The Edmonton Oilers came into Colorado to face the Avalanche on Tuesday night riding a seven-game winning streak, and were able to make it eight with a 2-1 win in overtime. Despite being low scoring, this game was a very exciting one for those who were able to tune in, with both teams trading chances back and forth all night long.
Both of these teams proved why they are fighting for first place in their respective divisions, as the talent on display in this one was simply fantastic. With all that said, here are the three main takeaways from what was an intense Tuesday night matchup.
Oilers Can Compete with Avs
As good as the Oilers’ 2021-22 season was as a whole, it ended on a sour note as they were swept by the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. That Avs team was absolutely phenomenal, and to the surprise of absolutely nobody went on to win the Stanley Cup. While they are once again being viewed as favorites to come out of the West, you aren’t paying attention if you don’t think the Oilers will put up a better fight should they meet up once again.
The Oilers are a far better team than they were a season ago. The main reasons for this involve rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner, who has helped stabilize the team’s goaltending position, as well as Mattias Ekholm, who has been a monster on the back end since being acquired at the trade deadline.
Not only are the Oilers a better team, but the Avalanche aren’t as deep as they were just a year ago. They lost both Nazem Kadri and Andrei Burakovsky to free agency, and are currently without a number of players due to injury, the most notable of the bunch being Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog. If those two are able to return, this team will still be difficult to beat, but they aren’t as loaded as they were during last year’s run. They could still very well knock the Oilers out should they meet up, but this projects to be a much tighter series this time around.
Skinner Outstanding Once Again
After finding himself in a bit of a lull after the All-Star Break, Skinner has been phenomenal as of late for the Oilers. The 24-year-old has allowed just three goals over his past four starts, kicking aside 110 of 113 shots over that span. Tuesday evening was no different, as he stopped 27 of the 28 shots the Avs fired his way.
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With this hot stretch, Skinner is very much in the conversation for the Calder Trophy, and will almost undoubtedly be named a finalist. Through 49 games, the rookie tender has an impressive 2.76 goals-against average (GAA) along with a .913 save percentage (SV%) and a 27-14-5 record. What a player he has turned into for this Oilers club.
Division Title Still in Reach
With this win, the Oilers still have a shot at capturing the Pacific Division title. In fact, they briefly found themselves tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for first place, but quickly slid back to second as the Golden Knights also picked up a victory on Tuesday. Both teams have just one game remaining on the year.
The Golden Knights are in the driver’s seat here, as just a single point for them in their final game versus the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night would lock them in for first place. However, if they were to lose that outing in regulation and the Oilers are able to pick up two points over the San Jose Sharks later that same night, they would finish first as they hold the tiebreaker, that being regulation wins. Finishing first would allow the Oilers to face off against either the Kraken or Winnipeg Jets in the first round, while finishing second would see them play the L.A. Kings.
Looking Ahead for the Oilers
As mentioned, the Oilers have just one game remaining on their schedule which will happen at Rogers Place this Thursday versus the Sharks. They have had the Sharks’ number so far this season with a perfect 3-0-0 record, outscoring them 18-6 during that span. Given the fact that capturing first place remains a possibility, you can expect Jay Woodcroft to dress all of his top players.
