The Playoff Picture Thread

Cory Gray

Registered User
Oct 9, 2018
32
4
By the All-Star break there will be four teams the Oilers have to pass for the second wild-card spot. There done for this year.


elmeroil said:
Hard to believe after all of the losses they are going into the break just 3 points back of the ugly cousin wild card spot. Some teams in the way but if Connor can carry them and Klef helps steady the back end it's still doable.

I know this team still has big holes but meaningful games in Feb are nice.

Pretty amazing and fortunate if you ask me... there are FIVE teams in between us and that last playoff spot though. Fortunate because we have such a huge divide between the top 5 teams in our division and the bottom three playoff spots - and we are competing for just two of those (unfortunate that we're not in the Central where we'd be competing for all three). Really... everyone is still in it in the west, one hot streak by us or anyone else in the bottom 8 could very well get them into a wildcard spot.

A five game win streak to follow the all-star break could do miracles for our chances - and that's not an impossible ask here, is it?
 

Paperbagofglory

Registered User
Nov 15, 2010
5,557
4,730
Pretty amazing and fortunate if you ask me... there are FIVE teams in between us and that last playoff spot though. Fortunate because we have such a huge divide between the top 5 teams in our division and the bottom three playoff spots - and we are competing for just two of those (unfortunate that we're not in the Central where we'd be competing for all three). Really... everyone is still in it in the west, one hot streak by us or anyone else in the bottom 8 could very well get them into a wildcard spot.

A five game win streak to follow the all-star break could do miracles for our chances - and that's not an impossible ask here, is it?

Stop!, they're already dead.
 

elmeroil

Registered User
Feb 3, 2013
1,746
2,673
Stop!, they're already dead.

What's the point of this post? Some fans have given up and that's their right. Other fans see that we are luckily only 3 points back with 39% of the season left to play. Could it go bad quickly, absolutely. Could they go on a tear with Klef back and Mcdavid rested, absolutely.

Koskinen has also shown that behind some decent defense he can have a good run. No reason to say they are dead until they are a lot further out of it.
 

Drivesaitl

Time to Drive
Oct 8, 2017
45,304
54,861
Duck hunting


Tough to see them playing past .500


That's actually a pretty normative schedule. Neither hard, or easy. Everything looks harder when you looking up from near bottom.

The funny thing about the metric is there is no bad WC team column, namely because every one of the clubs is in the WC race.

The reality is it doesn't matter much who you face and it doesn't always seem to matter to the Oilers who play better against good clubs and often worse against bad ones.

Sometimes it seems theres an advantage playing a lot of clubs down the stretch that don't need the pts and the hardest games are playing the clubs that do.

In anycase in the capped era there really aren't clubs that are unbeatable, or that don't lose regularly, those don't exist. Every game is winnable, or losable.

These breakdowns are just interesting, they mean nothing.

The bad news is that 9 teams are fighting for 2WC spots what with all the divisional spots pretty much locked up.
 

Mr Positive

Cap Crunch Incoming
Nov 20, 2013
35,799
16,187
I'd wonder if perhaps Dallas could get cold at some point and fall to the wild card spots. They've been hot and cold this season, and although they've got a decent lead, there's still a lot of track for them to give space in.

That doesn't open up a spot for us as a Pacific team, but it make be a spot that St.Louis climbs into, and I think that is a team that will not give up their playoff spot at all, and will stay hot.

The real hope for us is that although there's lots of competition for only 2 spots, perhaps we are well positioned to win some games considering our big losing skids were connected with certain key injuries, injuries that are close to resolved, and I'm not even talking about Sekera. So there's some good reason to think we would be one of the more competitive suitors for those spots.
 

Stoneman89

Registered User
Feb 8, 2008
27,205
21,405
We’ve lost to Detroit. We’ve lost to Jersey. We’ve lost to LA. There are no easy games for this team. Every game will be life and death.
 

Stoneman89

Registered User
Feb 8, 2008
27,205
21,405
I'd wonder if perhaps Dallas could get cold at some point and fall to the wild card spots. They've been hot and cold this season, and although they've got a decent lead, there's still a lot of track for them to give space in.

That doesn't open up a spot for us as a Pacific team, but it make be a spot that St.Louis climbs into, and I think that is a team that will not give up their playoff spot at all, and will stay hot.

The real hope for us is that although there's lots of competition for only 2 spots, perhaps we are well positioned to win some games considering our big losing skids were connected with certain key injuries, injuries that are close to resolved, and I'm not even talking about Sekera. So there's some good reason to think we would be one of the more competitive suitors for those spots.
We still have the same goalies though and to me, that is the biggest issue. Talbot runs hot and cold, and I have no idea what we have in Koskinen.
 

Ritchie Valens

Registered User
Sep 24, 2007
28,201
38,971
Trying to spin some positivity in the last 20 games...to quote Stauffer, the head says they're too far out but the heart says they have a (small) chance.

There's 20 games left in the season as of today and the WC place holders on today's date (Dallas & Minnesota) are "on pace" for around 89 & 86 points. The Oilers need 87 to get in as WC2 and are 28 points away from that mark.

