Losing is never a good thing, but in the case of the Edmonton Oilers, their 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Saturday (Jan. 18) might not be a bad thing.
Vancouver jumped ahead 3-0 in the first period, and the deficit was just too much to overcome for the Oilers, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end and lost for just the second time in the last 10 games.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Oilers’ 3-2 Loss to Canucks
With a win or even an overtime loss, Edmonton would have taken sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers also had an opportunity to pull within two points of the Winnipeg Jets for top spot in the Western Conference.
As it is, the Oilers remain tied with the Vegas Golden Knights atop their division standings and stay four points back of Winnipeg for the conference’s No. 1 seed.
So what’s the good news in all of this, you ask? It hopefully comes from the valuable lesson that the Oilers should have learned from their loss in Vancouver.
Oilers Have Shown Ability to Rally
Saturday was the fifth time in their last five road games that the Oilers have fallen behind by at least two goals in the first period. And in the previous three instances, Edmonton rallied to win in regulation.
On Jan. 11 at United Center, the Oilers trailed 2-0 and 3-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks before coming back to win 4-3. On Jan. 15 in Saint Paul, Edmonton fell behind 2-0 and 3-2 to the Minnesota Wild but rallied for a 5-3 victory. On Jan. 16 at Ball Arena, the Oilers were down 3-0 before the game was even 12 minutes old and stormed back for a 4-3 triumph.
Against the Canucks, the Oilers gave up three goals in a span of 3:22 late in the first period and headed to the intermission trailing by three. Leon Draisaitl scored twice in the middle frame to cut Vancouver’s advantage to one with plenty of time remaining, but on this occasion, Edmonton couldn’t complete the comeback.
In reflecting upon this defeat, one would hope the Oilers realize that no matter how much incredible skill and talent they have, some holes are just too deep to climb out of. Especially against a division rival that always proves a tough opponent.
And if that still hasn’t dawned upon Edmonton’s players, then maybe usually mild-mannered Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch needs to yell at his boys for once: “Hey, how about you try not falling behind by so much so early in the game all (bleeping) time.”
Oilers Have Developed Bad Habits
These Oilers should know better. And they almost certainly do. They are a team of veterans, with nearly three-quarters of the roster aged 28 or older. Fifteen of them were part of last year’s run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. No player lasts that long without being taught a few lessons, and teams don’t advance that far without applying what they’ve learned from their experiences.
But bad habits are formed from getting away with things too often. And the Oilers, as the expression goes, have been getting away with murder.
Since US Thanksgiving, the Oilers are 5-2-0 in games where the opponent has scored the first two goals. Edmonton’s already won six times this season after falling behind by two goals in the first period and actually have a winning record (12-11-0) when the opponent scores first.
The Oilers trail more often than they lead after 20 minutes (18 and 16 times, respectively), and yet they still own one of the best records in the NHL.
Oilers Often Get in a Tough Spot
Edmonton’s penchant for getting behind the eight ball only to pull things out of the fire has manifested not just in individual games, but entire seasons and playoff series.
In 2023-24, the Oilers started the season 5-12-1 before making a remarkable turnaround, going 44-15-5 after American Thanksgiving to climb from second last in the overall NHL standings to second place in the Pacific Division. Edmonton then went on to become the second team in NHL history with less than 12 points through its first 18 games to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
In the 2024 NHL Playoffs, Edmonton rallied from a deficit to win both its second round series and the Western Conference Final. The Oilers then fell behind 3-0 in the championship round before reeling off three straight wins to force the seventh and deciding game which Edmonton lost to the Florida Panthers.
Edmonton started poorly again this season, going 6-8-2 through its opening 14 games. But just like one year ago, the Oilers have since kicked into gear and roared up the standings. They have the best record in the Western Conference over the last three months.
The only team in the NHL that has more points than Edmonton over that span is the Washington Capitals. And that just so happens to be the Oilers’ next opponent, Tuesday (Jan. 21) at Rogers Place.
Washington has only lost once this season after taking a 2-0 lead, so the Oilers would be wise not to fall behind by two goals for a fifth consecutive game. Maybe this time they’ll know better.
