Just over three weeks remain in the 2023-24 NHL regular season, and there is still much to be decided for captain Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
After Zach Hyman scored in overtime to give Edmonton a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday (March 26), the Oilers will conclude their schedule by playing 12 games in 22 nights. They wrap up the regular season with a visit to the Colorado Avalanche on April 18.
With 90 points in 70 games, the Oilers are currently second in the Pacific Division. The Vancouver Canucks lead the division with 98 points in 72 games, while the Los Angeles Kings (87 points in 71 games) and Vegas Golden Knights (86 points in 72 games) sit in third and fourth, respectively.
While the Oilers still have an outside shot of finishing atop the Pacific standings, they also need to concern themselves with the teams in their rearview mirror: If they drop in the standings, they will not have home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The first order of business for the Oilers is officially clinching a playoff spot. Regardless of any other team’s results, they need just 11 more points to advance to the postseason for a fifth straight year. Here’s a breakdown of their final dozen games in the 2023-24 NHL regular season:
Oilers Have Competitive Schedule
Half of Edmonton’s final 12 games will be against teams currently in a playoff position, including a combined four against the top three teams in the Western Conference standings (one each against Vancouver and the Dallas Stars, and two against the Colorado Avalanche).
On the flipside, four of the remaining games for Edmonton will come against teams situated 13th through 16th in the conference standings (two against the Arizona Coyotes, one each against the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks).
According to Tankathon’s Strength of Schedule (SOS) rankings, the Oilers have the 20th toughest remaining schedule in the NHL, but the fourth toughest schedule among Pacific Division teams.
Oilers Facing Key Opponents
All of Edmonton’s remaining games are against Western Conference opponents, including six from the Pacific Division, meaning there will be plenty of ‘four-point’ games.
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The Oilers get to play both the teams they’re chasing (Vancouver) and trying to hold off (Los Angeles, Vegas). The Oilers need a regulation win against the Canucks at Rogers Place on April 13 if they’re to have any hope of finishing first in the division, while victories at home against the Kings on Thursday and Golden Knights on April 10 could go a long way to ensuring they finish no worse than second.
The Oilers are 24-12-2 against the Western Conference this season. Edmonton’s 13-7-0 in-division record is tied with Vancouver for best among Pacific teams.
Oilers Have Little Time to Rest
Edmonton’s remaining schedule will see the Oilers twice play on back-to-back dates, and both instances will require travel between games. Only once will they have more than one day off between games, a three-day break after they visit the Calgary Flames on April 6 before returning to action against Vegas on April 10.
The Oilers have actually performed better on limited rest this season: Edmonton is 30-15-3 (.656 point percentage) when it has less than two days off between games, compared to 13-8-1 (.614) when it has at least two days off between games.
Oilers Hope to Feast on Home Cooking
Seven of Edmonton’s last 12 games will be played at Rogers Place, where the Oilers are 22-8-3 this season (Edmonton’s home record this season is 23-8-1, which includes their victory over the Calgary Flames in the Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium).
The Oilers have a four-game homestand from April 10 to 15, before closing out their schedule with a two-game road trip. Edmonton is a solid 20-15-1 on the road this season.
Edmonton will be back home when it returns to action on Thursday (March 28) with a crucial game against the Kings at Rogers Place.