The Edmonton Oilers had a chance to clinch a playoff berth on Saturday if they could grab at least a point in their matinee against the Los Angeles Kings. From L.A.’s side, they’re clinging to the second Wild Card spot, and with only a handful of games left, the margin for error is razor-thin. So, in a weird way, a 1-0 finish felt fitting. Unfortunately, it was the Oilers who came out on the wrong side of it.

After leaving the game in the second intermission against the Sharks, I was surprised to see Connor Ingram back between the pipes in Los Angeles. While we have no idea what the issue was or how serious it felt, I would have bet the farm on Tristan Jarry getting the start to give Ingram an extra couple of days off. Yet, despite a couple of days of nerves and worry from the fanbase, there he was. With a playoff berth on the line, I was personally pretty excited to see the starting goalie healthy enough to get that chance. Of course, being there and playing well are two separate to-dos, and with the first checked off, we all needed Kingram to keep his run going.

While Ingram certainly wasn’t the busier of the two goalies, he was still called upon to make some big saves in some very busy situations. He faced shots from the outside, inside, deflections, scrambles, and everything in between, stopping all but the breakaway given up to Artemi Panarin in the first period. In terms of doing his part, Ingram delivered. He did his job, but unfortunately, the guy at the other end stood on his head. The Oilers outshot the Kings 27-21, and Anton Forsberg had to be perfect to lock in the win. Normally, allowing one goal on 21 shot for a .952 save percentage would be good enough for the win. On Saturday, a strong performance by No. 39 was overshadowed by his own team’s lack of finish at the other end. The good news is that Ingram looked great, which is a way

When it rains it pours, I guess. I mean, how else would you describe the feeling when you saw Max Jones go down in the first period after a hit attempt along the boards got him twisted up on the fall? Maximum had to get helped off the ice and down the tunnel, which was eerily similar to what we saw with Jason Dickinson only a few nights before. Sure, one was a hit along the boards while the other was a blocked slap shot gone wrong, but point of seeing two contributing members of the bottom six leave with their arms around the training staff landed the same. I don’t know what we did to anger the Hockey Gords lately, but we may need to look for a blood sacrifice before the playoffs start to get back on their good side. Who wants to be my alibi?

Jones was only able to play three shifts for 2:07 in time on ice, and it was a loss that was especially noticeable as the game started to get spicy. The Oilers and Kings obviously have history from the last four playoff runs, and Maximum Jones is the kind of guy who can easily handle himself if things start to boil over. As much as Jones isn’t a big point guy and never should be expected to be, he was settling in nicely as an effective piece of the Oilers’ bottom six, and losing him for any length of time would be a blow to Edmonton’s tenacity and grit/60. And while we wait for updates on Jones’ situation, the list of players on Edmonton’s injury report keeps getting longer by the day. Not ideal. Then again, maybe OEG has some kind of bulk rate on hyperbaric chambers? Dare to dream.

The Oilers only needed to get one point out of Saturday’s game to cement their seventh consecutive trip to the playoffs. One. With a magic number that small, it was hard not to be disappointed about losing 1-0 against a team that really did not really play all that well. Yes, Anton Forsberg was fantastic, but for the most part, this was a game that was mostly tilted in Edmonton’s favour. And to be so close to Clinchmas and fall one goal short on a day was a bummer. Having it happen against Kings was salt in the wound. Regardless of the situation, losing in that arena is always trigger worthy.

Not that I think the Oilers are at risk of missing the dance or anything, but it would have been nice to get the ‘X’ in the standings and ensure a top-3 finish in the Pacific Division. Instead of getting the job done themselves, now we’re left to keep checking our phones for updates from Saturday’s matchup between the Jets and Flyers. The Oilers get their spot locked in if Winnipeg loses in regulation, and while we’d still get Clinchmas if that does happen, it’s almost feels given and not earned. Maybe I’m overthinking the whole thing and my disappointment is displaced, but it sure would have been nice if we didn’t have to scoreboard watch to see how things play out.

Edmonton hockey fans — think you and your crew know playoff hockey? Prove it at the Nation Playoff Draft Party on Friday, April 17th at the River Cree Resort & Casino. Build your playoff roster, compete against other teams throughout the postseason, and battle for $2,500 cash and Nation bragging rights. Team entry is $1,000 for groups of 8, which includes dinner and your first bevy. The night will be hosted by Ryder & Lisa from The Sauce and Tyler & Liam from ON Everyday, so expect plenty of energy, competition, and chirps. Spots are limited — sign your team up now at nationgear.ca. All proceeds from the event support KidSport Edmonton, helping ensure local kids can stay in the game.