I think we all knew the Edmonton Oilers had that game in them, but it’s good to see it all the same. The coaching staff rolled four lines, 3.5 pairings and as an added bonus the club had to work harder and more because the score was tied for so long.
As pure entertainment, this Oilers team gets high marks. On this night, it seemed to me the players in home threads elevated to something that could be useful on a regular basis. Troy Stecher’s outlet passes, as an example, helped the transition several times. Darnell Nurse was effective with both Stecher and Brett Kulak, while Kulak-Ty Emberson played a reliable game. Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard? Out of this world.
The Athletic article is about regression. We saw it last night and there is more to come. I get into specific players and situations here.
THE NUMBERS
Great numbers across the board here, I think every Oilers player in this game could point to a good moment or a high level of overall play. I mentioned the long period during the game that was 0-0 and I think that was important, too. A player like Ty Emberson is new, the more he gets used to playing under pressure in Edmonton the more we’ll see him at his best. I like his overall game and his passing is a plus.
The top two lines were fab, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was aggressive and effective. I think he might be one of the veterans who took a little extra time getting into the season but he was back to Nuge days last night. Zach Hyman is having a frustrating start to the season, and people saying it’ll come around probably doesn’t help. However, if he continues to get myriad chances per game, sooner or later he’ll be rewarded. A quick note to acknlowedge Viktor Arvidsson’s three-point night after some Hymanian frustration in the early games.
Also a quick note about Vasily Podkolzin, who drove to the net with authority. It reminded me of the mid-90’s when you’d get home, turn on the television and see an Oilers winger with a strange number on his back drive to the net. You’d have to wait for the announcer tell you it was Dean McAmmond (or other).
Leon Draisaitl had an exceptional game, Connor McDavid played well but was not rewarded.
The third line is skating in porridge a little, but the overall results were vastly improved from the last couple of games. The fourth line has a grumpy old men feel but my goodness they are aggressive on the puck and effective at playing miles from danger.
I was most pleased with the defense, honestly. Mobile, passing was crisp plus they were aggressive and physical. More work needs to be done, of course, the Penguins are not a contender for Stanley, but Friday night was satisfying for all involved.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN OCTOBER
- At home to: WPG, CHI, CAL, PHI (Expected 3-1-0) (Actual 1-3-0)
- On the road to: NAS, DAL (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 1-1-0)
- At home to: CAR, PIT (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 1-0-1)
- 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: 3-4-1, seven points in eight games
- Oilers in 2024-25: 3-4-1, seven points in eight games
Three games left in the month and the Oilers are 3-1-1 in their last five games. Encouraging game, one the entire team, coaching staff and management needed.
New for The Athletic: Who will be the first Oilers recall from the AHL Bakersfield Condors?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5874409/2024/10/26/nhl-oilers-recall-ahl-bakersfield-condors/
I think this is the game we finally bust a nut and rack up some goals with our PP coming alive.
Only if you have a Time Machine
Some good puck movement by PK2 – Gleason with a shot on net and Wright bangs home the rebound.
Philp getting some PP1 time with Pederson and Hamblin out.
Summarizing!
It took 105 games to do it, but Nathan Day posted his first OHL shutout, repelling all 37 shots he faced in a 3-0 win. He was named 1st star for his efforts, dropping his GAA to 2.26 and boosting his SV% to 91.8.
O’Reilly had a goal and an assist, earning him 3rd star honours.
Nicholl, Wakely, Copponi and Mazura each picked up a helper.
Münzenberger, Määttä, Fischer, Lachance, Berry, and Akey did not garner soup and shall have to subsist on sardines instead.
Clattenburg remained out of the lineup.
Some of Day’s aforementioned saves in this highlight reel.
I had written Nathan Day off in my mind as the next Keven Bouchard, but it looks like I may be wrong as we could have a reasonably good prospect here.
Early days (haha) but he has definitely taken a big step forward this season.
A better comparable would be Dylan Wells, highly touted going into the OHL, he just didn’t reveal his potential until his 19 Y.O. season and then fell on his face in his 20 Y.O. season.
I recall reading that Bouchard impressed an Oilers scout based his Memorial Cup showing (1 scoreless period in his Draft -1 season). All of his QMJHL results are impressively unimpressive, but some tried to use the Q’s higher scoring/less defense as a reason to be patient with him.
