2023-24 Game 23: Hurricanes at Oilers

by Lowetide
Philip Broberg photo by Bruce McCurdy

The Edmonton Oilers have a big game against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight and a big story brewing about young defenseman Philip Broberg. It brings to mind the ancient Chinese proverb: May you live in interesting times.

THE ATHLETIC!

WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER

  • At home to: CAR, MIN, NJD, CHI, TBAY, FLA (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
  • On the road to: NYI, NJD, NYR, SJS, LAK, ANA (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
  • Overall expected result: 6-6-0, 12 points in 12 games
  • Actual December results: 0-0-0, 0 points in 0 games
  • Oilers in 2023-24: 9-12-1, 19 points in 22 games

I have the Oilers running in place again in December (they were 7-7-0 in November) because the schedule is a tough one. I believe Kris Knoblauch’s 6-3-0 run includes some innovation (PK is better, McDavid and Ekholm are a full force gale now) but the run for the roses will have to wait until January.

One of the things Knoblauch has done is place Connor McDavid with Nuge and Zach Hyman. The trio has played just 39 minutes together at five-on-five this season, going 6-0 goals. McDavid without those two men is 3-8 goals. This trio should stick together.

Leon Draisaitl with Evander Kane and Connor Brown have been together for 49 minutes, going 1-0 goals. It’s a great suppression number (ZERO!) but the team needs more from a 29 line. Since the coaching change, Brown is 3-3 goals in 90 minutes. Here are the five-on-five points-60 totals for the forwards since Knoblauch and company took over:

  1. Connor McDavid 3.86
  2. James Hamblin 2.78
  3. Mattias Janmark 2.59
  4. Zach Hyman 2.43
  5. Leon Draisaitl 2.24
  6. Evander Kane 1.87
  7. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1.61
  8. Derek Ryan 1.53
  9. Adam Erne 1.28
  10. Ryan McLeod 1.21
  11. Sam Gagner 1.16
  12. Connor Brown 0.67
  13. Warren Foegele 0.61
  14. Raphael Lavoie 0.00
  15. Dylan Holloway 0.00

If you’re going to trade Philip Broberg too early, then for crying out loud get a winger with enough skill to play on one of the top two wings. The organization doesn’t trust the kids at all, that’s for damn sure. So, trade for someone else’s young struggling prospect.

This phenomenon is also known as the Erma Bombeck Syndrome. She wrote a book (I read it at a young age) called “It’s Always Greener Over The Septic Tank” and that’s how new management views the prospects procured by previous management. Somewhere in the moments after Jeff Jackson began putting his stamp on the Oilers, he asked a person of trust about the young Oilers pushing. Maybe it was Ken Holland, who knows? Could have been Keith Gretzky, or (more likely) Brad Holland or a stealth scout known to Jackson who spent time scouting Broberg, Holloway and the Bakersfield Condors. That person of trust isn’t convinced.

So, you cast about trying to find a player who can help and get full value. You never do. Why? Because the negotiation has you in a place of weakness. We don’t know how the news got out, but it wasn’t from the Oilers because it compromises their trade position. If I’m Ken Holland I don’t trade him, but Holland may not be in charge now. If the new coaching staff has decided that Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm and Brett Kulak are the three LH defenders in which to go to war with, and that Broberg cannot play RH defense, then the die is cast. Since the change at coach, the five-on-five goal share is interesting:

  1. Darnell Nurse 70 pct (7-3)
  2. Mattias Ekholm 50 pct (7-7)
  3. Evan Bouchard 50 pct (9-9)
  4. Philip Broberg 50 pct (1-1)
  5. Vincent Desharnais 46 pct (5-6)
  6. Brett Kulak 44 pct (7-9)
  7. Cody Ceci 40 pct (2-3)

It’s important to also acknowledge GA-60 at five-on-five because it gives more of the story. Nurse (1.17) leads the way, followed by Ceci (1.26), Ekholm (2.9), Desharnais (3.49), Bouchard (3.57), Kulak (4.56) and Broberg (4.96). So, when inserting Broberg, it’s important to put that 50 percent in context. More than anything it tells you Broberg didn’t play much in these games. I think he gets traded. I don’t think the return will be splendid. The Oilers bleed young talent like it’s a never ending free resource.

At noon today, Sports 1440, we go full perplexed on the Broberg news and discuss tonight’s game. Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey will join us, we’ll have Jasmine Baird with us to discuss the Snowboard Big Air World Cup in Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium this weekend. She was at 2022 Olympics Slope & big air, won at the Edmonton World Cup big air last December and is looking for more. You can reach me in the comments section, @Lowetide on twitter, or text us 1.833.401.1440 directly.

