The Edmonton Oilers are off to a slow start and sit 0-3-0 heading into tonight’s game. They are a baffling bunch. No one believes the team is this bad, everyone believes the team will win 49 or 50 games this season. However, there are real concerns about this team’s ability to play a structured game.
The glimmer twins are struggling, but that’s life. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had off nights, but didn’t forget how to sing or play the guitar. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will get their 100 points, Evan Bouchard will tear the cover off the ball and I do think we’ll see two scoring and possibly three outscoring lines.
THE ATHLETIC ARTICLE IS HERE! Link It’s about possible defense targets who could immediately impact the team.
BRAND NEW PLAN?
The Oilers deliver the hammer of the Gods when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are cooking. The beginning of this season shows what can happen when those two players are stifled (either by individual slumps or opponents suppressing them) and it’s reasonable to expect tougher opposition as the playoffs roll along.
This edition of the team rolls with the punches when passing is expert, but passing (and shooting) have been an issue this fall.
When teams are forced to play defense for long stretches, bad things happen. I’m a believer in the idea that a good offense also works on defense because your team is on their toes and not their heels.
However, when the team falls into these dumfounding lulls the amount of time defending increases.
Is this Oilers team flawed in the way it has been built? I’m not talking about Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, I’m talking about a team with a clear impact center, defenseman and goaltender.
When the Detroit Red Wings were winning Stanley 20 years ago, the club featured Sergei Fedorov (center), Nicklas Lidstrom (defense) and Dominik Hasek. All three of those men worked up the spine of the team and were outstanding at defending.
How many players do the Oilers have who are outstanding defenders? I would argue that Connor McDavid’s ability to impact the game impacts both offense and defense. In the past three seasons at five-on-five, he is 238-169, 58 percent. When he is off the ice over those seasons (2021-22 through 2023-24), the Oilers are 327-325, 50 percent.
In those same seasons, during the playoffs, McDavid goes super nova. His goal share is 63 percent (69-40), while the team falls to 40 percent (54-81) without him.
I don’t know what this team can do in order to keep the high ceiling potential of the roster while raising the floor. I only know this isn’t going to work. If the Oilers fall into the elevator shaft in the postseason, it’s instant summer for all involved. It’s a flawed plan, a flawed roster. I never ever want to see another Taylor-Hall-for-Adam-Larsson trade, but am beginning to think an offensive stud like Bouchard for an impact goalie (I haven’t looked, but do like Jeremy Swayman) might be necessary.
If you’re Stan Bowman, you know the team can play effectively, so it’s a matter of indifference. Defense is hard work, takes discipline and doesn’t bring much glory. If these men who are currenly populating the roster can’t gather the energy to do it, then acquiring a top-five NHL goalie may be the way. Or you can wait until summer 2027 and trade Darnell Nurse.
The current situation is untenable. When the team gets hot, everyone will forget the problem until it inevitably returns. The Oilers are like the French in World War 2: All of their cannons are pointed in one direction.
At noon today, we’ll spend most of the two hours on the Oilers. It’s all at Sports 1440 radio. Guests include Rachel Doerrie from Betalytics and ESPN, Jason Gregor from the JG Show and Daniel Nugent-Bowman from The Athletic. I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly. We can be heard at sports1440.ca; iHeartRadio; Radioplayer Canada, we tweet out the show after it’s done and you can catch us on Apple and Spotify.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM OCTOBER
- At home to: WPG, CHI, CAL, PHI (Expected 3-1-0) (Actual 0-3-0)
- On the road to: NAS, DAL (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: CAR, PIT (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: DET, CBJ, NAS (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 7-4-0, 14 points in 11 games
- Actual October results: 0-3-0
- Oilers in 2024-25: 0-3-0
LT only slightly disappointed by the loss. He had so many beauty loss-streak headlines lined up:
Sniff the sub-floor
Feel the foundation
See the bedrock
Hear the mantle
Sense the Asthenosphere
Great to get the win. Hopefully this gets the ball rolling.
