I wrote the item above after one of Connor McDavid’s transcendent moments. He’s still that player, especially that player in recent times. He has scored 10-25-35 in his last 19 games. Los Angeles Kings are constructed to overcome as many as three quality scoring lines, and will be a strong test.
THE ATHLETIC!
- Lowetide: Evander Kane’s concerning season and what it means to the Oilers.
- Lowetide: How the Edmonton Oilers are undergoing a changing of the guard on defence
- Lowetide: How the Oilers measure up to ‘reasonable expectations’ after 31 games
- Lowetide: Ranking the Edmonton Oilers’ top 6 trade assets
- Lowetide: Did the Oilers solve Leon Draisaitl’s winger issues in New Jersey?
- Lowetide: What can Dylan Holloway bring the Oilers when he returns?
- DNB: Evan Bouchard is unlocking his potential on the Edmonton Oilers blue line
- Lowetide: Do the Edmonton Oilers have enough actual NHL players?
- Lowetide: Winning or development? Assessing Oilers’ AHL team and what it means for the future
- DNB: Add a middle-6 forward or 2 to the long list of Oilers needs
- DNB: Why Paul Coffey’s surprise Edmonton Oilers coaching opportunity is paying off
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects ranking, winter 2023
WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER
- At home to: CAR, MIN, NJD, CHI, TBAY, FLA (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 4-2-0)
- On the road to: NYI, NJD, NYR, SJS, LAK, ANA (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 3-1-0)
- Overall expected result: 6-6-0, 12 points in 12 games
- Actual December results: 7-3-0, 14 points in 10 games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 16-15-1, 33 points in 32 games
The Oilers are at a point in their season where they can see the playoffs from where they are, but top three in the Pacific Division may not come to pass. I never bet against McDavid, and things seems tight defensively, but I think facing VGK or the Avs most likely in the spring.
The Oilers will need to have quality efforts from 18 skaters and the goaltender. I assume it’s Stuart Skinner but one never knows. If Edmonton can sweep the weekend, we’ll be talking blue skies on my January 1 article.
LINEUP CHANGES TO COME
Sam Gagner is out, Dylan Holloway is too, at some point both men will return and I suspect that means Adam Erne and James Hamblin scoot back to Bakersfield. A team might choose this time, with Gagner out and Holloway not yet ready, to make a waiver claim and take some fringe player out for a spin. I don’t think Tyson Jost is that player (he was recently on waivers) but there should be a few available before the deadline worth pondering.
Edmonton has (as I see it) four areas of need: Goalie, second-pair RD defense, third line center and two-way winger. You’d love the center to be a righty.
On the farm, Olivier Rodrigue, Philip Broberg and Raphael Lavoie are the prominent young players I notice all the time. I suggested a recall for Rodrigue here, and it may come to pass.
I am fascinated by these Edmonton Oilers and the organization overall. I am willing to bet that the (already compromised) prospect pool will be flattened again around the deadline. Going all in is the thing to do, there’s no question. However, there’s a tipping point. Take what you need and leave the rest, you should never have taken the very best. Edmonton’s new general manager is going to swear at his predecessors and will absolutely kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight.
The Band and Bruce Cockburn. LT’s prose effortlessly incorporates lyrics that its often hard to detect.
Yesterday… Derek Ryan’s birthday. Today… first star.
That Danault line got wrecked in the fancies
4th line up over 10 mins in the SJ game letting the big boys rest once that game was in hand.
Consequently, in this hard battle of a game v LA, the big boys are able to play more (and they did) and the 4th line down near 5-6 mins again
Ditto for the 3rd pair. Kulak Desharnais with big minutes in SJ and used much less in LA.
Like the in game “load management”
Win against the Quackers and the Oil are looking in the window at the 2 wild card spots held by Nashville and Arizona (by virtue of the fact that Oilers would hold games in hand over the Blues and Kraken).
KK referred to Kane’s injury as “nagging” so must have been an aggravation of something preexisting. He actually expressed hope he’s back in the line-up tomorrow.
That was simply wonderful. Skinner kept us in it early, then the 2nd period… Connor oh Connor! Ryan finished the game brilliantly, what a shot!
Gotta sweep Cali … GO OILERS GO!!!
Pickard tomorrow?
So much to like about tonight.
I feel like Drai hasn’t fully been himself lately, he looks like he’s close to being back. Connor Brown is showing life, and Knoblauch had to see Lavoie good tonight, hopefully he can get some momentum going forward and stick this time.
Sprinkle in Holloway coming back hopefully soon, and enter Kane coming back healthy and finding his late season/playoff beast mode and I’m starting to feel pretty damn good about our fwd corps.
Drai has been petty bland for his normal self
I hope it’s his December doldrums. He looks slow, low energy. He’s not moving his feet enough to be effective. Maybe he has an LBI
If Brown was normal, Kane healthy, and a rook chipping in they would be pretty dangerous
I’m convinced Leon suffers from seasonal affective disorder. He looks lethargic every December, then gets better and better as the days get longer.
Gleason scored TWICE in his first game after sitting for nearly a month
The game winner was an absolute snipe. The other was in to the empty net.