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SayItAin'tSo, Gretz, SayItAin'tSo!

Our eyes can play tricks on us. It’s amazing what the exact same group of guys sans Soup are capable of. Are they really Cup contenders or was the injury led faceplant out of the gate closer to their true state? Contenders. They’ve always been contenders.

On Hyman’s 2nd that was one ballsy play by Bouchard. That one handed whacked puck to McDavid was sublime, but easily could have been a 2v1 headed full blast the other way. The Kucherov goal against Tampa saw the flip side play out. Hero or Goat, a game of inches.

Janmark the PK Witch. The thing about that PK is that it remains the easiest area to shave GAs from last years numbers. Make it a top 1/3rd and they’ll be flirting with +80 goal differential.

There’s no natural losses for the Good Guys through year end 23. Actually there’s no natural losses until you get to mid-January but let’s not get too far ahead. It’s a busy schedule but not onerous. Rangers and maybe one of the Devils games. 9-1-1 should be achievable if they want it.

Don’t worry about L.A., strength of schedule is a thing.

hunter1909

Skinner is my number 1 star of the game. Bruce McCurdy thinks so also, which makes this opinion valid.

hunter1909

Imagine Harpers Hair if Oilers had been any other team last night.

What would he have been writing?

hunter1909

I predicted the new coaching including Paul Coffey would make a huge difference. And for once in a long while I was 100% correct(so far).

I’m looking forward to seeing the Oilers climb the standings. Teams like Calgary and Vancouver will be looking over their shoulders.

BornInAGretzkyJersey

Has anyone heard from Phil Kessel?

Might be a solid signing at a low AAV.

I bet he’d add more than Brown, and probably for much less.

hunter1909

I would insist on a 1st round pick in the top 2.

Scungilli Slushy

Munny surrounded it but it should be said expressly that the coaching staff has done an excellent job

PK from bad to excellent. Player morale and confidence restored. 5v5 play excellent. Goaler play good as a result. PP back

All of this in short order. A sublime bit of work. Sublime because the calm man made it look easy

hunter1909

Coffey is so gold standard credible that no one on the team dares not listen to every word he says. And incredibly to us long suffering fans Coffey has an innate understanding on how to be a great hockey team.

When you add the two factors together you end up with a negative Dallas Eakens effect.

Diablo

Great game by the boys tonight. That used to be the kind of trap game they used to lose all the time. McLeod stopping with authority in front of the net right out of the gates was signs of things to come. Knoblauch has them focused and playing well.

The lines are humming now – McDavid and Hyman needs to be written in permanent marker in the lineup card. The defense looks really sharp … kudos to Coffey … the fanbase panned his hire as an OBC move, but maybe the guy with 1500+ points in his NHL career knows a thing or two about how to play the position.

Skinner was sharp tonight. He needs to start every game in December until they climb back into the playoff picture. That’ll give them time to sort out the backup problem.

hunter1909

Canes are a quality team that might just as well win the next game.

Oilers beat someone in the 1st division of NHL contenders, according to Harpers Hair.

Munny 2.0

Nobby hopeful Holloway is back beforethe Xmas break but it might take till after.

hunter1909

Holloway might as well be re-named “Holiday Holloway”

…he is so rarely in the lineup.

It might just be me, but he is starting to appear like the kind of young player who is getting injured too often to grow up as a NHLer.

Last edited 11 months ago by hunter1909
Munny 2.0

What a difference it makes when the goalie has confidence in the skaters in front of him, and the play and the puck is structured and easy to anticpate and follow. Lots of shots but from distance, with good lanes and vision… How many juicy rebounds has he given up this past stretch?

Like I had pointed out earlier, Nobby now saying they were a little looser tonight than the past few games especially in the 2nd. More giveaways at their blue line in one game than in the past few, but still pretty happy with their play.

Munny 2.0

“He’s not taking shortcuts on the defensive side to score goals.” Nobby’s talking about Hyman but this clearly an overall philosophy.

dangilitis

Hyman is the best Oilers free agent signing I can think of in this century. And loved his post game interview with Gene!

godot10

Technically, Pronger didn’t have a contract. The OIlers traded for his rights (to gain an exclusive negotiation window) before he became unrestricted.

hunter1909

Technically, Pronger was never anything more than a rental.

Diablo

As much as people like to rag on Holland for the moves that did not work, he really doesn’t get enough credit for the Hyman signing. First line forechecking demon of a winger for 5.5 million per season is one of the best UFA signings for any team ever. He may very well blow past his career high in goals and points again this season. And a genuinely good person in the community as well.

hunter1909

Add Evander Kane to this excellent short list.

