Jay Woodcroft might have taken over what already looking like a winning Edmonton Oilers team halfway through the 2021-22 season, but he took them further than anyone expected them to end up.
Former Oilers head coach Dave Tippett was let go by the team in February, immediately having been replaced by Woodcroft, who had previously served as the head coach of the Bakersfield Condors.
Success occurred right away once Woodcroft stepped in, as Edmonton won five games in a row upon his arrival.
The team would go on another five-game winning streak in early March, followed by a six-game winning streak from late March to early April that included three overtime wins (one shootout).
The Oilers capped off the regular season strong, winning seven of their final eight games. They concluded with a 49-27-6 record, their best since the 1986-87 season when they won the Stanley Cup.
No matter what your philosophy is on coaching, it was clear Woodcroft's presence made a difference.
The first-year NHL head coach was no stranger to winning in this league, though.
As an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks from 2008 to 2015, Woodcroft was a part of six trips to the postseason, including back-to-back runs to the conference finals.
This prior fortune was reflected in what would be the Oilers' best playoff run since the 2005-06 season.
It didn't come easy right away, though, as Edmonton struggled in the first round against a Los Angeles Kings franchise that has a recent history of winning.
The Kings took Woodcroft and the Oilers to seven games, but Edmonton would get the last laugh as it shut out Los Angeles in Game 7, 2-0, to advance to the second round.
The Oilers' greatest challenge awaited them, as they were set to face the only team better than them in the Pacific Division, the Calgary Flames.
It looked as if Edmonton had been bested already when it allowed nine goals in its Game 1 loss, but four consecutive wins that followed on its end would say otherwise.
Woodcroft and the Oilers reached the Western Conference Finals but were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche.
While it was a tough way to go out, the team had gone further than anticipated, and Woodcroft established himself as the right person for the job.
He would sign a three-year contract in June to stay on as Edmonton's head coach.
More must-reads: