Who would have thought that it would take the Edmonton Oilers until the New Year to finally reach a playoff spot? The preseason predictions were that the Oilers would be one of a handful of teams who could hoist the Stanley Cup this season. However, the Oilers’ season start was so slow that many fans had already given up the quest.
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Fortunately, the Oilers are not their fans. The organization made a bold decision to move on from head coach Jay Woodcroft and hired Kris Knoblauch as his successor. At the time, Oilers general manager and president of hockey operations Ken Holland and CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson faced some flack from fans and analysts. But whatever Knoblach brought (and a healthy Connor McDavid didn’t hurt either) did the trick.
Saturday’s Win Against the Ottawa Senators Punched the Ticket
After the Oilers changed coaches, the team started to go on a run. Finally, with a tough win last night against a slumping Ottawa Senators team, the Oilers not only won but finally found themselves (at least for now) resting uncomfortably in a playoff spot. All it took was a radical change, a sustained winning streak, and a patient two-month journey.
With the win last night on home ice, the Oilers added to their current winning streak. Over their past 17 games, they are on a 14-3-0 run. And, for the first time this season, they lay claim to a wild-card playoff spot. The slow start in October and November is far from a thing of the past, and the Oilers will still have some work to do to become comfortable. However, the line in the standings is now below the team name and not above it. That has to be a huge sigh of relief for Oilers fans and the team itself.
Thanks to Zach Hyman, the Oilers Now Sit in 8th Place in the West
It was a tough slog. Every win in December and January had to overcome a corresponding early-season loss in October and November. Yet, it was doable. Last night’s win lifted the Oilers into eighth place in the Western Conference, marking a huge turnaround from the team’s start to the season. The Oilers are now tied with the St. Louis Blues and the Seattle Kraken with 41 points. However, because the Oilers have played fewer games, they hold the highest winning percentage among the three teams. That puts them in control of their playoff destiny.
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The Oilers’ hero in the win was former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman, who continues to impress with his goal-scoring. Watching the game last night on Hockey Night in Canada, I heard someone remark that Hyman was the best Oilers free-agent signing – ever. Perhaps. But he has become one of the ‘Who knew?’ players in the NHL. Considering what he had done in his career before Edmonton, who would have expected this kind of scoring?
Hyman, in the Oilers 3-1 win, scored all three goals. Two came during power plays and one five-on-five. It was his third hat trick of the season, and he’s now the Oilers’ leading goal-scorer with 25 goals. That ties him for fourth place in the NHL with Artemi Panarin. Hyman now has also reached 40 points, and he carries a plus-13 rating in 35 games. He’s on pace for 50 goals this season.
What’s Next for the Oilers?
The Oilers head off on a three-game road trip against the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens. They look to push their seven-game winning streak even further. For now, however, one goal has been reached. The team is in the playoffs. The early season was a challenge, but the Oilers finally secured a playoff spot after a steady two-month climb.
