For the Edmonton Oilers, fate is under team control. That doesn’t mean players or the coaching staff can letthe foot off the gas, but it does mean the finish line for the regular season is in sight and the northern franchise has clean air and a clear path to the playoffs. Tonight, playing down to the opposition is not an option, and the team has no time for a crisis of confidence and a losing streak to figure it out. It’s go time, and a lot of jobs are on the line.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: 3 changes Jay Woodcroft could make immediately to improve Oilers
- Lowetide: The legend of Oilers prospect Matvei Petrov continues to grow
- DNB: Oilers’ defensive warts on full display in critical game against hated Flames
- Lowetide: Are Oilers approaching a crossroads with Zack Kassian?
- DNB: Should Oilers budget for Evander Kane beyond this season?
- Lowetide: Oilers’ 2022 draft strategy takes shape after trade deadline
- DNB: Oilers’ solid deadline adds depth but without goaltending upgrade, top concern remains
- Lowetide: 7 Condors who could impact Oilers’ fortunes in the playoffs
- Lowetide: 9 Oilers prospects who could be available in trade at the deadline
- Lowetide: Is Oilers winger Warren Foegele doing enough to warrant his contract?
- DNB: How Jesse Puljujarvi, as a player and person, became perfect fit for Oilers
- Lowetide: Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci emerging as top pair for Oilers
- Lowetide: Ryan McLeod’s case for a spot on Oilers’ skill lines
- DNB: Oilers’ recent play only underscores that upcoming trade deadline must be a time to act
- Lowetide: Revisiting the Oilers’ choice of Evan Bouchard in the 2018 draft
- DNB: Markus Niemelainen collecting catchy nicknames as his surprise breakout accelerates
- Lowetide: Oilers fans still adjusting to Ken Holland’s management style
- DNB: Ken Holland Q&A
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2021
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MARCH
- On the road to: PHI, CHI (Expected 1-0-1) (Actual 1-0-1)
- At home to: MON (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- On the road to: CAL (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- At home to: WAS, TBAY, DET, BUF, NJD (Expected 3-1-1) (Actual 5-0-0)
- On the road to: COL, DAL (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-1-1)
- At home to: SJS (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: CAL (Expected 0-1-0) Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: ARI, LAK (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 8-5-2, 18 points from 15 games
- Actual March results: 7-4-2, 16 points in 13 games
- Oilers in 2021-22: 36-25-5, 77 points in 66 games
The Oilers are a sliver (one standings point) ahead of Vegas Golden Knights, with the silver lining being two games in hand. Vancouver plays St. Louis and the Kings get the upstart Seattle Kraken this evening. The Golden Knights are off tonight, the next game on the schedule is Wednesday v. Seattle. A win tonight means Edmonton is three points clear with a game in hand.
FORWARDS UNDER WOODCROFT
Based on these numbers (five-on-five from NST), how would you populate the McDavid, Draisaitl and Nuge lines? I would run Kane-McDavid-Puljujarvi, but Yamamoto has played so well there one imagines that’s a tweak for later in the spring. Right now, Woodcroft’s deployment of the top two lines (Kane-McDavid-Yamamoto and Hyman-Draisaitl-McLeod) are good if McLeod can score enough points to hang with LD. Why? It allows the third line (Brassard-Nuge-Puljujarvi) room to wheel, but only if they get enough ice time. I think icetime for the third line will be a subject of much discussion over the next week or two, I have a solution in The Athletic article published this morning.
DEFENSE
The numbers are strong save for rookies and small samples, I think the Oilers might have a ‘duplicate skill’ problem on defense and that may mean a tweak before the end of the season. Kulak looks to be a Godsend for giving Nurse less work on a nightly basis, Bouchard’s goal differential (all of these numbers are five-on-five from NST) likely means Barrie would get more minutes in the discipline.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
What a weekend for Canadian soccer! We hit the ground running at 10, TSN1260. Guests include Sean Fleming from Soccer is Everything. He’s also a former Canadian National Staff Coach, 2 U 17 World Cups, and knows the Canadian program inside out. We’ll talk to him about the sacrifice over decades that made Sunday in Toronto possible. Crossfire! hits at 10:40, and at 11 Jason Gregor will chime in on the Voyageurs and the Oilers. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio!
Barring an absolute miracle (on Manchester) the Oil are about to be 2 points back of the Kings, with a game in hand and 3 more regulation wins – the first tiebreak (and an apx 14 goal edge in goal differential – it doesn’t matter for standings but some feel a solid indication of team ability).
LAK not using “strength of schedule” to their benefit this evening.
6 – 1 in both relevant games, gotta love it!
Eberle scores to make in 4-1 on a snap shot on a quick break.
Check that – 5-1 Kraken.
6-1 – Sprong.
A bad break goal off a King defender and in but it was a rebound of a 10-bell chance of a 2 on 1.
Kings terrible in the 3rd period.
That was a solid scumbag game by Kane. We needed that.
Also, the Bison King trampled a few Yotes tonight. Primary apple on 2, as well. Did he and Woody have a chat?
I was going to post, even after all those “penalties”, I was just fine with Kane’s game tonight – he was fast and hard on that forecheck even after the game was in hand… kept coming but the refs slowed him down. When he hits, which is often, he hits hard – like Lucic in that regard.
Jesse used that body tonight and was skating as well as ever. He threw one of those “reverse hits” very early in the first – set the tone.
