The Edmonton Oilers were able to continue their red-hot play on Saturday night, as they cruised to a 6-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks. This team is firing on all cylinders right now, as they have increased their win streak to four while also having picked up at least a point in 10 straight.
The first period wasn’t a great one for the Oilers, who were somewhat lucky to escape it with a 1-0 lead. The final 40, however, was pure domination, as they proved just how elite of a team they are capable of being when playing at their best. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from Saturday night’s victory.
Playoff Berth Clinched
While it hasn’t been a question as to whether or not the Oilers would make the playoffs in some time, fans were still eagerly awaiting to hear that they had clinched, and with this win over the Ducks, that is exactly what happened. Though things haven’t been exactly smooth sailing throughout the course of the 2022-23 season, they are heating up at the right time and are currently the owners of a 45-23-9 record through 77 games.
Related: Longtime Oilers Fans Rewarded With Historic Season
As far as first-round matchups are concerned, there are still plenty of scenarios that could occur. With most teams having roughly five or six games remaining on their schedule, it is possible we won’t know who the Oilers will find themselves up against until the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign. For now, they will look to continue their winning ways as they hope to win the Pacific Division.
50 for Leon
For the third time in his career, Leon Draisaitl has hit the 50-goal mark. The German forward came into Saturday’s game with 47 on the year but was able to find the back of the net three times on the night for the eighth regular-season hat trick of his career.
The first came early in the second period, as he took a great feed from Evander Kane before making an excellent move around Ducks goaltender John Gibson to make it a 2-0 game. He then picked up his second on a power play tally later in the second before beating Lukas Dostal on a tremendous shot off the rush in the third for number 50. He is now just five goals shy of his career-best 55 set a season ago.
Campbell with Best Performance as an Oiler
The 2022-23 season, his first dawning Oilers colours, has been a nightmare for Jack Campbell. He has been a shell of the goaltender he looked to be a season ago with the Toronto Maple Leafs and entered Saturday’s outing having allowed four or more goals in each of his past seven starts. Despite his struggles, however, he was able to match the play of Stuart Skinner from nights prior and help his team record their second straight shutout.
Despite the 6-0 score, Campbell didn’t have an easy night by any stretch and was forced to make an impressive 36 saves on the night. His best work came in the first period when his team wasn’t particularly sharp in front of him, allowing 17 shots against. The 31-year-old seemed fully in control, however, as he made a number of big saves with ease to keep his team in the game early.
With the win, Campbell’s goals-against average has dropped to 3.48, while his save percentage has increased to .886. Those numbers are still far below what was expected, but perhaps this game can help give him some confidence moving forward. His team could sure use it, as having him ready to go come the playoffs if they need him at any point would be massive.
Looking Ahead for the Oilers
The Oilers will now have the next two days off before a huge game on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. They too were able to pick up a win on Saturday night, meaning they sit just one point shy of the Oilers for second in the Pacific. A win would not only give them a good chance to finish the season ahead of their divisional rival but would also keep them in striking distance of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights, who currently sit two points ahead.
