Pacific Division Title Still Up for Grabs as Oilers Host Avalanche

Edmonton looks to clinch division with wins over Colorado and Vancouver in final two games

Apr. 13, 2026 at 3:24pm

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a hockey game between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche, with the players and puck represented as dynamic, angular shapes in a vibrant color palette.As the Oilers and Avalanche battle for playoff positioning, the game's intensity is captured in a cubist-inspired illustration.San Jose Today

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Edmonton Oilers still have a chance to win the Pacific Division title. They'll host the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche on Monday before closing out the season against the last-place Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. The Oilers sit second in the division with 90 points, one behind the Vegas Golden Knights, and hold the tiebreaker with more regulation wins.

Why it matters

The Oilers control their own destiny when it comes to finishing ahead of Anaheim and Los Angeles in the division, but catching Vegas for the top spot will require some help. Edmonton needs to win both of its final games, while hoping the Golden Knights slip up against Winnipeg and Seattle. A division title would give the Oilers a more favorable path to start the playoffs.

The details

The Avalanche have already locked up the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the postseason, so they may be more focused on fine-tuning and chasing milestones than the outcome of this game. Colorado has a chance to set a new franchise record for points in a season with three more wins. Meanwhile, Oilers star Connor McDavid leads the NHL in scoring and is making a strong case for his fourth Hart Trophy if he can guide Edmonton to the division crown without Leon Draisaitl.

  • The Oilers and Avalanche will meet for the third and final time in the regular season on Monday, April 13, 2026.
  • Edmonton will wrap up the regular season on Thursday, April 15, 2026 against the Vancouver Canucks.

The players

Connor McDavid

The Oilers' superstar center leads the NHL with 133 points heading into the final week of the regular season. A strong finish could secure his sixth Art Ross Trophy and fourth Hart Trophy as league MVP.

Leon Draisaitl

The Oilers' other star forward has been out since mid-March, putting more pressure on McDavid to carry Edmonton to a division title.

Kris Knoblauch

The Oilers' head coach is guiding his team through a tight race for the Pacific Division crown.

Gabriel Landeskog

The Avalanche captain is focused on keeping his team sharp and playing with good habits as they prepare for the playoffs.

Nolan Pratt

The Avalanche assistant coach is managing the balance between resting players and staying sharp down the stretch.

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What they’re saying

“I thought the effort was great. We worked hard and did a lot of good things right, but we did make some mistakes. Ingram played really well. I thought we had enough scoring chances to certainly get more than one goal tonight, and their goalie played well and we missed some really good opportunities.”

— Kris Knoblauch, Oilers Head Coach

“We just couldn't find a way to get one. I thought we pushed hard all game and had a lot of opportunities, but couldn't get that first one. It's all about that next game, and we'll go home to prepare, and we've got two left to find a way to put both those in the bank.”

— Adam Henrique, Oilers Forward

“We were OK. We've kind of solidified our position there, so you fight that a little bit with trying to stay sharp as we move forward here through the next few games. I thought we did enough to generate a couple more goals potentially, but when you get to overtime, we miss an opportunity with [Devon Toews] that probably was in if it doesn't catch the knob of his stick, and then they capitalize going the other way. So there's some good things in there, but it's more about us just trying to stay sharp now as we move through these last few.”

— Nolan Pratt, Avalanche Assistant Coach

“It comes down to still playing with good habits, and still sticking to our game as much as we possibly can. There was good and there was also not so good. I mean, there are things we can definitely improve on, but overall, competitive game.”

— Gabriel Landeskog, Avalanche Captain

What’s next

The Oilers will need to win both of their final two games against the Avalanche and Canucks to have a chance at the Pacific Division title. They'll also need help from other teams, as the Vegas Golden Knights control their own destiny at the top of the standings.

The takeaway

This crucial final stretch will determine the Oilers' playoff positioning and path. While they don't control the race for the division crown entirely, Edmonton can secure a more favorable postseason berth by taking care of business in their last two games.