Oilers’ Latest OT Win Still Feels Like a Wake-Up Call

The Edmonton Oilers walked out of Carolina with two points and an overtime winner from Leon Draisaitl, but let’s not pretend the victory was a clean one.

For long stretches, the Hurricanes dictated the game, exposed several recurring issues in Edmonton’s structure, and forced the Oilers’ stars to drag the team across the finish line. The win matters, but the warning signs matter too.

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Edmonton’s problems started immediately. Four dangerous turnovers in the opening minutes handed Carolina momentum before the Oilers even got their legs under them. Somehow, the Hurricanes didn’t capitalize. Instead, it was Carolina who made the first mistake — a brutal puck misplay by Frederik Andersen that Jack Roslovic smashed home. A strong shift by the top line gave Edmonton a 2–0 cushion after Connor McDavid buried a rebound from a Roslovic miss.

Despite a great start, that was the best the Oilers offered for about 40 minutes.

The Oilers Got Outworked

Carolina responded by doing exactly what the Hurricanes do: outwork, outbattle, and hold puck possession against their opponents. They owned the walls, held the blue line, and buried Edmonton in their own zone for long stretches.

The Hurricanes forced the Oilers into sloppy breakdowns and turnovers, which forced goaltender Stuart Skinner to deliver one of his better performances of the season. The tying goal came after Edmonton failed to take the body on a routine play, allowing Carolina to keep the pressure alive until Nikolaj Ehlers buried the equalizer.

A Frustrated Oilers Team Took Bad Penalties

The lack of discipline didn’t help. Darnell Nurse, rattled after taking a big hit, responded with a series of cross-checks that were as unnecessary as they were obvious. He delivered stick infraction after stick infraction until he forced the official into a call.

Leon Draisaitl followed with an emotional slash that was undisciplined and untimely.

Against a team like Carolina, that’s practically begging to lose. The only reason the game didn’t get away from Edmonton was that their penalty kill got the job done.

There Is Good News

These aren’t scheme issues — they’re habits, and habits can be broken. “Found a way to win a game,” said Connor McDavid after the win. “We hung on.” He added the team is scrapping and clawing their way through and getting points on the board. 

In other words, despite the mental mistakes and the stretches of bad play, the Oilers are still in it. Their finding ways and their stars are coming up big in even bigger moments. 

Zach Hyman was outstanding in his return, delivering 11 hits and playing big minutes. Skinner was rock-solid, and McDavid and Draisaitl delivered when it mattered. 

The Oilers might not have deserved to win, but they did. Until they can find their game and the things that make them a back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals team,  the Oilers need to keep stealing points at every opportunity. 

Next: Oilers Bend But Don’t Break: 3 Positives In Tough Win Over Hurricanes