The Oilers can clinch a playoff spot in tonight's game
The Edmonton Oilers have a chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs for the fifth straight season in tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Playoffs were in serious doubt for this Oilers team after a horrendous 2-9-1 start to the season. It got so ugly that they were forced to fire head coach Jay Woodcroft, who was replaced by Kris Knoblauch. Since then, things have turned around in a big way for this team.
Under Knoblauch, the Oilers have put together an extremely impressive 42-15-4 record, and now sit second place in the Pacific Division. Catching the first-placed Vancouver Canucks will be a difficult challenge, though it is not out of the question just yet. Regardless of that outcome, they are on the cusp of clinching a playoff berth.
The Oilers control their own destiny tonight, as they need just a single point to officially be a part of the playoff picture. They would be the third Canadian team to do so, with the Winnipeg Jets and Canucks already secured in the post-season, though the Toronto Maple Leafs also have a shot at doing the same tonight.
The Oilers have played the Avalanche just once this season, on March 16. The Avs were able to win it by a 3-2 final on a late overtime winner from Artturi Lehkonen.
While securing a playoff spot is the most important thing, it won’t be the only storyline for the Oilers tonight. Despite having an eight-game point streak snapped on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, Connor McDavid sits just four points behind Nathan MacKinnon for second place in the NHL’s scoring race. He is also just three assists shy of 100 on the season, and would become the fourth player in NHL history — alongside Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr — to hit that mark.
Tonight’s game should be a fun one, as many fans believe it could be a preview of the Western Conference Final (WCF). These two met in the WCF during the 2022 playoffs, with the Avalanche sweeping the Oilers before going on to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. Puck drop between these two is set for 7 pm MT.
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