In the 2023 season, the Edmonton Oilers did it on their first try. In 2024, it also occurred on their first attempt. In 2025, it took them four tries, and tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings, the Oilers will go for it on their eighth attempt.

We are talking about the elusive three-game winning streak. It usually doesn’t take this long to reach, but the Oilers have yet to string together three consecutive wins (only they and St. Louis are still searching). After an outstanding final 40 minutes in Winnipeg, the outlook for a victory tomorrow night looks promising.

The Oilers outshot Winnipeg 23-5 over the final two periods and outscored them 3-0 to overcome a 3-1 first-period deficit. After the first period, I suspect many in Oilersnation weren’t expecting a comeback, because the Oilers haven’t been good at overcoming deficits, but the Oilers buckled down and dominated the struggling Jets. Winnipeg had one decent scoring chance in the final 40 minutes and very limited possession time in the offensive zone.

The Jets didn’t have a shot on goal for the final 5:50 of the second period, and that continued for the first 14:27 of the third period. They didn’t have a shot on goal for a span of 20:17, meanwhile, the Oilers fired 18 shots on goal in that span and scored three times. I can’t recall a more dominant stretch of 20 minutes this season for Edmonton. They played fast, quick, smart and with energy. Some will try and discount it, but Trent Frederic fighting Logan Stanley gave the Oilers a boost. Frederic landed the best punch in the tilt that came with 2:21 remaining in the second period. Frederic has struggled mightily for months, but his willingness to fight a much larger man and do well was his way of contributing. When you aren’t scoring, you have to find other ways to contribute.

Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman had energetic celebrations when they scored. You could tell the team was fired up, and then Evan Bouchard scored the game-winner with a beautifully placed shot top shelf, after he had made a great defensive play to thwart Adam Lowry’s scoring chance. It was a big win for the Oilers, especially coming from behind, something they’ve struggled to do all season.

The Oilers hadn’t won a game when allowing the first goal since November 10th versus Columbus. In between that game and last night, the Oilers were 0-10 when allowing the first goal. The Oilers are 18-1-3 when scoring first, and they improved to 4-15-3 after last night’s win when allowing the first goal. It was a rare comeback victory, and you could tell the players were excited about it.

Now they need to carry that energy and emotion into tomorrow night’s game against the Kings. L.A. plays in Winnipeg tonight, so the Oilers will have the rest advantage, although the Kings have been better on the second half of back-to-backs than they have in the first games. L.A. is 0-3-3 in the first game and 4-1-1 in the second game. No game is easy in the NHL, so regardless of the outcome in Winnipeg tonight, the Oilers need to jump on the Kings tomorrow night.

In their first seven attempts to win three in a row the Oilers started poorly. They allowed the first goal in all seven games:

Oct 16th @ NYI. Trailed 1-0. Actually led 2-1 before losing 4-2

Oct 25th @ SEA. Trailed 2-0 and lost 3-2.

Nov 13th @ CBJ. Trailed 2-0 and 5-2 and lost 5-4.

Dec 9th vs. BUF. Trailed 3-0, tied game with :02 seconds remaining but lost 4-3 in OT.

Dec 14th @ MTL. Trailed 3-0 and lost 4-1.

Dec 20th @ MIN. Trailed 2-0, tied game at two, but lost 5-2.

Dec 27th @ CGY. Trailed 1-0, tied game at one, but lost 3-2.

Edmonton had a lead in those seven games for a measly 9:03. Only one game was at home, and they did manage to earn one point after erasing a 3-0 deficit, but they will need a better start tomorrow. Edmonton is 8-0-1 when scoring first on home ice, and that OTL came on opening night against Calgary. Since then, if they score first at home they win.

