Edmonton Oilers Next 3 Games Will Prove They're Real or Fake – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The next three games for the Edmonton Oilers will determine where the team is this season. You can bet general manager Stan Bowman will be watching closely when his team visits the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, then hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 14 and The Florida Panthers on Dec. 16 to see if it can compete with the NHL's top teams.

The Wild are the best team in the Western Conference and show no signs of slowing down, while the Golden Knights are the best team in the Pacific Division. If the Oilers can win both games, they could begin to compete for the top spot in the West.

Of course, the Oilers have had the Florida rivalry circled on their calendars since losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 24. The Panthers have played well this season, while the Oilers are just starting to look like the same team as last season. , and they will be seeking revenge. Expect the atmosphere at Rogers Place to be fully charged.

Related: Oilers Face December Schedule Full of Key Games

If the Oilers sweep the next three games, they will be making a statement that they are Stanley Cup contenders. If they lose their next three, Bowman will be taking notes on his team's shortcomings in preparation for the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7. I expect the Oilers to win two of three based on their strong defensive play of late.

The Oilers are ranked third in the Pacific Division

The Oilers are in third place behind the Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings with 34 points but are only one point behind the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. They are 7-3-0 in their last ten games and are on a four-game home unbeaten streak at Rogers Place. If the Oilers can win their next three games, they can gain a spot on the Golden Knights and put space between them and the Canucks and Flames.

Their schedule picks up after the next three games, when they host the Boston Bruins on Dec. 19, the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 21 and the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 22…but you can't count your chickens before they hatch.

Oilers Recent Improvement Attributed To Strong Play From Two Key Players

Two of the biggest contributors to the Oilers recent success have been defenseman Darnell Nurse and goaltender Stuart Skinner. Nurse looks healthy at last and has been the player Oilers fans thought he could be. If Nurse is paired with Brett Kulak, the Oilers have a legitimate second pairing behind Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard.

Edmonton has been strong in their possession lately, and that has benefited goals from Skinner and Calvin Pickard. In his last two games, Skinner beat Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off goalkeeper Jordan Binington in a 4-2 win over St. Louis Blues on December 7. Then Skinner beat one of the NHL's best goaltenders, Andrei Vasilevskiy, three nights later as the Oilers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on December 10. up. .895 save percentage (SV%), and if the trend continues, he'll be over .900 SV% before the end of the calendar year.

Oil Country Live and Die by each win and loss

As of December 12, the Oilers have 54 games left in their season. They've played a third of their schedule so far and after another slow start, they're finally starting to show signs of becoming the Stanley Cup contenders everyone expected them to be at the start of the season. If the Oilers sweep the next three games, we might start hearing plans for a Stanley Cup show down Jasper Avenue. If they lose two or all three games, then Oil Country will need a big boost before the holiday season because it could be bad on social media.

Related: Oilers Return to Stanley Cup Champions

Where do you think the Oilers are right now? Post your predictions on how you think the team will do against the top three teams in the NHL in the comments below.