The current Edmonton Oilers feature Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard and Stuart Skinner as homegrown talents. That’s six men, about one-half of the 1984 group. It doesn’t matter really, but the age of these Oilers signed via free agency does. The Oilers race against time will be on display today, in the second game of a back-to-back. All hands on deck, even the dilapidated aged in the group. A win today, and things breaking right out of town, gets Edmonton to No. 2 in the Pacific by midnight.
The Athletic article today is about Phil Kemp at a crossroads. It is here.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER
- On the road to: VEG (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- At home to: CBJ, STL, TBAY (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 3-0-0)
- On the road to: MIN (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: VEG, FLA, BOS, SJS, OTT (Expected 4-1-0) (Actual 3-1-0)
- On the road to: LAK, ANA (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: UTA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 9-4-0, 18 points in 13 games
- December results: 7-2-0
- Oilers in 2024-25: 20-11-2, 42 points in 33 games
The shuffle in pairings didn’t happen yesterday, and it was mostly about the Sharks brilliant young goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. He had a “Gilles Meloche is brilliant for the Seals versus the Canadiens at the Forum” game and it should be mentioned this version of San Jose is going to go Sharknado in the near future. For now, the Oilers can thank the Glimmer Twins and timely stops for their two most recent victories.
THE NUMBERS
Calvin Pickard played well for the Oilers, and made some huge saves late in the game to give Edmonton every chance to tie it up. Even the folks who regard every goal allowed as a mortal sin by the stopper would have to admit that Pickard’s role in the game was pivotal to the result.
All three goals were gorgeous. The McDavid ‘Hemsky goes round the world’ play and pass to Zach Hyman involved speed, expert passing and a fine release. McDavid made another incredible pass to Corey Perry to begin the second goal, nice pass from Perry and Mattias Ekholm has a great shot. The third goal was all Glimmer Twins, that little delay by Leon Draisaitl just enough to change the equation. The Oilers have lost many games to young goalies playing lights out, that win yesterday shows this version of the team has spine, work ethic and outrageous skill.
We didn’t see the pairings shuffled as expected but the results were rock solid. The only mistake I saw was the corner work by Bouchard-Kulak and honestly sometimes you need to give the other man his due. I think the second Sharks goal was (again) partly due to a slight delay by the shooter in getting the shot away.
I want to mention Adam Henrique, who had a fine game to my eye. He didn’t cash but had several chances. I also want to say that Corey Perry is one of the smartest players I’ve ever seen in the offensive zone. He’s incredible. So many inspired puck plays made since he arrived in Edmonton.
I think I’d run this group back again, although getting Derek Ryan in another game before the break has merit. Troy Stecher had his best game in some time from my pov, but Stecher-Emberson isn’t working. Not really. A final note to say that Vasily Podkolzin has a chance to be the most popular Russian on an Oilers team since Boris Mironov.
COLIN CHAULK
I see Matthew Savoie and Matvey Petrov doing great things again, and I wanted to make a quick note about Colin Chaulk. He took a lot of heat last season because Xavier Bourgault and others were struggling but I never bought it. He played the living hell out of Max Wanner and Jayden Grubbe, but you can’t give the coach 5 young and emerging wingers at the same time and expect them to develop. The herd had a cull in the offseason and now we see what happens when management gives the coaching staff a workable number. I feel badly for Tyler Tullio, Xavier Bourgault and Carter Savoie but am pleased Petrov survived and is now flourishing. Chaulk is doing a fine job with his young forwards this season.
Maybe it’s just me, but I seem to notice the 2PP unit being deployed a bit more than usual.
Hope that trend continues, and we can get more guys in the groove, plus present more of a matchup challenge for our opponents.
At the Christmas break last year, the Oilers had gotten back to .500 points % (15-15-1), which got them back up to 27th in the league in points and 24th points % in the standings. That’s 13th in the west on points and 11th in points %. They were 5 points short of a playoff spot and 16 points back of the 1st place Canucks.
