At this start to the season, I would've never expected for the Kings to loss back-to-back games, starting with the opener against the Blackhawks and then just two nights ago against the Avs. They are winless so far this season and they play the Oilers up in Edmonton tonight. And they might've just lost Matt Greene for the entire season, which will hurt the defense, which Jonathan Quick relies on at times to bail him out of certain situations. This is also gonna hurt because their schedule could get tougher as the season rolls along after Edmonton tonight: at Phoenix, then home vs Vancouver and Nashville (both of teams I'll cover in a minute). This is not a tough schedule, but a poor defense could hurt them against these teams long-term. Guys like Drew Doughty and Rob Scuderi are gonna have to pick up that core of the defensive unit if they want to get anywhere long-term. Right now, it's not looking good and the only way they can get back up is to increase their defensive production and provide Quick with some relief, or wait for a good trade to get a really good defenseman. Those are the options. We'll see after tonight what happens to this team.
Another team that is struggling to find the back of the net and win is the Detroit Red Wings. Now let's get this straight: This is THE NHL's team and have fallen hard after their loss to Dallas a few nights ago. Right now, a lot of their players are out including defensemen Carlo Colaiacovo and Jonathan Ericsson, as well as forwards Todd Bertuzzi and Darren Helm. This team is trying to deal with the retirement of long-time captain Nicklas Lidstrom. Jimmy Howard offered this: "We've had a new lineup every single game, and the continuity just isn't there yet." Uh-oh. When your goaltender says that and criticizes the plan, you know you need to find a rhythm and that's what Mike Babcock really needs to do right now to survive to get into the playoffs this season.
Now to the Nashville Predators. I do believe this team still has life in it. They beat Minnesota a few days ago and that was just the beginning. They are 1-0-2, but hey at least they haven't lost a game in regulation and have gained points in their three games. There is nothing major to come of this right now, but if this team does not pick up the pace and win some more games, it might mean nothing for the rest of the season. The Western Conference is very tough. If Nashville falls behind, they might not climb up well enough to make it to the playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks seem to be stable right now. They are so far 1-1-1 after a big shootout win over Calgary at home. Tomorrow they face the Ducks, who have already beaten them badly in the opener. Ryan Kesler and David Booth are still out of the lineup for this team. Beating Anaheim is a lot tougher than it looks right now for the Canucks and their blue line seems to be taking hit after hit at times in their first three games. So far, they look stable. One wrong move, they could be at the bottom of the pile. But right now, they need to take it game by game if they want to stay ahead of other teams in the Western Conference.
Yes, slow starts and coaches are worried about the consequences that come about when you have a slow start. Here's a little piece from NBC analyst Pierre McGuire, who was a former coach. "Slow starts will hurt you if you have not stabilized things by Game 10. If your team still does not have an identity by Game 10, you are going to be in rough shape."
Well. Here's good news for the teams with slow starts. We're only 3 to 4 games in. So there's plenty of time to turn things back and pick themselves back up. Some teams might get it, others won't. Here's my list of teams that will and won't turn it around. See if you agree with the list, puckheads.
Teams that will turn it around:
Los Angeles Kings
Detroit Red Wings
Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals
New York Rangers
Teams that won't turn it around:
Philadelphia Flyers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Colorado Avalanche
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