EDMONTON - October has been an adventure for the Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] in the past three years, to say the least. They've gone from sitting with one of the NHL's worst records in 2023-24 to trying to stay above the .500 mark in 2025-26. While the Oilers have trailed in eight of their first 12 games of this season, their most recent victory, a comeback 6-3 win [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/enough-is-enough-the-oilers-finally-found-their-game] over a red-hot Utah Mammoth [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah] squad on Tuesday night, showed this team can once again learn from its early missteps. (The most glaring mistake from the Utah game: 16 first-period turnovers.) Watch Avry Lewis-McDougall's video column for the full take on Edmonton's start to the season. However, starting strong and avoiding learning the same lessons is something this team is still trying to sort out. "Or maybe everyone needs to take a deep breath every once in a while, right?" Mattias Ekholm said [https://x.com/EdmontonOilers/status/1983401508386550034] with a chuckle following Tuesday's game. In his three full seasons on the roster, Ekholm has been a part of the highs and lows of this core's Octobers. While he's unsure of what the remedy is, ending strong is the biggest thing. "If you look back on it, since I've been here, this is the best start that we've ever had," Ekholm said. "So, in that sense, great, but yeah, obviously, we want to start better, but I don't know that recipe, I guess, because I've been here now three tries, and none has worked. As long as we get into the playoffs, I'm happy, but obviously, yes, we want a better start." Oilers Make Statement With Nurse’s Ice Time In Win Over Mammoth [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/de63b346-833c-4b35-b525-9ea8c75319c5.jpeg] Oilers Make Statement With Nurse’s Ice Time In Win Over Mammoth Nurse's costly first-period errors led to a benching, forcing the Oilers to rally. Will this spark a shift in how the team holds stars accountable? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/oilers-make-example-of-darnell-nurse-in-victory-over-utah] The early problems in 2023-24 were a combination of goaltending troubles, with Jack Campbell struggling to maintain a save percentage above .880, and Connor McDavid's early injury. The Oilesr went 2-5-1 in October 2023. In 2024-25, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard tried to sort things out in net, recording .872 and .897 save percentages in October, respectively. The team went 5-5-1. In 2025-26, the Oilers again need consistent goaltending, and they're dealing with injuries [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/oilers-zach-hyman-close-to-return-but-not-ready-for-saturday], a lack of flow in the offense and a consistently shifting lineup. That said, they're 5-4-2. Watch Avry Lewis-McDougall's video column above on the Oilers' most troublesome month. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5392fd7e-0b83-4004-b23c-dc6d6b9b2382.png] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
