� he trails Gretzky by 70 鈥� have come on the power play, and the Capitals are second-worst in the NHL in that department at 9.7%. New Jersey leads at 42.9%.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to fix that,鈥� said. 鈥淥ur passing on the power play, passes to him, but also he can help that as well of getting his feet set, being able to adjust off certain passes, seeing a play that鈥檚 about to come. So we鈥檙e just a little bit off.鈥�
TOOTHLESS SHARKS
three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson as part of a teardown that precedes a rebuild, the Sharks were expected to be bad. But this bad?
They entered Tuesday nights鈥� game 0-10-1 after losing their past two games 10-1 and 10-2, and have been outscored 55-12. Toronto鈥檚 Auston Matthews has more goals himself with 13.
San Jose could be worse than the current NHL standard for futility: the 1974-75 Capitals, who went 8-67-5. But there is a long season ahead.
鈥淲e鈥檙e losing way too many battles,鈥� winger Anthony Duclair said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 way too easy for the opposing team. 鈥� Our battle level is just non-existent sometimes, and it鈥檚 costing us.鈥�
BRUINS ROLLING
Losing their top two centers, and , to retirement hasn鈥檛 slowed down the Bruins in their second season under coach of the year Jim Montgomery. and goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and sharing the net, Boston is an Eastern Conference-best 10-1-1.
鈥淲e rely on them a little bit too much,鈥� said of the goalies, who have a league-best .939 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average. 鈥淲e can always be a little bit better in front of them, but it鈥檚 nice when we break down they鈥檙e there for us.鈥�
LEAKING OIL
The Oilers are at the other side of the goaltending spectrum with a league-worst .864 save percentage between Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell, the latter of whom was put on waivers Tuesday. After giving up six goals Monday to Vancouver, Skinner said: 鈥淚 can do a lot better to help my team out.鈥�
Edmonton鈥檚 defense can also do better to help everyone else out. Only the Sharks have fewer points than the Oilers, whose stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could miss the playoffs in the prime of their careers if the trend continues.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever had a worse start to a season in my career, and it鈥檚 a test, for sure,鈥� . 鈥淏ut I know we have the team to turn it around.鈥�
KNIGHTS TIME
The only team better than Boston so far is Vegas, which hasn鈥檛 missed a beat coming off . It took until game 13 for the Golden Knights , and their for 23 points shows not every Cup winner struggles out of the gate. Vegas is notably 7-0-1 at the 鈥淔ortress鈥� just off The Strip.
BEDARD BUMP
by the Chicago Blackhawks and hyped up arguably more than McDavid or Sidney Crosby, Bedard has delivered early in his NHL career. Bedard鈥檚 five goals are tied for the most , and only three have more points than the 18-year-old forward.
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