If the A.L. playoffs are to go the way of the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers have to get to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Oilers are in a strong position to do so, and they’ve done that this year with the help of a stellar start.
They’re currently second in the Central Division, with a whopping 23 points and a 2.05 goals-against average.
That’s a far cry from last season, when the Oilers were a wild-card playoff team.
But that’s because they finished with a minus-21 goal differential and a minus‑1 goal differential.
This season, Edmonton has the second-best goals-for percentage at 1.96, and their goal differential is plus-16, good for sixth.
And while they’ve played four games in the playoffs, they’ve only had one home game against a playoff team, a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks in the first round.
They have the league’s best record at 12-2-2 and are riding a four-game winning streak.
If they can continue that success, they should have a good chance of winning the Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.
But there are a couple of key things that they have to work on before they can win a Stanley Cup.
First, they need to be better defensively.
The A.I. has been a strength for Edmonton this year, and the Oilers’ 3.36 goals-per-game average is the best in the league.
They are allowing the third-fewest goals in the A-League, but that’s mainly due to the fact that they’ve been allowing a lot of shots in the offensive zone, too.
But the Oilers have been playing more minutes than ever and are shooting more shots at the goal line, and that has caused a lot more turnovers.
Edmonton also needs to be more patient offensively.
They’ve scored more goals than they’ve taken in each of the past three seasons, but the Aussie is averaging just one goal-per game in the final 10 games.
And they’ve also allowed more goals to score than they score, a sign that their defense is struggling.
They haven’t been able to capitalize on their chances, either.
“Our team is very, very disciplined defensively,” Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said.
“That’s the first thing we’ve got to do to be successful offensively.
We’ve got a couple guys who need to get into the right areas and be able to be aggressive and get a couple goals.
But we’ve been playing well defensively, and we’ve done a good job of it.”
The other big thing Edmonton needs to improve is goaltending.
They were ranked fourth in the League with a .926 save percentage this year.
That is significantly worse than last year’s .917 save percentage and, more importantly, is down from last year when the A’s were ranked second in that category.
But if Edmonton can turn that around, they’ll be a very dangerous team to play against.
They led the League in goals allowed per game at 3.02 goals per game, and a 1.90 goals-allowed percentage.
“If we continue to be disciplined offensively, we’ll be very dangerous,” Nugent toked, via NHL.com.
“We’ve been getting chances and putting ourselves in position to score a lot.
I know that’s a little tough to talk about with a guy who has just been through what he’s going through, but he has to continue to get better.” “
The goalie has to be a bit more confident and keep his legs moving a little bit better.
I know that’s a little tough to talk about with a guy who has just been through what he’s going through, but he has to continue to get better.”
That said, it’s also a case of getting the right pieces to help make up for the loss of big men Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.
The Ducks had two of the best goaltenders in the NHL last season when McDavid was injured, and McDavid has regressed a bit since that time.
McDavid, who had 17 goals and 26 points last season while posting a .925 save percentage, is a different player this year and will need to find ways to get back to his old form.
McEnelly, who has five goals and five points in his past four games, is also struggling a bit.
The 6-foot-3, 216-pound goaltender had a .916 save percentage in the playoff run last season.
The 28-year-old Eichels, meanwhile, was one of the most feared goaltenders of the ACHL playoffs and has struggled since he was traded to the Ducks this season.
Eiches posted a .891 save percentage last season and is one of two goalies on the Oilers who is under .900.
If Edmonton can put the right players around McDavid to make him one of those elite goalies, they will be dangerous and have a shot at the Stanley Series.
And if they can’t, the AHS will have the best chance at the
