We are now officially two months into the truncated 2020-21 NHL season. Most teams have played 25 to 30 games and we are starting to get a sense of which teams look real, which teams have some issues, and which teams will likely find themselves on the outside looking in when the season ends.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the North Division to see where each team ranks so far this season.
The only team in the North Division that looks like a true contender, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This team can score, we all know that. The Leafs rank second in goals per game and power play percentage. The biggest difference from last season is they can defend as well. The Maple Leafs are sixth in goals-against, averaging 2.50 per game, a massive improvement from last season where they ranked 26th allowing 3.17 per game.
It’s not just goaltending bailing them out, either. Thanks to the addition of T.J. Brodie, the progression of Justin Holl, and an overall commitment to better team defence, Toronto has become one of the most well-rounded teams in the NHL.
Defending against opposition cycle plays has been a critical weakness of the Maple Leafs the past few seasons where they routinely ranked bottom-five in the NHL in cycle chances and goals against.
This season, they sit middle of the pack, which is just fine when you consider how dangerous is as an offensive team. The Maple Leafs have five players with at least 20 points this season. Auston Matthews leads the league in goals with 21, four more than anyone else.
Leafs fans are feeling pretty good about this team, but we all know how their season will ultimately be judged. Can Toronto win a playoff round for the first time in the salary-cap era? If so, can they knock off a top team from another division should they make it that far? For now, it looks as though the Maple Leafs are a step above everyone else in their division and that makes them a true contender.
The Jets sit second in the North in points percentage and will finish their three-game set with the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight on Hockey Night in Canada.
Winnipeg split the first two games with the division-leading Maple Leafs thanks to incredible performances by Connor Hellebuyck, and the Jets’ top-six forward group is as good as any team in the NHL. Mark Scheifele ranks sixth in points, plus Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor are both top 20 in goals.
Ehlers doesn’t get a lot of praise outside of Winnipeg, but he is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league. Ehlers ranks among the league leaders in several key offensive categories that highlight his puck-moving and scoring ability.
Combine the offensive firepower the Jets possess with a reigning Vezina trophy winner in net and you have a team capable of beating anyone on any given night. Hellebuyck has been dialed in this week against the Maple Leafs, making a month’s worth of highlight-reel saves in the span of two games.
As has been the case in recent years, the Jets’ inability to limit quality shots against holds them back as they rely far too often on Hellebuyck to bail them out. More often than not, he does. However, as we saw on Thursday, eventually top teams will breakthrough.
At even-strength, the Jets rank 24th in expected goals against, 25th limiting shots from the slot, 27th at limiting passes into the slot and 25th at preventing rush scoring chances. That’s a lot of weight to put on your goaltending. As good as Hellebuyck is, he can’t shut down top teams game after game.
Until the Jets can better limit the number of dangerous chances they allow, there will be question marks as to whether they are a legit contender to threaten in the post-season.
Inconsistency is one of the few constants with this Montreal Canadiens team.
A record of 7-1-2 in their first 10 games of the season, 2-5-3 in their next ten games and 3-1-2 since.
The Canadiens don’t have any glaring issues that would prevent them from being considered a true threat to not only make the playoffs, but to do some damage once there. Montreal is in the top 10 in goals for and against. Their power play has come around since Dominique Ducharme and Alex Burrows replaced Claude Julien and Kirk Muller behind the bench. The penalty kill hasn’t been great this season, but still ranks middle of the pack. At five-on-five, Montreal is one of the best teams in the NHL.
What prevents the Canadiens from being listed as a true contender right now is that it’s difficult to tell which team is going to show up on a given night.
At their best, the Canadiens are a fast-paced team capable of turning the puck up ice quickly and using its speed to create offence. Montreal is aggressive in its pursuit to get the puck when they don’t have it and the Canadiens don’t allow a high number of dangerous shots against.
At their worst, they are turnover-prone and have suffered from bouts of inconsistent play from their goaltending, specifically Carey Price. That said, since the coaching change, Price has posted a 3-1-1 record with a 1.78 GAA and .935 save percentage. The Canadiens look more like the team we saw at the start of the season since Ducharme took over behind the bench and Price is looking like his old self again, so we’ll lean more towards contender than pretender, but will need to see this team play at the level it is capable of going forward before bumping them up to the same class as the division-leading Maple Leafs.
