Back on December 19th, 2023, the Edmonton Oilers played the New Jersey Devils. They defeated them in what was a hard-fought game. That also started a magical streak that saved their season.
Edmonton ended up going on a 16-game winning streak that lasted through the All-Star Break in early February. They were one win shy of the NHL record set by the 1992-93 Penguins coming into their Tuesday night game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
You knew the defending Stanley Cup champions would be a problem when on a streak like this. Vegas did end up getting the 3-1 win and snapping the impressive streak.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl connected to get the Oilers up 1-0. This was a shorthanded goal that made it look like Edmonton was going to cruise to a win.
The Edmonton Oilers finally saw their winning streak come to an end
At the end of the first period, however, the Golden Knights tied the game on a goal scored by Nicolas Roy. After no scoring in the second period, Chandler Stephenson gave the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead early in the third period. William Karlsson scored into the empty net to make it 3-1.
So now the Oilers can take their focus off the streak and put it toward making the playoffs. This streak put them in a very good spot. They are now 29-16-1 which is good for 59 points in the standings. They are in third place in the Pacific Division and would make the playoffs if the season ended today.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Oilers. They have fired their coach and spent a good portion of this season near the bottom of the standings. Now, they are back on track.
Not only are they back on track, they looked good enough to win the Stanley Cup. With guys like McDavid and Draisaitl leading the way, things could go well for them down the stretch.
There is nothing wrong with having the second-best winning streak in the history of the NHL. It got them to where they need to be and they can continue climbing the standings if they play well down the stretch.
We'll see if they become buyers ahead of the Trade Deadline. You'd like to think they make an addition or two in an attempt to go far in the playoffs. It should be very interesting to watch this team down the stretch. With their current situation, it is Stanley Cup or bust.