Edmonton’s recent struggles against three of the best teams in the Western Conference leads to worries about their chances of moving forward in the playoffs.
Oilers waiting for the playoffs
Some experts believe that the Oilers are holding back until the playoffs start, waiting to play like they usually do when they’re at their best.
This suggests that they might just be going through the motions, as one podcaster mentioned, and that the regular season doesn’t matter much to them. There might be some truth to this, but to me, it sounds like they’re making excuses for a lot of reasons.
Oilers are a combined 0-6 against Col, Dal, and Min. Been outscored 34-12 in those games.
Lots of chances at both ends tonight. Wild had better special teams and better goaltending and are overall quicker than the Oilers.
— Reid Wilkins (@ReidWilkins) February 1, 2026
Right now, Edmonton is just a few losses away from falling out of the playoff race, which has been true for most of the year. They can’t afford to slack off, especially against their Western Conference rivals.
If the Oilers want to make it to the Finals, they’ll need to face off against Dallas, Colorado, and Minnesota. There’s no getting around this, as these are three of the top teams in the NHL, and they are playing like it. Edmonton, on the other hand, is not.
Does the Oilers lack of wins against the Wild, Stars and Avalanche concern you?
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— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) February 4, 2026
The Oilers have already lost the season series to the Wild, and out of their 24 remaining games, two will be against Colorado and one against Dallas. Even though that’s only three games, they need to win them to build their confidence.
The mental aspect is really important, which is why the Oilers will come out strong when they return from the Olympic break on February 25 against the Ducks. The Ducks are currently tied with the Kraken for third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points, just one behind Edmonton.
Nothing is certain yet, and for all practical purposes, the Oilers begin their playoffs on February 25 and must play like it’s the real deal.
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