Are the Oilers back to being Stanley Cup Contenders?
Since beginning their season with an abysmal 3-9-1 record and firing head coach Jay Woodcroft, the Edmonton Oilers are finally beginning to turn their season around. Kris Knoblauch took over the team in the middle of November, and the Oilers raced to a much improved record of 6-3 with him behind the bench.
Now, Oilers analyst Allan Mitchell broke down the reasons for their recent success. In an article for the Athletic this morning, Mitchell pointed to the improved health of a few key players, the penalty kill, and a slight uptick from Stuart Skinner as the reasons for success.
Of course, the team will always be on a ride with the best player in the world, Connor McDavid. If the Oilers' captain is rolling, the team will be too. In the games leading up to Woodcroft's firing, McDavid was battling an injury and was held pointless for three straight games. After Knoblauch took over and McDavid healed up, he unleashed for 19 points in just 9 games.
While the team can pretty much always count on this elite production from McDavid, it's the surrounding pieces that will make them cup contenders. Under Knoblauch, the Oilers penalty kill has significant improved, especially with the play from Mathias Ekholm and Vincent Desharnais. Hilariously since taking a puck to the face in warmup, Darnell Nurse's play has also turned around significantly.
With McDavid rolling and team defence improving, the Oilers are just a competent goaltender away from being a force to be reckoned with. The young Stuart Skinner has shown signs of improvement over the last few games, enough to win them games they would've lost earlier this year. If he can continue that play, or the team could add another goalie, the Oilers are back in a position to compete in the playoffs with their elite forward talent carrying them once again.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Oilers could win the Cup this year? | ||
| Yes, they should | 62 | 27.8 % |
| It's a possibility | 81 | 36.3 % |
| They'll go deep in playoffs but lose | 38 | 17 % |
| No chance | 42 | 18.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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