Win over Jets has Oilers atop Pacific Division standings

The Edmonton Oilers have sole possession of first place in the NHL’s Pacific Division.

It’s the first time all season such has been the case for the Oilers, who struggled out the gate to start the season, only to go on a 9-4-1 in the month of December, shooting them up the standings.

Their ninth win of the month came Monday night when the Oilers paid a visit to the Winnipeg Jets, where Calvin Pickard slammed the door in a hometown start, turning aside 41 of 42 shots faced in a 3-1 win. It was easily his best start of the season and came on a night where the players in front of him offered little help.

It’s a game, Pickard said can be a confidence booster.

“I felt pretty good the last month or so. It’s hard to get much traction,” he said. “I thought I played pretty decent in Montreal, pretty decent in Minnesota — just not getting rewarded for it. I got some bounces tonight, and I got rewarded for it. So I like where my game’s at. Just want to keep that going.”

The start helped improve some of Pickard’s numbers, which had been among the worst in the league for netminders — something that Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch attributes to the play in front of him.

“Unfortunately for picks, we played some of our worst hockey when he’s been in there, and so that’s been reflective on his stats,” said Knoblauch. “And it hasn’t looked that good, but we just haven’t been that good in front of him. Tonight, back here in Winnipeg, (I’m) very happy for him to have that game because he was, as I said, he was really good.”

Despite their spot in the standings, it’s far from over. Oddsmakers at Bet365 have the Oilers with the second-best odds to win the division, giving them a 32.3 percent implied probability, while the Vegas Golden Knights have the best odds, with a 58.3 percent implied probability. The Golden Knights still have three games in hand against the Oilers, though it could come down to games between the two teams on March 8th, March 26th and April 4th to decide who takes the top spot. Wins in those games from the Oilers could make up those games with haste.

What else plays to the Oilers’ benefit is their impending schedule. They don’t travel east for the rest of the season, and in January, will play 11 of 15 games on home ice where they’ve been significantly better.

At Rogers Place, the Oilers have a 10-3-3 record and a .719 points percentage in 16 games.

Away from Rogers Place, they have a 10-11-3 record, and a .749 points percentage in 24 games.

But before the Oilers kick off their January schedule, they have one more game in December, hosting the Boston Bruins for a Wednesday night New Year’s Eve clash.