Let’s call this the annual Edmonton Oilers mid-season crisis.

They aren’t defending well. They can’t get a save. The coach is out to lunch…. This is not a new story about this hockey team.

The Oilers fans, Oilers media, and Oilers brass all say the right things at the beginning of the season. Connor McDavid started team skates before training camp with the belief that a good start, and therefore a good regular season, will set the tone in pursuit of an elusive Stanley Cup.

Maybe this will be the year they’re an elite regular-season team!

Not the case. But again, the chalice is the ultimate goal.

So, what then makes this mid-season crisis feel different? How little of the elite play we’ve seen, for starters, and how glaring the flaws and imperfections look.

The lack of a three-game win streak until this recent homestand, followed by their first three-game regulation losing streak, might make you think this team is streaky.

But this season hasn’t even featured the usual streaks. Instead, they are replaced by glimmers.

Some blowout wins in November and December. Some big comeback wins in January. But these moments are fleeting, and they’re paying bills they can’t cash.

Connor McDavid leads the NHL in points with 96. Leon Draisaitl is fifth in points with 80. Evan Bouchard leads all defencemen with 63. The Oilers’ power play is first at 31.4 per cent.

Yet, the Oilers are eighth in the Western Conference in points percentage with a 28-22-8 record. They’ve lost more games than they’ve won. Most nights, they’re looking for an easy game.

There’s been a sentiment that the Oilers can flip the switch when they like, that they can keep getting away with it, so to speak. Besides, what good is the regular season really? The success........

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