On Saturdays, it was either Montreal or Toronto, and for English Canada the Montreal games were rare, high octane and predictable. No one in my house cheered for the Canadiens, I don’t recall anyone in school doing it either, but the power of the team and its fans were everywhere 50 years ago. They were simply dynamite, and all but the very best seemed replaceable by a superior piece at a moments notice. I remember raising an eyebrow when a new player got a shift. “Here’s young Chuck Lefley, up from the Nova Scotia Voyageurs streaking through center” Danny Gallivan would say and I’d be astounded that Frank Mahovlich, Marc Tardif or Rejean Houle weren’t on the top three lines.
The Habs, in 1971-72, were in transition. The team had just said goodbye to Jean Beliveau and John Ferguson, but Guy Lafleur, Tardif and Houle were coming up. Montreal was terrifying, because the new troops (Houle) were often better than the old ones (Ferguson was done in 1971).
Montreal had set lines, but there was always movement. Marc Tardif was pushing Frank Mahovlich on left wing, Yvan Cournoyer was ahead of Guy Lafleur on the other side. So, in ’71-72, Jacques Lemaire played in the middle with Tardif and Lafeur at even strength, with Mahovlich (Frank) and Cournoyer on the power play.
Loaded. Absolutely insane. Get good players, keep good players? In Montreal under Sam Pollock, it was more like get good players, keep good players you can use, and stock the farm with players superior to the ones your team faces every night in the NHL. Diabolical. It worked like a charm.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New DNB: Oilers leaders believe Evander Kane will buy in
- Lowetide: Have Oilers trade assets changed in light of the Evander Kane signing?
- New DNB/Kevin Kurz: Why the Oilers are taking a chance on Evander Kane
- Lowetide: Grading the first 3 years of Ken Holland’s Oilers trades
- DNB: Adam Cracknell is now a Canadian Olympian.
- Lowetide: Leon Draisaitl’s history of long Decembers and what came after
- Lowetide: Three first-shot scorers in Oilers system in a race to make NHL
- DNB: Dylan Holloway resumes road to Oilers after frustrating injury interruption
- Jonathan Willis: Loss underlines how over-reliant Oilers are on offence from the defence
- Lowetide: Making the waiver call on young Oilers players as the deadline approaches
- New DNB: Oilers’ flaws can’t be ignored as losing skid goes from bad to worse
- Lowetide: Why can’t the Oilers win a trade in the Connor McDavid era?
- DNB: ‘We’re finding ways to lose’
- Lowetide: Midseason review of Oilers reasonable predictions for 2021-22
- DNB: The Oilers aren’t getting a dominant Leon Draisaitl right now
- Lowetide: What to expect from Dylan Holloway in Bakersfield and Edmonton this season
- DNB: Connor McDavid supports Oilers’ pursuit of Evander Kane.
- DNB: Ken Holland speaks
- Lowetide: Forget the Connor McDavid bump, Jesse Puljujarvi is the real deal after all
- Lowetide: Should the Oilers sign Evander Kane and what would it look like?
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers forward lineup isn’t deep or good enough
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2021
WHAT TO EXPECT IN JANUARY
- On the road to: NYI, NYR, TOR (Expected 1-2-0) (Actual 0-2-1)
- At home to: OTT, FLA, CGY (Expected 1-2-0) (Actual 1-2-0)
- On the road to: VAN (Expected 0-0-1) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: NAS (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: MTL, OTT (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 4-5-1, 9 points in 10 games
- Actual January results: 3-4-1, 7 points in 8 games
- Oilers in 2021-22: 21-16-2, 44 points in 39 games
The Oilers have a 46.7 percent goal share at five-on-five, with expected goal share of 53.1 percent. For the year, it’s 46.1 and 51.1 in each category. Edmonton’s five-on-five save percentage for the year is .9105, good for No. 28 overall. That’s the next step.