There is little resemblance to that position this year at the break following a much shorter slow start. At 21-11-2, the Oilers are tied for 6th in the league standings in points and 7th in points %, with 1st in the league only 5 points away. In the Western Conference, they are now tied for 3rd in points and points % trailing only Winnipeg and Vegas.
Enjoy the break fellas and come back guns a-blazing against the Kings to keep this going into the new year.
It took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get back in the playoff race after the bizarre 2-9-1 start. I’m surprised we didn’t run out of gas earlier. This year it’s been low event less energy minimize the injuries hockey. This is what a contender does it either tries to curb stomp its way or it idles in cruise control and saves a few gears for when it’s time. I haven’t felt this good about winning a Cup since 1985.
I don’t disagree. I hope you’re right.
Oilers now tied with the Wild for third in the conference (points and P%) ahead of teams like the Avs (who have been healthy for a while) and Dallas (the best team now and in the future), etc.
The Avalanche are healthier but are still missing 1st line winger Jonathan Drouin, 3rd line winger Miles Wood and 2RD Josh Manson.
Miles Wood would have trouble making the Oilers’ 4th line, Drouin would be competing with Jeff Skinner for ice time and the Avalanche should have let Manson walk after the cup.
Those are very charitable assessments of those players’ prominence.
Can you back any of your reviews up using math?
The Oilers continue on their hot run going into the break, besting another team in a playoff spot that came in on a hot streak.
Don’t be surprised if any threads of the Oilers being hot attracts a post about how the Avalanche are now hot too going into their break with 3 wins in a row, 4 of 5 and 8 of their last 11 since losing to the Oilers.
What probably wouldn’t be mentioned is that 7 of the 8 wins are against teams well out of the playoffs, with 2 losses to playoff teams plus a loss to Utah. The only quality win against a playoff team was against the Devils.
Ugly win by superior team!
I’m here for it!
Not a Picasso, but maybe a Van Gogh?
I wouldn’t have called it an ugly win, but JMO.
Well played game by the boys in blue
Yeah I was at the game and thought team play was all over the place – breakouts breaking down, easy passes becoming giveaways, not much was rhyming much of the time.
I know OTT was coming in hot but they didn’t look great either. Had the sense the Oil were committed to doing just enough to stay ahead.
However. I know both teams were running back to back and winning is all that matters. Go Oil.
I’d be interested to see the Sens when they are fresh. Some useful players there, but overall seem low on skill.
Skinner was good – fought through traffic well
Nice game against a very hot team.
They didn’t dominate, but they also never trailed. And they fulfilled LT’s ‘if they win their last 3 before the break they’ll be on a 106 point pace’.
I really enjoyed the 4th line playing a regular shift and playing well (no one under 11 minutes tonight).
Skinner also had another strong game. He was 7-3 and had a .911 SV% in his last 10 starts before tonight and he improved on that (Pickard even better in 5 starts over that span).
Team is playing very well now.
Oilers now 2nd in the Pacific.
Never in doubt. Caught up to LA by x-mas with Vegas in our sights.
…passed LA, as of now.
Holiday woot! #PlayLaBambaBaby
Very solid game for the Oilers.
Stu with a .955 and the only one he gave up was a breakaway – not a tough 21 saves but he made them.
This team is best in the league since the end of October.
I give Stu credit he’s a battler. I was hoping to win 5 out of 7 and Stu to hit the 900 mark before the break. Well we won 6 and another start like that for Stu and he’ll hit that magic 900 mark. Excellent way to go into the break. I know Kris is coaching for low event games with as little wear and tear before the real season starts. I expect both Henrique and Skinner to get their mojo and go on a heater after Christmas they’ve both been in the league for over a decade with results.
More solid rush D from Bouch there.
War wagon hockey
Ha that was an impressive 8 min of nothing happening
We are all growed up
Pretty impressive defensive hockey in first 10 minutes. Giving Ottawa very little.
Nice stick by Bouch defending that rush!