Any team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should be respected and the Oilers are earning respect with their play so far this season. An 18-11-0 record is good for third in points percentage in the North and 13th overall.
McDavid and Draisaitl are the top-two scorers in the league and Mike Smith is having a terrific season in goal. Darnell Nurse is having a breakout year and Jesse Puljujarvi is providing secondary scoring. Putting the puck in the net isn’t a problem for the Oilers, who rank fourth in goals-per-game and seventh in power play percentage.
As mentioned, Smith has been solid in net – Mikko Koskinen has been OK. Defensively, the Oilers have been better than average this season but have struggled to limit opposition scoring chances when the other team starts whipping the puck around in their end. The Oilers allow an average of 7.3 cycle scoring chances against at even strength, which ranks 27th overall.
Thankfully for Edmonton, its goaltending has been strong enough this season to mask some of their defensive issues but if Smith’s play dips, the Oilers’ inability to prevent chances while defending in-zone could become a problem.
The good far outweighs the bad to this point of the season and the Oilers look closer to being a legitimate threat to contend for the top spot in the division than not. However, Edmonton had a chance to prove it belongs in the same conversation as the top team, but faltered in its recent three-game set against Toronto, losing all three. Not only did they lose those games, but their biggest stars were also shut down in a way we haven’t seen all season.
Some holes can still be poked in this team and for that reason, the Edmonton Oilers sit in the ‘Might be Real’ category.
The Flames got new head coach Darryl Sutter a win in his first game behind the bench Thursday night. With the win, the Flames pulled to .500 in points percentage with a record of 12-12-3.
When you look at how this team has performed offensively, defensively and in goal, you see one of the most average teams in the NHL. Not great, not terrible, but pretty close to the middle across the board. The Flames rank 23rd in goals and 17th in goals against per game. Their power play ranks 18th and the penalty kill ranks 14th.
When isolating goaltending from team defence to see if Calgary’s goalies are costing or saving the team goals, the Flames rank 18th in goaltending performance. So, the good news is that on the surface there are no glaring issues but at the same time, the Flames don’t seem to have any particular strengths they can rely on.
With the trade deadline approaching, it will be interesting to see which direction general manager Brad Treliving chooses to go. Calgary is thin on right shot forwards and with Elias Lindholm cantering the second line, the Flames currently have Dillon Dube and Brett Ritchie at right win in their top six forward group. Adding a proven scorer to play on the right side in the top six would help a team that is bottom-10 in goal scoring add balance to their line-up.
Defensively, the Flames rank 24th in expected goals against so they are benefitting in terms of actual goals-against average from the strong play of Jacob Markstrom. Calgary gives up a lot off-the-rush and does not do a particularly good job of defending the blue line against oncoming attacks.
Perhaps this will be addressed with Sutter now behind the bench. As it stands, the Flames have been a decidedly average team this season. If Calgary can get more consistent scoring and play a bit tighter defensively, especially off-the-rush, it has a decent shot at making the playoffs. If not, odds are good that the Flames will finish on the outside looking in.
The Canucks’ point total is a bit deceiving as they have played four more games than the team they are chasing for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North, the Montreal Canadiens.
Vancouver has had an up-and-down season. Four straight wins to end January and three blowout losses in the first week of February. A couple of recent wins against the high-flying Maple Leafs, followed by a split against the Canadiens.
Thatcher Demko has been outstanding this season, saving the Canucks almost 10 goals above expected which ranks amongst the top goalies in the league.
As great as it is to see Demko on this list, it’s a bit of a problem that he’s had to save his team so many goals this season. The Canucks are a nightmare defensively ranking dead last in expected goals against per game (3.43). The one area the Canucks get beat worse than any team is off the rush. Vancouver allows an average of 7.2 scoring chances off the rush per game, the most in the NHL.
Quinn Hughes has played a majority of his even-strength minutes with Jordie Benn and Travis Hamonic, two defencemen who would likely not be in a contending team’s top-four. Nate Schmidt, Alex Edler, and Tyler Myers have not provided enough stability on the back end for this team to limit chances and ease the workload on its goaltenders.
The Canucks will struggle to make the playoffs regardless of what division they play in with their current defence corps and for that reason, they are unlikely to make the playoffs.
This season was never about making the playoffs for the Ottawa Senators so much as it was about developing their young players. The Senators’ start to the season had many wondering not whether they would finish last but by how much. Well, the Sens have been much better over the past few weeks and have pulled themselves out of last place overall.