The trends are pretty clear. Score first at home and win. Allow the first goal when trying to win three in a row, and they lose. Tomorrow presents their best opportunity to win three in a row. They are coming off an excellent come-from-behind victory, they are on home ice and facing a Kings team that will be playing the second half of a back-to-back and the Kings are banged up. Trevor Moore is on IR. Anze Kopitar and Joel Armia are day-to-day, and former Oiler Corey Perry is away from the team dealing with an illness in his family.

The Oilers should win this game. And I believe they will.

— Connor McDavid extended his point streak to 17 games last night with a goal and an assist. He has 18-23-41 in his 17-game streak and is averaging 2.41 points/game. If he extends his streak to 18 games tomorrow night, he’ll be in rare company. Of the previous 69 streaks of 18+ games, only Wayne Gretzky averaged more than 2.41 points/game.

In 1986, he scored 55 points in 18 games for 3.05 pts/GP (PPG).

In 1982, he scored 64 points in 18 games for 3.55 PPG.

In 1987, he tallied 48 points in 19 games for 2.52 PPG.

In 1982, he scored 66 points in 24 games for 2.75 PPG.

In 1983, he tallied 76 points in 30 games for 2.53 PPG.

In 1986, he scored 108 points in 39 games for 2.76 PPG.

In 1984, he scored 153 points in 51 games for 3.00 PPG.

— Gretzky’s 1985-86 season was effing ridiculous.

Gretzky started the season on a 9-game point streak and scored 24 points.

He went pointless versus Buffalo on November 1st.

Then he scored 108 points in his 39-game point streak.

He put up no points in Chicago on January 27th.

Then he scored 55 points in his 18-game point streak.

He didn’t register a point in Minnesota on March 11th.

He finished the season with 27 points in a 12-game point streak.

He played 80 games and was pointless in three of them. He scored 215 points in the other 77 games. Wild. Absolutely wild.

— McDavid’s pace so far on his streak is damn impressive. He’s flying. He’s attacking from all sides and angles on the ice, and he’s shooting the puck more than we’ve ever seen.

McDavid started the season with 11 goals, 36 points and 75 shots on goal in his first 27 games.

During this 17-game streak, he has 18 goals, 41 points and 91 shots.

He averaged 2.77 shots/GP before the streak, but he’s been firing 5.35 shots/GP during this run.

The most shots he’s averaged in a season was 4.29/GP in 2023 when he scored 64 goals. He averaged 3.92 shots/GP in 2022. He’s never had a stretch of 17 games with this many shots until now. He looks unstoppable right now, so enjoy the ride, because streaks like this, especially ones this productive, don’t happen often.

— Patrick Kane (40 points in 26 games in 2015-16), Sidney Crosby (50 points in 25 games in 2010-11), Mitch Marner (32 points in 23 games in 2022-23) and Kane (43 points in 20 games in 2018-19) are the only active players with a point streak of 20+ games. Only three players have had point streaks of 30+ games. Gretzky did it three times, (51, 39 and 30) while Mario Lemieux (46) and Mats Sundin (30) did it once each.

— McDavid’s next three opponents are tomorrow v. L.A., then on the road in Chicago and Nashville next Monday and Tuesday. Then the Oilers host the Islanders Thursday, play in Vancouver Saturday and finish the month with seven home games against St. Louis, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Washington, Anaheim, San Jose and Minnesota. The 30th game would be February 3rd vs. Toronto, and #31 is the next night in Calgary — dare to dream.

— Vasily Podkolzin scored his 10th goal of the season last night. It is his 10th goal at 5×5, which is second on the Oilers behind McDavid and tied for 40th in the NHL with Nikita Kucherov and others. Podkolzin is having a solid season and has been quietly productive.

— Kasperi Kapanen made an outstanding pass to set up Podkolzin. Kapanen has three points since returning from injury and he’s been a huge boost to the second line thus far. He is very skilled, but he’s struggled with consistency in the past. He seemed to find it in the playoffs, and it has continued into this season. He’s only played eight games, but he’s been noticeable in all of them. If he could maintain his consistency, he will be a difference maker for Edmonton.