It’s not last year’s torrid mid-season performance, but it’s close.
The Edmonton Oilers have been the hottest National Hockey League team since American Thanksgiving, that often-accurate divining rod applied to the standings at the season’s quarter pole to predict which teams will and won’t make the playoffs.
The Oilers, who had a record of 11-9-2 in 22 games played through point Nov. 28, sat out of the post-season picture that day, one point behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and three behind the Pacific Division third-seeded Los Angeles Kings.
They have gone on a tear in the 18 games since, going 14-3-1 to vault into second place in the Pacific close to the season’s halfway point with a record of 25-12-3 in 40 games, two points ahead of the Kings and eight …