The Senators’ top-five scorers are all under 25 years old, so the future is bright. Brady Tkachuk leads the team lead in goals with 10 and is one of the best net-front players in the NHL. Tkachuk has 45 shots from the inner slot, which ranks second in the NHL. Drake Batherson is having a breakout season and Tim Stutzle has had moments of brilliance this season as well.
The Senators would likely have a few more wins this season if their goaltending performed even at an average level. Matt Murray has been streaky at best, disappointing at worst, ranking among the worst goalies in the league this season in goals saved above expected.
Ottawa’s goaltending has allowed one goal-per-game more than expected relative to the team’s expected goals-against average – a reflection of team defence based on the quality and quantity of shots allowed. That ranks last in the NHL by far. The Sharks rank 30th at 0.54.
The Senators are a hard-working team but are still at least a couple of years away from being a serious contender.
VANCOUVER – As the Major League Soccer season ticks down, Vanni Sartini wants his Vancouver Whitecaps to make a declaration — the team is ready to compete.
“The time of hiding ourselves, I think it’s over,” the coach said after the ‘Caps earned a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
“We need to really say that we are here to try to be at the ball until the end and trying to shoot for the highest position. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make it, but we have the quality to do it.”
With seven games left on their regular-season schedule, the ‘Caps (13-8-6) sit in fifth spot in the congested Western Conference, just two points out of fourth.
Saturday’s loss officially eliminated the last-place Earthquakes (5-21-2) from post-season action.
Vancouver has been on a hot streak since returning from the Leagues Cup break and is unbeaten (3-0-1) in its last four outings across all competitions. The team has not allowed a goal in those matches.
“It’s the fact that we play really well,” Sartini said of the clean sheets. “We have the ball a lot, we finish our attack most of the time in their box. So it’s really hard for the other team to attack us. And then when they attack us, in the rare times that they arrive in the final third, we’re very solid.”
Recent additions have bolstered the team’s ranks, including the club’s newest designated player, Stuart Armstrong. The 32-year-old Scottish midfielder scored his first MLS goal Saturday.
Three minutes after coming on as a substitute for Alessandro Schopf, Armstrong gave Vancouver a two-goal cushion in the 87th minute.
Midfielder Pedro Vite dished a short pass to ‘Caps captain Ryan Gauld, who tapped it toward Armstrong. The former Southampton FC player then blasted a shot into the top of the net for his first strike in a Whitecaps’ jersey.
He was mobbed by teammates in the corner of the field.
“I think everyone was happy. Also for the first goal, but also that it was an important three points,” said Armstrong, who signed with the ‘Caps on Sept. 3.
“It kind of felt a little bit like last week, when we had a lot of chances and we didn’t get the three points. So today, I think everyone was just relieved to have that two-goal cushion.”
Vancouver was the dominant team from the outset Saturday and did not relent, outshooting the visitors 19-5 and controlling 54.1 per cent of possession.
Fafa Picault also found the back of the net for Vancouver, while Gauld contributed a pair of assists.
Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped both shots he faced to collect his seventh clean sheet of the year, while Daniel made nine saves for the Quakes.
Gauld and Picault teamed up in the 22nd minute when Gauld curled a cross in and the Haitian striker headed it down toward the net, only to see Daniel catch a piece of the shot with his forearm and redirect it out of harm’s way.
The duo connected again in the 35th minute on a Vancouver corner. Gauld swung a ball in and Picault jumped up from the pack to send a glancing header in past Daniel for his ninth MLS goal of the season.
San Jose briefly appeared to level the score in the 68th minute when an unmarked Ousseni Bouda collected the ball, froze Takaoka and tapped a shot into the Vancouver net. An official quickly raised the offside flag and waved off the tally.
Daniel kept San Jose’s deficit to a single goal with a pair of solid stops in the 82nd minute.
First, the Brazilian ‘keeper dove sideways on his line to tip away a bomb from Alessandro Schopf. He was tested again on the ensuing corner and jumped up to send a header from Picault over the crossbar.
“I think we created a lot of chances again,” Gauld said.
“We probably should have put the game out of their reach sooner. But we’d be more worried if we weren’t creating the chances. Three clean sheets in a row in the league, I think it’s a big thing for us. And it gives us a good platform to go forward.”
