2023-24 Game 20: Ducks at Oilers

by Lowetide

Connor McDavid has four goals and 10 points in the last six games. That’s 1.67 pts per game. Previous to those games, he delivered two goals and 10 points in 11 games, slightly less than a point per game. Last season, he posted 1.87 pts-game. Is he back? Time will tell.

THE ATHLETIC!

WHAT TO EXPECT IN NOVEMBER

  • At home to: DAL, NAS (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-2-0)
  • On the road to: VAN, SJS, SEA (Expected 1-1-1) (Actual 1-2-0)
  • At home to: NYI, SEA (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
  • On the road to: TBY, FLA, CAR, WAS (Expected 1-3-0) (Actual 1-3-0)
  • At home to: ANA, VEG (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
  • On the road to: WPG (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
  • Overall expected result: 7-6-1, 15 points in 14 games
  • Actual November results: 4-7-0, 8 points in 11 games
  • Oilers in 2023-24: 6-12-1, 13 points in 19 games

Edmonton is eight points behind the Seattle Kraken with three games in hand. Win all three and the Kraken are within sight. It isn’t that easy of course. There are many teams between the Oilers and the final rung on the playoff ladder. The club can get there, but needs to right the ship. The Friday game was impressive and should be repeatable. Will we see that kind of performance tonight?

A FEW NOTES

  • Jack Campbell played well for the second game in a row. He stopped 33 of 36 (.917) and made some huge saves. I didn’t like the second goal, but I’m no expert in stopping pucks. Elliotte Friedman reported last night that Manny Legace will be heading to Bakersfield in order to work with Campbell. Cue the “Dustin Schwartz needs to be fired” verbal and I just want to state that in my opinion it’s simply ridiculous to suggest because we don’t have the evidence. How can one argue that he hasn’t helped Stuart Skinner, as an example?
  • Speaking of Skinner, he owns a .912 save percentage in his more recent six-game stretch. He’s finding the range, it was a tough start to the season but the young goaler seems to be getting things going.
  • In the last eight games, Darnell Nurse has a five-on-five goal share of 5-3, 63 percent. You won’t read about it in most places but it is a fact. Three men are at exactly 50 percent: Evan Bouchard, Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg.
  • Offensively, in the last five games Connor McDavid owns a 3.14 pts-60 at five-on-five. Music! Derek Ryan is 2.78, Evander Kane 2.66, Leon Draisaitl 2.51, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2.09. Things are coming along.

Losing organizations do losing things. The Edmonton Oilers are all-in on veterans now and I think it’s a mistake. Dylan Holloway (who is injured), Philip Broberg and Raphael Lavoie should be playing as NHL regulars by now. If you play them in October and November, chances are they will help you at the deadline (in a trade) or contribute on the ice enough to be a keeper.

Broberg getting squeezed is understandable. The Oilers have some nice options on the blue. I would play him more, but do get it. Holloway is hurt, so there is no criticism there. However, if the reason Raphael Lavoie isn’t in the NHL is footspeed, then we should be applying the same criticism to Sam Gagner and Mattias Janmark. Fair? Janmark is 1-5 goals at five-on-five. Time for the Oilers to make a move there, calling up Lavoie and sending down Janmark.

Xavier Bourgault is having a nice run here but isn’t getting rewarded. He is in a slump, but getting chances and that usually means a breakout run is on the way. Griffith is not having a good season. It would be an easy switch, placing Pederson and Bourgault together on a line. It worked well early in the season. I don’t know Colin Chaulk’s time line for flipping those two wingers, but Griffith’s struggles were the lead story on Saturday night. I know he’s a veteran and he has been a helluva AHL player over many years. He has shown well in the NHL (8-11-19 in 80 NHL games, most of them as a depth winger). This isn’t personal, just business.

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Shamus23

The 4th line played well last night . Hamblin is like a little junkyard dog. Goes hard every shift. Erne has been really good the last few. Nice to see. Keep it up boys.

SayItAin'tSo, Gretz, SayItAin'tSo!

PK now at 18 straight. Very solid.

Regressions are a thing – laughs at Vancouver, Detroit and L.A. and Colorado.

Thank gordness that Western Conference GMs spent all summer making their teams worse hahaha.

DevilsLettuce

Draisaitl is going to sign for what 7×11?

cowboy bill

They sure don’t look like a 29th place team.