J. Skinner continues to be one of the players on the ice, pure value. Best game for Nurse in a long while.
The reffing was atrocious.
Yes just when you thought NHL officiating can’t get any worse, we get last night’s performance by the zebra’s. Putrid indeed.
A game like last night will bring a team together.
They had just lost 3 games,
It seemed like the refs and hockey gords were against them
While it seemed like Skinner got into Coutierirs way more than Coutierer ran into him. It did not matter for Stecher. Stecher saw the aftermath and stuck up for his team mate.
When one of the smallest players in the league shows that kind of courage, the team gets the message.
A greatly needed win.
Desharnais with another healthy scratch fyi. Early days
Dylan Holloway – 1 point
Jeff Skinner – 3 points
Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg: 5 points +4
Jeff Skinner: 3 points +0
And one of Skinner’s points was effectively a PP point.
I also thought, short of one play, Emberson looked really good on 3rd pairing.
The one time I really noticed Emberson last night he was unfortunately getting blown past G. Reinhart-style for a breakaway. I’m assuming that was the play you’re referring to?
I’d like to see Skinner on the PP instead of RNH. They need another shooter out there as the PP alignment hasn’t gotten very stale.
Yep. And he doesn’t look up to par thus far.
And Skinner is a good playmaker as well.
I think we should trade for that Gustavson guy from the Wild, he could be our new PP QB….🤣🤣🤣
-I asked if any Oilers coach had held Leon accountable for those selfish penalties, and by God, KK did it right away. Good for him.
-I think the world of Troy Stetcher for standing up for Stu Skinner like he did, against a guy ~30 lbs heavier and with a much bigger reach.
-Is Connor alright? He’s always been a guy who gets hot as the season goes along, but he really looks off right now.
Good Drai took some ownership of his poor penalty
Did Leon lose a bet? why is he wearing a ball cap with a giant P on it in the post game scrum after playing Philly?
Leon taking ownership for the bad penalty is reassuring though.
Puma deal.
Where’s the love for Stecher? Finally, someone shows some courage and stands up for a teammate. One of the smallest guys on the team too. This has been sorely lacking in this group so it was great to see.
Hmm – Leon sounds ill and looks pale.
Jeff Skinner – best forward again tonight.
Even with a few physical plays and tenacity in the offensive zone – skilled, shoots, creates, battles.
I’m pleasantly surprised by his play. Not loving Arvidsson so much yet.
And only got 11:49
8th fw
Stecher is a warrior.
Lucky win but we’ll take it. The big boys had better be buying the the foot soldiers a beer tonight as they saved that game.
What was lucky about that win?
well never leading the game for a second isnt ideal. An NHL team will lose more of these games than they’ll win.
Our star player gave away the puck in overtime. Looked like a peewee player on the turn and then made a play which in slow motion looks ok but in real time probably is called a penalty the majority of the time.
RNH is probably my favorite oiler player of all time. One son has a draisatl jersey and the other has a Hyman jersey. Mcdavid is a remarkable player and we are fortunate to have him. I’m an oilers fan not a troll but 4 games of horse shit indifferent play needs to be acknowledged no matter how much the person shoveling it gets paid.
Nothing like a hard fought come back victory. They dug in and pulled it off.
They came through in OT.And the star player set up the tying goal. And the winner .
Even Torts enjoyed that one.
Thankful for Leon following up and finishing.
Don’t let your kids deke low backhand when free and clear. He even had the goalie pushing away. Fake shift. Forehand-roof. Every time.
And what the hell was that wrong way turn Connor made??? Don’t think I’ve see him screw up something so basic in a long time.
That was, without question, the worst officiated game I have ever seen in my life.
Two horrific judgments of goaltender interference, an uncountable number of missed calls on both sides, and a linesman who refused to get out of the way.
Yet I go to bed happy.
This team, man.
