One week of regular season action might seem like a small sample size but stumbling out of the gate could also be a sign of things to come for certain teams. There are a number of projected playoff contenders that have faltered early on out of the gate and it is worth taking a closer look at why they have struggled as well as what needs to happen in order to turn things around. Here is a look at the most disappointing NHL teams after one week of action.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks opened last season with four straight losses and a 1-7-2 record in the month of October before turning their season around and making the playoffs in the Western Conference. Anaheim might be tempting fate if they think they can do that again this year as they are 0-3-1 through their first four games. It’s worth noting that each of their four losses has come on the road with the Ducks dropping games at Dallas, Pittsburgh, Long Island and New Jersey with two of their next three on the road before returning home for four of their next five. The schedule should get a little easier in terms of travel but Anaheim will need to figure out how to generate more offense up front. Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler have four points each but no other player on the roster has more than two. The Ducks have the potential to be one of the better defensive teams in the NHL as we saw last season but they are going to have to figure out a way to generate more offense as they try to turn things around following another disappointing start.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are the other winless California team as they have opened with three straight losses out of the gate. What makes the situation in Los Angeles that much more troubling is the fact that they will likely be without their All-Star goaltender Jonathan Quick after he suffered an injury in their NHL season opener. That is terrible news for a Kings side that has averaged just two goals per game out of the gate and doesn’t have a ton of offensive firepower up front. Los Angeles will at least temporarily lean on Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj to carry the load for them up front but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they looked elsewhere to acquire a veteran that could help bridge the gap until Quick returns.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus showed signs of life towards the end of last season and there were some that felt this young team could be a surprise playoff contender in the Eastern Conference this NHL season. However, the Blue Jackets have dropped two in a row while getting outscored 9-5 in the process. There is no doubt that they won’t succeed in the Eastern Conference unless they cut down on their goals against and head coach John Tortorella could find himself on the hot seat if they don’t turn things around soon. It won’t help that Columbus is set to go on the road for a four-game west coast road trip where the situation could go from bad to worse in a hurry following a rough start.
New York Islanders
The Islanders were projected to be among the top contenders in the Metropolitan Division once again this season so while they haven’t hit the panic button just yet a 1-3-0 start isn’t exactly what was expected. New York opened the NHL season with consecutive losses to division rivals in the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals before splitting a pair of games against the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. We already broke down Anaheim’s situation so it should be no surprise that we aren’t holding one win over the Ducks in high regard. Offensive consistency has been a major issue with John Tavares held to two points while free agent addition Andrew Ladd doesn’t have a single point through four games. Head coach Jack Capuano loves to tinker with his lines but he will need to find something that works before things get a lot worse in a hurry. The Islanders play eight of their next nine games at home so there will be an opportunity to turn things around following a disappointing start to the NHL season.