Scungilli Slushy

Stu has to take the next step. He isn’t a starter on a team with one. Not his fault. But his to take

Munny 2.0

Would there be anything cooler than James Hamblin carving out an NHL career? What a story that would be.

MushedPeas

it would certainly be timely.

SKOilerFan

Reminds me of Tristan Thoreson out there. Always moving with the hair flowing

Fuhr and Lowething in Vegreville

Patrick Thoreson?

GordieHoweHatTrick

Pisani lite?

OriginalPouzar

OriginalPouzar

 November 26, 2023 7:28 pm

I don’t believe that Skinner has a history or recovering in games after looking shaky early, does he?

Well, he does now.

Admiral Ackbar

Well, it was the Ducks.. was anyone honestly worried at 2-1?

Admiral Ackbar

Never mind. I was def thinking, “here we go again….”

MushedPeas

um. I thought that was his whole thing when he broke out. weak goal good game.

Ice Sage

Well, despite some to the advice around here, tonight we’re definitely gonna ‘sleep on the Ducks’
quack quack

teddyturnbuckle

Great game Oilers. Skinner needs to have better starts to games, he has a history of weak first periods and then gets better as the game goes on.

Zelepukin

just be grateful he doesn’t have the 2018 Talbot curse of letting in the first shot 14 times, which I feel like Kosti picked up for a bit too one year?

Munny 2.0

Like the 5 and the 0 the other night the important thing tonight was the 2 not the 8. And that was with a bad goal by Skins. Your goalie has to be able to be able to survive bad goals, they’re all going to have them. Oil didn’t get flustered, kept the Ducks at bay (Stu scarcely saw a shot the next 5 minutes), played smart, low risk hockey.

Not perfect yet, but they’re taking steps in the right direction.

Can’t see how they won’t get up for the Kiniggits, who will be on a B2B. Revenge match and Vegas has had trouble scoring recently.

Things looking up for Team Slick. Just need to keep repeating these efforts…. keep the risks and gambles down, play smart, press hard, and take the biscuit to the oven whenever possible.

Admiral Ackbar

Was Stu really tested after that 2nd goal? Ducks really folded in this one.

Dee Dee

Me as a Coach:
“Just keep doing that”.

MushedPeas

Yeah I could coach too 🙂

jp

Nice game, despite Anaheim looking more like last year’s Ducks.

Looks like every forwards under 19 minutes.

Interested to see how they look against Vegas.

SKOilerFan

It’s understated how important it is to not have to over rev the Ferraris in the 3rd game after game. Playing from behind can be exhausting.

OriginalPouzar

McDavid was under 18 minutes last game and Drai at 17 minutes and, tonight, McDavid was at 18:30 and Drai 17:24 – great stuff.

Munny 2.0

The Oilers actually playing second periods has really made a difference.

hunter1909

Seems the previous administration was in awe of the Glimmer twins and stood gaping while they racked up too many regular season minutes. Does this make sense?

Admiral Ackbar

I Hope there’s a lil Pietrangelo premeditated slash retribution. Tbh, I don’t even care if it results in a suspension.

Gerta Rauss

Nice win- another 2 points into the bank

If Leon starts putting pucks in the net from his office things are looking up

Prairie_Sentinel

Nice to see Skinner settle in after a rough start to the game

rich tm

Yes. Very rough start and good recovery. Gives the team confidence – and hopefully he’ll be better for it.

Last edited 11 months ago by rich tm
OriginalPouzar

1G, 1A, 10 hits, 4 shots on net, 18 min TOI – Evander Kane.

SKOilerFan

To have 10 hits, and most were big hits, in a game is quite a feat in this league at this speed. Hitting consumes alot of energy. When he’s healthy he’s a load.

OriginalPouzar

and I don’t think he’s “fully healthy” – didn’t practice yesterday, maintenance day.

KnightRain

BOOM!! Eks with a blast!!! Up yours, Douches!!!

OriginalPouzar

Some cherry PP points for Nurse and Kane – they deserve that!

Munny 2.0

My man Ekholm with the eight ball in the corner pocket

KnightRain

That was a scary slew foot. Coulda hurt a knee, falling like that. Shoulda been a major

SKOilerFan

Those are typically undercalled at all levels. It’s a gutless play

OriginalPouzar

3 straight PPs start with PP2 – and a goal!

