It sure didn’t look like this would happen back in October, but the Edmonton Oilers have clinched a spot in this year’s NHL playoffs following a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night (April 5).
In addition to qualifying for the playoffs, the game saw two of the Oilers’ biggest stars reach milestones. Connor McDavid has now scored 30 or more goals in each of his last eight seasons, while Leon Draisaitl is at the 100-point plateau for the fifth time in his last six seasons.
The Oilers struggled out of the gate of the 2023-24 season, going 2-9-1 in their first 12 games. They rebounded to reach a 15-12-1 record, but that was not enough to save Jay Woodcroft’s job. The Oilers got a jolt of energy from their new head coach, Chris Knoblauch, who led them to a 23-3 record in their first 26 games under the former head coach of the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Hartford Wolf Pack.
Edmonton currently sits in second place in the Pacific Division, trailing the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers have made the playoffs in five straight seasons, dating back to the 2019-20 campaign, where they lost in the qualifying round to the Chicago Blackhawks. If the current standings hold, they would match up with Pacific Division rival and defending Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the postseason.
Edmonton remains among the Stanley Cup betting favourites based on overall talent, as McDavid, Draisaitl, and crew have enough talent to win the Stanley Cup.