Edmonton Oilers Snap Their Two-Game Skid to Stay atop Pacific Division

The Edmonton Oilers snap their two-game skid to stay atop the Pacific Division with a 4-0 shutout win over the Calgary Flames in their last game. The team has the second-most points in the Western Conference and is the highest-scoring team in the NHL.

Same Old Song and Dance 

It is the same old song and dance for the Oilers: they have a great attack but struggle on the defensive side of the ice. While they pitched a shutout in the win over Calgary, the squad still only ranks tied for 18th giving up an average of 3.23 goals per game. In the two losses before the win, they allowed 11 goals and blanking the Flames was Edmonton's first shutout of the season.

The Stars are Shining 

The two stars for the Oilers, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, have gotten off to great starts this season, especially McDavid, who has been killing it. While he only ranks tied for 11th in the league with eight goals, he leads the league in points with 12 more than the second-place players and also leads in assists with 12 more than the players tied for second place. McDavid has registered a point in all 12 games this season and in nine of them registered multiple points.

Draisaitl has the second-most goals in the NHL and is tied with Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov for the second-most points.

Babcock is Leading the Way 

The Oilers brought in head coach Mike Babcock to get the team over the hump after being upset in the first round of the playoffs last season after losing in the Stanley Cup finals the previous two seasons. He has taken a tough approach so far, with healthy scratches and reduced ice time for players who were not producing or were playing inconsistently. Veteran Mattias Ekholm stated, "It sends a message that you've got to be on your game every night."

Up Next 

The Oilers are on the road in the Big Apple for their next game against the New York Islanders on Saturday night, the first of a three-game East Coast road trip.