Being in the playoff picture on Thanksgiving in the United States is usually a favorable sign for the rest of the NHL season.
The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are among the teams on the wrong side of the standings with the holiday here south of the border.
Last season, only two teams in each conference failed to make the playoffs despite having a playoff spot on Nov. 24.
In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Red Wings fell out of contention after opening 10-5-4 in the Atlantic Division, and the Pittsburgh Penguins lost their hold on the final wild-card berth after starting 10-7-3. The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, who were two positions behind the Penguins, made up ground in order to make the playoffs.
The Flames were eliminated from the Western Conference playoff picture after holding the top wild-card place with a points percentage of.553. The St. Louis Blues also officially dropped out of the final wild-card berth, albeit they were tied with the Minnesota Wild at the time with a points percentage of.526. The Wild and the Oilers, who each had a point percentage of
Last season, no team ranked lower than 10th in their conference on November 24th made the playoffs, which does not speak well for the Flames or Oilers this year.Calgary fell to 7-9-3 after a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, dropping the Flames to 11th in the Western Conference with a.447 points percentage.
The Oilers’ 0-2 start was exacerbated Wednesday by a 6-3 setback to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Oilers are now 5-12-1, ranking 14th in the Western Conference in both points (11) and points percentage (.306).
Last season, Edmonton exploded after a 10-10-0 start, finishing second in the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record. This year, the squad confronts a far more difficult road to overcome its sluggish star.
The Canucks and Jets are in a good spot heading into Thanksgiving, with Vancouver fourth and Winnipeg tied for fifth in the West in points percentage. Since 2020, the Canucks have not made the playoffs.
