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GDB 16.0: Oilers face an Avalanche-sized gut check moment (8 PM MT, CBC)

5 1
10.11.2025
Tonight, the Oilers are back at Rogers Place for a Saturday night showdown against the Colorado Avalanche, and if there were ever a time to find their best hockey, this would be it. After blowing two-goal leads in three of their last four games, the vibes around here are getting a little tense, and a matchup with the best team in the Western Conference isn’t exactly a soft landing to try and regroup. The Avs sit first in the Central Division at 8-1-5 and have been everything the Oilers are supposed to be right now: consistent, dangerous, and ruthless when it matters.

Looking at Colorado’s numbers, it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out why they’ve had a hot start to the year. They’ve outscored their opponents 50 to 37 through 14 games, their penalty kill is ripping at 90.5 percent, and they’ve been one of the tighest teams in the league when it comes to giving up high-danger chances. Their goaltending hasn’t exactly been lights out — they’re sitting at .898 save perentage at 5v5 vs. the Oilers’ .897 — but it hasn’t needed to be when the team in front of them plays this efficiently. Of course, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are doing their usual alien-level stuff, but what really separates the Avs from the Oilers is how they don’t beat themselves. They’re not giving teams a chance to get off the mat when they’re down, something Edmonton has struggled with at an extreme level lately.

For our boys, the problem is a mix of effort and execution. Thursday’s loss in Dallas was like watching another scene in the same movie as the loss in St. Louis. Two-goal lead? Gone. Sloppy puck management? You bet. Missed coverages and failed clears? Check. Goalies couldn’t cover up the mistakes? We got that too. The Oilers have now given up at least three goals in seven of their last eight games, and until they clean up their........

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