MY CHOICE FOR TONIGHT’S LINEUP
- Evander Kane-Connor McDavid-Jesse Puljujarvi
- Nuge-Leon Draisaitl-Zach Hyman
- Warren Foegele-Ryan McLeod-Kailer Yamamoto
- Devin Shore-Derek Ryan-Zack Kassian
- Darnell Nurse-Evan Bouchard
- Duncan Keith-Cody Ceci
- Kris Russell-Slater Koekkoek
- Stuart Skinner (Mikko Koskinen)
It won’t happen. I don’t expect Puljujarvi on the top line tonight, more likely we see Hyman or Yamamoto. Evander Kane’s conditioning is a factor in tonight’s game, but it’s my belief he’s going to fit very well into this lineup and it won’t take long.
I would run Jesse Puljujarvi on the top line, with Connor McDavid and Kane. I would place Hyman with Draisaitl because he can gather pucks, and could be talked into Hyman-Draisaitl-Yamamoto, too.
Nuge has great utility, so he can run as a No. 3 center but you’re going to need a significant winger to push the river a little. I expect that will be JP, but we’ll see how Dave Tippett organizes the chairs.
I don’t want to say this because it’s unfair to put it on a young player, but the way he skates, hunts for pucks and is always around the play, Holloway reminds me of Taylor Hall in his youth. He is not the same quality, but he’s damned good. Holloway touches the puck an astounding number of times in a game, I swear to God it was 40 times or more last night. He got crushed and kept ticking, also a good sign.
Hold back your water on recall, the club has to work through Kane and the deadline issues. Holloway isn’t going to arrive and play Chuck Lefley minutes, he’s going to be in the top-nine forwards when he gets here. The competition is significant, although a deadline deal for a goalie may ease the problem.
The Oilers, looking to add team toughness, pluck Aaron Dell off the waiver wire…
#neverknow
How about Ron Duguay it looks like he still has some spunk in him.
Wonder what if would cost to get Anton Forsberg out of Ottawa? Sounds like Filip Gustavsson is their top prospect in net.
It shouldn’t be a lot but
Not sure if anyone else is noticing this
Our man Skinner when pushing off to slide across slides too far and gets beaten far post
Who is the goaler coach??
That will not work for Stu
Assuming that they make the playoffs the only team in the west I see as an outside challenge (not a self implosion) is HH’s Avs
That is a good thought
The east has more than a few
Tighten it up Tipp! O Zone heavy possession is great but playoff track meets aren’t
Oh ya Kenny a goaler wouldn’t hurt
What are the chances Stalock gets hot?
Don’t overlook the Wild.
They have a win percentage above .700 and have multiple games in hand on their Central opponents.
They’re seriously good.
Holloway with the offensive zone turnover in OT leads to a 2 on 1 against and the Condors lose in OT.
They didn’t deserve the win tonight.
Konovalov stopped 37 of 39 in regulation.
Just watched the highlights, and I haven’t watched those ugly red jerseys much, but man that lineup is built for tanking.
Teams like Pitt, Buff, and Yotes have been accused of tanking before – I’m surprised this hasn’t been brought up yet for Montreal this year.
If Price gets his body and mind back together I can’t believe he would come back to that
Interesting situation developing! Canucks have one shot halfway through the game….
Haha! As the misses (flames fan) just told me, “terrible game. Both teams are playing like crap, just one way more than the other”
Putrid game – 3 pointer too
Damn, Konvalov loses is shutout on the 30th shot against.
He made another plus save but the puck oddly bounced up in the air, off Niemelainen and in.
2-1 Condors with 13 to go.
and its followed up with a fluke PP goal as the puck bounces of a stantion right to the Roadrunner in the slot…..
Tie game.
Evander Kane/Derek Ryan/Devin Shore:
TOI: 1:09
CF: 3-0
SF 2-0
GF: 1-0
I hope knucks and phlegms kill each other and not go into overtime.
Geez triple OT Raptors and Heat!
Condors’ 2-0 lead was against the flow of play but they started to take over in the least 7 minutes of the second and it was all O-zone possession time.
They are still getting massively outshot but take a 2-0 lead to the 2nd intermission.
Condors defending on the next 4 on 4 – Malone bulls up the ice with the puck, tired as hell but kept lumbering, on the two on two he fires an ariel pass towards the net which Griffith bats out of the air for a 2-0 lead.
