Edmonton Oilers: Playoff Hopes Hinges on February Schedule

The upcoming 14-game February schedule for the Edmonton Oilers will determine if they have a shot at a playoff spot. We’ll see if they can rise to the occasion or not.

The Edmonton Oilers have a slim hope of luck that they can squeeze in the playoff picture. Sitting with a record of 22-24 has been not only underwhelming but frustrating at times. The former Stanley Cup favourites a few months ago have turned into a caricature of themselves.

Add in their horrible performances and definite silence by the Oilers brass, this year pales in comparison to previous disappointing seasons. Sporting the reigning MVP in the NHL, Connor McDavid has been the only glimmer of hope that the Oilers could hold on to in this abysmal year.

That’s why it’s critical for the Edmonton Oilers have a run-the-gauntlet mentality in the month of February. These next 14 games will decide if the Oilers will make a run for a playoff spot or get ready for the NHL Draft. The injury to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was a gut punch that this franchise didn’t need but have to endure during the final stretch of the regular season. It won’t be speed and talent that the Oilers will need to rely on the next month—just heart and fortitude. They’ll need to grind out victories in order to chase that elusive wild-card playoff spot.

Schedule

Looking at the 14 games on the February schedule, the Edmonton Oilers have a really tough path to climbing up the rankings. Out of those 14 games, 2 of them are against teams who are below a .500 record. Those teams are the Florida Panthers and the Arizona Coyotes. The Oilers have matched up well against the Coyotes and beaten them twice so far this year. It would be safe to assume that their third matchup would end up with the same result. The Oilers haven’t faced the Panthers yet but with how they’ve been struggling this year—it wouldn’t be shocking if the Oilers notched a victory against this Atlantic Division team.

The struggle that the Edmonton Oilers will be facing in February will be coming out of their own division. They’ll be facing teams at the cream of the crop in the Western Conference. Teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose Sharks and the LA Kings will be looking at Edmonton as another easy win in their monthly schedule. It can work to the advantage of the Oilers if season juggernauts like those squads overlook teams based on their season record.

Consistency

But you need to remember one thing—it’s the Edmonton Oilers’ job to show up to these games as well. They have had a habit all year-long of beginning games with a lack of energy and overcompensating it with stupid hits that allow the opposition to get multiple power-play opportunities.

This team has to be disciplined in facing off against higher calibre teams and play up to their competition. The time for coasting is officially over for the Edmonton Oilers. Their upcoming schedule for the month of February will decide the fate of their playoff chances. If they find a way of winning most of their games then they will be hailed as a potential sleeper in the Western Conference.

But if they lose the majority of their games, it’ll be time to finally dissect this organization from top to bottom and see where major changes need to happen during the offseason.