The Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks tonight at Rogers Place, and while it's only game two of the season, the stakes are already real. This isn't just about grabbing two points—it's about not letting a Pacific Division rival get an early stranglehold on the standings before October's even halfway done.
Let's be clear about something: calling game two a must-win sounds ridiculous on the surface. It's October. There are 80 games left after tonight. One loss doesn't sink a season. But divisional games are different, and divisional games against Vancouver are especially different. The Canucks are a legitimate playoff contender this year, and handing them two points at Rogers Place in the first week of the season is the kind of thing that matters in April when playoff seeding gets decided.
Trending Stories:
Cap Crunch And New Additions Put Oilers' Key Depth Pieces In Jeopardy
Jack Roslovic’s First Words As An Oiler Carry A Clear Theme
Those points matter more than people want to admit. The Oilers made the Cup Final last season and still had to fight for every playoff position along the way. The Pacific Division doesn't give anyone breathing room. Calgary's retooling. Vegas is always competitive. Los Angeles has talent. Vancouver's trying to take the next step. Every divisional game is a potential tiebreaker down the road, and giving away home points in October means having to claw them back in March when everyone's exhausted and injured.
Points earned early don't need to be earned late. That's not just a cliché—it's basic math. The Oilers got their season started with a loss to Calgary on opening night. That's already two points they're chasing in the standings. If they drop to Vancouver tonight, they're 0-2 to start the season, with both losses coming from their division. It's not insurmountable, but it's also not ideal when you're trying to secure home ice advantage for a playoff run.
"On the Clock..." Oilers Unafraid To Make Tough Skinner Trade Call, Say Analysts
There may be a desire inside the organization of the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> to give this current goaltending tandem some rope, but experts suggest that the Oilers aren’t afraid to make a move in goal this season, and Stuart Skinner isn’t untouchable.
Home ice matters. The Oilers learned that last season when they fought their way to the Cup Final. Playing in front of your crowd, having last change, getting the matchups you want—that's the difference between advancing and going home. And home ice is earned over 82 games, not just the ones in April. Dropping home games to teams in your division in the first week of the season makes that climb steeper than it needs to be.
The Canucks aren't going away this year. They've got talent. They've got goaltending. They've got the kind of roster that's going to compete for a playoff spot all season long. Every game against them is essentially worth four points—two you get if you win, two they don't get. Letting them walk into Rogers Place and take two points gives them confidence and momentum while putting the Oilers in an early hole.
The Canucks are coming to Rogers Place with confidence. They're a good team that believes it can compete with anyone in the division. The Oilers need to establish immediately that winning at Rogers Place isn't going to come easy this season. Not just for the points, but for the statement it makes about who controls this division going forward.
All the Signs Were There: McDavid's Contract not Actually That Surprising
Stan Bowman kept saying it throughout the entire contract negotiation process. Every time reporters asked about Connor McDavid's extension, every time speculation ramped up about whether the captain would demand max dollars, Bowman said the same thing: it was never about the money. And now that McDavid has signed for two years at $12.5 million per season—the exact same AAV he's been making since 2017—we know Bowman wasn't spinning false platitudes about his star.
Yes, it's game two. Yes, there are 81 games left. But it's a divisional game at home against a team that's going to be fighting for playoff positioning all season long. It's points that directly impact playoff seeding and home ice advantage. It's about not giving a Pacific Division rival an early lead that you'll spend months trying to make up.
The Oilers need this one. Not in a panic-mode, season-defining way, but in a "points matter in October just like they matter in April" way. Home ice is on the line. Standings are on the line. The chance to avoid an 0-2 start with both losses at home against division opponents is on the line.
Game two might not technically be must-win, but it's pretty damn close. The Oilers can't afford to hand Vancouver two points at Rogers Place in the first week of the season and expect it not to matter when playoff seeding gets decided in April. Tonight's about protecting home ice and making sure points earned early don't become points they're desperately chasing late.
Puck drops tonight at Rogers Place. The Oilers need to show up like this one matters. Because it does.
Tonight's Lineup:
Forwards:
Draisaitl-McDavid-Frederic
Mangiapane-RNH-Savoie
Podkolzin-Philp-Kapanen
Howard-Henrique-Tomasek
Defense:
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Regula
Kulak-Emberson
Goal:
Pickard
Skinner
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.