The Oilers’ losing run keeps getting longer as the run season progresses.
The Edmonton Oilers have experienced a season of highs and lows, and as the holiday break draws near, the team is once again cold.
The Oilers had an eight-game winning streak that started to turn the team’s season around, but they are currently mired in a three-game losing streak.
The Oilers are still a streaky team this season and have not suffered a single-game loss despite a coaching change.
The Oilers’ current season trajectory is as follows:
two-match losing run
One triumph
Four games without a victory (worth one point)
One triumph
a run of four defeats
winning run of three games
a losing run of three games
eight-game winning run
current losing streak of three games
Upon calculating everything, Edmonton’s season record is 13-15-1, placing them well outside of the postseason picture.
Following an eight-game winning streak that brought them within one point of the final wild-card spot on December 13, the Oilers start play on Thursday seven points behind the Arizona Coyotes for the final playoff spot, despite having two games remaining.
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm told the Edmonton Sun following the Oilers’ most recent setback, a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, that it was “not great timing.” “Right now, we need wins; we need points.”
“We have to quickly turn the page and move on, even though tonight is terrible and no fun at all,” he continued. “We still have two games left before Christmas, and those are really important ones for us.”
During the Oilers’ current run, head coach Kris Knoblauch’s record has dropped to 10-6 since taking over the team. Before firing Jay Woodcroft, the team had a 3-9-1 record at the start of the 2023–24 season.
The Oilers play two more road games before their holiday break: on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils and on Friday against the New York Rangers. The Oilers lost to the Islanders on Tuesday. With 45 points, the Rangers are leading the Metropolitan Division, and the Devils, who had a slow start to the season, are battling to make the playoffs.
In response to the Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning losses, Knoblauch said, “It is disappointing; we certainly could have had two out of those three games.” “We are going to have a really tough next two games.”
The Oilers will resume their road schedule after the back-to-back games, playing four nights in a row against the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks to wrap up their 2023 schedule.
Brown appears to be a sound scratch. Thursday?
The Oilers are trying to change things up for their game on Thursday, and it looks like Connor Brown will be a healthy scratch.
On Wednesday, Brown participated in line rushes as an extra, and Adam Erne joined the forward group on the fourth line. Sam Gagner replaced Brown on the third line alongside Ryan McLeod and Mattias Janmark.
After signing with the Oilers as a free agent in July, the 29-year-old winger has only contributed one assist in 23 games this season. Due to an ACL tear, Brown only appeared in four games for the Washington Capitals during the previous season.
