from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

Only three teams in the league have fewer points at home — Vancouver, Buffalo and Arizona. Yet, they’re a better road team than Washington, Boston, and Pittsburgh.

They finished December 7-5-1, their first winning month, but they lost their last three games and gave up 13 goals, after winning four in a row before that to get to .500 for the first time since Oct. 7, completely taking their foot off the gas.

When you look up desperation in your Webster’s dictionary, there will not be a team photo of the Oilers because they don’t play with it, nearly enough.

They’re seven points south of either third place in the Pacific or the second wild-card spot. And the season will be half over after games against Los Angeles on Tuesday and Anaheim Thursday.

Maybe the most sobering stat:

They’re 17 points behind the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who’ve gone 16-4 in their last 20 games since the Oilers kicked them in the head seven weeks ago at Rogers Place.

more