Edmonton Oilers Need To Have A Good Start This Season
There is no secret about how bad the Oilers started last season. They were able to turn things around last year, but this year the Oilers cannot afford a slow start.
Last season the Edmonton Oilers had one of their worst starts in a long time and it cost Jay Woodcroft his job. The good news for the Oilers though is they were able to turn the season around and get to the point where they were one game away from lifting the Stanley Cup. Even though they did it last season, I know I am not alone, and I hope they have a much better start this year than last.
After starting the 2023-24 season 2-9-1 the Oilers were able to go on a couple of huge winning streaks, one being 8 games and another 16 games. Those two winning streaks were needed for this team to drag themselves out of the dumpster and put them up to the top of the standings. If the Oilers hope to have a repeat of their playoff success they are going to want to finish at the top of their conference or at least the division.
Why Does The Regular Season Matter For The Oilers?
There is a simple answer to this. The higher in the standings you finish the later in the playoffs you play the better teams. For the Oilers, they would rather face the second wildcard team instead of facing the team that finished 3rd in their division. For example, last season the easier team in the first round would have been the Nashville Predators instead of the Los Angeles Kings. While they did beat the Kings, the Predators would have been the easier opponent.
Another reason for the Oilers to do better in the regular season is home ice in the playoffs. The Oilers in the playoffs have been really good over the past couple of seasons. They are so good it makes me wonder if game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals was played in Edmonton the Oilers would have won. There is no way to know for sure, but I think it would have increased their chances.
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While history has proven that having a poor start to the season does not ruin your chance at the Stanley Cup, having a good start greatly helps your chances. Whether it be having an easier path to the cup or home ice advantage there are lots of good reasons for getting off to a good start this season.
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