When trying to make the playoffs, losing to a team that’s a loss away from elimination (and lost in embarrassing fashion the night before) is not the post-season recipe.
The Edmonton Oilers could have (and should have) climbed to within four points of the final wildcard in the Western Conference on Wednesday Night Hockey. Instead, they allowed the lowly New Jersey Devils (who would have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with a loss) to walk over them in a 6-3 win on NBCSN
The Oilers trailed early, scored twice to take a 2-1 lead, and then proceeded to give up four unanswered.
Mikko Koskinen, who was given many dollars to stop pucks at this pivotal time of the year, was woeful, allowing four goals on 18 shots before he was yanked in favor of Anthony Stolarz.
NBCSN’s Ray Ferraro had the perfect four words for the goal that ended Koskinen’s night:
Despite the disaster on Tuesday, the Devils regrouped and found a way to snap their ugly seven-game losing streak.
The team needed a couple of their youngsters to show up -- they make up something like half their team at the moment given all the injuries -- and John Quenneville, who scored his first of the season, and Kevin Rooney, answered the call, both tallying for the Devils. Blake Coleman drove the final nail into the coffin when he scored to make it 6-3 shorthanded.
Cory Schneider stood tall, stopping 36 shots for his fifth win of the season.
There was one positive for the Oilers: Connor McDavid hit the 100-point mark for the third straight season.
Here’s the century-mark point:
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck