The Oilers will be the last Wild Card or 3rd in Pacific. Who do they play in round 1?

[The Panther]

So, it looks like (barring a 10-game losing streak or the like) the Oilers are pretty much a lock for a playoff spot. It also looks like they are going to be either 3rd in the Pacific (if they catch Seattle) or the very last Wild Card spot (they're currently in the last position by points percentage, and Colorado is surging). I don't think Nashville or Calgary has a hope of catching Edmonton or Colorado or Seattle for the final Wild Card spots.

My questions are:

-- Is it better if the Oilers finish in 3rd or in the last Wild Card spot? (Bearing in mind they are generally much better on the road than at home.)

-- Who do you guess the Oilers will face in round one (a) if they finish as the final Wild Card, and (b) if they finish in 3rd Pacific?

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[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Ideally they finish and face the Pacific leader.

Dallas doesn't scare me but I'd rather not run the chance of Colorado or Minnesota.

 

[MessierII]

Wouldn’t mind playing Vegas. That would be ideal.

 

[Leonardlizard]

I feel like the Oilers play incredibly well against Vegas.

 

[Mr Positive]

Try for home ice imo.

 

[Wreckus]

Need to clinch a spot first. Right now, I’m not feeling confident we will.

 

[Harry Curry]

Oilers are 2-0 against Vegas with two games left this season.

Sweeping the final two would be a great mental edge if the Oilers do play Vegas.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

It’ll be interesting to see who we get. But honestly I’m not worried no matter who it is. We want to go all the way, we’re likely playing the Avs at some point so to me it doesn’t matter which round. If we can’t beat a great team in round 1 we can’t beat them in 2, 3 or 4.

We probably fare well against Vegas though.

 

[EdmOilers76]

Flames or Preds will sneak to make it to final wild card spot. I m not sold on Oilers goaltender and defence this year. I think Oilers will miss playoff. They re collapsing fast now. Loss to leafs last night is the first domino effect. Flames is playing red hot right now for march. Id be shocked if Oilers make it to playoff.

 

[The Panther]

Flames or Preds will sneak to make it to final wild card spot. I m not sold on Oilers goaltender and defence this year. I think Oilers will miss playoff. They re collapsing fast now. Loss to leafs last night is the first domino effect. Flames is playing red hot right now for march. Id be shocked if Oilers make it to playoff.

There's, like, 0.01% chance the Oilers miss the playoffs.

They'd have to go into a huge slump in the final fifteen games (which they haven't the past few years of this incarnation), combined with Nashville or Calgary going about 13-2.

The Flames are not red hot right now (where are you getting that??). They've won 3 of their past 9.

 

[Zerotonine]

Vegas and LA can't loose it seems. Kraken have faltered here like edmonton
We have 2 games vs vegas and kings. Vegas might be oit of reach but those 2 vs Kings could be for home ice. Hopefully Vegas has peaked to soon. But quick is now 3-0 as a knight

 

[Oilhawks]

Flames or Preds will sneak to make it to final wild card spot. I m not sold on Oilers goaltender and defence this year. I think Oilers will miss playoff. They re collapsing fast now. Loss to leafs last night is the first domino effect. Flames is playing red hot right now for march. Id be shocked if Oilers make it to playoff.

Thanks for your input, now go back to Conspiracy Puck.

 

[McDrai]

Oilers are 2-0 against Vegas with two games left this season.

Sweeping the final two would be a great mental edge if the Oilers do play Vegas.

I don’t think it will do much to be honest. Didn’t we dominate Winnipeg during the regular season before they swept us a few years ago?

 

[Leonardlizard]

Need to clinch a spot first. Right now, I’m not feeling confident we will.

Can I ask why,

 

[harpoon]

I don’t think it will do much to be honest. Didn’t we dominate Winnipeg during the regular season before they swept us a few years ago?

Exactly. Before a puck had even been dropped in that series we had fans making childish boasts about how the Oilers were going to ‘spank the Jets and send them to bed without dinner’ and a load of similar embarrassing nonsense. We all know how that worked out.

This Oilers team plays better on the road and plays better against teams that scare them.

 

[The Panther]

Didn’t we dominate Winnipeg during the regular season before they swept us a few years ago?

Less than two years ago, to be precise.

2021 Regular season vs. Winnipeg:
7 - 2 - 0 (ended with six wins in a row)

2021 playoffs vs. Winnipeg:
0 - 4

 

[Speed220DChalavan]

Vegas will be difficult to catch unless we win both HTH games against them.

We have some soft games left in the schedule (ARZ x 2, ANA x 2, SJ x 3).

Most likely opponent is LA. Not ideal, but winnable. Goal should be securing home ice advantage in the 1st round.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

15 games remaining. I think 96 points should do it for the final WC spot. We'd have to go 8-7 or 16 points. With the 7 games vs SJS,ARI and ANA, we'd really have to crap the bed not to make that.

OTT
DAL
SEA
COL

VGK X2
LA X2

SJS X3
ARI X2
ANA X2

 

[rboomercat90]

I think we finish where we are right now. It’s going to be tough to catch anybody. We’re starting to run out of games and the teams we’re chasing are winning just as much or more than we are. Seattle may be faltering more than us so maybe we catch them. If we do that looks like it’s a first round rematch with the Kings as it looks like Vegas is starting to pull away. All things considered, I’d probably be as comfortable facing a Todd Mclellan coached team in a playoff series than I would be against anyone else.

 

[guymez]

The Oilers are 16-7-6 since Jan 1st 2023. If my math is correct thats 38 out of a possible 58 points.
They have 15 games left...a possible 30 points.

This is clearly an improved version of the team from last month so expecting 20 out of a possible 30 points down the stretch doesnt seem unrealistic at all.
Unless the wheels fall off completely its virtually impossible for them to miss the playoffs.

Prediction: They will at least go 8-3-4 in the last 15 games and finish with a 44-26-12 record.
Close out the Reg season with 100 points and finish in the first wild card spot.

Play most of the playoff games on the road.

 

[The Panther]

Most likely opponent is LA. Not ideal, but winnable. Goal should be securing home ice advantage in the 1st round.

Is home ice really ideal, though?

The Oilers currently have the 19th-best home record and the 8th-best road record.

 

[GOilers88]

Would much rather see the team on the road. Don’t want home ice.

 

[BouchBaby]

Flames or Preds will sneak to make it to final wild card spot. I m not sold on Oilers goaltender and defence this year. I think Oilers will miss playoff. They re collapsing fast now. Loss to leafs last night is the first domino effect. Flames is playing red hot right now for march. Id be shocked if Oilers make it to playoff.

Go back to CP, no Oilers fan would say such negative shit

 

[Captain Controversy]

Oilers are 2-0 against Vegas with two games left this season.

Sweeping the final two would be a great mental edge if the Oilers do play Vegas.

Just like the oilers mental edge over the jets.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Timbits in Bangkok has my attention