Bottom feeders in November, Oilers sit one win away from Stanley Cup final

The Edmonton Oilers — among the Stanley Cup favourites when training camp opened — had got off to a disastrous start to the NHL season.

Kris Knoblauch arrived to find a locker room in turmoil.

The Edmonton Oilers — among the Stanley Cup favourites when training camp opened — had got off to a disastrous start to the NHL season.

The club was in a tailspin, languishing near the bottom of the standings despite a roster led by superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

There were plenty of questions, and not many answers, when Knoblauch took over for the fired Jay Woodcroft in November with the Oilers sitting a stunning 3-9-1 through 13 mostly cringeworthy games.

"I saw a team that was very hard on themselves, a team that was very frustrated," said Knoblauch, a rookie bench bossed hired away from the American Hockey League's Hartford Wolf Pack. "Things hadn't been going their way … a team that was trying probably too hard. You just get so caught up and you're not thinking straight.

"When you try to do too much or are trying to do everything, ultimately you're doing other people's jobs, and then you're not doing your job as well. Everything's disconnected."

Knoblauch went to work. He boiled the season down into segments. He laid out a path forward. The climb back wouldn't be easy or straightforward, but it was there.