Are The Edmonton Oilers Firing On All Cylinders After Flames Win?

The Edmonton Oilers knocked off the Calgary Flames last night in a one-goal game. Is beating the best team in the West a precursor for what’s to come?

It has looked from the outside that the Edmonton Oilers are firing on all cylinders as of late. Sporting a 16-12-2 record so far this season doesn’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s considered the progress of what this team has accomplished so far.

Changing up head coaches was no small thing for the Oilers, but it seemed like the right thing to do since they were struggling during those last two months. A lot of the credit of the turnaround has to go to both the players and Ken Hitchcock for simplifying the game and roles.

So far in December, the Edmonton Oilers have a 4-1 record and are in the midst of a 3-game winning streak. Last night the Oilers knocked off the Calgary Flames in a one-goal game, where they scored in the first period.

That was amazing to win a one-goal game against a provincial rival that has been on the midst of a 5-game win streak. Also, remember that the Flames are even sitting on top of the Pacific Division and the Western Conference so that this win can play a factor down the line. Especially, if the Oilers are in a tie-breaker type scenario with the Flames.

What stood out last night from this game wasn’t that Mikko Koskinen had a shout-out win or that Connor McDavid scored the lone goal for the game. It was all about the guys like Adam Larsson and Zack Kassian stepping up and making some defensive adjustments to give Mikko a chance between the pipes.

Those two have always seemed to be the weak links, but a win like this can show everyone that they can make a small difference in keeping their team competitive week in and out.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Edmonton Oilers match-up against the third best team in the West tomorrow night when they face off against the Colorado Avalanche. Can they make it 4 in a row?