The Edmonton Oilers need a reset. Not a rebuild, not a complete overhaul — just a hard reset.

A game where they remember how to play their brand of hockey, where the intensity returns, where the sloppiness disappears. And tonight against the Washington Capitals might be their best chance to find it.

Fans know the intensity needs to get better. Coaches know it needs to improve. And thank god the Oilers know it too. Connor McDavid said as much after the 6-2 embarrassment against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“The sense of urgency in our group has to go up,” McDavid said after the loss to the Penguins. “It starts with me. The last two games haven’t been my best.”

That’s the kind of accountability you want from your captain, especially after performances that were, to put it mildly, unacceptable. The Oilers have looked disjointed, sloppy, and lacking the compete level that got them to second place in the Pacific Division. Something’s off, and they need to correct it before bad habits become entrenched.

Leon Draisaitl, back from personal matters, echoed the same sentiment.

“Last game wasn’t our best. It’s important to find our game before the break,” Draisaitl said Saturday.

He’s right. The Olympic break is coming, and the Oilers can’t head into it on a losing streak with questions about their focus and effort. They need to string together some wins and rebuild confidence.

And here’s the thing: the Capitals are a good starting point. They’re good but not great. They have excellent players — Alexander Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson — but not enough depth to overwhelm teams night after night. They just gave the Vancouver Canucks their first win of 2026 a few days ago. Look at it that way, and they’re not that scary. They’re manageable if the Oilers play this right.

Washington’s not a pushover, but they’re beatable. The Oilers should be able to dictate pace, control the game, and impose their will — or impose their will as much as anyone can when Wilson’s on the ice. If they can’t do that against the Capitals, then there are bigger problems brewing.

Draisaitl also touched on the bigger picture — consistency.

“You need to build that (consistency) throughout the regular season so you can do that in the playoffs,” Draisaitl said. “It’s certainly something that we need to shift our focus to, and be more consistent.”

That’s the real concern. The Oilers have been maddeningly inconsistent this season. They’ll dominate for stretches, look unstoppable, and then completely fall apart for two or three games. That’s not sustainable. That’s not how winning teams operate. You can’t flip a switch in the playoffs and suddenly become consistent if you haven’t built that habit during the regular season.

Tonight’s a chance to start building it. The Capitals are the kind of opponent where the Oilers should be able to execute their systems and come away with two points. It’s not a must-win in the standings sense. But it’s a must-win mentally. They need to prove to themselves they can bounce back, that the last two games were anomalies, and that they’re still the team everyone thought they were a few weeks ago.

The break is coming and the Oilers need to head into it feeling good about their game, not questioning everything. Washington’s the opportunity to reset, refocus, and remember what works.

If they can’t do it tonight, the questions get louder.

RNH – McDavid – Hyman

Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Mangiapane

Howard – Roslovic – Savoie

Janmark – Lazar – Frederic

Ekholm – Bouchard

Nurse – Emberson

Walman – Stastney

Ingram

Jarry