Two weeks ago the Edmonton Oilers were battered 6-3 by the Carolina Hurricanes to suffer a third consecutive loss and fall 10 points back of the Western Conference’s final wild card spot.
It was American Thanksgiving, and history has taught us that NHL teams who aren’t in a playoff position at that time of year usually end up missing the postseason.
But after winning their last four games, the Oilers have a pulse and now have a chance to climb the standings with a six-game homestand over the next week and a half that begins at Rogers Place tonight (Dec. 6) with a visit from the Canes.
This will be an incredibly crucial stretch for Edmonton, because it will be proceeded with a six-game road trip that will take them right to the end of the calendar year. There are certainly reasons to feel bullish about the Oilers, who have yet to lose at home since relieving Jay Woodcroft of his duties as head coach and installing Kris Knoblauch behind the bench. Here’s a look at what awaits on the schedule for the Oilers:
Oilers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Dec. 6
The last team to beat Edmonton is the Hurricanes, who jumped out to a 4-0 lead and went on to defeat the visiting Oilers on Nov. 22 in Raleigh. But that loss may have been a turning point for Edmonton, and in particular, its captain Connor McDavid, who was overcome by emotion as he looked on from the bench at PNC Arena. Since then, McDavid has 13 points in Edmonton’s four-game win streak.
Edmonton has beaten the Canes just twice in the teams’ last nine meetings. One of those times came last season, when the Oilers won 6-4 at Rogers Place to halt a four-game home losing streak against Carolina.
This is the second stop on a six-game road trip for the Hurricanes, who fell 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Monday (Dec. 4). Carolina is 6-7-0 away from Raleigh this season.
Oilers vs. Minnesota Wild, Dec. 8
Like the Oilers, the Wild have found early success with a new head coach: after thumping the Calgary Flames 5-2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday (Dec. 5), they’ve won their first four games since firing Dean Evason on Nov. 27 and replacing him with John Hynes. Minnesota had lost seven consecutive games before making its change behind the bench.
The Wild have been a nightmare for Edmonton in recent years, winning nine of their last 10 meetings with the Oilers, including early this season in Saint Paul, where Minnesota outscored Edmonton 5-1 in the third period en route to a 7-4 win on Oct. 26.
Edmonton’s lone victory over Minnesota since the start of the 2019-20 season came in these teams’ latest meeting at Rogers Place, almost a year to the day, on Dec. 9, 2022, when the Oilers scored three unanswered goals to win 5-2.
Oilers vs. New Jersey Devils, Dec. 10
In a rare Sunday afternoon home matinee, the Oilers host the New Jersey Devils, who will be on the final stop of a four-game, six-day trip, and coming off a contest in Calgary just 24 hours earlier.
New Jersey is on a two-game win streak against the Oilers, beating Edmonton 5-2 at home and 4-3 at Rogers Place last season, but it has been 16 years since either team won three straight games in the Devils-Oilers head-to-head series.
McDavid has at least one point in all 13 of his career games against New Jersey, totaling five goals and 18 assists. The superstar center scored and added two assists in Edmonton’s most recent victory over the Devils, 6-3 at home on March 9, 2022.
Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Dec. 12
It’s the first meeting of the Connors, as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft and the next big thing, Connor Bedard, leads the Blackhawks against the Oilers and the No. 1 pick in the 2015 Draft and the best player on the planet, McDavid.
Based on the standings, Chicago will be the easiest opponent the Oilers face during their homestand. After a shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, Chicago has the fewest points in the NHL, and has won just four times in 14 road games this season.
Edmonton has been victorious in its last three games versus the Blackhawks, including both meetings last season, 7-3 at Rogers Place and 5-4 in Chicago. Leon Draisaitl and McDavid have each totaled nine points over Edmonton’s three-game win streak against the Blackhawks.
Oilers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Dec. 14
Nearly four weeks after falling 6-4 to the Lightning at Amalie Arena on Nov. 18, the Oilers will get their chance at atonement. In that game, which was Edmonton’s first defeat under Knoblauch, the Oilers blew leads of 2-0, 3-2, and ultimately 4-3 when Tampa scored three unanswered goals over the final 10:32 of the third period.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Oilers’ 6-4 Road Loss to Lightning
The Oilers have won eight of their last 10 home games against Tampa. Last season, Zach Hyman scored twice for Edmonton in a 5-3 victory over the Lightning at Rogers Place on Jan. 19.
This will be the fourth of a five-game trip for the Bolts, who currently have won only four times in 13 games on the road in 2023-24.
Oilers vs. Florida Panthers, Dec. 16
Edmonton will face the Panthers two days after the Lightning, just as was the case during the Oilers’ road trip last month. And just as they did against the Bolts in Tampa, the Oilers blew a 2-0 lead and ended up losing by two, 5-3, against the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Nov. 20.
At that point, Florida was scorching hot – their victory over Edmonton was the Panthers’ seventh win in eight games – but has cooled off since, with only two wins in its last six games. The Panthers have been very good away from Sunrise, however: they are tied for most road wins in the NHL since the start of November, with six.
The Oilers have enjoyed tremendous success against Florida over the years, going 20-9 in their head-to-head meetings with the Panthers since the start of the 2001-02 season. Edmonton beat Florida 4-3 in overtime at Rogers Place on Nov. 28, 2022.
If the Oilers are a playoff-caliber team, never mind one that’s capable of contending for the Stanley Cup, they’ll rack up the points over this homestand. They don’t have to play a single game on back-to-back days, and only face two teams that are currently among the top 15 spots (none higher than ninth) in the NHL’s overall standings. They get one of those opponents out of the way right away, facing Carolina (11th in the league, with 29 points) tonight.
