The Edmonton Oilers have been on a roll, and they could become the first team in 27 years to boast three 100-point scorers. Steven Ellis and Matt Larkin discuss why the Oilers are the team to beat in the Pacific Division.
Matt Larkin: Let’s look out west in the Pacific Division. A crucial win for the Edmonton Oilers, 2-0 and Stuart Skinner picks up 43 saves for a shutout that leapfrogs the Oilers over the Los Angeles Kings in the standings. It’s getting very tight in the race, Vegas Golden Knights clinched a playoff spot as well, and we got LA and Edmonton. So, I want to know, Steven, who to you is looking like the class of the Pacific Division?
Steven Ellis: Well, see, when you look at the Oilers, that was a team we talked about a couple of months ago, saying, can they even make the playoffs at this point? It was a little scary, but we knew deep down that this team was talented enough to make it work. Part of that was making sure goalies could figure things out, and Stuart Skinner has done just that. You’ve got a line and a group as dominant as the Oilers have with McDavid, Draisaitl, Evander Kane, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins and the offense in this group is as good as we’ve seen. I was looking at some numbers beforehand, and the Florida Panthers had the highest goals-per-game average since the lockout last season; the Oilers probably won’t hit that mark this year, but the difference is it’s the big guns getting the work done for the Oilers, and you see what McDavid’s numbers have been this season, out of this world. Jonathan Huberdeau had, I think, 115 points last year, but that was a bit more speed out. But with his, nobody has been able to figure out how to contain those top guys on the Oilers. I think a lot of the doubts I had are starting to go away, and I do feel very confident in this team and especially after seeing how solid of a run it was in the playoffs last year.
Matt Larkin: I agree with you; there’s a cliche that’s thrown around year after year, and it’s “this team can score its way out of trouble,” but I think it applies differently to this year’s version of the Edmonton Oilers and I think any team we’ve seen in the last few decades. Right now, they’re four points away, four Ryan Nugent Hopkins points away from being the first team in 27 years to have three 100-point scorers. It’s only been done by 13 teams in NHL history, and that, to me, is what stands out. You have a deeper scoring list, yes you have McDavid and Draisaitl, but even having the Nuge, who’s a major powerplay presence who might hit 100 points that would be the first time since Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux, and Ron Francis, did it in 1995-96. So, I really feel like this is a team that, even when you point out flaws and inconsistencies in the net, it might not matter depending on who they’re up against in that division.
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