A large percentage of drafted G prospects were never signed by the team, off the top of my head, 2010 to 2020 there were 9 goalies drafted, 3 were signed. On top of that 2 college UFA’s were signed.
I will now go check my facts…
Correction:10 drafted, 5 signed.
O’Reilly was all over it in this game, he easily could have had a 4 point night.
Philp with a great PP puck retrieval and rag of the puck to create space and set-up – Savoie down to Caggiula, to Philp at the side of the net, he recognizes time, steps in front and buries it.
Tucson ties it up seconds later.
Ex-Condor, Cam Hebig.
Philp starts the first PK on PK1.
Savoie set to play center for the first time as a Condor, between Caggiula and Griffith. Philp will center the 2nd line between D’Amato and Wright.
Petrov back in the lineup.
Hamblin left last game and didn’t return and is out tonight. Pederson must be banged up as well as he’s out – hence Savoie at center.
Is he not in the veteran rotation?
They have only been rotating D out – I presume they wouldn’t healthy Pederson with Hamblin already out but not positive.
Holty confirmed that Pederson was indeed set to sit as the vet but he is actually hurt as well – took a hit late and is banged up. Noel H. sits.
Sounds like they will be without Hamblin “for a little bit”.
Hamblin is lower body and will be a few weeks.
Pederson took a heavy hit. Finished the game but probably a week or two away from playing as well.
Didn’t refresh and missed this (obv) when posting.
Too bad about those not insignificant injuries, though that’s always a chance for others to get more ice.
(aside – I still can’t believe Lavoie now plays in Henderson. He hasn’t had a great start there, but he is depth the Oilers should still have in the system)
Its highly frustrating that the Knights were able to steal Lavoie from Bako to Henderson – that is NOT the intent of the waiver process and Lavoie ending up there is a bust in the system.
No shocker that the Oilers are the organization that got screwed the one time the bust comes to fruition.
Thought Griffith and Caggiula had also gotten veteran scratches.
And you are right that scratching Pederson would be less likely with Hamblin injured, though Savoie, Philp, Grubbe, Berglund is still a very reasonable C alignment if the talk about playing Savoie there was legitimate.
You might be right on that (forwards previously sitting) – I might be misremembering.
I do think they really want Savoie on the wing now – he played there all NHL camp, all AHL camp and each of the first number of games in the AHL.
O’Reilly opens the scoring with a shortie for his 4th goal of the season.
Holloway dash one on the night so far.
Are we still doing this?
I guess as long as the post police don’t shut it down….
That was a rough night for your guys and the Flames lost to boot.
Broberg on for multiple goals against.
I figure this is kind of like engaging a troll… if you don’t feed it, eventually it dies.
Holloway finishes even at evens but, at one point in the season, not on for any 5 on 5 goals against Broberg was 0-2 in a 5-2 loss to the Habs,
The last few seasons when facing the Pens it feels like they have the league’s lowest give-a-shit level by far. Couple of former stars just mocking about. At least that’s how it looks when they’re playing the Oilers.
Arvidsson was finally more involved last night, when on his game he’s always in the middle of things, still feels like his hands aren’t quite up to par yet but the rest of his game looked like it was getting back to normal. Sweden’s most popular NHL blog calls him “The Woodpecker from Kusmark” due to the intense style of his game. (Kusmark is the tiny, less than 500 inhabitants, village outside of Skellefteå where he’s from originally)
Tikka is Swedish for woodpecker, if I’m not mistaken.
Hopefully this proves a good omen.
Perry didn’t get a point, but Ek’s goal was a lot about him taking the goalie’s eyes away. Leading the team with a 75 GF%. I hope he can keep the pace up
I wasn’t too hot on resigning Brown, but I suppose you couldn’t get a better player for his cap hit. My issue with him is that if he isn’t producing he doesn’t do much else than PK, invisible, tied for last in forwards GF%
1 hit for and 10 taken so he doesn’t help that way – non physical Skinner has 7 for 2 against. I have the feeling that he probably has to play with top 6 players to produce much. Henrique is pretty close to that, maybe they are both just cold
It’s interesting that you can challenge a goal for being offside, but of course you can’t challenge a play that was blown offide but wasn’t. Obviously I get why that makes little sense, but would be interesting to know how many plays were blown offside that were, in fact, onside. If I was a linseman, I’d be tempted to blow anything really close as offside. That way, my work wouldn’t be scrutinized in frame by frame slow motion. Of course, my supervisors would have a say. Just a long winded way of saying I’m not a fan ofntjese razor thin reviews
Ilya Byakin.
