With the passing of the trade deadline and no well known rental players added to the Edmonton Oilers' roster, the questions about contention were on everyone's minds. Post-deadline, every fan knows that the team's current roster is the one that will determine post-season success. And the Oilers had an early chance to show their stuff, with the Carolina Hurricanes arriving in town Friday evening.
They did not show their best stuff. A 3-6 loss to one of the National Hockey League's hottest teams was disappointing, but the game wasn't without some high points. The penalty kill went 3 for 3, suggesting that the recent additions of Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy may be beneficial to that struggling unit. And two Zach Hyman goals allow those of us who won't let it go to once again mention how she should have been a the Olympics.
Oilers luck has begun to turn
We are all going to be schedule watching for the balance of the season. Not only do the Oilers' game-by-game results matter, but the rest of the divisional and many conference games matter as well. Friday's results were mixed on that front.
- The Vegas Golden Knights lost in regulation to the Minnesota Wild.
- The San Jose Sharks lost in overtime to the St. Louis Blues.
- The Anaheim Ducks won their game against the Montreal Canadiens, also in OT.
Some lost ground, but not a scenario where Edmonton moved backward while everyone else advanced. On to Saturday:
- The LA Kings and Seattle Kraken lost their games.
- The Sharks once again found a loser point in a second straight OT loss.
The Kings are almost out of room for error. The Kraken failed to make up ground on Edmonton and it remains within the Oilers' power to determine whether or not Seattle finishes ahead of them when all is said and done. But it was Sunday that delivered the best news for the Oilers' postseason hopes.
Everyone else lost
The Ducks lost 0-4 to the Blues, who have been making their way through the Pacific doing the Oilers similar favours. And the Oilers themselves came up with a 4 point win against the Golden Knights. That victory puts Vegas within reach in terms of the end-of-season standings and heavily tilts the tie breakers in Edmonton's favour as well.
Looking ahead to tonight, only the Kings play a game that bears watching. The Oilers return to the ice on Tuesday evening (8pm MDT) and will need another strong showing against the Colorado Avalanche, who are looking like a heavy Western favorite after their own deadline dealing.