Through 19 games played, the Edmonton Oilers are sitting on top of the Pacific Division, second in the National Hockey League's Western Conference, and third overall in the league as whole. Trailing on the the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild, two teams they've beaten in head-to-head matchups this season, they look like a team that's ready to make some noise when the Stanley Cup Playoffs arrive.
That's still a few months away, and there are plenty of things that can go wrong, or right, between now and Game 84 of the schedule. But as of today, the Oilers are on pace to break a franchise record.
Winning the division and more
The Vegas Golden Knights are going to nip at their heels all season long, and the Oilers will have to continue to play at a consistently high level if they want to win their first divisional title since 1987. But if they maintain their current win rate, capturing 76.3% of potential standings points, not only are they likely to win the Pacific, but they can also set the team record for the most standings points in a season.
Twice, in 1983-84 and 1985-86, the Oilers managed 119 standings points. If they maintain their trajectory, they can finish the year with 128. That's enough to remove the obvious asterisk regarding this season's two additional games than any in the past.
It is also true that in the 1980s there were no shootouts. Games ended in a tie after a scoreless 5-on-5 overtime period. That makes the Boys on the Bus' 119 point record slightly more impressive, but on the other hand, most defensemen couldn't skate backward in those days, so maybe it's a wash.
Benefits of a strong regular season
Beyond the luxury of being able to rest any playing with nagging issues as the postseason approaches, a top finish in the division, conference, and league, grants home ice advantage in the playoffs. Looking back at recent history, if the Oilers had captured home ice advantage throughout the 2023-24 playoffs, they would have begun the Stanley Cup FInal series at Roger's Place, and surely would have gotten off to better than a 0-3 start.
And if the series had still gone the distance, Game 7 would have been in Edmonton as well. That Florida Panthers club was very good, but bewteen the final change and the noise of the crowd, home ice advantage surely counts for something. Things might have looked entirely different.
Hey, maybe Matthew Tkachuk would have demanded a trade to Ottawa instead?
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