Professor’s Press Box Morning Review - November 11: Oilers' Win a Comeback Twice Over

The Edmonton Oilers didn’t just beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night — they beat back the creeping sense that things were starting to slide. It wasn’t perfect, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but their 5–4 overtime victory was the kind of night that reminds you why you don’t turn off the TV when Connor McDavid still has a shift left.

Takeaway One: McDavid Wills the Oilers Win

When the Oilers needed a response, McDavid gave them two. His pair of third-period goals turned what looked like another frustrating night into a late surge that forced overtime. Each goal was classic McDavid — speed, vision, and timing — but more than that, it was determination. As coach Kris Knoblauch said afterward, “He just willed the team to win.”

McDavid extended both his goal and point streaks, but numbers don’t really tell this story. This was about a captain taking the game over when it mattered most, after a 9–1 loss two nights earlier had left the room searching for answers.

Takeaway Two: Oilers’ Resilience Showed Up in the Details

Edmonton didn’t control the game the way they’d like — they trailed or chased much of the night — but they didn’t crumble either. Stuart Skinner’s 15 saves weren’t flashy, yet they came in the right moments. Jake Walman’s short-handed goal late in regulation, a fluke bounce that tied it 4–4, could’ve broken their spirit. Instead, it seemed to light a spark.

The overtime winner — a Jack Roslovic breakaway just 56 seconds in — capped off what felt like a collective exhale. “That’s the kind of game it was going to take to get out of this little funk,” Walman said. “It wasn’t perfect, but we found a way.”

Takeaway Three: For the Oilers, It Was a Step Forward, Not the Finish Line

This wasn’t dominance; it was defiance. Edmonton showed the kind of character that’s been missing in stretches — the ability to win ugly, to hang around until their best player can take over. For a team that’s been searching for rhythm, that’s something to build on.

They didn’t solve all their problems in one night, but they found a little of their heartbeat again. And when McDavid’s playing with that kind of conviction, it tends to carry everyone with him.