Edmonton Oilers miracle comeback has them in a tie for first place

The Edmonton Oilers were completely out of it in the Mile High City on Thursday night, until they weren’t.

All hope was seemingly lost after the Colorado Avalanche built an early 3-0 lead in the first period. Four unanswered Oilers goals, however, lifted Edmonton to their fourth straight victory and has put them in a very good spot in the standings.

The win improved the Oilers’ record to 29-13-3 and has moved the team to 61pts on the season. That has placed them in a tie with the Vegas Golden Knights for the Pacific Division lead.

NHL.com

As it stands, the race for the Pacific Division crown is currently a three-horse race between the Oilers, Golden Knights, and LA Kings. Vegas currently holds the tie-breaker as they have a slightly better points percentage. While the Kings have been ahead of the Oilers for the majority of the season, this recent run has them lagging by a six-point deficit. A hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Kings has helped establish that lead for the Oilers.

The Calgary Flames are the only other Pacific team in a playoff spot but they have yet to hit the 50-point plateau this season. A struggling Vancouver Canucks team who has lost six of their last seven games and are on the outside of the playoff picture at 48pts.

This is a big deal for the Oilers as the team is looking to claim its first division title since 1987, a drought that has now hit an incredible 36 seasons. It’s the longest of its kind in the history of the NHL.

That isn’t the only thing that Edmonton is in pursuit of. The Oilers now sit in a tie for third overall in the NHL behind only the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals, who are tied for the top spot with 65 points apiece. That is well within striking distance for this red-hot Oilers squad.

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Though a President’s Trophy would be nice to have on the resume for Edmonton, they may not want it. There is a belief among hockey fans that the trophy is a curse to the team that wins it. Since 2013, the President’s Trophy-winning team has gone on to win the Stanley Cup just once.

It may have seemed unlikely at the start of the year, but the Oilers are now on their way to what might be their best regular season since the 1980s.