Edmonton Oilers Pursue Elusive Third Straight Victory in Tenth Attempt
The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a peculiar and frustrating situation as they prepare for their tenth attempt this season to secure three consecutive wins. Despite being just one point out of first place in their division, the team has repeatedly stumbled at the threshold of this seemingly modest milestone.
A Season of Near Misses and Frustrating Patterns
Since October, the Oilers have updated the familiar idiom "third time's a charm" to reflect their ongoing struggle, with no charm yet to be found. After nine failed attempts to string together three wins, the pattern has become a bizarre quirk for a team with legitimate playoff aspirations. The inability to achieve this basic momentum-building feat through 54 games stands in stark contrast to their competitive position in the standings.
Coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged the challenge ahead, particularly with the upcoming game against the San Jose Sharks and their standout rookie Macklin Celebrini. "It's quite remarkable the season he's having," Knoblauch noted. "He's one of the top forwards in the NHL. It looks like he's driving a lot of their offence. We'll probably spend some attention on him, trying to contain him as much as we can."
Examining the Nine Previous Failed Attempts
The Oilers' track record in these crucial third games reveals a pattern of narrow defeats:
- October 16: After beating Vancouver and the Rangers, a 4-2 loss to the Islanders
- October 25: After beating Ottawa and Montreal, a 3-2 loss to Seattle
- November 13: After beating Columbus and Philadelphia, a 5-4 loss to Columbus
- December 9: After beating Seattle and Winnipeg, a 4-3 loss to Buffalo
- December 14: After beating Detroit and Toronto, a 4-1 loss to Montreal
- December 20: After beating Pittsburgh and Boston, a 5-2 loss to Minnesota
- December 27: After beating Vegas and Calgary, a 3-2 loss to Calgary
- January 10: After beating Nashville and Winnipeg, a 4-3 loss to Los Angeles
- January 20: After beating Vancouver and St. Louis, a 2-1 loss to New Jersey
This pattern of zero success in nine attempts includes six one-goal defeats, suggesting the team isn't being dominated but rather finding ways to lose close games when momentum is within reach.
Current Context and Upcoming Challenge
The Oilers enter this latest attempt following 6-5 and 7-4 victories over Washington and Anaheim, games that showcased offensive firepower but revealed defensive vulnerabilities with nine goals allowed. The team faces additional challenges with defenseman Mattias Ekholm listed as day-to-day after scoring three goals in the win over Anaheim but missing practice ahead of the Sharks game.
As one player noted about the compressed schedule, "We're barely playing in February, so the timeline is kind of pushed up right now. We know where we're at and these are some important games down the stretch." This sense of urgency adds weight to what might otherwise seem like a routine regular season game.
Keys to Finally Breaking the Pattern
The formula for success appears straightforward yet has proven elusive:
- Contain Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks' 19-year-old sensation who ranks fourth in NHL scoring with 78 points
- Improve defensive structure and goaltending after recent high-scoring affairs
- Convert narrow losses into clutch victories when the opportunity presents itself
While not suggesting the Sharks are a one-man team, the statistical reality highlights Celebrini's importance to San Jose's offense, with the next closest player on the team having just 36 points. This matchup presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the Oilers to finally put this peculiar storyline to rest and build genuine momentum as they approach the critical stretch of the season.
