Mike Babcock says "20 games is real," and Bob Stauffer pointed out that the Oilers are 14-3-3 through that mark.
That's a direct answer from the Edmonton coach to the question hanging over every fast starter: is it a hot streak or the real thing? Babcock's answer is that the sample now counts.
Stauffer shared the quote and the record, and the number carries the argument by itself.
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The Oilers added to it last night, beating the Flyers 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday. Zach Hyman scored twice, and Evan Bouchard added a goal and an assist, including the game-winner.
Tristan Jarry made 30 saves on 32 shots in the win. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each picked up an assist, and Draisaitl led the team with four shots on goal.
It hasn't been a quiet month in Edmonton, either. We reported that Babcock took heat over arriving late to practice, and he didn't take the question quietly. Through all of it, the team has kept winning.
Is 14-3-3 enough to trust the Oilers?
Twenty games is a quarter of the schedule, and the Oilers have collected 31 points in that stretch. That is not a hot week. Teams don't stumble into that kind of record, and the goal differential of +23 says the results aren't built on bounces.
Babcock is right to push back on the "early season" label. Anyone who still wants to call it a fluke has to explain how the Oilers keep winning in different ways: a goalie battle, a shootout of a game, or an overtime grind like Wednesday's.
The caution is health. The Oilers got a scare when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins left a game with an apparent head injury on Saturday, and Babcock sounded optimistic afterward. A team this deep in the standings race can survive a short absence, but not many long ones.
The next test is a trip to Toronto on Saturday, November 14. A strong showing there would give Babcock's line a lot more weight than a quote ever could.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Is 20 games enough to call the Oilers real contenders?
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