Lewis Grant

Umm…also, Nuge is making $5M/yr, and finally hit 60 last year.

Assists, that is. 67 of them.

And 100 points. More than Hall or Eberle’s ever had.

Munny 2.0

Well done, lads!

Lowering goals against. Who knew? 😉 Being smart with the puck, protecting the center of the ice, attacking the center of the ice, playing as a unit and not getting too spread, not forcing plays, always rotating a forward high. Keep them unable to rush and to the outside and the offense will be there. Because you can play a game you can be confident in. Woody preached that too and it worked.

They’re doing all of the above. How many cross seam passes have we seen them allow the last 4-5 games? Odd man rushes?

Very good game. Little looser tonight than say against VGK, but they had an dominant lead early and were coming off a long break.

Bouchard looks like he did last year during his best stretches of play. I mean defensively. We all knew the offense was there, but If he can consistently keep defending well like this, we have one hell of a defenseman.

Not sure 97 and 29 saw the ice the last five minutes. That’s the benefit that big leads give you and what you can’t do when you’re losing, (which just begets more losing). So useful these blowout games.

Scungilli Slushy

Well said

If they don’t trade Bro he would also blossom under this coaching group. Like Bouch but on the defensive side. They played well as a newbie pairing, just imagine the possibilities

Diablo

Tell Broberg’s agent to sit down and let Coffey work with him to unlock his potential.

Ice Sage

Well, that was a statement game.
Looking forward to the ‘battle of the new coach bounces’ Friday!

LMHF#1

I quite enjoy when they beat the most overrated team of the last 3 years so soundly.

Scungilli Slushy

Drai is an enigma. Dominance or what the??

dustrock

December every year babel. He won’t F us over he’s Mr November he’s Mr November he won’t F us over

hunter1909

Isn’t a hockey enigma a player who’s totally streaky?

Draisaitl has been a model of consistency.

Scungilli Slushy

I like that when leading they aren’t getting outshot much lately. Score effects normally lead to that, they aren’t letting up. Mucho bueno

Decidedly Skeptical Fan

McLeod, Foegele and Janmark with 6 points between them. Nice. Very nice.

hunter1909

At first glance: I saw “McDavid, Foegele and Janmark”.

Scungilli Slushy

So the Canes play a tight high pressure game, normally

Curlock after KK was hired broke down his coaching style and some things were using the centre ice, moving the puck cross ice and up quickly

It seems that they are doing it and it’s working. So much open ice created and room to make plays compared to the mud to start the season. McLovin it

Admiral Ackbar

It also sure looked like they had the book on the Canes well-studied. Early on, relentless gap closure at the opponent blue, taking time away from their Dmen, and giving up low danger shots. Skinner played well = win.

smellyglove

Where’s that Harper’s Hair guy? “Hurricane’s are the team of the future, so much talent, cap management, youth… Oilers can’t beat teams ahead of them in the standings… Yadda yadda.” Probably just scrambles and jumps ship to the other 5 of his favourite teams. At least that way there’s always one to pick that’s better than the Oilers at any given time.

Side

If HH was moistening his jorts over the Kings playing 1/3 periods well after a break against the awful Blue Jackets, he must be even more excited about the Oilers after a long break, dominating the Hurricanes for 3 periods!

Right?!

Admiral Ackbar

The most trolley part is the absolute unwillingness to apply any charity to the Oilers when they do the very thing he’s praised in others, on an Oilers site no less. The absurdity of such behaviour is kind of sublime.

Dee Dee

Trolling the Stars board.

SKOilerFan

All these D jumping up has to be Coffey.
That was every shift back in the day.

Except he could still be the first man back

Munny 2.0

Playing Sweet Caroline is so perfect. That warms my heart.

Oh, Brown!

Zelepukin

Imagine Hyman winning the Rocket Richard before Drai.

SKOilerFan

Um Mr Burns is this your jockstrap? Found in row 10

GB&Q

Sweet baby jeezus. What a tasty dish!!

Munny 2.0

As pretty a hattrick—when you think of all three goals—that you will ever see Hyman score

Admiral Ackbar

Wow. Wows x4 there. The keep in, the edge work, the dek, the pass. Just wow.

Last edited 11 months ago by Admiral Ackbar
Lewis Grant

That is one of McDavid’s best assists ever. And that’s saying a lot.

BornInAGretzkyJersey

I don’t know what to do with my hat!

GB&Q

Cover your boner?

BornInAGretzkyJersey

No hands required!

jp

That insanity came out of nowhere. Wow. Just unbelievable.

jp

Pretty sure Hyman said “are you kidding me” to McDavid after the hat trick pass.

Gerta Rauss

more McMagic

Hyman with the hattie!!

