NHL Playoffs 2017: 5 reasons Oilers can win Stanley Cup
By David Rouben
2. They’re getting hot at the right time
The playoffs are never about who’s the best team in the NHL, it’s about who can be the best team over a two-month span. As such, getting hot at the right time – usually March – is important, and the Oilers have done that.
Take last year, for example. The Washington Capitals may have won the Presidents’ Trophy, but the Pittsburgh Penguins looked like an unstoppable force in March. It was at that point that everyone started gelling together, which foreshadowed their Stanley Cup success.
As far as which team is the hottest coming into this year’s playoffs, look no further than the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers:
At one point, the Oilers’ spot in the playoffs looked like it was in jeopardy. The Calgary Flames passed them after winning 10 straight, and teams like the Los Angeles Kings started gaining on them. Once that happened, they turned it on and surged up the standings. The Oilers clinched a playoff spot relatively early, but they weren’t satisfied with that. They eventually left the Flames in a wild-card spot, and pushed the Ducks for first in the Pacific Division.
If you told me at the start of the season that the Oilers would go from last in the West to second in the Pacific in a year, I would’ve laughed. But that sort of turnaround is a clear indicator that everything is going their way, and that they’re coming into the playoffs with all the confidence in the world. It’s hard not to when you’re playing this well at this point in the season.