Hard luck Hrudey, too bad Singer, Oilers take it in overtime on HNIC
Does Singer hate on the Oilers? I didn’t get that impression. I thought growing up in small town Alberta, he was an Oilers fan.
He is, it’s in his book.
Or so I’m told
Will be happy to see if Lavoie builds on tonight, tomorrow.
Gotta love DR: Swiss league body with a way above average NHL brain. Guy is an energizer bunny!
Loved Brown’s game tonight. Starting to look a little like Hyman lite, just minus 20 goals is all.
Yes, I agree, he did look very good, multiple chances, good skating, good coverage.
He was making plays, or trying to. If he can build on this one he’ll get to nose above water
Puck was on his stick more often this game at least. Couple scoring chances, but man eventually something has to appear on the score sheet
Minus the 20 goals, so Hyman Zero?
Well done good sir.
Lavoie’s penalty was the best thing that could have happened to him, excluding scoring of course.
He was innocent of the infraction, but drew attention to himself which continued with Kings trying to target him. He did well.
In my opinion, he needs to get moving faster, he will get into more plays.
Reason he is in AHL. Needs to increae pace. But best way is to play in NHL …he played a good game. AND BIG BODY
He must be strong on his skates. He barely noticed that he flattened Goofball with hardly any contact
.
Confidence is a thing pump his tires instead of always throwing shade on him and he may surprise.
Eat shit LA!
What bothers me isn’t that Doughty is dirty. A good Dman needs to play with an edge. It’s that he couldn’t possibly believe the bullshit complaining coming out of his gob. As though whining about calls when you’ve been a POS all game helps. Or maybe if you play for LA it does…
I guess I just despise blatant indifference to honesty.
Credit to Knob for that win. Amazing adjustments to their game. As our good host would say: music!
He knows what he can get away with with the way their games seem to get called. Guy played over 30 min of physical hockey against the best players in the game.
Man beard, child behaviour.
That oily mess ain’t a man beard
Well that was a sweet 2 points! Especially after that lousy first period.I thought we were a bit lucky to not get scored on in OT as LA had some good chances.
Leon got away with a hook on a scoring chance, that’s usually a no brainer call. Makes up a bit for all the bind-the-play stuff all game.
Agreed. He was not good defensively in OT
Refs let the teams decide OT. No hooking on Leon, no call on some obvious picks by LA.
Letting the teams decide by not calling infractions is poor referring, they impact the game with their decisions. That was a clear hook on Leon that should have been called. We would be some kinda pissed if was the other way around.
I was worried Skinner wouldn’t make a save in the shootout. But it ended up Talbot couldn’t make a save. LOL.
That’s the Dadbot I remember!
So, according to Drew Dough Boy, the Kings were thinking aboutt heir playoff loss to the oil all summer long.
Sleep well tonight Drew… MWHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Ryan! Love that guy.
C Brown as #5 if it had gone that far.
Da bears
Oilers in retrospect deserved the W.
Possibly best win of the Season.
Oilers forechecking was excellent, and Kings were completely backed up when Oilers blueline controlled the puck.
Good deployment by da Knob. I’m beginning to like this guy
That one’s for Doughty!
Strongly dislike (*hate) that pr*ck. His whining tonight was almost comical… he gets away with tons of sh*t, when he gets busted he cries like a pre-teen. Nothing better (well…) than beating Doughty.
He seems a little eccentric it’s funny how easily Tkachuk bent him out of shape.
BOOM!!! Derrick Ryan!!! Our secret weapon!!!
Flyin Ryan!!! Wooot
Derrick Ryan for the winner. That was icing on the cake
DEREK F*CKING RYAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MF D. RYAN!!!
The Golden Bear connection what a gutsy call.
that was a gutsy call
I wanted him to shoot 3rd over Drai – THAT would have been gutsy.
Really
Play La Bamba. Great game.
Guess he was mad about all those sticks to the face
I was yelling for D. Ryan to shoot – great call.
Great win, GREAT!
A sweep of SoCal would be swell
Derek Ryan!!!!!!
Happy customer here!
Big 2 points for the Oilers. And the salt in the LAK wound!
The DR is in.
Ryan you got to love that guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Derek Ryan wins it in the shootout and he didn’t take a stick in the face to do it!!
What the heck? Both goalies were so strong before the shootout, but now they both struggle?
Nuge’s best move on a penalty shot yet
The hockey equivalent of breaking a goalies ankles. That was a filthy deke.
Nuge puts it on net… money.
Connor McPhonebooth.
Unreal hand speed
— She.
Kings lucky in the game. played for OT, they seem anemic compared to years past
How many shooters until it’s over?I’m guessing 7… What say you?
3
Just want to tip my hat to Nuge for doing his best Sawchuck impersonation to keep the play alive.
i think we really got to work on our OZone tactics in the OT
Talent show up next.
I hate the swimsuit competition portion
Doughty smart enough to be cautious with McDavid/Drai on the ice
Kings OT strategy in a nutshell: pick and roll
Yup. Very effective when the refs aren’t going to put a stop to it. But some good saves, massive play by Nuge to save a goal.
several oilers not sticking with their checks here in OT
nuuuuuuuuge@!!