EDMONTON — Connor McDavid has won two Hart Trophies, gone to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, and broken just about every scoring record imaginable. But right now, the only thing the Edmonton Oilers captain is worried about is seeing his name on a playoff bracket — wherever that may land.
"Just putting the X beside our name is the main thing," McDavid said following Edmonton's 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday — the team's fifth consecutive win and a new season high. "Where we're seeded, I'm not too concerned about it. We can start a series on the road, we can start a series at home. We're pretty comfortable either way. We just have to get in."
That kind of measured confidence might raise eyebrows around the league, but it's hard to argue with what the Oilers have put together lately. Since the Olympic break, Edmonton has gone 11-6-1, posting a .639 points percentage that leads the entire Pacific Division. The Oilers have tightened their defensive game considerably, anchored by the Connor Murphy–Darnell Nurse pairing on the blue line, which has been among the steadiest in the West.
Jarry Shines as Oilers Lock Down Defensively
Perhaps the most surprising development in Edmonton's late-season surge has been the goaltending. Tristan Jarry was near-flawless against Chicago, surrendering just a single rebound goal on 18 shots while his teammates peppered the Blackhawks net with 38. It's a far cry from the inconsistency that plagued the Oilers earlier this season.
With the Anaheim Ducks dropping a regulation loss Wednesday night — blowing two late leads — Edmonton drew level atop the Pacific Division with 87 points apiece. The Ducks have seven games remaining to Edmonton's six, but the Oilers hold the critical edge in regulation wins, giving them the upper hand in the first tiebreaker.
"Playoff Mentality" Has Arrived in the Locker Room
Veteran forward Adam Henrique, who has seen plenty of postseason hockey throughout his career, says the group has found something that can't be manufactured overnight.
"You want to be as consistent as you can and sometimes that's hard in this league. As a group, we've found it — and there's no better time to do that than now. With the schedule you're playing every other day, it's a playoff mentality and we know what that takes."
Head coach Kris Knoblauch echoed that pragmatic tone when asked about the value of finishing first in the division. Edmonton hasn't won a division title since 1987 — the longest such drought in the NHL — yet Knoblauch wasn't exactly pounding the table for a first-place banner.
"It would be nice to finish first and put a banner up next fall, but this team — whether at home or on the road — it responds well. If we get into a Game 7, maybe it matters more. But we're just trying to play as well as possible."
A Team That Found Its Game at the Right Time
The Oilers spent much of the first half of the season in a fog, failing to consistently replicate the dominant hockey that carried them to consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances. The slow burn continued right through the Olympic break before something finally clicked. The defensive structure tightened, the goaltending steadied, and a team with generational talent up front started playing the full-ice game required to win in April and May.
With six games remaining in the regular season, Edmonton is not just alive — they are legitimate contenders for the Pacific Division crown and, many believe, a deep playoff run. Whether they care about the former or not, the rest of the league is certainly paying attention.
Source: Sportsnet. Original reporting contributed to this article.