I remember playing shinny with hockey friends as a…maybe 8 or 9 year old one weekend afternoon. So probably 1993ish, if I had to ballpark it.
Got into my Dad’s car and the Oilers were playing a matinee somewhere. And when they went to commercial, Rod and Morley let us know that the Oilers had a 2-0 lead and both goals were scored by “Ilya Byakin”.
I can still vividly remember my Dad and I looking at each other with bewilderment.
See, I poured over the Journal sports section and stats almost daily. Dad had season’s and knew the team inside and out, along with most of their prospects bubbling under.
This mystery Byakin had snuck past both of us.
Anyway, it was almost painful to watch Sid and Geno and Letang get posterized like that last night. Realizing it’s truly the end of an era. But not only that, it’s tough for me as a 39 year old to see guys younger than me hanging them up. I was a teammate with Dion Phaneuf and Ryan Garbutt at various points (and sports) in my childhood. Seeing them move on and/or get aged out of the league was tough. I think this is tougher. Sid and Ovi felt like little brothers when they came in. Little brothers don’t get old! 😭
ilya Byakin was chaos incorporated. My favourite memory of him was that time he got an illegal stick penalty for trying to score with the opposing goalie’s paddle! Big collision in the crease, lumber went flying everywhere, there was a loose rebound so Byakin grabbed the nearest thing he could find to try & stuff it home. It was pretty hard to deny the circumstantial evidence the ref couldn’t help but notice,
Too bad he didn’t succeed, not that it would’ve counted but would have made an all-time blooper reel highlight. Instead, the moment is nearly lost in the shifting sands of memory.
This is funny because I for the life me can’t recall this player as well.
Ilya Byakin has always been my go-to complete random 90s Oiler, when I need one.
I have an o pee chee card of his from when he was playing in the USSR. No idea how that card came into my possession but it sits in the display case beside Gretzky and Messier.
Other then 1 game, the trend is whichever of the 2 bottom lines is running Janmark is the best of the 2 bottom lines that evening, well done Janmark.
Just about every year I get a chance to go to a Condor’s game. We are taking the 2 hour treck to Tucson for tonights game. Looks like a full house so should be loud. Hopefully the group does better than last night.
Enjoy, Unca Miltie!
PS: whoever downvoted this comment needs to reconsider their life choices,
Bruce, as you know i was at the Manning game in Ontario also saw Colby Cave destroy Pospisil in Bakersfield. As a side note if you google the fight I can be seen cheering. I wonder what will happen tonight. If all goes well, I should see them again in January at Coachella. Be interesting to see Philp and Savoie live. As far as my scouting abilities are concerned,I dont think anyone would hire a guy that had Samorukov ahead of Bouchard.
Nice.
Doubt Yamo gets there in time but he’s technically a Roadrunner now!
That’s awesome.
I’m taking my girls to see the Condors in Calgary on Nov.6th. Unbelievable value. Sitting upfront at Centre ice for less than $100 for 3 of us. I’m excited to see this year’s team.
Hope you have a great night!
I’m glad Podkolzin is getting the push his game seems to open uo ice for Leon. In saying that this is his golden opportunity he needs to start cashing in.
I think a 3rd line Right winger should be something we look at for trade deadline
Kane Henrique and RW with speed would be a nice upgrade
Wouldn’t getting Kane back be enough?
Never!
What skill are you looking to upgrade cause Connor Brown is a RW with speed, isn’t he?
They need to combine Brown and Perry into one. Cornor Brerry.
Sure. Someone that is a threat to score 10 goals and 25 points,
10 point players don’t belong on the 3rd line.
Brown is on pace for 10 goals, not 25 points though. The question does remain on whether last season was an outlier or the new norm for him.
New norm, he’s turned into a perimeter player. The knee injury seems to have killed off his abandonment to get between opposing player and puck to make something happen.
While he’s been good to great defensively, his willingness to take the abuse in order to create offensive chaos with the puck has all but seemingly vanished from his pre injury days.
The puck hound has taken to porch life.
I was looking at potential available trades, Jonathan Marchessault is the player that jumps out for me.
Turning 34 before the end of the calendar year and signed for 4 more years after this one.
Not sure we should be looking to get even older and for more players that will be regressing soon, if not already.
