The Edmonton Oilers’s next three games will determine where the team is at this season. You can bet general manager Stan Bowman will be paying close attention when his team visits the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, then hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 14 and the Florida Panthers on Dec. 16 to see if they can compete with elite NHL teams.
The Wild are the top team in the Western Conference and showing no signs of slowing down, while the Golden Knights are the best team in the Pacific Division. If the Oilers can win both games, they could start competing for top spot in the West.
Of course, the Oilers have had the Florida contest circled on their calendars since losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 24. The Panthers have played well this season, while the Oilers have just started to look like the same team as last season, and they will be looking for revenge. Expect the atmosphere at Rogers Place to be fully charged.
Related: Oilers Facing December Schedule Full of Important Games
If the Oilers sweep the next three games, they’ll be making a statement that they are Stanley Cup contenders. If they lose the next three, Bowman will be taking notes on his squad’s deficiencies to get ready for the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7. I’m expecting the Oilers to win two of three based on their recent solid defensive play.
Oilers Rank Third in the Pacific Division
The Oilers are in third place behind the Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings with 34 points but are only one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and have played well at home with a four-game unbeaten streak at Rogers Place. If the Oilers can somehow win the next three games, they could gain ground on the Golden Knights and possibly put some space between themselves and the Canucks and Flames.
Their schedule is favourable after the next three games, when they host the Boston Bruins on Dec. 19, the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 21 and the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 22…but you can’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Oilers’ Recent Improvement Linked to Strong Play of Two Key Players
Two of the biggest contributors to the Oilers’ recent success have been defenceman Darnell Nurse and goaltender Stuart Skinner. Nurse looks like he’s finally healthy and he’s been the player Oilers fans imagined he could be. When Nurse is paired with Brett Kulak, the Oilers have a legitimate second pairing behind Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard.
Edmonton has been solid in their own end lately, and that’s benefited goaltenders Skinner and Calvin Pickard. In his last two games, Skinner outduelled 4 Nations Face-Off Team Canada goalie Jordan Binnington in a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 7. Then Skinner beat one of the best goalies in the NHL, Andrei Vasilevskiy, three nights later when the Oilers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Dec. 10. Skinner’s recent play has helped him move up to a .895 save percentage (SV%), and if the trend continues, he’ll be over the .900 SV% mark before the end of the calendar year.
Oil Country Live and Die with Each Win and Loss
As of Dec. 12, the Oilers have 54 games remaining in their season. They’ve played one-third of their schedule so far and after another slow start, they’re finally starting to show signs of being the Stanley Cup contenders everyone expected them to be at the beginning of the season. If the Oilers sweep the next three games, we might start hearing plans for a Stanley Cup parade down Jasper Avenue. If they lose two or all three games, and Oil Country will need a serious boost of positivity before the holiday season because it could get nasty on social media.
Related: Oilers Back to Being Stanley Cup Contenders
Where do you think the Oilers are right now? Post your predictions on how you think the team will do against three of the best teams in the NHL in the comments below.
