OILERS KEEP FANS TUNED IN
There is plenty to watch when it comes to the final 10 games of the Edmonton Oilers' regular season. Most of it has to do with captain Connor McDavid, of course. At the same time, nothing is set in stone when it comes to the NHL playoff picture, writes Gerry Moddejonge. Here's what we know for the moment:
1. WILL HE, WON'T HE?
McDavid has officially tossed his hat into the ring when it comes to contention for the Art Ross trophy.
For the first time this season, McDavid's name rose to the top of the NHL's points list on the way to a 6-1 win over the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
He led the way with two goals and an assist to record his seventh multi-point game in a row, giving him 29 goals and 96 assists on the year. Those 125 points briefly leapfrogged the two individuals ahead of him, the Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon and the Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov, who both went on to reclaim the top two spots overall with 127 and 126 points, respectively.
But the real race is likely between Kucherov and McDavid, who both have two games in hand over MacKinnon, and have a slightly better points-per-game average. With 10 games left apiece, McDavid's 1.79 points per game and Kuckerov's 1.75 points per game comes down to a matter of rounding, for the moment.
Whether or not the Oilers captain crosses the finish line first, it's been no small miracle performed that saw him rise from all the way back in 107th place in league scoring at the time the Oilers made their coaching change in mid-November, to sit at the pinnacle. However shortlived.
2. MISTER ASSISTER
Amassing points is one thing. But it's the way in which McDavid has been doing it this year that has him headed toward some really elite company.
Wayne Gretzky.
Mario Lemieux.
Bobby Orr.
Individually, their names are synonymous with hockey itself. Collectively, you might be hardpressed to come up with more fitting names that would belong on the NHL's Mount Rushmore. The thing is, there are four faces carved into the actual South Dakota monument. So, it's fitting McDavid will be joining the crew by season's end.
That is, if he keeps up a pace that has him leading the league in assists with 96 in 70 games played. That puts him on pace for 110, which would make him just the fourth player in league history to hit triple digits.
Of the other three, only Gretzky did it more than once, achieving the feat an unprecedented 11 times, which will likely never be matched — unless maybe they start giving out tertiary assists on goals.
3. PLAYOFF PICTURE
So much for another Oilers vs. L.A. Kings matchup in the opening round of the playoffs. Edmonton bumped the Kings off that trajectory with a convincing 4-1 win Thursday, leaving them vulnerable to being overtaken by the Golden Knights in third place in the Pacific Division.
That puts the Oilers in a rematch with the reigning Stanley Cup champs, who knocked them out of last year's playoffs, with the Golden Knights winning their second-round series 4-2.
4. DIVISIONAL DROUGHT
But hold on. The Oilers might not necessarily be stuck in the second place vs. third place divisional matchup to open the post-season.
Following Sunday's win over Anaheim, the Oilers crept to within four points of the Vancouver Canucks' lead in the Pacific Division. And while it was Vancouver's turn to beat up on the lame Ducks on Sunday, seeing the gap shrink to just two wins with 10 whole games to go kind of puts things within tantalizing reach for the Oilers, who haven't won a division title since 1987 — including their two latest Stanley Cup championships. That gives them the longest divisional title drought in all of North American major professional sports, for those keeping score at home.
5. END GOAL
Stuart Skinner has quietly risen into the top five when it comes to wins earned by a goalie, with 33 on the season in 51 starts so far.
A season ago, he finished in the top 10 with 29 wins in his 48 starts as a rookie, with a goalsagainst average of 1.33 and a save percentage of .914.
This year, Skinner has seen his save percentage fall to .907, while his goals-against improved to a 2.62 average. So, while he's not making as many stops on the shots he's facing, he's allowing fewer goals and earning more wins. Good trade-off.
The big test, of course, will be to see if Skinner can keep up the pace come playoff time, which saw his numbers take a tumble in his rookie campaign, when the pressure mounted and he was not able to maintain the same form that led to his all-star selection as he won the starting role from Jack Campbell.
Now, in tandem with Calvin Pickard, who is proving himself capable with 11 wins in 16 starts, a 2.25 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage — albeit against lesser opposition — the Oilers couldn't be asking for much more from their netminders down the stretch.