Author: Stephen Vani

Oilers fan in Toronto. Staying up past my bedtime for Western games since the mid 2000s.

Edmonton Oilers Playoff Thoughts: Round 1, Game 2

It’s easier to have a more rational take a day or two after that kind of game happens. They very nearly pulled off the Miracle on Manchester in reverse. In Round 2 of 2022, the Oilers blew a 3-0 lead in Game 4, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the game-winning goal late and won the series […]

Edmonton Oilers Playoff Thoughts: Round 1, Game 1

Having the same Round 1 every year has gotten boring. But the games need to be played, so what can you do? The LA Kings meeting our Edmonton Oilers for a fourth straight year is similar to the late 90s and early 2000s Oilers, when they were always meeting the Dallas Stars in the Playoffs. […]

The Connor McDavid Lottery, 10 Years Later

When you have a job writing about the Edmonton Oilers, it’s hard not to type out his name at least once in every article. April 18th, 2015, the 9th year in our team’s Decade of Darkness had just come to a close, finishing 3rd last league-wide. Connor McDavid was the projected top prospect in that year’s […]

Connor McDavid skating for the Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

I had fairly low expectations for Monday night, but I still feel bad for the Edmonton Oilers fans who attended the game. They were without two of their top 4 defensemen, and the Kings had Drew Doughty back in theirs. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was Edmonton’s only top 6 center in the lineup while LA has Anze […]

Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

The battle of the depleted lineups was amusing. Winnipeg didn’t have Josh Morrissey or Connor Hellebuyck playing last night, just for Playoff resting reasons. But they do have injuries to Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers. And now, Dylan Samberg is bound to miss time due to leaving the game after blocking a slap shot. Adam […]

Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

The day after has to be the saddest I’ve ever felt about clinching a Playoff spot. Mattias Ekholm returned to the lineup on Friday night. It only lasted for less than 2 minutes because he reaggravated his previous injury. Via a tweet from Ryan Rishaug, there’s a good chance he’s out for the rest of […]

Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

Only Edmonton Oilers fans would find it controversial for the best player in the world to come back after missing eight straight games. I also want the best version of a rested Connor McDavid in the Playoffs. But we also haven’t officially clinched the Playoffs yet, and star players don’t want to sit out every […]

Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

Edmonton Oilers fans stayed up past 1 AM Eastern Time for that? Just once, I’d like Lukas Dostal to play one bad game against the Oilers. Is only one bad game too much to ask? The final shots total was 47-21, favouring Edmonton, and, if you like to go by the Deserve To Win O’Meter, […]

Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

At least one unpleasant result without the Edmonton Oilers stars was bound to happen. I feel bad for Jeff Malott. Even if you’re the team that gets scored on, having someone’s first NHL goal get called back is the most uncool thing ever. He joined the Kings in late March and has played in 7 […]

Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

For the next two weeks before the Playoffs start, I call on a mandate for every player on the team to wear bubble wrap on their equipment. At one point in the second period, when the Oilers had a power play opportunity, I noticed Adam Henrique taking a one-timer on the spot where we’d normally […]