Games the Oilers should have won...

With the Oilers ever embattled to attain the last playoff spot in the Western Conference race one only has to look back to team’s inability to win earlier in the season to find that the race does not need to be. The following in a list of games that had the Oilers pulled off would have positioned this team into a playoff spot currently instead of fighting for their lives at this point in the season.

Nov. 5, 2008

5-4 loss to the Jackets, up 4-2 with 17 minutes to play, end up falling asleep for 1 minute game tied 4-4 and give up a late one to lose the game.

Nov. 13, 2008

5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, JDD’s first NHL loss, but still with the way that the Maple Leafs were slumping there is no excuse not to put away a terrible team

Nov. 15, 2008

3-2 Shootout loss to the Avalanche, strong game but give up the tying goal with 11 seconds left.

Dec 11, 2008

2-0 loss to the Panthers, at the time the Panthers were near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, out shoot the Panthers 41-16 but still the offensive touch is lacking like so often this year

Dec 30, 2008

3-2 loss to the Senators, the Senators came into the game on a long road losing steak only to snap it against the Oilers. Again the Oilers fail to close out a struggling hockey club.

Feb 21, 2009

3-2 shootout loss to the Flames, again the Oilers give up a late goal and lose in the shootout. Inability to close out teams evident.

As I looked at this list a couple of ideas came forward. First, the Oilers have been more consistent in the latter part of the season. Second, had the Oilers closed these games out you could add 10 points to their current total.

However, I would argue that if I am arbitrarily adding points for games the Oilers should have won then more then likely I should also be taking points away for games they should have lost so if we take only half the points the Oilers could have attained then they would have 5 extra which would place them tied for 6th with Columbus and holding a 3 point lead in the standings over the 9th place blues.