The Edmonton Oilers suffered a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, falling 7-4 in a game where they played great but Andrei Vasilevskiy played a bit better. It was sad to see the Oilers win streak end when it did, the thing is now they need to start another one and can’t start losing games.
The Oilers now find themselves in a precarious position. They are currently sitting in fourth place in the Pacific Division, but are just two points behind the St. Louis Blues who currently hold the final Wild Card Spot.
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The Oilers cannot afford to let this loss linger. They need to shake it off quickly and focus on their upcoming games. They have a tough matchup on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, a team that beat the Oilers 5-3 under a month ago.
The Edmonton Oilers need to play with more urgency and desperation if they want to make the playoffs this season. They have the talent to compete with any team in the league, but they have been too inconsistent this year. They started the season well behind the 8-ball, then went on a good run, but they need to continue to find a way to string together some wins if they want to make the postseason.
One of the biggest issues the Oilers have had this season is their defense. They have allowed the seventh-most goals in the Western Conference and have struggled to keep the puck out of their net when it matters. They need to tighten up defensively and get better goaltending if they want to have any chance of making a deep playoff run.
Another problem the Oilers have had is their lack of secondary scoring. The top players have been carrying the team on their backs, but they need more production from their other forwards. Players like Connor Brown and Ryan McLeod need to step up and provide some offensive support.
The Oilers need to put their loss to the Lightning behind them and focus on their upcoming games. They cannot afford to go on another losing streak if they want to secure a playoff spot. They need to tighten up defensively and get more production from their secondary scoring if they want to make a deep postseason run. The next few weeks will be crucial for the Oilers, and they need to play with urgency and desperation if they want to make the playoffs.