The knock, knock chat?
Darnell Nurse: 20:24 (2nd to Ceci)
Nuge: 19:34
McDavid: 19:10
Drai: 18:34
Beauty
Happy for the win, and a dominant one at that. Still, something doesn’t taste right after that Saturday…
Can the Kraken hold up and do us a favour?
Glass half-full view of the world considering Saturday night: over our last two games, we have outscored our opposition 11-10.
😂 thank you, sir. I needed that! ❤️
Yeah step off the ledge Admiral!
Evander Kane and Jesse Puljujarvi as the Bash Brothers is hilarious.
Hard to believe the Coyotes are still playing in AZ. Has to be better hockey markets available.
Done!
Seattle up 3-1 over LAK late in the 2nd
Larsson helping out his old mates pacing Seattle to 3-1 lead over Kings nearing end of 2nd.
With four minutes left, I hope for a McLeod/McDavid/Drai shift.
Nope.
Spoiler Alert. Oilers win!
Yeah. I thought they’d zoom him too but I suppose Woody wanted to send a better message: “win and achieve with your line mates”.
Keith and Barrie having big games
What an offensive zone shift by Jesse – puck retrievals and then a beauty pass to Drai for the easy goal on the door-stop.
Not the worlds best lane denial by Stralman…..
I presume this was mentioned in real time but nice of Kane to allow the PK to get some legit and solid work and practice in with the game, essentially, in the books!
LOL, Michaels comment – ” Stralman just got rump roasted by Pujiujarvi”. I love it
Victim of the vicious Bison Ass!
Kane and Puljujarvi laughing it up on the bench. It warms the heart!
Man I love Puljujarvi.
He’s chaos married to sublime skill. What a pass!
13, the Chaos Bringer, the Storm Maker.
That was all Jesse!
Leon joins the party and ties Captain Underpants!
Bison King what A plAy!
What a pass by J.P
Bison just impressed Draisaitl.
That’s gotta be some sort of record for quickest four non-connected minor penalties
Kane bet the over 😉
Kane thinks that the PK could use the extra practise time.
Ha! Trying to help pump the pk numbers!
4 penalties in a row by Kane. I’ve never seen that
Well… Four calls against him. Maybe one was actually arguably a penalty.
something at last to make this game memorable
Had to pick up the wife from work shortly after McLeod’s second so am just catching up.
At the point where Hyman made it 5-1 and just wanted to note a couple huge minutes of hockey by Koskinen when it was 4-1 to keep that 3-goal lead. The Oilers sagged for a bit after Foegele’s goal and Mikko made 3-4 solid/plus saves including one 10-bell.
Not that the Arizona can play with the Oilers if they are on their game but keeping that 3-goal lead was big. 4-2 creates a different game and a different energy.
Also, now, Kane with hits that actually matter – on a star player, in the heat of a board battle.
Take note Kassian – that is how you make an impact with the body, not hits on d-men in the o-zone a full second after the puck is outletted and gone the other way.
Refs hate Kane.
No kidding!
you were saying!!
at least he’s engaging
Kane is the 2022 version of Benoit Pouliot
Two absurd “penalties” against Kane. I guess he is too Alpha for these refs. No doubt that his mere presence makes them want to call a penalty against him.
Another wtf call against Kane. Who’s reffing, his ex-wife?
Ok Woody time to pound the bottom 6 with ice-time and let’s see if McLeod can pot a Sombrero.
Still don’t get why Archibald didn’t play against the physical Flames.
I was hoping he’d be in for Kass to provide some physicality (and consistent effort).
After Two:
5-1 Edmonton (3-0 Edmonton in the second)
35-22 Edmonton shots (19-12 Edmonton in the second)
35-25 Edmonton Corsi five-on-five (17-14 Edmonton in the second)
==
McDavid and Draisaitl lines doing well, McLeod too, but the Nuge line is 0-3 shots. Some chaos in the second, but Koskinen has played well.
You don’t see McDavid miss too many chances like that.
Fluffy one by the Captain
Why does Kane get a penalty there? He didn’t do anything.
Not only did he not do anything, the ref announced the penalty against “Edmonton number 81”
Nurse with professional defense on the three on two.
Zach attack for goal #5!
Oilers playing pretty loose and giving Yotes chances. Need to be better.
That may have been the bulkiest save by Kostco in recent memory.
It’s a good thing he was so slow getting over or else it might of went in after Keller flubbed it.
Wow. What a save by Koskinen.
Foegele gets the Monkey off his back.
No more slagging Foegle tonight!!!!
Full credit on that sequence but he’d been struggling. Good on Woodcroft to keep throwing him over the boards, this is looking to be a game where some lads can get their mojo back.
4 Keys to scoring 25 playing with Connor and Leon
1 Go to net
2 Keep stick on ice
3 Repeat step 1
4 Repeat step 2
What Patty did that the rest didn’t was also retrieve the pucks from the boards, and be ready at the right time.
Maroon would still be getting 20-25 if he was still on Connor’s wing.
Not a chance.
Yamo and Kane throwing their weight around. Good shift!
Now that he’s scored 2, I will not longer continue to say he needs to sit the curse is broken.
Oilers looking Flame-like
(i need a shower)
That’s a hockey player. Beautiful.
BOOM!!! McLeod!!! That was slick! So was that pass!!!
Ha! I was thinking he looked like Fedorov scoring that, too! Great minds…