For a team looking to punch a return ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Edmonton Oilers are sure doing a good job of looking like they’re derailing from any such aspirations.
At this rate, they’d be lucky to finish above the .500 mark as they once again appear to be the toiling Oilers who have left the station well behind schedule.
But if anyone can get back on track, it’s the same team that started out 2-9-1 a year ago before blowing up its coaching staff and turning it around into a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Of course, that was then and this is now. And this roster isn’t quite the same one that specialized in resiliency and overcoming the odds. At least, they haven’t shown it quite yet.
Then again, when someone like Connor McDavid is at the controls, anything seems possible. That’s because there isn’t anyone else like Connor McDavid. So, everything these Oilers do is with a wildcard up their sleeve.
Just what does it all mean and where could they end up? Only time will tell, of course. But right now, with a handful of games left in November, here’s what we know about this year’s Oilers:
1. LOOKING AT LAST YEAR
What a difference a year makes. Right?
The Oilers were 5-11-1 and smack dab in the middle of a three-game losing streak on the way to going 2-3 in their first handful of games under Kris Knoblauch, who had just taken over the head-coaching job from the ousted Jay Woodcroft.
But by the end of this same week, the Oilers would begin what turned into an eight-game win streak, which they followed up with another one across December and January that lasted 16 consecutive games — one shy of the NHL’s all-time record.
To say they came out of nowhere would be an understatement. Nothing those Oilers had done before would lead anyone to believe they’d suddenly get hot and climb their way into the playoff picture like they belonged all along.
But they did. Then. That doesn’t mean there are any guarantees now, though.
2. LOPSIDED LOSSES
Three times the Oilers failed to even show up, getting shut out by both the best and worst the league has to offer.
It began with a 6-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, who used the momentum of beating one of last year’s finalists into an incredible 15-1 run to start the season.
Next up was the New Jersey Devils, who were leading the Eastern Conference when they blanked the Oilers 3-0, once again on home ice, on Nov. 4.
In between, they were 27 seconds away from getting shut out 6-0 on the road by the Columbus Blue Jackets, before the Montreal Canadiens blanked them 3-0 at Bell Centre on Monday. Both those opponents occupy last place in their respective divisions.
That’s four times in 19 games — 21 per cent of the time — the Oilers didn’t even bother to show up for the first 59 minutes. And they want to get to where, again?
3. GOALTENDING GONG SHOW
Edmonton’s goaltending numbers are bad. Real bad. Not anywhere near playoff contention, let alone Cup calibre.
Proven backup Calvin Pickard is currently saddled with a .893 save percentage and 2.44 goals-against average. And those are good compared to the starter. Stuart Skinner is 5-5-2 with a .877 save percentage and 3.28 goals-against average.
They’re the same two who guided the Oilers through every rough patch of last year’s long playoff run. The one thing that changed, however, was the defence in front of them.
The Oilers decided to let their defence get blown up over the off-season when three of the seven members of that once-fully functional unit made their exit. And now they all look like they’re starting from scratch. And the goalies are the ones suffering the most.
4. SPECIAL TEAMS TURMOIL
The biggest change this season has been on special teams, where the Oilers took a turn from tops in the league, to middle of the pack. Or even further down, for that matter. Much further.
The power play finished second overall in last year’s playoffs at 29.3 per cent, scoring 22 times on 75 opportunities. This year, it’s a pedestrian 16.3 per cent, scoring eight times on 49 chances to sit 24th overall.
The penalty kill is even starker, going from a league-leading 94.3 per cent in last year’s playoffs, having killed 66 of 70, to one spot out of last place, going 33-for-49 for 67.4 per cent.
5. DRAI’S THE GUY
It’s not all doom and gloom, of course.
Forward Leon Draisaitl leads the team with 24 points in 19 games heading into Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators (5 p.m., Sportsnet West, TSN5). Sure, it might be 10 points off the league lead, but he’s just one point out of being in the top 10. Not to mention tied for second overall with 13 goals
In and out: The Oilers gave the St. Louis Blues a little of their own medicine, claiming forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers Tuesday.
The veteran winger has 85 goals and 124 assists in 470 NHL games.
Over the off-season, the Oilers lost a pair of young prospects, forward Dylan Holloway and defenceman Philip Broberg, to offer sheets from the Blues.
E-mail: [email protected]
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge
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