Just curious… anyone know why the Kraken- Islanders game was postponed? Can’t seem to find any news items that discuss this.
Storms all over the east coast
Thanks! Nothing on the Kraken or NHL.com sites. Did’t know if it was weather or Covid related or flight delay or… act of God…
I believe it had to do with the weather. Big northeaster hit the east coast today, snow and wind made travel impossible, cancelled thousands of flights the last 2 days. People were told to stay inside.
Well done, YouTube.
Oilers channel’s official highlights after the post-game press conference becomes unavailable midstream. “Stream suspended for policy violations.”
What happened?
SN story coming re: Kane causing the Oilers to lose the rights to their own broadcast.
LMAO
SN story: Kane puts 100G on himself scoring the first goal and Oilers scoring first.
Michael Kesselring is getting better and better every single game.
Condors dominating some 4 on 4 time but the puck leaves the offensive zone, Kesslering gets it at center, takes it 1 on 3, beat the defence wide and takes it to the net for a legit high end chance. Stopped but wow!
Oilers have some interesting depth at D. Do you think guys like Kesselring and Kemp have a shot at being NHL players? You have Broberg who projects as a top 4 D and then you have Willy Lags, big Nemi the hitter and Samorukov. I hope the Oilers can take advantage of this depth.
Kesselring absolutely – he’s big/long with a broad range of skills. He’s a term project but he is really growing this season – he was way out of his realm in his post-college stint last year but has taking so many strides.
He has a ton of Ethan Bear in the defensive zone – the ability to make subtle little plays, delays, etc. to open up a passing lane for the transition and is starting to become a plus player carrying the puck out of the zone.
Kemp is coming along – his transition game is underrated – I worry about his boots though.
I always wonder when I hear that narrative “long term project” in your eye’s OP, is Kesselring a 6 yr project. Or a 4?
I can’t say I’m qualified to provide a reasoned opinion – I would think closer to 4 but what do I know?
Interesting situation developing.
Michael Bunting with a hat trick tonight.
12G 17A 29P
Zack Hyman
13G 10A 23P
Cap hit:
Bunting – $950K for another season
Hyman – $5.5 million for 6 more seasons.
Looks like the analytics kids got this one right.
I was wondering where you’d been all night. We were worried sick HH!! Hell of a player that Bunting I’m sure(never seen him play, but my co-worker is a leafs fan and I trust his judgement).
Apparently I need to learn the new definition of “situation”
Yep, we’ve got a heavy rain situation here in Vancouver. Perhaps we add the term “situation” to his often used phrases.
Are you sure it’s not a rain event? Everything is a situation…
The situation OP, is that Bunting is better at hockey than Zachary Hyman (who only had 2 goals tonight… pathetic) and we oilers fans are too obtuse to notice. We got caught up enjoying our team and we’re too god damn self centred to realize that another player on another team across the country also scored goals in the NHL tonight.
Does Bunting PK? How many years has he put up these numbers at the NHL level? How much will be demand when his current contract has expired? My guess is much higher than $5.5 million in an already cap strapped team.
The NHL is an efficiency contest….every fucking year.
What he demands in 2 years is absolutely irrelevant.
The Leafs already decided to move on from the soon to be 30 year old Hyman and there is absolutely no evidence that they won’t be prepared to do it again.
No need for such language.
Only answer one of the questions?? You skew every bit of information, nothing you say holds any merit. No integrity.
Sounds like a situation is brewing, cream and sugar please.
And I like how you omit the fact Bunting has played 6 more games from your numbers. Always moving those goal posts huh HH? Whatever best suits your point.
Real interesting development here.
Nick Ritchie didn’t play for Toronto tonight.
Played 33 games before he got waived.
Nick Ritchie
2G 7A 9P
Zack Hyman
13G 10A 23P
Cap hit:
Nick Ritchie – another year at 2.5M
Hyman – $5.5M for 6 more seasons
But wait we can just add all the other contributors no sweat
Mrazek 3 years 3.8M for 2 more seasons 0.899 save percentage
Marner 4 more years 10.9M 11G 19A 30P. 7 More points for over 5 mill more?! woof.
