What Went Wrong: Oilers Swept Out of Playoffs by Jets

On Monday, three teams faced elimination from this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the proverbial axe only fell on the Edmonton Oilers, as they lost a triple overtime thriller by a score of 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets. Kyle Connor's goal in the seventh minute of the sixth period completed a four-game sweep for the Jets--the first in franchise history--while bring an end to the Oilers' season. So to recap, Kyle Connor advanced, Connor Hellebuyck advance, but the biggest Connor in this series--McDavid--didn't.

And why didn't the Oilers even win a game in this series? It's the same problem the team's had for a number of years now: the Oilers are "The Connor and Leon Show." The Edmonton Oilers are basically Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl carrying the way, while the other players, even Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has been with the team for several years, are just hangers-on. Just look at the stats. McDavid has a career season--105 points in an abbreviated season, runs away with the Ross. Draisaitl right behind him with 84 points. The third place total? 48. That's Tyson Barrie's total; Barrie's in his first year with the Oilers following a disappointing season with the Maple Leafs.

It's plain and simple. If McDavid and Draisaitl don't produce, the Oilers don't win. The Oilers have won very few games where those two don't pick up a point, and it showed in this series, as the Oilers' first two games saw McDavid and Draisaitl (the latter being the reigning Hart Trophy winner) rack up no points. The sad part: both of them took the lead in points in Game Three, as each one had three points. That shouldn't be the case, but it's a perennial thing, and it resulted in the Oilers being swept out of the playoffs by a Jets team who entered the playoffs losing nine of their final 12 regular season games, and also had Nikolaj Ehlers out for Games One and Two.

Overtime was also the Oilers' downfall (as well as their inability to hold a lead), as three of their losses came beyond regulation. As awesome and epic as that triple overtime thriller was, I believe it was Connor McDavid's last game as an Oiler. I've said this whole season that if the Oilers don't have something resembling a playoff run, McDavid will want out. McDavid is one of the best players in the league and it's been said that he's the best player the Oilers have had since a certain someone who wore #99. He is also 24 years of age and will turn 25 in January. A player that good and young wants to win. A player that good and young wants a deep playoff run. McDavid didn't win a single playoff game this year. That is not going to cut it. What is also not going to cut it is the lack of a supporting cast. Look at the other superstars; Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Kane, Auston Matthews. All of them have an amazing crop of players with them. Who does McDavid have? Just Draisaitl. That won't do.

The Oilers will return to the Pacific Division next season, but will they do so with McDavid? I don't think so. I will be surprised if McDavid is back in an Oilers jersey next season. He seemed very agitated during the series, and this series sweep may be the last straw for him.

If you like this story, feel free to respond on my Twitter and Facebook pages, and if you really love this story, feel free to leave a tip (if you want)!