3 reasons why the Oilers are the Western Conference’s hottest team in the NHL playoff race
Even if they aren’t in first place, the Edmonton Oilers could be the team to beat in the Western Conference during the NHL playoff race.
The Edmonton Oilers may not be the first team you think of when it comes to the NHL playoff race, given how much publicity teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and the Winnipeg Jets earned at the trade deadline a couple of weeks ago.
While the aforementioned teams made a few glamor trades at the deadline and have since become some of the deepest in the NHL, it’s not wise to count out the Oilers. Edmonton has still been one of, if not the hottest team in the Western Conference since the All-Star Break, and only the Nashville Predators have fared better in the previous 10 games as of March 17th, while they have also tied the Colorado Avalanche in points in that same span.
Also, since the All-Star Break, the Predators, the Winnipeg Jets, and the Minnesota Wild have been the only two teams in the Western Conference to accumulate more points than the Oilers, while just four teams have outperformed them in points per game played. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are hotter than the Oilers as the playoff race heats up.
Oilers could be the best in the Western Conference in the NHL playoff race
The Oilers have already proven they can go on a tear thanks to their 16-game winning streak earlier this season. And while that streak is long gone, Edmonton is still boasting an 11-6-3 record since, with 71 goals scored, better than any team in the Western Conference.
But outscoring opponents isn’t the only reason to believe the Oilers are arguably the hottest team in the West. Since the trade deadline, Edmonton has become a deep hockey team, with the best one-two punch in the NHL, plus a goaltending duo that looks like it is getting hot at the right time.
Edmonton’s one-two combo is the NHL’s hottest
Since the All-Star Break ended, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have far and away been the NHL’s best one-two combo. The two have often played alongside one another on the first line, and they have a combined 68 points since February 6th.
McDavid, however, hasn’t been a top scorer, finding the net just five times in that stretch, good for just a 7.3 shooting percentage. But his 34 assists are by far pacing the league, with Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning sitting behind him with just 21 in that same timeframe.
Draisaitl has also recorded more helpers than goals by a near 2-1 margin, finding the net just 10 times while recording 19 assists. But remember, the Oilers have 71 goals in those 20 games between February 6th and March 17th, good for 3.55 per contest.
This means McDavid and Draisaitl, with a combined 15 goals in that stretch, have scored just 21 percent of the time. The dynamic duo is moving the puck well, finding the open linemate, and frustrating opponents. Should this approach continue in the season’s final month, don’t expect many teams to slow down Edmonton’s onslaught, led by two of the league’s best players.
They added the right pieces at the trade deadline
The NHL trade deadline means a lot to the league’s top contenders, and if they botch it, it could hurt their playoff chances. For the league’s best teams that have unofficially punched their ticket into the playoffs, bad fits at or even over a month before the trade deadline could be detrimental.
Luckily, the Oilers avoided making such ill-fated trades, and they brought in a trio of incredible depth players: Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick, and Troy Stecher. None of the aforementioned players have been incredible scorers, but when you look at the previous slide, it’s clear the Oilers already had them in the system.
But they needed depth and defensive-minded players, and it’s what Henrique and Carrick bring. The duo have, for the most part, been on the lower lines since Edmonton acquired them. Since they arrived, Edmonton is 2-0-2, with 15 goals for and just eight allowed.
Stecher, meanwhile, makes for a much-needed rotational piece who becomes a luxury when the games get physical. He made just one appearance between March 9th and March 16th, but that could be changing. Also, in that one game, the blueliner recorded five hits in just 13:33 of ice time. When the Oilers play one of those more physical teams down the stretch, Stecher (and Sam Carrick) provide a pair of answers.
Stuart Skinner is getting hot again…and so is Calvin Pickard
Can Stuart Skinner get hot and stay hot? That has been the burning question surrounding the Edmonton Oilers since their 16-game winning streak snapped shortly following the All-Star Break. Should Skinner up his save percentage into the 0.910 range, we’re looking at a potential Vezina candidate, regardless of how many inconsistent spans he’s struggled through this season.
He was awful throughout most of February, but let’s check out what he’s done between February 26th and March 16th. In that span, Skinner has a 5-0-2 record in eight appearances (seven starts), with 206 saves and 13 goals allowed, to go with a 0.941 save percentage. If Skinner keeps this pace going, he’s up there with the best netminders in hockey as a playoff-caliber goaltender.
While Skinner would get most of the starts in the playoffs, let’s give some credit to Calvin Pickard, who has been incredible lately as the No. 2 goaltender. Pickard has nine wins on the season, a 0.919 save percentage, plus a 2.27 GAA. While his 0.538 quality starts percentage shows he’s been up-and-down, Pickard has recently posted a 0.959 save percentage between March 5th and March 16th, allowing just four goals in 97 shot attempts.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)