Oilers find form with win streak before Blackhawks clash

The Edmonton Oilers appear to be addressing long-standing concerns at a critical point in the season, gaining momentum as the playoff race intensifies.

Throughout the 2025–26 campaign, questions around roster depth and inconsistent goaltending have followed Edmonton. But recent performances suggest those issues may be stabilizing. A 3-0 shutout win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday — powered by Connor Ingram’s 27 saves — marked the team’s fourth consecutive victory, their longest streak of the season.

Now sitting at 38-28-9 with 85 points, the Oilers head into a home matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks with renewed confidence.

Connor McDavid extended his point streak to five games with an empty-net goal, bringing his recent tally to six goals and four assists. Contributions from the lower lines have also played a key role, with Max Jones and Kasperi Kapanen both scoring in the opening period against Seattle.

Kapanen подчеркнув важливість ролі глибини складу, зазначив: “As third- and fourth-line guys, we just try to do as much as we can and generate energy,” he said. “…On the power play, we’ll score a couple and the PKs been doing a lot better job than it was earlier this year. It’s all coming together at the perfect time right now, so we’re happy where we’re at.”

The victory over Seattle followed a significant 4-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks — a direct competitor for the top spot in the Pacific Division — underscoring Edmonton’s improved form.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch emphasized the team’s pragmatic approach: “Our game isn’t sexy right now, it’s not fancy,” he said. “It’s just a lot of little things, and that’s usually the difference between winning and losing.”

Edmonton’s upcoming opponent, Chicago, presents an opportunity to extend the streak further. The Oilers have dominated the recent head-to-head series, winning four straight matchups and 11 of the last 12 meetings.

The Blackhawks enter the game struggling, with a 27-34-14 record (68 points) and a four-game losing streak. Over their last 10 games, Chicago has managed just two wins (2-5-3).

Still, their most recent outing — a 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets — offered some positives. Anton Frondell, the former third overall draft pick, scored his first NHL goal, while Tyler Bertuzzi netted twice to reach a career-high 31 goals this season.

Head coach Jeff Blashill reflected on the effort: “We were excellent in the third and I think we only gave up one chance in the third,” he said. “I don’t want to say we deserved a better fate because at the end of the night chances were exactly equal. We haven’t been good enough on 3-on-3, so that’s frustrating for all of us.”

Frondell, who needed just five games to register his first goal after recording four assists in his first four appearances, described the moment simply: “An amazing feeling. A dream come true and happy to do it in my first home game.”

However, Chicago’s young star Connor Bedard has cooled off offensively, posting just three goals and one assist over his last eight games.

As the Oilers continue to build momentum and the Blackhawks search for consistency, Thursday’s matchup offers a clear contrast between a team finding its rhythm and one still trying to regain it.