Edmonton Oilers preview versus San Jose Sharks as they aim to secure playoff spot

The Edmonton Oilers enter game 79 on Friday night against the San Jose Sharks with one mission: Win and you’re in.

As it stands, the Oilers are third in the Pacific Division with 95 points. The Calgary Flames, fourth in the Pacific, have 88 points and are still mathematically alive in the playoff hunt. However, their chances are rather slim.

According to Money Puck, the Flames have a 10 percent chance of making the postseason. I’m assuming those odds are based on the Flames catching the St. Louis Blues or Minnesota Wild, both of which have 93 points in the standings.

As such, the Oilers are in the driver’s seat. All they need to do is win and they can breathe a sigh of relief. Based on playoffstatus.com, the Oilers need a win against the Sharks in regulation or a win in overtime or shootout. That’s all.

Additionally, the Oilers are in with a Flames loss to the Wild. The Flames play the Wild in a game that will basically determine their playoff hopes moving forward.

The outcome of that game is irrelevant as long as the Oilers win. That’s the only thing that matters. After Friday night’s game, the Oilers have three games left on the schedule. They play the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings in a first-round preview on Monday night, then close out the season on Wednesday night against the Sharks at the SAP Center.

So, the road is laid out. All the Edmonton Oilers have to do is win, to officially punch their ticket for the 2025 NHL playoffs.

Projected Edmonton Oilers lineup against San Jose Sharks

The Edmonton Oilers will be as close to a full lineup as possible on Friday night. Connor McDavid will be centering the top line alongside Jeff Skinner and Connor Brown. The second unit will feature Adam Henrique with Viktor Arvidsson and Zach Hyman.

As a side note, Henrique has looked promising in the second-line center role. Moving forward, Kris Knoblauch may consider deploying Henrique on a second unit, while loading up the top line with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, once he gets back into the lineup.

The bottom six looks solid with Mattias Janmark moving up the pecking order to the third line with Vasily Podkolzin and Corey Perry. As another aside, we’re getting close to the time when Perry is most dangerous. So, keep an eye out for him.

Lastly, the fourth line looks somewhat of a makeshift unit with Max Jones, Noah Philp, and Kasperi Kapanen. That line looks serviceable. I like seeing Philp getting some action before the end of the season. He could certainly be of use if and when injuries hit during the postseason.

On defense, Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard will continue to roll on the pairing. Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson on the second pair will handle plenty of heaving lifting, as the third pairing of Cam Dineen and Troy Stetcher won’t see too much ice time.

In the crease, Stuart Skinner will likely get the nod. The Edmonton Oilers desperately need consistency in goal. So, having a healthy Skinner back in action, plus a solid backup in Calvin Pickard, will go a long way toward solidifying the position.

All told, Friday night’s mission is a clear and direct one. There are no excuses for an Oilers’ loss.

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