The Edmonton Oilers are approaching their first third consecutive win of the season. Again.

Over halfway through the season, and they still haven’t managed it. They’ve had plenty of chances. They’ve won two in a row multiple times. But that elusive third win? It keeps slipping away. And at this point, the Oilers are tired of talking about it — understandably so.

It’s a bit perplexing when a team whose defeceemen just made history with back-to-back hat tricks can’t buy a third consecutive win. Evan Bouchard scores three against the Washington Capitals, Mattias Ekholm does it the very next game against the Anaheim Ducks, and suddenly the Oilers’ blue line is producing offence at a historic rate. But somehow, stringing together three wins still feels impossible.

Maybe tonight’s different.

The Oilers face the San Jose Sharks, a team that can score but also gives up plenty. The Sharks aren’t a defensive powerhouse. They’re scrappy, they’ve got some talent, but they’re beatable. And the Oilers? They’re coming off two straight wins with their defence playing at a level we haven’t seen in years.

Bouchard and Ekholm didn’t just score hat tricks — they injected confidence into the entire defensive group. When your top pairing is putting up goals like that, when Darnell Nurse and Spencer Stastney are chipping in offensively, when the blue line combines for five goals in a single game, that changes the energy. The defence isn’t just playing not to lose anymore. They’re playing to win.

And maybe that’s the difference tonight. Maybe the Oilers aren’t thinking about the third consecutive win streak. They’ve said as much before — players insist they don’t focus on it, that they just take games one at a time. But let’s be honest: everyone’s asked about it after a loss, when vibes are off, and frustration is high. That’s when the narrative feels heavy.

But right now? The Oilers are feeling good. Two straight wins. Defence playing with swagger. Goaltending solid. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are doing what they do best. The pieces are in place.

San Jose’s not an easy opponent just because they’re lower in the standings. They can score. They’ve got players who can make plays. But the Oilers have the firepower to match, and right now, they’ve got momentum. If there was ever a time to finally get that third win, it’s now.

The narrative around the Oilers not winning three straight has become a running joke at this point. Fans are aware of it. Us media keeps bringing it up. Players are sick of hearing about it. But the only way to kill the narrative is to actually do it. Win tonight, and suddenly it’s not a story anymore. Lose, and we’re back to square one, talking about why this team can’t string together three wins.

Maybe tonight’s the night. The Sharks are the opponent. The Oilers have confidence. The defence is rolling. The goaltending’s been solid. And for once, the team isn’t coming off a loss when they’re being asked about the streak.

So yeah, maybe they’re not thinking about it. Maybe they’re just focused on playing their game, executing their systems, and taking care of business against San Jose. But if they do pull it off, if they finally get that third consecutive win, you can bet everyone in that locker room will breathe a sigh of relief.

Third time’s the charm. Or fourth. Or fifth. Eventually, it’s gotta happen.

RNH – McDavid – Hyman

Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Kapanen

Savoie – Samanski – Roslovic

Janmark – Lazar – Frederic

Ekholm * – Bouchard

Nurse – Walman

Stastney – Emberson

Jarry

*- Ekholm, listed as day-to-day by Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, is a game-time decision.

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