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!
- New Lowetide: How is the Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects list shaping up?
- Lowetide: Can the Oilers find roster solutions on the NHL fringes?
- DNB: Oilers must address goaltending situation before it’s too late
- Lowetide: What’s leading to Connor McDavid’s baffling season?
- Lowetide: Why the Oilers making a productive goalie trade is an expensive proposition
- Lowetide: Oilers’ top prospects impacted by struggles and injuries
- DNB: Who is new Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch? These 3 traits define his approach
- Lowetide: Oilers winger Connor Brown and the question of his optimal usage
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers forward Dylan Holloway’s injury highlights concern over offensive potential
- Lowetide: What Oilers management must reckon with in roster construction
- DNB: Edmonton Oilers’ transition of power happening in real-time and the stakes couldn’t be higher
- Lowetide: What if the Edmonton Oilers end up in the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery?
- Lowetide: Can Connor McDavid come from behind to win another Art Ross Trophy?
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.
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.
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.
Draisaitl is going to sign for what 7×11?
They sure don’t look like a 29th place team.
Stu has to take the next step. He isn’t a starter on a team with one. Not his fault. But his to take
Would there be anything cooler than James Hamblin carving out an NHL career? What a story that would be.
it would certainly be timely.
Reminds me of Tristan Thoreson out there. Always moving with the hair flowing
Patrick Thoreson?
Pisani lite?
Well, he does now.
Well, it was the Ducks.. was anyone honestly worried at 2-1?
Never mind. I was def thinking, “here we go again….”
um. I thought that was his whole thing when he broke out. weak goal good game.
Well, despite some to the advice around here, tonight we’re definitely gonna ‘sleep on the Ducks’
quack quack
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.
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?
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.
Was Stu really tested after that 2nd goal? Ducks really folded in this one.
Me as a Coach:
“Just keep doing that”.
Yeah I could coach too 🙂
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.
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.
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.
The Oilers actually playing second periods has really made a difference.
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?
I Hope there’s a lil Pietrangelo premeditated slash retribution. Tbh, I don’t even care if it results in a suspension.
Nice win- another 2 points into the bank
If Leon starts putting pucks in the net from his office things are looking up
Nice to see Skinner settle in after a rough start to the game
Yes. Very rough start and good recovery. Gives the team confidence – and hopefully he’ll be better for it.
1G, 1A, 10 hits, 4 shots on net, 18 min TOI – Evander Kane.
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.
and I don’t think he’s “fully healthy” – didn’t practice yesterday, maintenance day.
BOOM!! Eks with a blast!!! Up yours, Douches!!!
Some cherry PP points for Nurse and Kane – they deserve that!
My man Ekholm with the eight ball in the corner pocket
That was a scary slew foot. Coulda hurt a knee, falling like that. Shoulda been a major
Those are typically undercalled at all levels. It’s a gutless play
3 straight PPs start with PP2 – and a goal!
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.
His Dumbass Decisions per 60 seems to have dropped dramatically. No stupid penalties.Seems focused on making actual hockey plays…
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.
Janmark will always be my stone hands
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.
I like it.
Second unit gets the start this time and they show well. Foegele with two chances. And Darnell brings and end to the PP.
Wish the Ducks would stay out of the box lol
BOOM!!! McDavid vision and Drai finish!!!
Drai has rediscovered the keys to his office.
Oh, the PRIMARY PP play is BACK!
Good to see the second unit out early. Could’ve opened with them.
First unit lost their urgency.
Third line showing how to cycle. Great shift, especially Foggy
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.
Kane with his 10th hit. Quite the game.
A healthy Kane (finally) is such a joy.
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.
You were close
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
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.
Are you watching the game?
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.
Erne is having a good night.
With the third period approaching, I sincerely hope my 7-6 prediction below is wrong and the fellas play a smart final frame.
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
Great 2nd period.
PK playing it smart and simple. It’s only the Ducks but they look good
Game management call against Kane.
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…
Kane had reached his hit quota that shift apparently. Weak, weak call to put the Oilers on the PK.
Kane is exactly the type of player that cup winning teams possess.
I like the look of our 4th line right now.
Seeing Brown well. Improving game by game.
Brown & Kane are developing chemistry with Leon. And gotta give a shout out to fourth line Janmark , Hamlin & Erne .
Nurse gets himself into trouble when he tries to do too much.
Nurse is effective when he sticks to playing defence.
Gambling play by Nurse, no need for that, but so well-covered by Kulak
Foegele determined to outwork everyone on the ice that shift
I like to see McLeod get off the snid
Yea he is WAY OVER DUE!
Obviously duck hunting season is open!
Do we have a limit, or can we keep shooting ducks?
I think the limits are pretty generous!
Hello boyssss! I’m baaaaack!
-McDavid
that goal looks like it took a lot of wind out of the Ducks wings.
8 points in the last 4.5 periods for McDavid.