One thing which became clear during last season, was the Edmonton Oilers' mental fortitude, i.e. their believe in themselves. After beginning the 2023-24 campaign with a 2-9-1 record which was the worst start in team history through 12 games, they charged back into contention with a run which included eight and then 16-game winning streaks.
The Oilers then similarly proved their refusal to lose during a phenomenal playoff run, with the prime example coming in the Stanley Cup Final versus the Florida Panthers. Yes they ultimately lost Game 7 in heart-breaking fashion, but that they came back from three games down to even force a deciding game, was an impressive feat.
Another example of the Oilers' mental fortitude, has come in how they continually manage to come out on top in one-goal games this season, with eight wins in 11 such contests. This includes an excellent seven wins in nine games which have gone to overtime.
Two consecutive dramatic comeback wins
Kris Knoblauch's team got one such win on Thursday night, when they came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Boston Bruins. Connor McDavid tied the game at 2-2 with just 2:21 remaining in the third period, before Mattias Ekholm secured the two points 1:04 into overtime.
The Oilers followed this up with an even more dramatic effort on Saturday night, at home to the San Jose Sharks. Despite thoroughly outplaying the visitors, they appeared set to lose thanks to a truly outstanding display by Yaroslav Askarov between the pipes with a career-high 39 saves.
However, that man Ekholm saved the Oilers once again, as he tied the game at 2-2 with a mere 18 seconds remaining in the third period. Then, just 18 seconds into the extra period, Leon Draisaitl scored his NHL-leading 24th goal of the 2024-25 season and the home team clinched a 3-2 victory.
Chasing down NHL history
Draisaitl's goal broke a tie with McDavid, giving him a franchise-record 17 overtime goals. It was also the 99th time the duo had combined on a game-winning goal, which is the second-most in NHL history. (Twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin lead the way, with 149 such connections from their time with the Vancouver Canucks.)
Draisaitl spoke to the media postgame, about how such comeback wins manifest themselves within the makeup of the team. As per Gerry Moddejonge of NHL.com, he said:
"It just creates a little bit of belief and a little bit of character in those moments when they come later on in the season. You have to find a way to win any kind of hockey game in this league, and the last two (games) we certainly won two the same way."
The five-time NHL All-Star did caution that you don't want to have to keep winning in such a manner, but appreciates the appeal of it to fans and media alike. As per Shane Jones of The Canadian Press, he said:
"These are always exciting and fun, if they go your way, of course. I thought we’ve done a good job the last two nights of finding a way to put away the game."
Teammate Corey Perry talked about the Oilers' refusal to give up, despite it seeming like it just wasn't meant to be their night. Also as per Jones, he said:
"We stuck with it, we found a way and our big boys came through. It’s about staying with the process. We played as a team tonight. We moved the puck around and made some great plays. ... It’s just the way it goes sometimes. You miss a couple of open nets and you have to fight right to the end to tie it. That’s hockey for you."
Picking up points one way or another
Further enhanching the impressive nature of the Oilers' fighting mentality, their actual record in one-goal games this season is 8-1-2. In other words, there's only been one occasion so far, when they've failed to take home any points.
Knoblauch appreciates that the experience of last season has definitely helped the Oilers strengthen their resolve and refusal to lose. As per Moddejonge, he said:
"I think with the experience from last year, being resilient and going through all the pressure of hardships that they went through last year, and tonight was just: Stick with it. It’s easy for them to take shortcuts because they were doing so many good things and it’s still not going in the net. ... So, sometimes you extend your shift, sometimes you try low-percentage plays. But tonight was one of our games with higher opportunities with the amount of chances that we had, and finally it paid off and was able to go into the net for us."
There are of course no guarantees that the Oilers will take that final step this season and win their first Stanley Cup since 1990. However, they at least have an excellent shot at it, in large part because of their unrivalled belief that they can win, no matter how bad a situation looks during a game.