The Edmonton Oilers entered the Stanley Cup NHL Playoffs as a major contender for the title this season. However, their earliest performances in the postseason would have left many fans and sports bettors fearing the worst for their franchise.
Entering the playoffs, the Oilers were tipped to be among the favorites for one of the most prestigious titles in sports. They were rated highly on the popular gambling sites that offer sports markets, with their odds being extremely favorable compared to many of the other teams that were involved.
However, despite entering the playoffs in generally good form, punters would have enjoyed the value that they have found. While positive results often occurred, there was a common pattern in the latter stages of the regular season that saw the Oilers be on the end of a negative result. Indeed, this followed them into the postseason, leaving fans who gambled on them potentially questioning their choices.
Oilers are Making Hard Work of the NHL Playoffs
At this stage of the season, winning is all that matters. The Oilers have shown that they know how to get the job done on the ice, and it appears they are continuing in that vein at the moment. As of May 28, they are ahead in the NHL Conference Finals after taking a 3-1 lead in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars. This victory amplifies why many have found them to be a contender for the Stanley Cup this season.
Many do so because they have had to fight back from going 1-0 down in Game 1. After losing 6-3, they bounced back with a 3-0 victory before heading home for Games 3 and 4. They’ve taken the first step in putting their foot in the Stanley Cup Finals, as they recorded a 6-1 victory at home in Game 3.
While they may have one foot in the Final after a turnaround display, it’s not the first time they have had to do that in this playoff series. The Oilers almost faced a premature exit in Round 1.
Facing off against the Los Angeles Kings, they played against a team that had managed to win the same number of regular-season games as them (48). At the same time, the Kings were better in terms of other main statistics (points totals, goals conceded, last 10 form).
Oilers Proving they Can Hang with Anyone
Still, they’ve been solid in getting past teams that have had a better regular season than they have. Despite facing an early exit, they made sure that wouldn’t be the case with four wins on the bounce against the Kings.
Having fallen to 2-0 down, the series looked to be heading with the Los Angeles-based franchise. However, a four-game winning streak saw the organization book their place in the next stage of the postseason and secure the unlikeliest of advances many hadn’t expected to see.
From that point on, they’ve had to continue to fight in the playoffs. Round 2 saw them take on the Pacific Division leader, the Vegas Golden Knights. They were another team that were arguably better than them this season when looking on paper. They won fifty of their regular-season games, scoring more goals and conceding fewer as they scored 110 points. However, that didn’t stop many from looking at the Oilers as a potential winner across the series.
In fact, this was arguably the series of the postseason for the Oilers. They romped the Vegas Golden Knights in five games, as they recorded a 4-1 victory. It started off with two wins, before their opponents pulled one back. However, two games later and the Oilers had advanced to the next stage of the NHL Playoffs and just one away from the Stanley Cup Finals.
Will the Oilers Get Past the Dallas Stars and Reverse Their Fortunes?
As noted, the Oilers were considered an early favorite to challenge for the Stanley Cup in the betting markets. They remain as one of them, especially after a strong showing throughout the playoffs. As highlighted, they’ve already taken a significant step toward reaching the premier game of the ice hockey season.
They’ve had to replicate what they did in Round 1, coming from behind to take a lead and position themselves in the best place to record a victory. However, if they get through the Conference Finals, is it a sustainable method to reverse their fortunes if they reach the Stanley Cup Finals? It doesn’t seem viable.
The Florida Panthers are already 3-1 up against the Carolina Hurricanes in their Conference Finals showdown, and have shown they can put in efficient performances on the ice, too. They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in Round 1, before securing a comeback 4-3 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2, having tied the series following a 2-0 deficit, taking a 3-2 lead, before winning 4-3 in Game 7.
They’ve stepped up in the Conference Finals and have put Carolina to the sword so far, making them a team that Edmonton might not be able to recover against if they continue in the same way they have throughout this year’s NHL Playoffs. They faced each other in the Stanley Cup Finals last year, and lost in seven games.
Still, they need to defeat the Dallas Stars before looking ahead, and nothing is guaranteed with how the NHL can be.
Courtesy to Kevin Roberts