If anyone has smaller sample sizes they can give me I’ll make sure to switch them out for any of the above mentioned.
I hope for him he sustains so he can make bank, he’s at his -.6 PPG career average
Not exactly a stone cold killer given who he’s playing with
Nice robbery by Dubas on him signing the two years, you’d think he might have found more somewhere else
Im not sure how much of a stats find that was. Probably more a decent forward with a boyhood dream and Dubas took it
Probably sleeps in Leafs PJs
is that all u got?
feels like mr smith’s bullets at the end of the original matrix – plop plop boring
Oilers are doing well – just kills ya
If by ‘got it right’ you mean: blew 40+% of their cap on 3 players (2 of whom were signed for less than max term and mostly RFA years) so they couldn’t re-sign an extremely valuable player the would love to have retained, well yes, they did.
Hyman playing at a 32G/82 rate. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Kane at 82G pace as well. Music!
Interesting situation developing.
Leon Draisaitl with two goals tonight.
29G 30A 59P
Mitchell Marner
10G 18A 38P
Cap hit:
Draisaitl – $8.5 Million for 3 more seasons
Marner – $10.9 Million for 3 more seasons
Something something cap efficiency 👍
I would be wildly in favor of HH changing his name to
“The Situation”
It’s his personal mantra: “I’m not happy until you’re not happy”.
Haha. Laughed at the “developing situation ” Like, you realize Bunting can be good, and have a nice little value contract, AND Hyman can also be good, and a fine contract. Is the bunting situation a situation for all teams who have a higher paid player for more money? ( cause then all teams have a “situation “).
I guess also I know the connection you are trying to make, but dont think that hyman is really connected to bunting, not as far as Oilers are concerned anyway.
Let’s see some proof that there was a conscious decision to keep Bunting over Hymen because they foresaw this production and cap efficiency.
Oilers plus 6 at 5 on 5 today – that’ll help the numbers!
Bottom 6: 4-0 goals.
RNH and Hyman are not your usual bottom 6.
Usual for Tampa.
Might be now
They may be going forward……
I hope so
This is what I was hoping for when news first broke on Kane to Oilers. I was pretty positive then it was done
I said RNH at C and my Toronto fan friend said Hyman at C as he does play all 3 positions
Schaller with a slick play to knock down a high dump and it sets up a 2 on 1 – Holloway takes the puck with full speed at the blueline, drag and shoots on the d-man and Hamblin buries the rebound.
1-0 Condors and Holloway has 1G/4A a period in to his fifth game.
https://twitter.com/Condors/status/1487623844965732354
Very solid debut for Kane.
very reasonable to think he can score 15 playing with Drai or Mcdavid
really like the 3 lines deep with McLeod on the 4th line
DFO rundown has him pegged for 15 from TY, 16 & 17 from Gregor and Seravalli
I have him pinned that range as well. He is a 30 goal scorer
An interesting segment in 2nd intermission on free agent goalie Mack Guzda. I wonder if we have reached out to his agent.
I started the day with a Matt Good hat tip post so I might as well end it the same way, because on Hockey Day in Canada, the good old home team definitely gave us some “Prime Time Deliverance.”
https://youtu.be/kRjsRll1vs4
McDavid played 17:27 (total) and Drai 15:36
4th line had over 10 minutes of 5 on 5 ice (as I asked).
Top 2 lines played 14-16 5on5 minutes.
3rd line apx 13:30
4th line apx 10-11
That is amazing.
Of course, that won’t always be possible with more special teams and a closer game but that’s a great start!
Unreal! Great to see the minutes dispersed like that and I hope it’s able to happen more often. Draisaitl playing 15 is just nuts hah!
The line on Kane:
1 G
+2
3 SOG
4 hits (team-high)
17:43 ice-time (2nd among F’s)
Solid debut.
I’d like to say that I’ve been hard on Kane for (mostly) non-hockey related reasons. If he can continue to play this well or better and keep the off-ice distractions at bay, I’ll be one happy camper.
