Oilers control their playoff destiny over Canucks in division race
The Edmonton Oilers are in control of their own destiny when it comes to where they will finish in the Pacific Division.
Despite being five points back of the division-leading Vancouver Canucks, the Oilers still have two games in hand and a critical head-to-head against their West Coast foes. The results of those three games will be instrumental in Edmonton’s pursuit of a division title and could severely alter the first-round playoff matchups for both the Oilers and Canucks.
However, there is one way the Oilers can guarantee themselves the division.
NHL.com
If the Oilers can find a way to win all six games left on their schedule, including a regulation victory against Vancouver, they will win the division regardless of how the Canucks finish their season. That is the only surefire way Edmonton can guarantee the franchise’s first division title since 1986-87 with no questions asked.
It won’t be an easy path to do so, as the Oilers have some marquee opponents left on their schedule. The first challenge will come against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, followed by a Friday game against the Arizona Coyotes.
That all-important game against the Canucks will be the headliner on Saturday for Hockey Night in Canada before Edmonton ends the season with games against the San Jose Sharks, another one against the Coyotes, and the Colorado Avalanche in the season finale.
Oilers schedule (NHL.com)
Those three remaining games against playoff teams will likely decide whether or not the Oilers finish atop the division. They have split the season series with Vegas and are getting a Golden Knights team that has been struggling lately. The Canucks famously hammered the Oilers in their first three meetings early in the season, but Edmonton is a much different team nowadays. Colorado will be no slouch as well.
Winning out the rest of the schedule isn’t the only path to the division title. Every loss that the Canucks suffer in their last four games of the season will widen the margin of error for Edmonton. Vancouver, however, is also in control of their destiny as a win against the Oilers could put the division out of reach for Edmonton.
Canucks schedule (NHL.com)
In November, the Oilers were one of the worst teams in the entire league while the Canucks were on top of the hockey world. Now, just five months later, the Oilers have a chance to pull off one of the most impressive turnarounds in NHL history.
Buckle up, it’s about to get exciting.