The Edmonton Oilers have had a difficult start to the 2021/2022 season, going 5-12-1. Many people have written off the Oilers’ prospects of making the playoffs this year, but there are reasons to believe that this poor start isn’t the end of the world. Indeed, it’s interesting comparing the Oilers’ start to that of the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the St. Louis Blues, in the 2018/2019 season.
The Blues got off to a rocky start in the 2018/2019 season, going 7-8-3 in their first 18 games. Many fans and commentators had written the Blues off as unlikely to make the playoffs, let alone win the Stanley Cup. The Blues, however, did not give up and went on a historic run to win the Cup for the first time in franchise history.
So what does this mean for the Edmonton Oilers? To begin with, it’s crucial to understand that a slow start does not always imply the end of the season. The Blues’ start in 2018/2019 was not much better than the Oilers’ start this year, but they were able to recover.
Furthermore, the Oilers have a quality lineup, led by players such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. There’s no reason they can’t make a run for the playoffs if they start playing to their full ability.
Of fact, there are numerous parallels between the two scenarios. The Blues’ comeback appeared to be sparked by a managerial change early in the season. The Oilers have changed coaches, but there hasn’t been much of a difference. Furthermore, the NHL is a different league than it was in 2018/2019, with new teams and new obstacles.
Having said that, there are reasons to believe that the Oilers can recover from their sluggish start. They have the talent and the potential, and sometimes all it takes is a little momentum to change things. If they can improve their consistency and gain some critical wins, they could surprise a lot of people and make a run for the playoffs.
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