Following a disappointing two-game road trip, how the Edmonton Oilers respond will give some indication of if they are genuine contenders for a playoff spot.
It’s never meant to be easy for the Edmonton Oilers, especially if the previous 13 seasons are any indication. Since losing the Stanley Cup Finals in 2005-06, the team has only made one trip to the playoffs. That was back in the 2016-17 season.
However, hope seemed to be returning to Edmonton, when they started the 2019-20 campaign with five consecutive wins. Some questioned their legitimacy based on having to overcome deficits in each victory, but we saw this as a sign of mental fortitude.
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This seemed to be proved further when the Oilers bounced back from their first loss of the season, with two wins against the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. However, now we get to find out if this resilience is a facade, or genuine.
Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild completed an underwhelming two-game road trip, which saw the Oilers only pick up one out of a possible four points. More was expected from the two games, which included a 1-0 shootout loss to a Winnipeg Jets which was on a three-game losing streak.
Hockey analysts pointed out that the Jets and Wild were poor teams who were ripe for the taking. However, Edmonton couldn’t score a single goal against one of the league’s poorer blue lines, while losing to a team which was bottom of the Western Conference standings.
All teams will experience slumps at certain points during what is a long and exhausting NHL season. In addition, it’s still early.
Make no mistake though; we may be about to discover if the Oilers’ playoff challenge is real, or destined to fizzle out. Are they a good team, or one which took advantage of a generous schedule to start the season?
What hasn’t helped has been the production — or lack thereof — from Connor McDavid during the most recent three games. After becoming just the second player in Oilers history to have 17 points through the first seven games of the season, he hasn’t scored a single one since.
In theory this shouldn’t matter; not even arguably the best player in the NHL can produce points in every game. However, this is only the second three-game drought of McDavid’s career, with the previous one coming midway through the 2017-18 campaign.
The timing couldn’t have been worse, with the Oilers looking to build on a promising start to the season. However, it’s not all on the 22-year-old, with plenty of other players who didn’t step up and provide any offense against the Jets and Wild.
Leon Draisaitl also failed to produce anything in the two games. The same goes for James Neal, who has now lost his ranking as the top goalscorer in the NHL this season.
This doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom for the Oilers. Despite the previous two results, they are still tied at the top of the Western Conference standings with 15 points, (albeit the Colorado Avalanche have played a game less than them).
Edmonton’s goaltending continues to be fantastic, while they are in the top 10 for fewest goals allowed. In addition, they still have a 100 percent record at home, with four wins in four games.
Talking of home, this is where the Oilers will head now for their next two games. And they will need all the help they can get, when considering the opponents.
First up will be the Washington Capitals, who are in their customary place at the top of the Metropolitan division. This will be followed by a clash with a seemingly rejuvenated Florida Panthers team currently holding down a playoff spot.
Just as it’s too soon to write off the Oilers, it’s also too early to call them a genuine playoff contender. However, the next two games should at least give us some indication of which direction the narrative is headed towards.
Are you concerned about the Edmonton Oilers’ play in their previous two games? Do you see this as a sign that the team is not very good, or are you confident they will bounce back from their first adversity of the season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.