Canada defeated the United States by a score of 3-2 in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday (Feb. 20) when Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored the winning goal in sudden-death overtime at Boston’s TD Garden.
Related: Guide to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off
Now that the inaugural international tournament has concluded, the NHL season is set to restart Saturday (Feb. 22) following a break of nearly two weeks.
McDavid and the Oilers have 27 games remaining, essentially one-third of their 2024-25 schedule, and given Edmonton’s position in the standings, most if not all of those contests will be very important.
With 72 points, from a record of 34-17-4, Edmonton is tied with the Vegas Golden Knights atop the Pacific Division standings. Edmonton and Vegas are in a three-way tie with the Dallas Stars for second place in the Western Conference, nine points back of the conference-leading Winnipeg Jets.
Here’s a look at the six biggest games the Oilers have left to play before the 2024-25 NHL regular season concludes on April 17.
Feb. 22 at Philadelphia Flyers
Edmonton returns to action on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. It will be the first time the Oilers have played a game in 15 days, since losing 5-4 at home to the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 7, while Philadelphia last played on Feb. 8.
Whether either team is affected by rust will be a big factor. Likewise, fatigue could be an issue for some key players, too: Along with McDavid, Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim were also part of Team Canada, and puck-drop at Wells Fargo Center is scheduled for just after 1 p.m. EST, which is barely 37 hours following the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off final.
The Oilers can’t waste any time getting back into mid-season form, because they’ll be back in action again on Sunday (Feb. 23) for another matinee contest, against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.
Feb. 27 at Florida Panthers
The eyes of the NHL will be on Sunrise for this rematch of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, as the Oilers return to Amerant Bank Arena for the first time since losing Game 7 of the championship series, 2-1 to the Florida Panthers, last June.
This will be the second time that the Oilers and Panthers have faced off since their classic clash eight months ago, and Edmonton is still looking for its revenge. Florida defeated the Oilers 6-5 at Rogers Place on Dec. 16 when Edmonton blew a 4-2 lead.
Could it also serve as a preview for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final? It’s been 16 years since the same teams faced off in the championship series in consecutive years, but the Oilers and Panthers, who sit first in the Atlantic Division, appear to be poised for lengthy postseason runs.
March 4 vs. Anaheim Ducks
After playing five consecutive road games following the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Edmonton finally returns home for its first game at Rogers Place in over three and a half weeks.
Normally, a Tuesday night game in early March against the Anaheim Ducks wouldn’t be one of the hottest tickets on the Oilers’ schedule, but this will be different for Edmonton fans who had to go 25 days without getting to cheer on their hockey heroes.
Moreover, this will be their first chance to pay tribute to McDavid for scoring the historic winning goal in Boston. Expect the Oilers to have a pre-game ceremony recognizing McDavid, as well as Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm who proudly represented Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
March 29 vs. Calgary Flames
There are very few rivalries in sport that can rival the Battle of Alberta, especially when it’s on a Saturday night during the stretch drive of the season.
Both the Oilers and Calgary Flames should have plenty to play for when they meet at Rogers Place at the end of March. Edmonton expects to be pushing for first place, while Calgary is fighting tooth and nail with multiple teams including the Vancouver Canucks for one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference.
This will be the third meeting of the season between Edmonton and Calgary and the first in almost five months. The Flames topped the Oilers 4-1 at Rogers Place on Oct. 13, before Edmonton bounced back with a 4-1 win over the host team at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Nov. 3.
April 1 at Vegas Golden Knights
April Fool’s Day will see the Oilers in Sin City to battle the Golden Knights in a game that could go a long way to deciding the Pacific Division champion.
Both teams will have just nine games remaining on their respective schedules, and there is a good chance that Edmonton and Vegas will be within a couple points of each other. With the Pacific Division winner being assured home advantage for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs, finishing atop the table is of the utmost importance.
Edmonton and Vegas have met three times previously this season, with the Golden Knights picking up two victories (4-2 at Rogers Place on Nov. 6, 1-0 at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 3) and Edmonton winning once (6-3 at Rogers Place on Dec. 14).
April 16 at San Jose Sharks
Edmonton’s final game of the 2024-25 regular season, on the road against the San Jose Sharks, could be massive or it could be meaningless. That all depends, of course, on where the Oilers find themselves in the standings. San Jose, which presently occupies last place in the NHL overall standings, will have nothing but pride on the line.
It’s been quite a while since the Oilers had anything riding on their last game of the schedule. Last year, Edmonton went into its regular season finale (in Denver against the host Colorado Avalanche) locked into second place in the Pacific Division and rested many of its top players, McDavid included.
Something to keep an eye on going into Edmonton’s last game is where McDavid and fellow Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl sit in the Art Ross and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy races. Currently, Draisaitl has 40 goals (first in the NHL) and 83 points (second in the league) while McDavid has 71 points (tied for fourth).
Between the playoff race and the scoring chase, the rivalries and the rematches, the next eight weeks will be an exciting time in Oil Country.
