It was only days ago when it seemed like the San Jose Sharks were very comfortable favorites to win the NHL's Pacific Division. However, the Sharks have gone through a mild three-game losing streak, one that saw them lose 1-0 to the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Meanwhile the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames are both generally winning. The result has seen a narrowing of the gap in the Pacific Division with Edmonton currently in 2nd place.
Connor McDavid had two assists Monday
The Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night 2-0 behind two first-period goals that Connor McDavid assisted on.
Cam Talbot tallied another shutout behind a 31-save performance. Edmonton's starting goaltender also shutout the Vancouver Canucks over the weekend.
The win concludes a homestand for Edmonton that many were pointing to as incredibly important. The Oilers did not have a great February, they seemed to have lost a lot of momentum heading into March, and they needed some home wins in order to restabilize themselves. Starting on March 1st, the Oilers played eight straight at home and did not do badly, going 5-2-1 for 11 of 16 possible points.
Heading into Tuesday, Edmonton are now sitting comfortably when it comes to making the playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings are the team on the wrong side of the playoff bubble.
In order for Edmonton to miss the post-season they would have to fall behind all of Anaheim, Calgary, St. Louis, and then one of the teams currently on the outside looking in. With a 12-point lead on the Kings, the first team out, it seems like Edmonton are going to end their post-season drought. That will certainly prevent an uprising with the fan base, one that has elevated expectations in this Connor McDavid era with new management/coaching.
What's next for the Edmonton Oilers?
Tuesday is an off day and at this time of year that means that Edmonton are going to be watching the scoreboards. The Oilers will next head out on the road for a key game against the Anaheim Ducks. That will be played on March 22nd, the teams are currently tied in the standings in terms of points, and the winner will have a slight edge heading into the final stretch of the season.
Second place in the Pacific is certainly nothing to give up easily: it guarantees home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
However, with the San Jose Sharks struggling right now both Anaheim and Edmonton can still be thinking about winning the division outright. The Sharks play on Tuesday in a game at Minnesota, one that may prove difficult to win based on how strong Minnesota have been at home this season. From another point of view, however, the Wild have lost five straight while the Chicago Blackhawks have seized control of the Central Division. When San Jose and Minnesota meet, it really will be a battle between two cold teams, one looking to heat up and the other to stay cold at worst time of year.