One thing I would like the league to adopt. On the offside challenges. Refs have a timer. You get one minute to review it and if you can’t decide the goal should stand. I hate these flip frame by frame to see if a player was a split second offside challenges. Unless the player is very noticeably offside he should be considered onside
I would say linesmen are pretty good. If the margin was very noticeable, well we for the most part got that covered, and reviews would go down to next to none. They would cover egregious errors.
And reviews would likely have great variability.
Perhaps playoff goals get a longer timer?
It was better before instant replay was a thing. No evidence of blown calls. Play on.
After a frame-by-frame replay reveals a blown offside call by the linesman, the camera should zoom in on said linesman and follow him around for a while like they do to the coach when there’s a Too Many Men penalty.
Or like they do to a D-man who blows his coverage, or whoever else the broadcast producer feels is culpable on any given goal.
Why do they bother with 2 linesmen when they’re just going to second-guess every onside call that matters?
The offside challenge is maybe the worst rule in all of professional sports.
No, I don’t care if someone was a millisecond offside 28 seconds before a goal was scored.
What’s worse is that the decisions are completely arbitrary, to the point where no one knows what an infraction consists of or which way the call will go once a challenge is issued.
Remember the Makar call? Worst offside call ever made, but never justified.
Remember whatsisnuts?… what was that snake’s name?… lying in the crease, spreading Talbot’s legs like he was in a whorehouse? Ugh. Kesler. That name was better staying buried.
Worst goaltender interference call never made, and completely unjustifiable.
Reviewing things hasn’t improved anything.
It hasn’t. And nothing ruins the flow of the game like a 15 minute challenge. It’s one thing to check if the puck actually made it into the net, and another thing to check if a players skate may have been 1/4 inch offside 30 seconds before a goal was scored. Offside checks need to be very very quick
Should be a 5 minute major if you challenge and lose.
The first thing we should outsource to AI. Puck tracking for goals and lines.
Takes time for that definitive camera angle from the International Space Station to land, is the problem.
I am of course very happy for the win, the points. Some players are getting their games going for sure. To me that was a typical Oiler game – the Penguins were terrible and had almost no push back, the Oilers looked ok and won, lots of hyperbolic comments the day following
If they were actually playing at the level that they can that would have been 12-0. The way they played, against a strong team, might not have resulted in a win, lots of wobble still, too many guys not playing well enough yet
4-0 shutout with 50 shots for.
Good grief.
Did you watch the game? The Penguins were awful. As I said glad for the win but I’m not sure there is much to take from it
50 shots and 4 goals on which the rookie goalie was out position on at least Drai’s and Nuge’s. Perry’s screen was textbook though, what a smart player, and Ek with a perfect shot
Arvi was great and put the hammer down on a struggling team, Stu played well, CoH has 3 five alarm shots for the Pens (NST doesn’t seem to be updated), they didn’t challenge him much
They usually work harder against the better teams. But I haven’t seen that yet this season.
Do the Oilers get no credit for how poor the Pens played and having almost no pushback?
Should they? It’s not like the Pens have been playing great and the Oilers derailed them, they have been awful this season and have goalie issues
It’s possible to enjoy a win and at the same time see the game and the team for what it was. Connor Leon and Bouch combined for 7 shots against a team playing like that with a rookie goalie. The goalie got a star, but Drai’s goal he left the far side wide open, same on Nuge’s, maybe Bouch’s, and they hit him with an awful lot of those 50 shots. Connor and Leon had 1 point between them
Stu got the shutout, check the heatmap, he made a few good saves but wasn’t under much pressure
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&game=20121&view=limited
If they were playing as well as they can they would have blown them out methinks
If the Pens had Jarry in net, it would of been 12-0 Oilers.
Heh heh, or he would have had a bruised sternum
Since when did the McDavid/Drai not being required to drag the team to victory become a negative.
No doubt, quality of competition is a factor but the Pens are an NHL team and one that had 3 wins coming in to the game and earned an early lead against the division leading flames prior to blowing it the prior game.
Completely owning the game from opening puck drop until the game end buzzer (Oilers had a breakaway when the game ended) was not a foregone conclusion – the Oilers earned that.
Did the Oilers show some lack of finish? Sure, but the goalie was full value for his 46 saves.
69% expected goals is 100% dominating a team via metric.
