How the Edmonton Oilers can clinch a playoff spot this week

The Edmonton Oilers have nudged oh-so-close to officially RSVPing to the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and a trip to the dance can be confirmed as early as Thursday.

They’d be the second team from the Pacific Division to do so after the Calgary Flames. 

And the Oilers are almost automatic in the sense, with a 99.9% chance of qualifying for the postseason, according to popular analytics site MoneyPuck. 

The Oilers sit second in the Pacific Division with 94 points by way of a 44-26-6 record. 

They lead the Vegas Golden Knights, currently in fourth, by seven points. Vegas has five games remaining for a maximum of 10 points. Edmonton also leads the fifth-place Vancouver Canucks by five points. Vancouver also has five games remaining.

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One more win from the Oilers, combined with one loss each for the Golden Knights and Canucks would mark an ‘x’ beside Edmonton’s name on the NHL standings page. 

On Wednesday, Edmonton hosts the Dallas Stars, and Vegas plays the Washington Capitals. The Vancouver Canucks, who lost 4-3 in overtime to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, play at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Should Vegas and Vancouver fail to cooperate on that one, a second Edmonton win on Friday against the Colorado Avalanche would also push the Oilers into the playoffs. 

Long story short, even if the Golden Knights and Canucks each won out on their remaining five games of the season, all Edmonton needs is to win two of its remaining six to guarantee at least third place in the Pacific. 

The Oilers, according to MoneyPuck, are almost as assured to lock up home ice in the first round with a 96.3% chance of finishing second in the division.

The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs. The remaining spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season record and regardless of division.

A pair of wins should be a manageable feat for an Oilers team with 44 wins in 76 games. 

Regardless of competition. And with four of six at home.

Here’s who the Oilers have upcoming: 

• Wednesday, April 20 vs Dallas Stars
• Friday, April 22 vs Colorado Avalanche
• Sunday, April 24 at Columbus Blue Jackets
• Tuesday, April 26 at Pittsburgh Penguins
• Thursday, April 28 vs San Jose Sharks
• Friday, April 29 vs Vancouver Canucks

A few of these might be meaningless, both in a clinching sense and in the chase to finish second in the division. 

The Oilers have just a two-point lead on the Los Angeles Kings for second, but have also played two fewer games. A clinching scenario for home ice would require any combination of Edmonton wins and Los Angeles losses totalling three. 

Suffice to say, the Oilers are in good shape. 

To clinch. 

To finish second. 

It’s just a matter of when they’ll punch that ticket.