We needed that one
Hope this gets the team fired up. Impressed with Stecher, Nurse and 3rd line plus Perry this game!
Skinner battled too after some crappy luck and a big hit/non call
Stretcher and Perry changed the game. Old time hockey prevailed
I’ve said it before, somehow the narrative on Stecher when he got traded to Edmonton became “he’s essentially Ben Gleason”. But he has a long history of second pair play and has always been a scrappy competitor.
In the ideal world we do upgrade at the deadline but Stecher is pretty much a right handed Kulak in terms of what he can handle.
So the ref gods pay us back
Honestly that could have been a penalty – these officials had a bad night.
It should of been
If you watch the replays it 100% looks like a trip on the broadcast angle, but the other angles show that Sandheim just lost an edge.
Not until they give the team two playoff series wins.
Finally a break goes our way!
Ugly win but at least they’ve erased the goose egg in the win column. Hopefully they build on this
Winner winner, we like Jeff Skinner.
The Germanator makes a deposit to save the day.
Haha, 3v3 OT is a silly time.
McDavid should’ve been in the box as he plays D horribly on the backcheck but instead sets up the winner in OT
Lucky win, but we’ve had a lot of bad luck lately. Fair’s fair.
With respect, take another look at that play, Munny. Good non-call as Sanheim blows a wheel all by himself.
Yep. Easily the best (non)call the officials made all night.
Awful offence and defence by McDavid in 5 seconds of OT, then he misses a breakaway and then they score.
My goodness.
The awful defence was allowing the breakaway to start with.
Only two pointless teams remain in the NHL. The preds and the avs. Completely and utterly pointless.
Point Milked!
Put Skinner out in OT! Jeff.
Skinner’s edges, hand in tight and quick shot remind me of David Perron. That’s a guy I wish had a longer stay in Edmonton.
Uses a 105 flex too it appears – so no wonder he’s accurate.
Down with the whippy stick trend.
Shooting with a 70 flex is so much fun. Honestly, the only thing our kids have that’s better in world is how good hockey sticks are now.
I was always a 120 man when they were available. Don’t need that any more, but refuse to use the wet noodle method. Too inaccurate. It won’t stick around.
Consistency and grip and different kick points – definitely.
We had better curves though. Selection is lower and some awesome brands are just gone too.
If it makes you feel any better, the pick we received for trading Perron was used to pick Mat Barzal.
…hmm, doesn’t make me feel much better…
HELL of a game from Darnell Nurse.
He did ice the puck once earlier in the game – I’ll probably read more about that than anything else – wonderful game.
Agreed! I’d play him with Stecher more. Stecher reminds of Kris Russell in his competitiveness and steady presence. Darnell needs that in a partner
Stetcher should have been the 2RD from the start of the season … he’s got almost 500 games of experience. Playing Dermott and Emberson never made sense to me … unless Stetcher was still dealing with an injury.
They poked the bear! They poked the bear! I hope after today we’re thanking the refs/Sean couturier.
Lets not forget a few very solid saves by Stu when the Oilers were chasing the game and fighting back.
Best game he’s played so far this season. Let’s hope he continues to sharpen up.
Bouchbombs over Baghdad!
Finally they start attacking the net. Great goal!
That’s the best show of skill so far this year
finally a clean look on net that was unblockable and snap, Boosh delivers
Fellas. That was a pretty nice goal.
Yes finally that line pays!!
That was a nice goal.
This team deserves standing points tonight.
Fights do matter
Are McDavid and Drai – still- injured from the playoff run?
Are they sick?
Anyone in the media going to have the guts to call out #97 on this absolute trash start?
Spector will and then everyone will trash him for it.
Stetcher and Perry for Couturier and Farabee.
Fair trade.
Torterella mad the reffing is bad is hilarious
Perry worms off Farabee’s lid right away, veteran move prior to taking the decision.
Corey Perry is showing more passion than McDavid or Draisaitl.