Pacific Division Year in Review

Place/Team	Games Played	WINS	LOSSES	OTL	Points	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	HOME	AWAY	S/O	L10	Streak
1. Y - Phoenix Coyotes	82	42	27	13	97	36	216	204	+12	22-13-6	20-14-7	6-10	7-1-2	WON 5
2. X - San Jose Sharks	82	43	29	10	96	34	228	210	+18	26-12-3	17-17-7	9-5	7-3-0	WON 4
3. X - Los Angeles Kings	82	40	27	15	95	34	194	179	+15	22-14-5	18-13-10	6-9	5-2-3	OT 2
4. Dallas Stars	82	42	35	5	89	35	211	222	-11	22-16-3	20-19-2	7-4	3-7-0	LOST 5
5. Anaheim Ducks	82	34	36	12	77	31	204	231	-27	21-18-2	13-18-10	3-7	4-5-1	LOST 1

Phoenix Coyotes


- The Coyotes are the 2011/12 Pacific Division Champions! This is the Clubs first division championship.

- Although Phoenix got another excellent season from a fantastic goalie, this may once again be their downfall. They are placing a lot of pressure upon Mike Smith as he is their key to victory.

- The Coyotes finished with and impressive road record of 20-14-7, which was almost as good as there 22-13-6 home record. Playoff position was not as important to the Coyotes as most teams, they can get the job done in any building.

- The Coyotes have lots of young talent prepared for the future, forward David Rundblad will be ready to make a splash in the coming seasons. Hopefully, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is able to keep up the good work and take his game to the next level.

- With a 3-1-0 season record versus the Blackhawks, Phoenix is looking good for a second round bid.

Team MVP: G Mike Smith

San Jose Sharks


- The Sharks beat the odds and won 3 huge divisional games to extend their season.

- Inconsistency has been a problem for the Sharks this season. They could have done better with the roster they have.

- The Sharks didn't have a PT/G player this season. Joe Thornton led the club with 77 points.

- Sharks forward Logan Couture put up 31 goals in just his second big league season. He has recorded 30+ goals in both seasons. This bodes well for the future of the franchise, which desperately needs success after years of playoff disappointment.

- The Sharks are in tough against the Blues after going 0-4-0 against them this season. San Jose has the skill to beat St. Louis; it's just a matter of using it.

Team MVP: F Joe Thornton - He proved his captaincy yet again by getting this club into the playoffs.

Los Angeles Kings


- The Kings had an up and down season but got hot when it mattered. Their March surge was enough to get them into the postseason.

- The Kings were the only team to make the playoffs with fewer than 200 goals. In fact they were 1 one of two teams in the NHL to finish with less than 200. Perhaps this is a grim thought going into Vancouver.

- Goalie Jonathan Quick led the NHL with 10 shutouts this season.

- The oldest player on the Kings is Willie Mitchell, at the age of 34. The core group of Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty are all under 30. The Kings are going to be a solid team for several years.

- The Kings finished the year with a record of 2-2-0 against Vancouver. Perhaps the Kings have en edge in the playoffs, it's hard to play .500 hockey against the Presidents Trophy winners.

Team MVP: G Jonathan Quick - .929 SV% is an amazing accomplishment. Goaltending was huge for the Kings since they scored so few goals.

Dallas Stars


- The Stars managed to play over .500 hockey at home and on the road this season.

- The Stars choked in the final 5 games of the season, which was awfully disappointing considering that they had a fantastic March. Losing 5 straight at the end really put a sour taste in the mouths of Stars fans, after a great first 77 games.

- The Stars had four players with 60+ points this season (Eriksson, Benn, Ribeiro and Ryder).

- The Stars have numerous talented prospects that are awaiting their chance to become big league players. The likes of Scott Glennie, Reilly Smith, Jordie Benn and Austin Smith are all excellent players looking to crack the Stars roster over the next couple of years.

- The Stars finished six points out of a playoff spot, largely due to their season ending five game skid. The Stars showed some great hockey throughout the season. Look for them to be in next year's playoffs.

Team MVP: F Jaimie Benn - He was the work horse on this years Stars team.

Anaheim Ducks

- The Ducks made a great recovery after a terrible start to the season, but there was to much ground to make up.

- Considering the roster that Anaheim has, there is no excuse for such a poor finish. Look for them to have a bounce back season in 2012/13.

- Ducks forward Bobby Ryan reached the 30-goal plateau for the 4th time in as many seasons.

- The future is looking good in Anaheim with key prospects like Emerson Etem and John Gibson. Etem finished 7 in the Western Hockey League with 107 points in 65 games. Hard to believe that 107 points doesn't make you the overall points leader. Kitchener Rangers goaltender John Gibson finished the season with a 2.75 GAA as well as a league leading .928 SV%.

- The Ducks were well off the mark for getting into the playoffs this season, but they will be back and ready for a new campaign.

MVP: G Jonas Hiller - He went in and stood on his head game after game for the Ducks, hands down decision for MVP.

Who To Watch:

1. Mike Smith - The Coyotes are ready to dance if he is.
2. Coyotes Structure - A well-balanced team that relies on chemistry and goaltending to get the job done.
3. Sharks Offense - Needs to explode if they are to beat a solid Blues club.
4. Jeff Carter - He will be healthy and ready to go, could be a difference maker.
5. Jonathan Quick - He will need to be huge if the Kings are to upset the Canucks.