NOTES
Vancouver played without leading scorer Brian White for a third consecutive game as the American striker works his way back from a concussion. … Gauld’s second assist marked his 15th goal contribution (six goals, nine assists) in his last 15 Whitecaps games across all competitions. … An announced crowd of 21,309 took in the game at B.C. Place.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps kick off a two-game road swing Wednesday against the Houston Dynamo. The Earthquakes host the Seattle Sounders the same night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Not good enough. That was Arne Slot’s verdict after his first defeat as Liverpool manager on Saturday.
A shock 1-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League ended Slot’s perfect record since succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Anfield at the end of last season.
“We had a lot of ball possession but only managed to create three (or) four quite good chances, so that is by far not enough if you have so much ball possession,” said the Dutchman, who suggested his team should not be losing to the likes of Forest.
“If you lose a home game it’s always a setback, especially if you face a team … we never know, maybe they will go all the way to fight for Champions League tickets, but normally this team is not ending up in the top 10, so if you lose a game against them that’s a big disappointment.”
Slot won his first three games in charge, including a memorable 3-0 victory against Manchester United before the international break.
But that run came to an end after Callum Hudson-Odoi struck in the 72nd with a curling effort from the edge of the box and beyond goalkeeper Alisson.
Liverpool’s defeat leaves Manchester City as the only team with a 100% record in the league after a 2-1 win against Brentford kept the defending champion at the top of the table.
United won at Southampton 3-0 to end its two-game losing streak.
Unstoppable Haaland
Erling Haaland moved to 99 goals for City after scoring twice against Brentford.
The Norwegian’s double came after Yoane Wissa fired Brentford ahead with just 22 seconds on the clock.
Haaland scored his 98th and 99th goals in his 103rd City appearance in all competitions. And he was the width of the post away from his third consecutive hat trick after trebles against Ipswich and West Ham.
“He’s been really, really good. Yeah, I would say he’s the best (he’s been), but it’s only four fixtures (this season),” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Haaland, who has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, has nine goals in four league games. He has topped the league scoring charts in each of his two seasons at City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for $63 million.
Haaland’s first goal after 19 minutes evened the game following Wissa’s opener, which stunned the Etihad Stadium crowd. Haaland turned and swept a shot past goalkeeper Mark Flekken after a slight deflection off Ethan Pinnock.
He was then too strong for Pinnock when shaking off the defender and running through for his second in the 32nd.
He was inches away in the 81st; the shot came back off the post after beating the keeper.
Rashford snaps run
Marcus Rashford snapped a 12-game barren run in front of goal as United beat Southampton.
Rashford doubled United’s lead at Saint Mary’s after Matthijs de Ligt’s scored his first for the club. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho scored a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The win came after back-to-back defeats for United.
Rashford hadn’t scored since March in United’s win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals. He curled in a shot from the edge of the area to put Erik ten Hag’s team 2-0 up at Southampton in the 41st minute.
Ten Hag said it could be a turning point for the forward.
“For every striker, they want to be on the scoring list. Once the first is in, more is coming. Like a ketchup bottle, once it’s going, it’s coming more,” he said.
De Ligt, who joined United from Bayern Munich in the offseason, headed in from Bruno Fernandes’ cross in the 35th.
It could have been a different story if Cameron Archer converted a penalty for Southampton in the 33rd. Instead, his effort was saved by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Newly promoted Southampton was reduced to 10 men when Jack Stephens was sent off in the 79th for a high challenge on Garnacho.
Villa comeback
After three straight defeats to start the league, Everton looked set for its first win when leading Aston Villa 2-0.
Goals from Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Sean Dyche’s team in control until Ollie Watkins struck twice to even the game.
Jhon Duran completed Villa’s comeback and sealed a 3-2 win in the 76th to leave Everton rooted to the bottom of the table and the only top flight team without a point.
Late drama
Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a stoppage time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for Crystal Palace against Leicester.
Leicester led 2-0 at Selhurst Park after goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi.
But Mateta sparked Palace’s response with a goal in the 47th, a minute after Mavididi doubled Leicester’s advantage.
Conor Coady fouled Ismaili Sarr in the box right near fulltime and Mateta was cool enough to convert.
West Ham left it even later to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Danny Ings struck in the fifth minute of added time after Raul Jimenez’s goal looked like earning Fulham the win.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, the manager of the month for August, was frustrated as his team was held to 0-0 at home by Ipswich.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
