3 things to watch for as Oilers head out for three-game West coast trip
As the Oilers prepare to return to action on Thursday night, we look at three things which will help shape their road trip out West to California.
We hope the Oilers are enjoying the holidays and a much-needed break. Thanks to how the schedule was put together, they are reaping the benefits of five days without a game.
However, we imagine the players will be eager to get back to action and start winning with more consistency, following a 15-15-1 start to their season. This challenge will begin with three games out West to California.
The Oilers have been particularly poor on the road so far in 2023-24, with a 6-9-0 record. Just last season they were so strong on their travels, that they actually had a better record on the road compared to at home.
Regardless, the Oilers really do need to come out of the Christmas break with some positive results. Here are three things to watch for, during the three games on the West coast:
1) Returning to the scene of the season's lowest point
Some would suggest half joking and half serious, that opening night in Vancouver was the lowest point of the season. And certainly, getting humiliated 8-1 versus the Canucks after entering this season as Stanley Cup favourites was a horrific start to the 2023-24 campaign.
However, we would argue the 3-2 lose in San Jose was the lowest and most humiliating point, and not just because it ultimately cost Jay Woodcroft his job. It also represented losing to the worst team in the NHL and finishing the game tied for the fewest points in the league with said worst team.
If nothing else, once you hit rock bottom there's only one way to go. Even though the players were to blame for Woodcroft losing his job, the 3-2 defeat did also serve as a wake-up call for the team, as well as a turning point.
The addition of Kris Knoblauch also served as a boost for the team, with him providing a new (and different) energy, ideas and focus. Since the lose in San Jose, the Oilers are 13-6-0, including 12-6-0 under their new coach.
Now, the Oilers return to the scene of the crime, looking for revenge versus the Sharks. And wouldn't you know it, the team from San Jose find themselves tied at the bottom of the NHL standings with the Blackhawks for fewest points, but also with easily the worst goal difference in the league.
You really would like to think the Oilers will produce a more positive result this time around, even accounting for how streaky and unpredictable they've been so far this season. For what it's worth, they won 7-1 and 6-1 respectively last season at SAP Center with essentially the same roster.
2) Take advantage of a so-so home record
The Oilers and Kings will forever be linked by the trade which shook up the world of hockey. And while Wayne Gretzky leaving Edmonton was a negative for Oilers fans, it undoubtedly helped the NHL grow in the United States.
More recently, the Kings have been on the losing side to the Oilers when it has counted most. More specifically, with the Oilers knocking their Los Angeles rivals out of the playoffs the previous two seasons.
As such, even though a regular season win won't really constitute revenge, the Kings will still be motivated to get one over on the Oilers. Bizarrely though, it's arguably better for Knoblauch and his players, that the game is being played in Los Angeles rather than Edmonton.
That's because the Kings' have been decidedly average at Crypto.com Arena so far in 2023-24, with a 6-6-3 record. By comparison they are a spectacular 13-1-1 on their travels, unsurprisingly the best road record in the NHL.
In any event, the Kings are where the Oilers want to be, i.e. in a playoff position. Entering the Christmas break, the team from Los Angeles are in the third Pacific Division playoff spot and 11 points ahead of the Oilers.
Last season the Oilers won three of the five games they played on the road versus the Kings, including two of three in the playoffs. All were high-scoring affairs and this is the most likely road map to the Oilers leaving Los Angeles with another win on Saturday night.
3) More of the same as last time
In a season of erratic form up to this point for the Oilers, the previous encounter with the Ducks stands out. It was one of the few games this season where they displayed the dominant form which was on display so much more frequently last season.
When it was all said and done, the Oilers had beaten the Ducks 8-2, in what was the second of eight consecutive wins. The game also represented season highs for goals scored and margin of victory.
Now we're not going to suggest the Oilers will dominate as much this time around, in part due to the game being played in Anaheim rather than Edmonton. However, they should still really be coming away with another win.
The Ducks have been poor in general this season, with them entering the Christmas break tied for the second-fewest points in the NHL. The Senators are the other team on just 24 points, but they have played four fewer games.
In addition, the Ducks have been the poorest team in the NHL at home so far this season; yes, even wose than the Sharks and Blackhawks. As things stand, they have the worst home record in the league, with the fewest wins (5) and most losses (12).
For what it's worth, last season the Oilers beat the Ducks 6-2 and 3-1 respectively in Anaheim, and those wins were both with Jack Campbell in goal! The point is there will be little excuse if they don't beat the Ducks again on Sunday night, even allowing for it being the Oilers' second game in two days.
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Overall, nothing less than two wins out of three will be unacceptable for the Oilers. And really, they need to be winning all three games if they are to finally get truly back into the playoff race.