OriginalPouzar

Gotta give Adam Erne some credit. I’ve been VERY hard on him but he’s had a few decent games recently and has, again, been pretty solid tonight and starting to make some impactful plays with the puck.

Munny 2.0

His Dumbass Decisions per 60 seems to have dropped dramatically. No stupid penalties.Seems focused on making actual hockey plays…

jp

He’s leading the entire team with a 75%GF (3GF-1GA) and with pretty good underlying numbers. Doesn’t appear to be completely useless, at least.

Munny 2.0

Janmark will always be my stone hands

Elgin R

Need to start calling the 3rd line ‘The Roberto Durans’. The issue is that hands of stone is not a compliment for a hockey player.

Munny 2.0

I like it.

Munny 2.0

Second unit gets the start this time and they show well. Foegele with two chances. And Darnell brings and end to the PP.

Munny 2.0

Wish the Ducks would stay out of the box lol

KnightRain

BOOM!!! McDavid vision and Drai finish!!!

Munny 2.0

Drai has rediscovered the keys to his office.

OriginalPouzar

Oh, the PRIMARY PP play is BACK!

Munny 2.0

Good to see the second unit out early. Could’ve opened with them.

OriginalPouzar

First unit lost their urgency.

KnightRain

Third line showing how to cycle. Great shift, especially Foggy

OriginalPouzar

Evander Kane is taking many practices off for “maintenance days” but he’s still able to throw 10, yes, 10 hits through just over 2 periods tonight.

jp

Kane with his 10th hit. Quite the game.

Munny 2.0

A healthy Kane (finally) is such a joy.

Mayan Oil

I predict a 9-2 final. McLeod to get off the snide the glimmer twins in some combination for the other two… I dream in color.

striker

You were close

KnightRain

Good effort in the second. Bit of a lull after the Hyman goal but I like that’s the fellas were mostly in the right spots.
Starting to like the 4th lines game. Simple but smart and they’ve seemed to gel these last few games. No complaints

Benign Bone

Just get Erne away from this team. Hamblin & Janmark are fine but they can’t keep playing Erne. He’s a complete non-factor in just about every respect- even his physicality is empty & non-impactful.

jp

Are you watching the game?

Benign Bone

I am. Having a “good” game (for him) doesn’t mean he should be anywhere near an NHL roster. Even a “good” game for him has seen him generally be a non-factor. I want my 4th liners to have speed or have some kind of standout skill (fwiw William Carrier is my perfect 4th liner).

A guy like Erne who doesn’t have either and can’t be relied on to kill penalties isn’t a player that I want or should be on a competitive NHL roster.

striker

With the third period approaching, I sincerely hope my 7-6 prediction below is wrong and the fellas play a smart final frame.

KnightRain

With a 4 goal cushion I wouldn’t mind seeing all lines around 5 mins in the third. Bottom six playing well and deserve some extra time

Diablo

Great 2nd period.

Munny 2.0

PK playing it smart and simple. It’s only the Ducks but they look good

flyfish1168

Game management call against Kane.

KnightRain

That was weak. Reputation call. Refs don’t want Kane going after Gudas or things could get outta hand…regardless of Gudas with borderline hits…

jp

Kane had reached his hit quota that shift apparently. Weak, weak call to put the Oilers on the PK.

Last edited 11 months ago by jp
hunter1909

Kane is exactly the type of player that cup winning teams possess.

Diablo

I like the look of our 4th line right now.

Admiral Ackbar

Seeing Brown well. Improving game by game.

cowboy bill

Brown & Kane are developing chemistry with Leon. And gotta give a shout out to fourth line Janmark , Hamlin & Erne .

Diablo

Nurse gets himself into trouble when he tries to do too much.

hunter1909

Nurse is effective when he sticks to playing defence.

Munny 2.0

Gambling play by Nurse, no need for that, but so well-covered by Kulak

Munny 2.0

Foegele determined to outwork everyone on the ice that shift

flyfish1168

I like to see McLeod get off the snid

fishman

Yea he is WAY OVER DUE!

fishman

Obviously duck hunting season is open!

Mayan Oil

Do we have a limit, or can we keep shooting ducks?

fishman

I think the limits are pretty generous!

Admiral Ackbar

Hello boyssss! I’m baaaaack!

-McDavid

Munny 2.0

that goal looks like it took a lot of wind out of the Ducks wings.

OriginalPouzar

8 points in the last 4.5 periods for McDavid.