The return of Connor McDavid and the sudden surge of the Edmonton Oilers since the trade deadline day has re-ignited the dreams of playoff hockey for many fans. Talbot is playing like a man possessed by Broduer and Roy, Eberle has found his scoring touch, Yakupov has paired well with McDavid as expected, and Hall has rediscovered his game as well. Their confidence levels have risen with the acquisitions of strong, role players such as Kassian, Maroon, and Pardy. Sitting in the basement of the West, a playoff game is still mathematically attainable going into tonight's game.
A miraculous winning streak of 15 to finish the season would give the team 87 points in the standings, a huge improvement from years (10 to be exact) past. It was predicted that it would require 95 points to make the playoffs at the start of the year, but with a handful of Western Conference teams failing to meet expectations, it appears that the wild west playoffs may be easier to reach. How much easier?
The Wild currently have collected 72 points in the standings, which is 13 points more than the Oilers lowly 59. The Oilers, as mentioned, can max out at 87 points. It appears that the only other real team in this race, barring a sudden surge by another team near the Oilers in the standings, are the Colorado Avalanche. It can be assumed that one of these two teams will make the playoffs and they hold a .537 point percentage. If their play of hockey remains consistent, one of these two teams will enter the playoffs with 88 points, 1 point more than the Oilers can max out.
There are some key match ups that could help the Oilers. The Wild and Avalanche have one game versus each other on Saturday March 26. Only one team can win, and if the Oilers have made some progress getting out of the basement, that could be a crucial game. The Wild have 15 games remaining with 8 at home. They will host the Oilers on Thursday March 10 before embarking on a four-game eastern road trip against weak teams, which bodes well for the Wild.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche will play against the Oilers on Sunday March 20 in Edmonton. They also have a very difficult schedule as they will be finishing the season with 7 straight games against playoff bound teams and one against the Wild. They face the Blues twice, the Predators twice, the Stars, the Capitals, and the Ducks to finish their campaign. If MacKinnon and company want to make the playoffs, they will need to play like it is a playoff series as they will most likely face one of these teams in the first round, but to be frank, that is a tough hill to climb.
So, can they make the playoffs? It requires a 15-game winning streak, which has not been done this season by any team, but if they can make it happen, I believe they will make the playoffs. It will only take 85 points to make the playoffs for the west this year. And let's not forget that the Wild fired their coach recently because they had only won 3 games in 19 contests. Maybe, just maybe, there's a little light for a Christmas in April after all.
Go Oilers go.