Yeah, Pittsburgh was a team that came in to last game with a 51% xGF%. Not at all awful aside from being (own) goalied.
The heatmap shows the Oilers put up 5.5xGF and 2.7xGA on them. Quite an impressive showing to make the Pens look like they’re awful.
And on the 2.7xGA side, also an indicator that Skinner’s shutout was very well earned.
This time last year the Oilers were 1-5-1 for a whopping 3 points.
I wonder how Knoblauch felt after the win last night.
Better than Woodcroft felt. His team wants to play for him.
Woody tried reinventing the wheel and was stubborn enough to cost him his job.
The system they were playing before the switch was the unusual one, man to man. After the loss to the Knights the coaches made the right decision. You have to have a team of very smart players that excel at individual battles for it to work well. I think it’s why the Canes can’t win in the playoffs, they use it
What they play now which is basically the same as what Woody changed to is the most common system type, and one that the players have all played, probably mostly
I think last season they also had the playoff hangover, the pressure was allowed to go off the rails unabated, Connor said he over trained, and Woody et al couldn’t handle the room. What KK did was calm them down, and Coffey getting the D to play hockey
They are absolutely not running the system that Woody changed to.
During that horrendous start after every goal the players were looking at each other dumbfounded on whose man is who. They recieved 3 too many men calls in a half a game they were discombobulated. If you look up a team quitting on their coach there’s a photo of Woody and George Burnett.
His teams biggest challenge may have been the mountainous expectations they play under.
Funny last night how we get rewarded from Toronto on the video review after all those called back earlier in the year. To my eye that was definitely offside. But then again you just never know with the war room when they flip a coin.
It probably was, but not 100% conclusive. They got that one right for a change
That offside was so close and to add to it, so much time had passed before the goal was scored after that zone entry. There must be a statute of limitations. It would have been criminal to take that goal away.
I think it was McDavid who once said that if it takes that long it probably doesn’t matter
It’s not like being 1″ offside changed anything
Absolutely nothing
In cases like this, when a player is like an inch offside, would anything have been different if he was one-inch onside? Nope, not at all, except, well, he wasn’t and off-side is off-side.
What changes in these cases is the play continued when it should have been whistled dead.
Oilers got lucky last night and I’ll certainly take it as I think 2 goals called back this seasons shouldn’t have been.
I understand I may have a minority opinion.
Maybe the 7 puck recoveries in the offensive zone after the borderline zone entry should count for something.
1000%
It makes complete sense if the defending team recovers the puck after an uncalled offside, the puck has not exited the zone, and a goal is scored, that should negate the offside. Also if the puck has stayed in the dzone for a set period of time, like 30 or 40 seconds.
I thought Henrique and Brown started the season strong but have faded in the last few games. Henrique has been among the least effective forwards (and making mistake on goals against in the past) over the last handful of games. Brown has been a non-factor.
They’ll get their game back but “skating in porridge” seems apt as prior 3rd liners include skaters like Holloway/McLeod/Foegele.
I’ve really like Perry and Ryan on the season. Perry still has real game and is a positive out there in 4th line and PP2 minutes. Similar to Ryan, some faceoff wins and at least one really nice set-up (can’t remember who is was). And, to think, those are the two suggested as waiver fodder a few weeks back (by me included). Of note, Lavoie did puck up his first point of the AHL season, an assist. He now was one assist and -6 in four games for Henderson.
Janamrk had a good game last night – 4LW and PK is the role for his.
The pieces seem to be starting to fit together. Podz & Arvidsson fit well with Leon that’s huge. Skinner with Rico & Brown will come along and of course the grumpy old men & Janmark is a force to reckon with. Nuge scored and when Hyman finds the mark this team will be cooking.
That was Hart Trophy / Playoffs Leon.
I think the Cult had him at contributions on 12 Grade A chances – huge.
He’s done that a few times over the last couple of games – at least 3 times total.
I’m not sure his hands are even at the Warren Foegele level as far as finishing but Foegele did score 18 even strength goals last season, mostly when he was on Leon’s wing.
Imagine, just imagine, if Podz was a legit fit at 2LW – no, not piling up points and goals but can play with the other two, keep the cycle going, be responsible 2-ways, get the puck and chip in?
That would be monstrous.
A long ways to go until we are there mind you.
Just a thought, but maybe put Podz on the RW & Arvidsson on LW. Podz like the right side, while Arvidsson is actually lefthanded.
