|
Oilers vs Caps - Blink and You'll Miss It |
|
|
|
|
|
Even though it's only been a couple of days, it feels much longer since the Oilers last played a game. That isn't going to be the case after this week though. Edmonton plays tonight against Washington, has two days off before playing the Avs, two days after that before playing the Canadiens, and then it's a rush to the end of the season.
After the Montreal game, the Oilers play every second day for the rest of March. Then we are into April, where of the 10 games that Edmonton plays, 6 of them are back to back situations. The players and coaching staff are going to need to pace themselves and ensure the roster is healthy and prepared to enter Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now is a good time to start bringing up who the Oilers will likely face in the first round. Here are the likely suspects:
LA Kings: If the playoffs began today the Oilers would face off against the Kings in the first round for the third straight season. Both of the previous series have gone in the Oilers favor but they have all been grueling brutal and physical matchups that left the Oil battered going into the 2nd round. The Kings have improved as of late but they don't have as deep a roster as they did last season and their goaltending situation remains suspect.
Vegas Golden Knights: While the Golden Knights sit in the bottom Wild Card position right now, they are also tied in points with LA with 77 (LA has one game in hand). No one should be surprised if this Vegas team ends up elevating themselves in the standings, particularly with their deadline acquisitions. Vegas beat the Oilers in the last playoffs because of their depth and great goaltending from Adin Hill. Hill hasn't looked as much like the unstoppable force he was through the playoffs but this is still a dangerous team especially when Mark Stone comes back in Game 2.
Nashville Predators: This could occur if the Oilers finish 1st in the Pacific and the Predators remain the higher seeded Wild Card team. On paper this sounds like the easiest matchup but the Preds are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games and could be getting hot at the right time. Stanley Cups are won off a goaltender getting hot at the right time and Saros is certainly that right now.
Vancouver Canucks: A possible 1st round matchup but an unlikely one. The Canucks would have to fall into 2nd or 3rd in the Division and the Kings or Golden Knights would have to go on quite the run to sneak into the top spot. If these two Canadian teams face off it will likely be a second round matchup.
---
For now, the Oilers shouldn't be worried about who they are facing and instead focus on playing their best hockey and figure out what lines they want to enter the playoffs with. These past couple days off hopefully helped to get the new acquisitions better acquainted with Knoblauch and his systems. Henrique in particular hopefully benefitted the most. The centreman has not played poorly in his first few games but certainly hasn't had any big moments yet. It's been a whirlwind week for the player though and fans should give him some slack for that. Looking forward to watching him closely tonight.
Thanks for reading!
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»