Literally compare him to the other recent poster boy for off-ice distractions (Hoffman) tonight, and there is no comparison… without even factoring in their respective AAVs. Holland may have secured a clear win with this signing. Obviously, still way too early yet to make a definitive proclamation.
Holy crap, Tyler Bertuzzi with the two-pad stack!!
They got the W. Sure it was against an AHL team with some NHLers sprinkled in for shits and giggles, but at the end of the day this game is worth two points and puts them on a four game winning streak. That’s all that really matters.
This was a good game to get McDavid and Koskinen some rest, and help ease Kane back into the NHL grind. Also get Skinners feet wet, not that he saw much action. Since swagger seemed to be the word of the night, this is the kind of game that might give the team some swagger going forward.
great analysis.
yes the opponent was teetering and the goalie porous but Oilers have crapped the bed in these situations all too often.
A glorified scrimmage is just what an ascendant team incorporating a new mid-season player needs.
Redemption time vs Ottawa!
7 goals and points for McDavid – crazy stuff.
The only skaters held off the scoresheet were those whose last names begin with Mc- or end with -i.
Well I won’t critique a 7-2 win. Nice to see all the lines involved in the scoring. Hope they can keep 3 or 4 lines going against better competition.
Oilers also back into 3rd in the Pacific (by .001 percentage points!) with the win. As it stands Anaheim is ahead of Dallas for the 2nd wild card spot too.
Condors scoreless after one.
Konovalov was the best player as they were outshot 11-3 and had very little going.
We’re cheering for the Van City Kurtenbachs next right?
Holy crap. I hadn’t realized the Oilers could tie (actually pass, with the tiebreakers) the Flames tonight if the Flames lose to the Knucks.
She’s tight boy!
And yeah, go Van City.
Go Van City!
. . . That feels dirty and wrong.
Lots of guys can feel good about themselves but there is room for improvement all around
Kane was (mostly) quiet but even he can feel good about his 1st game
On to Ottawa with 2 more points in the bank..!
I think this was Keith’s first two point game as an Oiler. He has been a great addition even if he takes up too much cap.
7-2. Bar cleared. That was some UGLY slow hockey. Montreal really is awful. Blech. And no crowd = zero energy.
Yup, that was a terrible hockey game but I’ll certainly take the result.
Had to miss it
The shot map on TSN shows even shots pretty much and under 30 which is not what you would expect
Also the Habs had a lot of shots from the slot. Be interesting to see how they have high dangers at
A ways to go yet but great result
4th line scores! Oilers hit for the cycle. Beauty boys.
I’m going to have a scotch and then another.
When’s the last time all 4 lines scored 5 on 5?
Without McDavid getting any points no less.
7 goals. No McPoints. Impressive and unfortunate at the same time.
Ryan needs every GF the universe will give him.
(not saying that wasn’t all Ryan)
I read that as Ryan needs every girlfriend the universe will give him.
lol
Shore deserves credit for the zone entry and perfect slot pass.
For all his detractors he’s been playing quality hockey of late.
Oilers convert the touchdown as Ryan rips one past Primeau glove-side.
Keith or Wayne?
hahahahaha….
Ryan with a beauty 1 timer and Shore with the primary apple
7-2
*that should be Keith with the second apple
Goals for all 4 lines.
Nice shot for Ryan too.
Finally a safe-to-urinate game
Kane covering the pinch like a pro
Kass looks to have been cut by the crossbar? Or did I see that wrong?
I missed it, but I think that’s what happened
Kass was leaking for sure
Oilers PP after the Kassian tussle
Let’s get JP and Mcpoints some….err…points
Win goes to the crossbar!
Wanner picks up an ES assist in period 2.
Now has a 4-game point streak (all assists).
Does that count as a goal?
It’s currently under review
is his first name Geno?
Kane asking the boys on the bench if they want to celebrate after with some St Catherine strippers?
I kid. I kid. 😈
Primo save there – not often you see a 3 on 0 not cash
not the greatest decision by PJ but yeah
Condors get tangled up and confused the offensive blueline and a clear full-ice SH breakaway against results – Konovalov with the save.
He’s been good early as Tucson has been the better team early – not showing any rust.