The Edmonton Oilers have failed consistently to stack wins this year and have actually failed to win three in a row all year, until now. It has been a major storyline following the Oilers this season but after a 4-3 comeback against the San Jose Sharks in overtime, they finally get over the hump.
The game looked over as they entered the third period down 3-0 as the hot young guns for the Sharks stepped up with contributions from Collin Graf and Michael Misa scoring two goals. However, it was off the backs of their stars stepping up, allowing the team to comeback late, forcing the game to overtime.
Then, it was the veteran heavy Oilers who were able to clutch the game and secure their first three game win streak for the 2025-26 season.
The stars continue to carry the Oilers
The Oilers are a top-heavy team, night-in and night-out their stars show up on the score sheet consistently. It is both impressive but also concerning, as the club can be vulnerable in games where players like; Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are out of the lineup or unable to score.
Thankfully, on many nights, their top-of-the-lineup players do show up as the team has multiple high end players. In this one, Draisaitl kicked off the scoring, McDavid got them within one and then defenceman Evan Bouchard tied the game up, forcing OT. Then in the extra frame, Zach Hyman was able to play hero and put them over the top.
Oilers 2026 Winter Olympic snubs
The Oilers have three major snubs for the 2026 Winter Olympics with; Mattias Ekholm for Sweden, as well as Bouchard and Hyman for Canada. They were all held off their respective country's Olympic lineups and are surely making many question this decision.
Ekholm is a steady force on the backend and was publicly unhappy with the decision to be held off of Sweden's roster. Bouchard is one of the league's best offensive defenceman and currently stands as one of the top scoring defencemen in the NHL. Hyman, has proven to be a clutch player in this game and throughout his career, he also has undeniable chemistry with McDavid and could be a valuable piece for Canada to bring along.
Oilers need to upgrade their top-nine
Despite the win, there is a clear need for the Oilers to upgrade their top-nine scoring. The club dodged a bullet by not acquiring Sharks forward Kiefer Sherwood earlier this month but their issue still stands.
One major area of need is at third line centre. They recently recalled forward Josh Samanski from the Bakersfield Condors and although he has shown promise, he does not look fully prepared to anchor a third line right now, especially for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. According to moneypuck.com, their third line has been outplayed the last two games, illustrating the need further.
It is clear that the Oilers need to upgrade this position but we may have to wait and see until after the 2026 Winter Olympic games to see who general manager Stan Bowman and the Oilers acquire.