The Edmonton Oilers are beginning to establish a rhythm, showcasing a professional level of play over their last six games, winning five of them. This stretch suggests that the Oilers may have finally found their game, a significant improvement from their struggles just two weeks ago. “We”re all on the same page. We”re playing a lot faster,” noted defenseman Evan Bouchard, who contributed significantly with a key shot block and three assists during a 9-4 victory.
Could this be the turning point that the team typically grapples with for the first two months of the season? While it is still early, this six-game stretch has historically been a springboard for the Oilers, propelling them from a rough start towards stronger contention as the season progresses. “I feel like we”re playing better,” Connor McDavid reflected cautiously after registering his first hat trick of the season. “It”s nice to score some goals and feel good about ourselves. It”s been a little bit of a grind here finding wins. It”s nice to put a good one together.”
Despite the recent successes, this win marked only the seventh regulation victory for Edmonton this season, coming in Game 28. The Oilers” record during this stretch includes a narrow 2-1 overtime loss to Tampa Bay, a solid 6-3 victory against Florida, the aforementioned 8-3 defeat to Dallas, a 4-0 road win at Seattle, a 1-0 loss to Minnesota, and the recent high-scoring affair against Seattle. Defensively, the team has shown improvement. The goaltending has been adequate, while McDavid”s performance has sparked the power play, which thrived with four goals on five opportunities in the latest game.
Coach Kris Knoblauch remains cautious, emphasizing that the team is not yet at its full potential. “I don”t think this is quite our team yet. We still have things to work on,” he said. “But I”m starting to see a lot more things from our team that I like, and it all starts with compete and attention to detail in the defensive zone.” He stressed the importance of defensive play in achieving consistent success, noting that without solid defense, victories will be rare.
While the Oilers allowed four goals to the Kraken, it is important to note that they had established a commanding lead of 3-0 and later 6-2 before Seattle scored in the final moments. Over the five games in this recent stretch, the Oilers have allowed only nine regulation goals, excluding the loss to Dallas. They are unlikely to adopt a defensive style akin to the New Jersey Devils under Jacques Lemaire, but if they can maintain a game where scoring three or four goals is sufficient, they have the offensive firepower to achieve that.
With three home games remaining against Winnipeg, Buffalo, and Detroit, it is conceivable that the Oilers could head out on the road to face Toronto next Friday in a strong position within the Pacific Division, something they have yet to experience this season.
During the previous loss to Minnesota, McDavid had opted to pass during prime scoring chances, a decision he later acknowledged. He had previously expressed a desire to consistently score at least 50 goals during an interview back in September. “I want to prove that scoring 50 or 60 is not a one-off,” he stated at the time. Recently, he returned to a more aggressive offensive approach, taking more shots against Seattle and ultimately scoring three goals from a game-high seven shots. “I thought I passed a couple away the other night, and it ultimately cost us,” he reflected after the game. “I definitely thought about shooting a little bit more.”
As a result of this recent form, McDavid has now accumulated 14 goals and 40 points in 28 games, placing him just six points behind Nathan MacKinnon in the Art Ross race. This resurgence is critical for the Oilers, as McDavid needs to be their most dangerous player for the team to thrive. Knoblauch praised McDavid”s determination, emphasizing the importance of his mentality to shoot rather than pass up opportunities. “Just driven, with the mentality of shooting the puck and not passing up opportunities,” Knoblauch stated. “On his first shift, he had a shot.”