They need to play .700 hockey here on out and win 14 of the next 20. McDavid should be rested after having three of the last four games off so hopefully his energy sparks the team. No news on Klefbom is good news from the slash he took last night so hopefully it stays that way this morning. They've also gotten 6 of 8 possible points in the last four games, and three of those games were without McDavid-so that's a big positive to me.

Going back to looking at the remaining games as a "best of five" series, it doesn't look overly good as they need three wins and an OT/SO loss in each block. It's not impossible but it's going to be a hard uphill battle.

Series 1:
at Toronto, at Ottawa, at Columbus, at Buffalo, H-Vancouver (4 home, 1 away)

Series 2:
H-Toronto, H-NYR, H-NJ, at Arizona, at Vegas (3 home, 2 away)

Series 3:
at St. Louis, H-Columbus, H-Ottawa, H-LA, H-Dallas (4 home, 1 away)

Series 4:
H-Anaheim, at LV, at Colorado, H-SJ, H-Calgary (3 home, 2 away)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ConnorMcMullet

BlackDogg

perpetuum defectum
Oct 3, 2015
40,404
40,272
Trying to spin some positivity in the last 20 games...to quote Stauffer, the head says they're too far out but the hearts says they have a (small) chance.

There's 20 games left in the season as of today and the WC place holders on today's date (Dallas & Minnesota) are "on pace" for around 89 & 86 points. The Oilers need 87 to get in as WC2 and are 28 points away from that mark.

They need to play .700 hockey here on out and win 14 of the next 20. McDavid should be rested after having three of the last four games off so hopefully his energy sparks the team. No news on Klefbom is good news from the slash he took last night so hopefully it stays that way this morning. They've also gotten 6 of 8 possible points in the last four games, and three of those games were without McDavid-so that's a big positive to me.

Going back to looking at the remaining games as a "best of five" series, it doesn't look overly good as they need three wins and an OT/SO loss in each block. It's not impossible but it's going to be a hard uphill battle.

Series 1:
@ Toronto, @ottawa, @Columbus, @Buffalo, H-Vancouver (4 home, 1 away)

Series 2:
H-Toronto, H-NYR, H-NJ, @ Arizona, @Vegas (3 home, 2 away)

Series 3:
@ST. Louis, H-Columbus, H-Ottawa, H-LA, H-Dallas (4 home, 1 away)

Series 4:
H-Anaheim, @ LV, @Colorado, H-SJ, H-Calgary (3 home, 2 away)
My head says only 22 points out of those games, if they win all the games they should. Which wouldn't be enough. But lets see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: McFuhryous

Ritchie Valens

Registered User
Sep 24, 2007
28,201
38,971
My head says only 22 points out of those games, if they win all the games they should. Which wouldn't be enough. But lets see.

They are visually better in some areas (not all). They only have five of their remaining games against Western Conference wild card teams or teams which are in the hunt. They also play some pretty loaded team like Vegas & Toronto. It could very well come down to games 81 & 82, which could benefit the Oilers as the Sharks and Flames may be resting some key players for the start of the playoffs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BlackDogg

CupofOil

Knob Flavored Coffey
Aug 20, 2009
46,279
39,510
NYC
If Klefbom is injured again and misses any sort of time, we are finished.

They were finished a long time ago. I'm not sure why this is even a discussion anymore.
Sorry @McFuhryous but talking about the Oilers being in a playoff race is bordering on Pierre Dorion levels of delusion ;)
 

Uchiha

Registered User
Jun 14, 2014
2,612
289
Don't know bout ya'll but...McDavid is going to lead us to a 20 game win streak.
 

Ritchie Valens

Registered User
Sep 24, 2007
28,201
38,971
They were finished a long time ago. I'm not sure why this is even a discussion anymore.
Sorry @McFuhryous but talking about the Oilers being in a playoff race is bordering on Pierre Dorion levels of delusion ;)

Lol, no need to apologize for anything...I know they're pretty much done, just trying to spark some positivity. :)
 

ConnorMcMullet

#12 Colby Cave
Jun 10, 2017
10,290
18,008
Still a chance, guys. Wild are now awful thanks to Fentorelli, and the Avs aren't great. A streak here and we're in. 13-5-2 would probably do it.

Then we can destroy the fLames in the 1st round.
 

Ritchie Valens

Registered User
Sep 24, 2007
28,201
38,971
Still a chance, guys. Wild are now awful thanks to Fentorelli, and the Avs aren't great. A streak here and we're in. 13-5-2 would probably do it.

Then we can destroy the fLames in the 1st round.


200.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: ConnorMcMullet

Arpeggio

Registered User
Jul 20, 2006
9,014
3,511
Edmonton
They need a ten game heater, now. 9-1 or something like that gets them within striking distance. Yet they'd still have to finish the season really strong, even after that.

Pretty much have to hope Koskinen plays out of his mind, and McDavid starts putting up major points.
 

Uchiha

Registered User
Jun 14, 2014
2,612
289
Still a chance, guys. Wild are now awful thanks to Fentorelli, and the Avs aren't great. A streak here and we're in. 13-5-2 would probably do it.

Then we can destroy the fLames in the 1st round.

Im with you on that....just need a big W against the bum leafs with a McDavid led 5 point night on national television to get these "fake" fans back into it.

If we get that W...the game against the sens the following night is guarantee W night.

That'll probably put us within 5pts back of a playoff spot by then.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->