Edmonton Oilers Simply Need Wins for Christmas

When it rains, it pours, and for the Edmonton Oilers and their fans, it’s been raining nonstop for a long time. The Oilers (7-20-6, 20 points) have lost 17 of their past 18 games and own the worst record in the NHL. Edmonton desperately needs a win for Christmas to have something to feel good about.

The recent string of losing is nothing new for Edmonton, who has failed to make the playoffs since the Stanley Cup Finals run in 2006. The Oilers have finished at or near the bottom of the Western Conference ever since and haven’t challenged for a playoff spot during that time frame.

This year, the losing has been taken to another level. Edmonton currently ranks 29th in the league in goals scored per game with 2.09 and goals against per game at 3.30. Also, the Oilers have been dreadful against their brethren in the Western Conference. Edmonton is 1-16-5 against Western Conference opposition thus far, with their only win being a 2-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 7. The win against the Sharks has been the lone victory for the Oilers in their past 18 games.

The losing cost former head coach Dallas Eakins his job. Eakins was fired by the Oilers on Dec. 15, following a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers the previous night. Who knows? It might have been a positive for Eakins to be rid of the culture of losing that has developed in Edmonton.

The amount of losing that has built up for the Oilers has been surprising considering the talent they have. The Oilers have a talented group of young forwards led by Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. On defense, Justin Schultz is a solid young player and captain Andrew Ference was brought in to help solidify the back end, but things have not gone their way.

Edmonton has been competitive on most nights during their recent string of defeats. The Oilers have lost 11 of their past 17 games by one goal, including five overtime losses.

The Oilers need to turn things around and find a win to help bolster the development of their young players. It’s the holiday season and Edmonton and their fans are seeking something to celebrate.

It starts with their game tonight against the Dallas Stars. Let’s see if Edmonton can find some much-needed holiday cheer.

Patrick Leiva is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleiva4 and add him to your network on Google.