The 2025-26 season for the Edmonton Oilers has been full of memorable moments. From seeing young players like Matt Savoie, Ike Howard, Quinn Hutson, and recently Josh Samanski get opportunities with the big club, Leon Draisaitl reaching the 1000th point milestone, and both Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hitting the 1000 games played mark.
However, this season has also brought a lot of frustration. As of right now, the Oilers and the second-last St. Louis Blues are the only teams to not win three consecutive games.
This is especially surprising for a team known for putting together long winning streaks, including a cap-era record-tying 16-game run just a few years ago. With another opportunity to finally reach that mark if they can defeat the San Jose Sharks following chaotic 6–5 and 7–4 wins over the Capitals and Ducks, it feels like the right time to revisit every chance the Oilers have had this season to accomplish this feat and look for a common thread explaining why they haven’t been able to pull it off.
Oilers first failed attempt
The Oilers first opportunity to win three in a row this season came early. On Oct 16, after blowing a 3-0 lead against the Calgary Flames in the season opener, they rebounded with wins in their next two games against the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers by scores of 3-1 and 2-0 respectively. They then headed to the Island to attempt the 3-game win streak but fell 4-2.
The Oilers had a 2-1 lead at one point in the game after goals from Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but a Bo Horvat shorthanded goal tied the game. Horvat went on to score two more goals in the third (including the empty netter to seal the game) to complete the natural hat trick.
The Oilers outshot the Islanders by a decent but not crazy margin of 33-25 in this game. The expected goals were 4.48-4.12 for the Islanders according to MoneyPuck. Neither team played a particularly strong defensive game. The Oilers were outhit 18-7 in the game, which is often a sign that one team is dominating puck possession.
Overall, this one is a game that could have gone either way that the Oilers were not able to close out.
Oilers second failed 3-game winning streak
The Oilers have historically dominated the Seattle Kraken since the team entered the league in the 2021-22 season. In fact, following two recent 4-0 and 9-4 victories, the Oilers' record against the Kraken improved to an impressive 14-4-0. So, it is somewhat surprising that one of their failed attempts at winning three consecutive games came against this team.
Though the Oilers led the expected goals 3.53 - 2.97 and outshot the Kraken 33-23, there were definitely sloppy moments throughout and in classic Oilers fashion, former fan favourite Jordan Eberle scored two of Seattle's three goals.
Despite some fans not being too happy with the Oilers' effort in this one, the analytics and regular stats show that this is a game the Oilers could have easily won. Despite some complaints about Skinner's lateral movement on the second Seattle goal, the fact that the expected goals were as high as they were shows that both teams got solid goaltending, and this one easily could have gone the Oilers' way, so not completely fair to say that this was a terrible game by the Oilers. The Oilers were on the second half of a back-to-back but you have to win those games sometimes too.
Oilers fail vs Blue Jackets
Many fans complained that the previous entry on this list was boring. Well, I don't think they said that about this game. The Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Savoie and Draisaitl tied it with two goals in 1:40. That tie, however, would not last long, as 30 seconds later, Denton Mateychuk would restore the lead, followed by goals from Fantilli and Olivier to give Columbus a 5-2 lead.
However, the Oilers made it interesting with a late push and goals from Podkolzin and Draisaitl, but they were unable to overcome the deficit. The expected goals in this game were 4.05-2.88 for Columbus, despite the Oilers outshooting them 29-25. Most fans would probably agree that the shot total matches the eye test better than the expected goals, as analytics are a useful tool but are not perfect.
This was one game where many people expressed their frustration with the Oilers' goaltending tandem as many complained that Pickard was just not good enough in this game. Though Columbus fans would also probably argue that their goaltending was not good enough in this game either.
This game after two very crazy wins from the Oilers including a 5-4 win against the same Columbus team where Jake Walman tied the game with a minute to go with a shorthanded goal, and Jack Roslovic sealed the deal in overtime. Though that win was fun, it was an imperfect game and many fans were hoping for a better result in this rematch.
You could argue that with better goaltending, the Oilers would have won this game, but as much as it may not match the eye test, the analytics suggest that the Oilers needed to be better in this one.
Oilers meet surging Sabres
It was a bit concerning that the Oilers managed to win two in a row just once in November, but regardless, their next attempt was against the Buffalo Sabres. At his point in the season, Buffalo were not their normal dreadful selves. However, they also hadn't completely broken out the way they have more recently where they look like a real playoff team for the first time in well over a decade.
This game was a dull outing for the vast majority of the night. Buffalo led 3-0 after two, but a brilliant third period from Connor McDavid, including tying the game with one second left, gave the Oilers a fighting chance. Unfortunately, sometimes someone taketh and also giveth, as McDavid's coverage on the overtime winner by the Sabres was... not good.
Either way, though the Oilers led the expected goals 3.61 - 3.46, when you are down 3-0 after two - you should probably consider yourself fortunate to walk away with a single point. The Oilers needed much more through the first two periods. It was also disappointing to see this effort after the Sabres had beaten the Oilers 5-1 in a dominating game just weeks before. With the Columbus game, it is debatable whether or not the Oilers should have won the game or not. With this one, I think most viewers would argue that this loss was due to a poor effort.
Oilers hit a wall vs Montreal Canadiens
This was a strange game. After dominating the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first game after the Jarry/Skinner swap, the Oilers faced the Montreal Canadiens and, in a questionable decision, called up Quinn Hutson after the game instead of giving him a chance to play against his brother — but that’s a whole different can of worms.
Draisaitl was sitting at 999 points coming into this game and it was painfully clear that the Oilers were desperately trying to get him to the 1000-point mark. Numerous quality shooting opportunities were passed up so Draisaitl could take the shot instead, and at times it felt like the Oilers were more focused on the milestone than on actually playing the game.
