2021-22 Game 28: Blue Jackets at Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers requested the California Golden Seals, but the league is sending the Columbus Blue Jackets instead. The home side has a good record against CBJ, but these teams aren’t far from each other in the overall standings and this game could be loss No. 7 without being a shocker.

For Edmonton, scoring the first goal, staying out of the box, recognizing danger, crisp passing and stellar goaltending would all be useful tonight. Sometimes I have a feel for a game’s result morning of, but the spidey senses aren’t tingling today.

Are you ready?

THE ATHLETIC!

• New Lowetide: Oilers still haven’t replaced Adam Larsson’s nasty edge and goal suppression ability
• DNB: Oilers’ 5-game losing streak highlights 5 glaring issues that need to be fixed
• Lowetide: If the losing continues will the Oilers make a coaching change?
• Lowetide: Oilers prospect Carter Savoie’s comparables, why he wasn’t selected for the world juniors
• Lowetide: Markus Niemelainen winning Oilers recall battle
• DNB: Ethan Bear is rising above and thinking big
• Lowetide: Tyson Barrie’s contract and skill set make his Oilers future uncertain
• Lowetide: Oilers may find inspiration from 1993-94 Detroit Red Wings
• DNB: Several Oilers issues coming to a head
• Jonathan Willis: Which Oilers are on track to make their countries’ 2022 Olympic hockey teams?
• Lowetide: Evan Bouchard’s first full NHL season a learning experience
• Lowetide: Analyzing Cody Ceci’s importance to the Edmonton Oilers and future deployment
• Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2021
• DNB: Brendan Perlini subscriber Q&A
• DNB: Oilers turn to Markus Niemelainen
• Lowetide: The Oilers won often in November, but is their roster built to keep winning this way?
• Lowetide: Is the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl even better than we think? A look at his stunning historic comparables

WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER

• At home to: PIT (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
• On the road to: SEA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
• At home to: LAK, MIN, BOS, CAR, TOR, CBJ (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 0-5-0)
• On the road to: SEA (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• At home to: ANA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• On the road to: LAK, SJS, CAL, STL, NJD (Expected 3-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• Overall expected result: 8-7-0, 16 points in 15 games
• Actual December results: 1-6-0, 2 points in 7 games
• Oilers in 2021-22: 16-11-0, 32 points in 27 games

It’s like reading half a book. This month is a tragedy at this point, and could continue on that road. A second act filled with losses would mean the ruination of a fine start to the season and a complete derailment of the Holland tunnel. Last summer was the year he had money, there’s not enough wiggle room in the coming summer to set things right.

Or, the month could plod along at .500 for the rest of the month, giving the Oilers a 4-4-0 finish and a record of 20-15-0. It would make for a boring set of middle chapters but set up a hopeful ending.

Or, and hold on to your ass, this team could rise up like a sleeping giant, and pillage the local townships leaving nothing but the bones. A 7-1-0 finish would leave Edmonton with a 23-12-0 record and a fan base equal parts fury and ecstasy.

I’d bet on one of the earlier options all day, save for the twin peaks that are 29 and 97. Those two men won’t be struggling forever.

ILYA KONOVALOV

You never know with goalies, and hold on to your horses, but the young Russian is adjusting to the AHL. Here are his save percentage splits by month:

• October: two games, .857
• November: four games, .873
• December: three games, .941

He may never make the NHL, but Hockey Prospecting loves him, and those numbers in December are eye popping. Something to keep in mind.

OILERS FIVE-ON-FIVE SCORING (FORWARDS)

It would be nice to see secondary scoring, but that isn’t likely. I have some hope Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod can post some scoring numbers, but the top two lines are going to do the heavy lifting and that’s not going to change.

Leon Draisaitl’s first nine games were all-world, and his second nine game segment was also impressive. Chances are he’ll recover in the next nine games offensively (this is all five-on-five).

Connor McDavid has been consistent over the season offensively, and his main wingers (Jesse Puljujarvi and Zach Hyman) have been fairly consistent.

Draisaitl’s linemates are having a miserable season, and at this point I think Nuge at center might be a good idea. His offense, even on a feature line, isn’t miles past Ryan McLeod’s offense. Perhaps, when Hyman is healthy, Edmonton should consider running Foegele-McDavid-Puljujarvi, Hyman-Driasiatl-Kassian, Benson-Nuge-Yamamoto, McLeod-Ryan-Sceviour. Thoughts?

OILERS FIVE ON FIVE GOAL DIFFERENTIAL

The beginning of the year was mostly positive, Nurse was a little shy of 50 percent goal differential but everyone else was riding the wave. In the second set of games, Nuge was the only regular above 50 percent, so 18 games into the year everyone was within a couple of goals of level.

The final nine games have been cray cray and we don’t know if the Wile E. Coyote free fall is at the conclusion or there are several frames to go. I’d like to see everyone healthy and at that point get a good look at the group. We don’t know that Markus Niemelainen can help win games on the third pair, but it might be time to try.

LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE

It’ll be a busy day on the Lowdown, we get started at 10, TSN1260. Chris Johnston, TSN Insider and Toronto Star columnist will join us to talk Oilers, Covid and the Olympics. We’ll also check in from the Columbus Blue Jackets side and have the latest from Jacksonville where Urban Meyer has been fired by the Jaguars. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio