The Edmonton Oilers After Sixty Games: Can the Oilers Keep Up the Pace and Win the Pacific?

We’re 60 games into this marathon of a 2019/20 campaign and this last ten-game stretch was spectacular (6-3-1) for the Oilers given the injury troubles the boys fell into. Coach Tippett’s men are now back to battling for first in the Pacific Division and right on the brink of the NHL trade deadline no less. Here are the metrics as of February 21st, 2020.

Record: 232-21-7 (12th)

Edmonton’s special teams is still humming along which has to be music to the ears of the team’s coaches. Seeing as their PK was the worst in the NHL for three or four years… Dave Tippett and his staff deserve a lot of recognition for their work this year as well as GM Ken Holland for bringing in the right playing personnel. It’s been some time since the team had players who bought into their roles on the team 100% and, for me at least, that has a lot to do with where they are in the standings today.

Faceoffs still seem to be an issue, but there was an improvement in this latest stretch. That said, I want to see the FOW% over 50% to feel comfortable. I’ve heard that the team is looking at Ottawa’s Chris Tierney and I believe it was Elliotte Friedman saying on the latest 31 Thoughts podcast that Detroit center, and one of my recommendations since last season, Luke Glendening is available… So we’ll see where that takes us.

It doesn’t look like Edmonton is going to be trading for the volume shooter I’ve been requesting for some time now. The injuries to key players have forced Ken Holland to call up a number of players from Bakersfield and that has eat the remaining salary cap space right up… Maybe they could pony up and bring in Ilya Kovalchuk, but I think any addition to the team between now and Monday will be help for the bottom-6.

The above stats are courtesy of NHL.com.

These numbers don’t mean a whole lot in the overall scheme of things, but I like to look at them to see where the Oilers sit in the land of grit and hard work. Speaking of gritensity and work ethic, it’s Ryan Smyth’s birthday and the 20 year anniversary of Georges Laraque’s hat-trick vs. LA today!

The Fancies (5×5)

If any of these metrics are unfamiliar to you, please consult the Natural Stat Trick Glossary.

The shot stats continued to climb but goals and chance numbers fell pretty hard. I wonder if that has anything to do with the team playing a safer brand of hockey with the number of key players out of the lineup and rookies called up?

The fancies still aren’t pretty but they haven’t been all year. Yet, the team remains in a fight for a playoff spot. How much do these numbers really mean in the grand scheme of things if a good team can have poor possession metrics but their spot in the standings is quite good?

“With Joakim Nygard leaving the game against Calgary after blocking a shot at the end of the first period, I wonder if that opens up a very convenient window to call up Tyler Benson and stick him with Sheahan and Archie? It’s worth it to see what he’s got in my opinion and if he’s not ready, send him back or possibly use him to bring in a young impact player via trade. Something to keep an eye on nevertheless.” 

That is what I said when I wrote the “after 50 games” post. Weird how that came to fruition 100%…

The Next Ten Games (61-70)

• vs. Minnesota Wild (28-24-7) – Edmonton is 0-2 against the Wild this year and it’s about time the Oilers beat Bill Guerin’s boys. (WIN)
• @ Los Angeles Kings (22-34-5) – I have to say, the Kings are a dangerous team right now. They have nothing to lose and can spoil a lot of teams’ seasons. The Oilers have won 2/3 this year against their old coach but Connor McDavid might be back in this one. Keep an eye out to see if anybody out of the ordinary is sitting for this one because the next day is the trade deadline. (WIN)
• @ Anaheim Ducks (24-29-7) – Last time out the Oilers put up six on Dallas Eakins’ Ducks. I expect Edmonton to equal that this time around and who knows how the roster will look as this is the game that follows the trade deadline. (WIN)
• @ Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – The Golden Knights record might hover around Edmonton’s but I feel like this team is a bit better on paper plus this is the second game in a back-to-back. (LOSS)
• vs. Winnipeg Jets (32-25-5) – Big Buff sank this team when he decided he wasn’t going to play but the Jets have stuck in the race the whole season pretty much. You have to love the heart! (LOSS)
• @ Nashville Predators (29-23-7) – I think the Oilers can sweep the season series with Nashville. The Preds defense isn’t what it used to be and there seems to be a bit of a dark cloud floating over the team at the moment. Pekka Rinne has hit a wall too… (WIN)
• @ Dallas Stars (35-19-6) – Edmonton and Dallas have each won one game-a-piece against each other this season so far. This will be the rubber match and I like Dallas here. (LOSS)
• @ Chicago Blackhawks (26-26-8) – Going into Chicago to play the Blackhawks is never an easy task and the Oilers have always had a tough time winning in the Windy City. (LOSS)
• vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-19-3) – Edmonton is 21-8-0 at home vs. Columbus all-time. It’s hard to argue with those numbers, right? On the other hand, John Tortorella has his team right in the running for a playoff spot in the East. This game should be a war of attrition to see who comes away with the two points. (WIN)
• vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – I like Edmonton’s chances at home against the Golden Knights. History tells us they have a better chance at beating them in Edmonton than in Vegas. (WIN)

(Standings as of February 21st, 2020)