Game 22 2022-23: Panthers at Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers played well on their road trip (collective shot share for the three games 80-60 at five-on-five, that’s 54 percent) but could have lost all three games. It was the youngsters who got the ball rolling in Madison Square Garden, and perhaps that’s the beginning of a substantial run for a team that needs value contracts to perform big roles.

THE ATHLETIC!

• New Lowetide: Oilers’ young players providing a spark after a slow start
• Lowetide: What could Oilers forward Dylan Holloway accomplish in AHL?
• DNB: Oilers’ win over Rangers shows how valuable secondary scoring can be
• DNB: Oilers GM Ken Holland Q&A: Can the team be improved? If so, how?
• Lowetide: Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins into 2nd decade of being misunderstood
• DNB: Oilers have a long way to go as defensive problems persist
• Jonathan Willis: Oilers’ Jack Campbell will be better, but can he be a true No. 1?
• Lowetide: The Edmonton Oilers and early-season trades during road trips
• Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ lack of secondary scoring is a critical situation
• Lowetide: 5 Edmonton Oilers trade targets from the AHL
• DNB:How Oilers star Connor McDavid went from poor to unreal in a pivotal win
• DNB and Jesse Granger: Is the Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel rivalry finally about to become reality?
• Lowetide: How the Oilers can replace Evander Kane’s production on a budget
• Lowetide: Why the Oilers need to trade for an established defenceman
• Lowetide: What should the Edmonton Oilers expect from Klim Kostin?
• Lowetide: Oilers rookie Stuart Skinner is chasing history
• Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers start October slow but finish month strong
• Jonathan Willis: Jakob Chychrun would look good on the Oilers, but is there a deal to be had?
• Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers reasonable expectations for every player in 2022-23
• Lowetide: Oilers top-20 prospects, summer 2022

WHAT TO EXPECT IN NOVEMBER

• At home to: NAS, NJD, DAL (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 1-2-0)
• On the road to: WAS, TBY, CAR, FLA (Expected 1-2-1) (Actual 2-2-0)
• At home to: LAK, VEG (Expected 1-0-1) (Actual 1-1-0)
• On the road to: NJD, NYI, NYR (Expected 1-1-1) (Actual (1-2-0)
• At home to: FLA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• On the road to: CHI (Expected (1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• November expected result: 7-4-3, 17 points in 14 games
• Actual November results: 5-7-0, 10 points in 12 games
• October results: 6-3-0, 12 points in 9 games
• Oilers in 2022-23: 11-10-0, 22 points in 21 games

Edmonton has a real chance to take something out of November, but Florida is a good team and the Oilers sometimes stub their toes on the first game back from a road trip. If this team can win the two remaining November games, I think the story of this month will include some redemption songs.

There were rumours Yamamoto might be close, but it’ll be a little more time. McLeod is a complete surprise, coach Jay Woodcroft mentioned bumps and bruises for McLeod and Foegele but the fleet center is out. The Hamblin and Benson recalls are interesting and this opens up opportunity for Dylan Holloway. How could it work? I’d like to see McDavid and Draisaitl play center, and the wingers on the top line should be Hyman, Nuge, Puljujarvi and Holloway.

RAMBLIN’ HAMBLIN MAN

For the scouts in this organization, the James Hamblin recall has to be a moment of satisfaction. Undrafted, he did have the numbers to get attention when he was draft-eligible (he was first mentioned in this blog in 2017) and Edmonton landed him on an AHL deal. He was signed to an NHL deal at the same time as Vincent Desharnais, both could play this season.

On the day the Condors signed Hamblin, the AHL depth chart featured names like Ryan McLeod, Tyler Benson, Cooper Marody, Kirill Maksiov and Raphael Lavoie. Hamblin gets the call to the NHL because of his dogged forechecking, impressive skill and attention to detail. I hope he has a career. I had him at No. 19 on the summer top-20 prospects (here).

TONIGHT’S POSSIBLE LINEUP

Absolutely flying blind here, Woodcroft could load up the top line tonight but the Panthers have real depth and that might be costly. Here’s my best guess:

• Holloway-McDavid-Hyman
• Janmark-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi
• Foegele-Nuge-Ryan
• Benson-Hamblin-Kostin
• Nuse-Ceci
• Kulak-Barrie
• Broberg-Bouchard
• Campbell (Skinner)

The most difficult decision imo is Nuge. He’s good with LD-JP and I think that’s where he should be, but the McLeod injury throws a friggin’ in the riggin’ for Woodcroft and company. The big guns need to be the big guns tonight, no doubts.

PERSONAL NEWS

This is my wife Jo-Anne, you may have known her as Mrs. Lowetide. She passed away this week after a short and difficult battle with cancer. The type of cancer she had (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) is aggressive and it took her in a matter of weeks.

She had green eyes that sometimes looked blue, she loved lilacs and spring, she was beautiful. She smelled like fresh air, she laughed at my jokes, she had an overbite and a wonderful crooked smile. She called me on my lies and loved me (and me her) every day for 40 years. She was the first person I called about news, good or bad, and when she cried, it broke my heart. Every time.

Jo-Anne was a wonderful Mom. She had a way about her, making you feel like you matter, like you counted. Both kids mentioned that to me this week. She’d remember something you said months or years ago and quote it back to you. She could remember the smallest, most minute thing. Her recall was amazing. She loved the people in her life and passed along her wisdom with a gentle hug. Her biggest regret in passing, and she never told me but it was obvious, is that she felt there was more to do for the kids. They haven’t met their significant people yet, and she looked forward to that part of their lives and watching grandkids come along.

We miss her so much and we mourn her loss. We will cherish her memory forever.

There will be a celebration in spring, my daughter suggested it and I like the idea of Jo-Anne being celebrated with the flowers in bloom.

For those who haven’t received your books yet, this is the reason. She was packaging them and I was mailing, and then things began to take a turn in terms of health. I have them ready, there are about 20 left, and I should be done by early December. Sincere apologies for taking so long.

I will be on the air today, want to get back to work. I can’t guarantee that it will be my best show, but Dave and Matthew will carry me if things get rough. Thanks to all who interacted with her over the years, she really enjoyed the emails and conversations.