Post by Edmonton Oilers on Nov 27, 2022 12:58:12 GMT -6
The Edmonton Oilers can often be likened to the Jan Brady of the ever strong Pacific Division. With the likes of the Vegas Golden Knights in the midst of a terrific season, and teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings finally waking up, the Oilers find themselves as a team that is often overlooked by many of the PFHL Pundits.
At the quarter mark of the season, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves holding down 3rd place in the Pacific with a record of 13-6-2. The Edmonton Oilers won’t wow you with dazzling play, but more often than not win a 1 goal game through hard work and a blue collar mentality. When you look at the statistics of the Oilers, you would expect to see captain Bo Horvat, and shotgun rider Patrik Laine at the top of the list, but to most people’s surprise the list is headed by Tom Wilson and Logan Couture, both UFAs at the end of the season.
Not many hockey experts picked Edmonton as a contender again this season after an embarrassing sweep in the first round of playoffs last season. But like the middle child, have gone relatively unnoticed and quietly stayed in the playoff picture. “It is only a quarter way through the season, and lots of games left, but we feel like we are in a good spot”. Stated Thatcher Demko, who has also quietly put together a solid season between the pipes. Demko is currently tied for 5th in Save Percentage and sits 6th in GAA.
As the Oilers embark on the next quarter of the season with a game against the Florida Panthers, who share an identical record of 13-6-2, the Edmonton squad seems ok with being the middle child of the Pacific as Alex Tuch stated “There is no pressure on us. No one talks about us, no one seems to get worried about playing us. Playing the Oilers seems to be a lull in everyone’s schedule. We like that”. Horvat chipped in “We all look forward to and listen to the PFHL podcasts, and it kinda motivates us when we get overlooked”.
Peter Parker
Edmonton Journal