Admiral Ackbar

Not sure why they’re still making risky neutral zone plays. Knob needs to quash that.

Pretendergast

Hat trick Hyman woooo

jp

That was a poor play.

Definitely no need for the O-zone back pass by Nurse there.

Munny 2.0

That was a brain fart. Kind of thing I’m talking about. Not smart. At least it comes in game where it can do little damage.

jp

Yup, agreed.

Admiral Ackbar

What in the world is Brown doing there..?

OriginalPouzar

Oh, Darnell, i was fine with the activation, even in to the offensive zone – I was not fine with that unecssary back pass when you were already deep in the offensive zone.

You owe Stu something.

Admiral Ackbar

McD forcing the play there. Still, non-call. Ridiculous.

OriginalPouzar

Solid, solid Stu – very nice.

Munny 2.0

CAR looks like we did a month back

giddy

McDavid’s play on Ekholm’s goal was every midget coach’s wet dream. Head up feet moving drive the net!

fishman

Canes should be good and cranky going in to Calgary tomorrow night!

Scungilli Slushy

Now that Coffey and Stuart have them playing the zone D properly I prefer it

So many fewer enemy man alones and seams

Also the breakout being supported by short pass options, as it should go

Beauty! Keep it going

Admiral Ackbar

Who knew!? Janmark is the straw that stirs the drink…?

Last edited 11 months ago by Admiral Ackbar
Tarkus

Summarizing!

Stonehouse had another multi-point game, this time a pair of assists in a 3-2 OT win.

Prospecting takes a break until Friday.

SKOilerFan

I was ready to fire Bouch into the sun 3 weeks ago. Where did that guy go? I know his partner wasn’t 100%, but what was Manson/Woody telling him in the first month of the season?

Admiral Ackbar

I think he was just fighting the play. The whole team was dealing with adversity in bad ways. He was a turnover and bad pinch machine.

OriginalPouzar

I think most credit should go to what Paul Coffey has done for him.

I’ve posted a summary of the quotes on his advise to the group (one piece of advise) and we can see it in Bouch’s game, big time.

I was also known that he would recover materially defensively, as per history – he’s shown this level of 2-way game before but not this level of offensive impact.

SKOilerFan

I guess I’m more wondering how an NhL D can be in an unplayable state to begin a season.

Munny 2.0

I didn’t like that period as much as the 1st, but scoreboard still looks great and they’re playing with confidence. Gotta stay smart and patient in the 3rd, stay tight in formation, keep a man high, wrap our hands around their throats and take this home.

Pretendergast

It’s 5 cob my guy what do you want.

Munny 2.0

I literally point out the score, lol. I want them to play smart and bring that scoreboard home. What do you want?

OriginalPouzar

Not often a team will put together two periods as dominant as the Oilers 1st period against a good team.

Munny 2.0

So hard too not to let the foot of the gas after being up so big. Our finish has been elite tonight, which with Skinner is the difference in the game. CAR is also showing no desire to hit or contest physically at all.

Scungilli Slushy

We have seen this against

No clean air, and their legs motivation and attitude go south

This is what the Canes normally do to others. They probably aren’t that used to it. The Canes blogs are probably saying they are getting goalied, as was said in the Oilogosphere during the troubles, but wasn’t true. No playmaking that breaks down the D structure and goals be hard

Chelios is a Dinosaur

Ryan Mcloed scored 2 goals in 48 seconds across 6 days.

Gerta Rauss

please show your work

fishman

Efficient!

hunter1909

Canes getting pounded out.

fishman

Another good kill! Guessing we don’t get a PP tonight.

Durag

The game doesn’t need managing that way!

OriginalPouzar

@JasonGregor
·
9s

Canes head coach Rob Brind’Amour on the TNT broadcast is not enjoying the game… “We are on our way to losing 50-0. I’ve never seen a team play this brutal.”

DevilsLettuce

He was far more realistic and only said 15.

DevilsLettuce

Hurricane coach thinks they’re about to lose by 15 lol

fishman

That was not a penalty on Desharnais! Kulak probably.

SKOilerFan

Hyman is just a machine tonight. Why the hell was he ever not on 97’s wing?

Chelios is a Dinosaur

The problem with X teams don’t make the playoffs after Y cutoff argument is that X teams aren’t the friggin Edmonton Oilers.

John Chambers

They went into the season intent on dispelling the myth about teams being out of the playoffs at U.S. Thanksgiving

Chelios is a Dinosaur

The read the Tortoise and the Hare and said pffft that’s stupid of course the Hare wins.

Admiral Ackbar

Well…. The Oilers have had slow starts but they haven’t been steady.