Are you reading Arvidsson’s handedness on Woodguy’s phone?
I looked it up on cowboy bill’s phone.
Get a new phone
Actually, just looked at the roster and it shows Podz as a RW shooting left and Arvidsson as a LW shooting right.
I appreciate the power-forward aspect of his game… down the wing with the puck in control, cuts to the middle, straight to the goal mouth with the stuff-it-in attempt. He’s strong on the puck, soon (fingers crossed) something will get to the back of the net for him.
Hyman had an outstanding game and did everything right but get the puck in the net. You can tell it’s in his head a bit.
I don’t think it was domination until after Bouchard’s goal was good and then I felt they had more confidence.
Skinner was locked in and it might have been a different outcome if he wasn’t. Still some sloppy play.
Also needs mentioning is Skinner. Although the game never really felt in doubt he made some very good saves and stopped them all.
Amazing.
Prospectamanaz!
Saturation Saturday! Again, the full baker’s dozen of NAmateurs could see the ice at various points, depending mainly on Clattenburg’s health.
His teammate Nathan Day is off to a fine start this year, shaving more than a goal off his GAA from last year. It sits at 2.48, which is top 10 in the O. His SV% of 90.7 is almost 4% above last year too.
With four goals on the season, Nicholl is only two away from matching last season’s total. He has 4+5 in 10 GP so far.
Two of the dozen NA skaters have yet to dent twine–Copponi and Fischer. Will they do that thing today? We wait.
St. Lawrence (Mazura) @ 2 p.m.
Muskegon (Berry) @ 4 p.m.
Notre Dame (Fischer) @ 4 p.m.
Vermont (Münzenberger, Määttä) @ 4 p.m.
Boston University (Lachance, Copponi) @ 5 p.m.
London (O’Reilly, Nicholl) @ 5 p.m.
Flint (Day, Clattenburg) @ 5 p.m.
Barrie (Akey, Wakely) @ 5:30 p.m.
All times, at all times, are Waskatenau time.
I like that there are 4 teams with 2 prospects each. No particular reason other than narrower focus.
Then you’ll be even happier to know it’s actually five: BU, Vermont, Barrie, Flint, London.
But yes, it does make tracking easier with a more concentrated NAmateur pool.
By golly you’re right!
I think a story forgotten in all the angst with the loss of Broberg has been Kulaks’s fine play.
Broberg had a lot of respect for Ekholm, Nurse & Kulak. The three defensemen ahead of him on the left side. He said he didn’t mind playing on his offside, he found it more difficult on the small rinks. He’s happy with the Blues.
It always makes me happy to see some appreciation for Kulak. Our third pairing always seems to perform well with him on it, no matter who his partner is. Just a solid, stabilizing influence despite being a depth player.
Kulak had a fantastic game last night, maybe his best as an Oiler. His fancies were off the charts: 37-6 Corsi, 20-2 shots, 14-0 HDC.
An interesting wrinkle was his periodic shifts with Nurse, they played 6 minutes together, while their regular partners Emberson & Stecher played just 1 minute as a pairing. Basically every third or fourth rotation would be just 2 pairings instead of all 3. As a result, 27-25 played 5 minutes more than 49-51 at evens, & were virtually tied with 2-14.
Thanks for the write-up LT. Had to watch the baseball game last night, what a finish, but based on your assessment of last night”s entertainment value, I’ll definitely fire up the game on the PVR this morning.
And now the serious question, should I drop Kris Letang for Philip Broberg in my fantasy hockey league? 😏
No picking at scabs today.
It was great to control a game from opening puck drop through the end and, as LT mentions, effectively roll the lineup over.
The Oilers are 3-1-1 in their last five and, for me, played very well for much of the game in each of the two loses (dominated Dallas in their arena for two periods) and could easily have got 4 points in those two games instead of 1.
This team was terrible through 3 (and a half) games but have been very good since and are coming.
This team needed a game like this for Skinner and the D. The lack of finish is not surprising as it seems to take some Vets 10 games to warm up the engine. You also throw in the new players and it’s expected that it’ll take time to gel.
You nailed it. Couldn’t agree more.
Looking forward for this upcoming 3 game road trip.
Fingers’ crossed.
They are playing well and these are very winnable games but Monday is the 3rd game in 4 days in 3 different arenas – tough for the team.
Games like last night with rolled minutes sure help.
The back-to-back will be tough .