The Oilers have some ground to make up.
Yesterday, I looked at the team’s performance following their disappointing 0-3 start, after which they’ve rebounded to look like the contender they were supposed to be entering the season. Leave out those first three games, and they’re a top-five team in the NHL.
But those games did happen, and they’re still a big reason why the Oilers are currently in a wild card spot, not competing for first place in the Pacific. They’ve still got a long road ahead of them, and it starts tonight as they visit the Vegas Golden Knights for their second matchup of the season.
Their first encounter with Vegas back on November 6th did not go the Oilers’ way. Despite leading the Golden Knights 2-1 after 40 minutes, they allowed three goals in a disastrous third period to lose 4-2 and drop their record to 6-7-1.
That loss was an early low point for the Oilers, who responded by going 7-2-1 through the rest of November. Vegas has fallen back down to earth some after that win, with a 6-4-2 record since.
With Vegas flagging and Edmonton surging, tonight’s game could be a perfect opportunity for the Oilers to gain some momentum as they fight their way back up to the top of the division. Vegas currently leads the division with 33 points, five ahead of Edmonton, though the Oilers do have a game in hand after their long five-day layoff last week.
That’s not to say that the Golden Knights aren’t still formidable. Their offence has been nigh unstoppable this season, tied with Carolina for 5th in the league in goals with 91. Jack Eichel has been particularly dominant, his 36 points tied with Nathan MacKinnon for third leaguewide.
While Vegas has gotten all the shooting luck the Oilers have lacked, they’ve faced a very similar dilemma in net, where neither Adin Hill nor Ilya Samsonov has posted save percentages above .900. Much like the Oilers, Vegas is great, but still very beatable.
The Oilers’ current hot streak — including three consecutive wins against playoff contenders — has given them a massive boost in the standings, so much so that MoneyPuck now gives them better odds to win the Pacific Division than Vegas. The Oilers’ chances now sit at 30.1% to Vegas’ 22.6%, though both are behind the Los Angeles Kings’ 35.7%.
If the Oilers are to come back and claim their first division title since 1986-87, it’ll start tonight with a win in Vegas to sweep their three-game western road trip. The puck drops at 8:00 PM MT, on Sportsnet One.
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