Everything Is Clicking
The Edmonton Oilers’ early season struggles were glaring, but it was important to recognize that it was going to change. This team has proven time and time again that they’re one of the best teams in hockey, and that hasn’t changed this season.
In fact, Edmonton might be showing why they’re arguably the best team in hockey with this recent stretch. The Oilers have strung together an astounding series of 11 consecutive victories and have completed this impressive feat by beating some of the top teams in the league.
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In the midst of this remarkable winning streak, however, it’s the defence that deserves the credit. In these 11 games, they’ve allowed two or fewer goals in nine of them. When you pair that with an offence that’s scored 142 points after struggling to start the season, you get 11 wins in a row.
The Oilers feel great about where they’re at, and rightfully so.
“We definitely grew our game,” said Oilers forward Derek Ryan, whose third-period goal tied things up on the way to a 4-2 win over the Leafs on Tuesday. “I think we’re all proud of our game, where it’s at right now and how we’re winning games.
Are the Oilers the Best in the Western Conference?
While this winning streak is impressive, it’s a habit to look ahead at what Edmonton can do in the future. The real litmus test for Edmonton lies ahead as they face formidable opponents like the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, and Winnipeg Jets.
The Oilers have been playing La Bamba quite a lot lately. 🔥🎶 pic.twitter.com/h9utCbZm9a
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 17, 2024
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That remains to be seen, but considering they’ll always have the best player on the ice in Connor McDavid, it’s impossible to count the Oilers out. McDavid has once again shown why he’s the best player in hockey, ranking sixth in points despite being the only player in the top 22 who hasn’t played 40-plus games.
Derek Ryan continued what he had to say about the team’s recent stretch, showing appreciation for goaltender Stuart Skinner.
“I don’t think we’re winning games the wrong way, I think Skinzy’s (goaltender Stuart Skinner) outright stealing us games left and right. I think he’s making huge saves when we need them. We’ve done a good job limiting chances, our penalty kill’s been great, our top guys have been awesome, and the bottom guys have provided some support, as well.”
The questions for Edmonton typically come in the postseason. This team hasn’t played the way they were hoping for in the playoffs for the past few seasons.
It’s been a major call for concern, but this could be the season that things finally come together. Typically, when Edmonton was losing in the postseason, it was because of their inability to keep the puck out of the back of the net.
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The offensive firepower of the Edmonton Oilers has consistently been a highlight, and this season is shaping up to be no different.
Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and others have all impressed for the Oilers on offence. Their play will only continue to get better, and with Skinner posting an impressive 2.61 goals allowed per game mark, they should find themselves in a better position than in previous years.
Sometimes, it takes a team to be at their worst to find out who they really are. That seems to be the case for Edmonton after starting the season as arguably the worst team in hockey. They started with a 2-9-1 record, the worst in franchise history through 12 games. Now, they’ve won the most games in a row in franchise history after breaking the previous streak of nine.
Their winning streak will be put to the test on Thursday when they clash with the Seattle Kraken, a team that’s also riding a wave of success with eight victories in their last 10 games. If one thing is for certain, the Oilers are confident and believe they can beat any team in the league.
“I’d call it confidence, we’re a confident group. We know even if we’re behind, I think there’s been some games where we have been behind, but we’ve probably been outplaying the competition,” Ryan said. “So, the message is not to deviate from how we’re playing; we don’t need to change anything, we don’t need to start to take chances.”
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