Despite this, they actually did get a lot of chances (particularly in the third) but when they actually did shoot the puck, Dobes was excellent. Though in fairness, so was Calvin Pickard. The Oilers gave up a LOT of breakaways in this one.
The Oilers did end up leading in the expected goals by a margin of 4.62 - 4.46, which on paper looks respectable, but like mentioned, some of those were on chances may have become goals if Edmonton hadn't been so intent on forcing the milestone. Some of this was score effects when the Oilers finally started fully trying in the third period and Montreal was just focused on closing out the game rather than adding to the lead.
Oilers meet red hot Wild goalie once again
Out of all the games on this list, this one was arguably the worst. From an underlying numbers perspective, it was pretty ugly across the board. Minnesota held a massive advantage in the expected goals, leading 5.12-3.67. That tells most of the story right there.
The first period was chaotic in the worst way possible for the Oilers. They struggled to properly manage the puck or even control play for any sustained stretch. However, despite Matt Boldy giving the Wild a 2-0 lead with goals in the first 10:56 of the period, Andrew Mangiapane and Connor McDavid managed to tie the game to briefly pull their team back into it. Any momentum gained by these goals was erased pretty quickly once Ryan Hartman restored the lead with eight seconds left of the period, and from that point on, the Oilers were never really in it again.
Though there were a few brief moments of pushback throughout the game, these were short-lived and Vladimir Tarasenko's goal mixed with an empty netter from Nico Sturm put the game out of reach. This is the one game on this list that it feels like the Oilers never truly had a chance in. Even the Buffalo game, while they didn't deserve a point in my opinion, they easily could have managed to win anyway. This one is pretty indefensible, especially because it came just weeks after the Oilers lost 1-0 to Minnesota in a game they likely deserved to win.
Oilers lose Battle of Alberta
Out of all the games on this list, this one seems to be the one that the Oilers may regret the most. Right before the Christmas break, they had absolutely steamrolled the Calgary Flames. They had won 5-1, but if not for Dustin Wolf's heroics, that game could have easily gone into double digits - okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but it sure felt like that.
While the final shot totals were relatively close at 32-31 in Calgary's favour, that number is somewhat misleading. Much of Edmonton's push came midway through the game once they finally seemed to wake up, but as has been a recurring theme throughout this season, the effort came too little and too late. Wolf once again stood tall, shutting the door whenever the Oilers did manage to generate quality chances. Edmonton finished the night leading expected goals 4.39 - 3.61, but that kinda just highlights the missed opportunity.
Despite a game where they looked flat, they still managed to generate chances as the game went on, making this feel like a missed opportunity where they easily could have captured the win with a stronger start.
Oilers lose in first round rematch
It is so astounding how a team with this much offensive firepower can struggle so much in the shootout. Draisaitl is still the only player to score in the shootout in three attempt this season.
The Oilers faced one of their greatest current rivals - the Los Angeles Kings in a game that would sadly go on to break their long streak of winning whenever they scored first. Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring early, only for our old friend Corey Perry to tie it up on the power play. From there, the game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams taking leads that never lasted long, which I assume made for an entertaining effort for people who were not fans of either team watching the game, but made for a tense night for Oilers and Kings fans.
Overtime in particular was incredibly entertaining. Both teams were generating chance after chance but sadly neither team was able to capitalize and the game went into the much-maligned shootout. While the Kings managed to get the win which continued the Oilers' frusturating pattern when gaining an opportunity to win three consecutive games, it helps that it was won in a skills competition so we know that the game easily could have gone the other way.
On the analytics side, the expected goals slightly favoured the Kings, 2.73 - 2.54, suggesting that it was an extremely tight game and easily could have gone either way. Still, the inability to close it in the shootout remains a huge problem.
Oilers bested by the New Jersey Devils
The most recent addition to this list also felt like a contender for most boring game of the year. For much of the night, it felt like neither team was interesting in doing much of anything. The expected goals were 3.22 - 2.33 for Edmonton, but that number does not reflect how lethargic the game felt.
Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass scored for the Devils in what was a great night for their fourth line, while Matt Savoie punched home the Oilers' only goal. After two periods, the shots were 14-10 for New Jersey, so if anyone was struggling with insomnia, the first 40 minutes of this game could likely solve the problem.
Things got a little more interesting in the third when the Oilers pushed a little bit harder and outshot the Devils 13-3. Yet, as has been the story many times this season, they showed up far too late, and Jake Allen decided to take matters into his own hands, standing tall and refusing to allow anything past him. The end result was a forgettable game that might be remembered more for its lack of excitement than anything that happened on the ice.
Why can't the Oilers win 3 in a row?
So realistically, the Oilers should have managed at least one three-game winning streak by now. In these 10 games, they've led in expected goals in half of them, which does not mean they were the better team in all of those contests but statistically at least one of those games should have resulted in a win.
In very few of those instances, such as perhaps the Columbus game, did failures of goaltending contribute to the loss so though Oilers fans have complained about goaltending a lot, it is probably unfair to blame it for this stat. In some cases, it is just bad luck but I think the major reason for this is a lack of preparedness. Many of these games have started poorly and the Oilers have had to chase the game.
There are definitely games when Edmonton simply ran into a hot goalie, and that can happen, and it is unfortunate, but you can't lean on that excuse forever. At some point, this team needs to figure out how to start on time and maintain consistency. The Oilers have the opportunity once again to achieve this feat, this time against the San Jose Sharks, a team the Oilers have recently dominated. However, the Sharks are a much better team this year, so we'll see if the Oilers can maintain their dominance of the past against San Jose.