Edmonton Oilers in pursuit of history after gaining Pacific Division lead
The Edmonton Oilers are in unfamiliar territory following Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
It wasn’t the prettiest of games, as they allowed the Sabres to fire 41 shots toward the Edmonton net. Stuart Skinner was magnificent, backstopping the Oil with 39 saves and bailing the team out with a few breakaway stops.
With the victory, the Oilers moved ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights to take over sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division, a position the team hasn’t found themselves in since December of 2021.
“It’s our goal to keep racking up points, get as high as we possibly can,” Ryan Nugent-Hopkins told media after the game. “We can keep getting better, but after the start we had, we should not be satisfied but happy with how far we’ve come.”
"We can keep getting better, but after the start we had we should not be satisfied but happy with how far we've come."
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the #Oilers climbing into first place in the Pacific Divison. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/dSdoheFFN9
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 26, 2025
The lead isn’t massive by any means, as Edmonton’s 65 points is just one ahead of Vegas’ 64. It’s something that the Oilers couldn’t find a way to do during last season despite having a 16-game winning streak in the middle of the season.
It’s a meaningful milestone for the club, but one that will not distract them from their overall goal of winning both the division and the Stanley Cup. Multiple players mentioned that there is plenty of hockey left to be played this season (33 games, to be exact), and a one-point lead is far from a guarantee.
“There is a lot more mountain to go,” Hyman said after the game. “We have just over a third of the year left; we can’t look at the standings yet.”
"Had some big performances from a bunch of guys. A big one from Nuggy, two big goals & a huge win."
Zach Hyman on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' performance in the #Oilers victory over Buffalo. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/1kkXMfV9sY
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 26, 2025
Winning the division would be no small feat for this Oilers franchise. As it stands, Edmonton holds the longest drought between division titles in the entire NHL, having last done so in 1987, the same year they raised their third Stanley Cup.
They’ve come close in recent years, having finished two points back in 2017, but the banners hanging in Rogers Place still bear the name of the old “Smythe” division, which was re-named back in 1993.
“I know it was a goal of ours to win our division,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “It helps you along the way to finish at the top; it definitely helps us, and it is a goal of ours.”
"Multiple, multiple big saves from the slot, end of the game. When it was 2-1 them, couple breakaways that he stopped. I can go through many, multiple big saves that he made."
Coach Koblaunch on Stuart Skinner's 40-save performance vs. Buffalo.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/8qvqLXJU3e
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 26, 2025
This year’s race will be a fight right until the end and will surely add some pressure when the Oilers head to Vegas for one last regular season game against each other on April 1.