Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: JOHN NELSON; STAFF WRITER
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — The National Hockey League season is in full swing, and several teams have already emerged as early surprises.
The Boston Bruins sit atop the Atlantic Division with an 11-4-1 record through 16 games. Unlike last season, Boston has received production throughout its lineup rather than relying on captain David Pastrnak.
Young forwards James Hagens, Matthew Poitras, Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov have played significant roles in the Bruins’ early success.
Fraser Minten, 22, has been particularly good. Through 16 games, Minten has posted five goals and five assists.
If the Bruins continue to see production from their young core, combined with the veterans’ presence, they could emerge as a serious contender heading into the playoffs.
The Utah Mammoth have also exceeded expectations. Utah sits second in the Central Division with a 9-6-0 record through 15 games, receiving significant production from forward Clayton Keller.
Keller, 28, has 18 points through 15 games, while solidifying himself as a superstar in the league.
Coming off a playoff appearance last season, the Flyers are one of the biggest disappointments so far.
Philadephia looked to build off last season with its young core. However, through 16 games, they sit seventh in the Metropolitan with a record of 4-8-4.
It is not hard to see why the Flyers are struggling. Forward Trevor Zegras, 25, leads the team with 13 points. The offensive struggles combined with egregious goaltending from Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll leave the Flyers searching for answers before falling further behind in the standings.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings are off to the worst start in franchise history.
After a playoff appearance last season, the Kings hoped veteran forwards Artemi Panarin, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe and Joel Armia would help them remain competitive. However, they own a record of 4-7-2.
The coming months will determine which teams can maintain their early success and compete for the Stanley Cup.
***stats and standings as of Nov. 2***