Look to be shorthanded shortly.
Sweet pass and Henry buries it!!! Very welcome 3 rd line goal to get some separation.
Don’t sweat the Henrique.
Solid pass by Janny – he continues to be among the team leaders at 5 on 5 scoring……
19 earned that. He’s been coming on past few games
Very nice goal finished by Henrique for the insurance goal!
All 3 forwards playing a key role there.
Finally Rico – he’s had some chances in recent games (mostly on the backhand).
Thrying to scoop HH on this one but Caps have to be the surprise team in the nhl this year. I thought they were making a bunch of desperation moves in the off season and would be a lottery team this year. Another emerging big European stud C from the PA Raiders system helping to lead the charge.
Even wearing the bubble Hyman has been amazing! Big part of this teams success.
Congrats to DR10 for 600 games. Great job by Gene/SN for acknowledging it.
Impressive
And every damn one of them after his 29th birthday.
Anybody looked at the Goal Visualizer on nhl.com? It’s rather incredible how well they can track the players and the puck now
It’s very telling on who was chasing to the non HD areas and who ends up on the wrong side of pucks
4 minutes
What a pass by Perry. Damn shame Skinner couldn’t finish it.
No denying Hyman!
Hyman with his best Arvidsson impression.
Start the 2nd unit?
Glad they don’t listen to me.
More than 2 shots on a cold goalie may be a good strategy
As good as our PK has been for awhile we are still only 26 th on the PK. Shows how bad we were to start the season. That was a good kill considering no Nuge and Nurse in the box.
I know Arvidsson has a goal but I’d try Skinner on the pp. Arvidson doesn’t seem ready to shoot. Skinner is more of a pure shooter I think
I upvoted your comment but it didn’t age well, haha. Arvi instrumental in the goal
Haha I hear you
Arvidsson was actually exceptional on the PP his last couple of years with the Kings.
Just looking and among 215 forwards in the league (22-23 and 23-24) who played 200 or more PP minutes, Arvidsson had the 7th best P/60.
And 3 of the 6 players ahead of him were McDavid, Draisaitl and Nuge.
Probably fair that Arvidsson is next man up for a spot on PP1.
I completely forgot Hamonic was still playing in the NHL.
I can’t believe the power play continues to be anemic.
I still think the Oilers should base PP1 on McDavid, PP2 on Draisaitl. Yes they’re dynamic together, but woof so far this season. Historic PP in the past, adapt or die
Not exactly anemic.
They’re over 10 goals/60 (7th in the league) since the start of November.
Their PP has been back to ‘very good’ for an extended period, if not quite as dominant as it has been at times.
Thank you for providing numbers without scorning my opinion.
I’m happy to hear it’s back to ‘very good’
Bouchard gifts a break away and then is on PP1…
Yes historic PP and it’s Bouchard’s bread and butter. He’s been terrible for a while, discipline isn’t always a bad thing
He has the puck on his stick a lot right.
Bad one by Bouch, very bad!
That was very slow and lazy….
inexcusable
Imo this us the main reason for getting passed over for team canada. The big vapor lock moments can come at any time
Nurse/Kulak were chasing all period – other than that, Oilers had the puck most of the period.
I missed what happened with that Hyman penalty, why weren’t the Oilers SH?
Cousins gave Hyman a shot or two before Hyman retaliated
Pretty dominant period by the Oilers (except for 30 seconds in the last minute and the terrible PP).
Dominant is really the score
Controlling play with no result means nothing. It allows the other team a spark as we’ve seen
O zone time basically even
High danger chances on net were not.
Nothing play to back of the net in a blink of an eye. So good.
Goal by the Volvo while the Ferrari stays in the garage
That is what I’ve been on about. More on Arvi than Connor because he gave Connor a pass and was in the right space to be able to finish. Connor is always looking for it, not always there. Perfect
Watching the play Arvi sneaks behind the D
Hyman’s face is starting to look like an old potato.
Arvy with a nice finish. That is a strength.
Viktor “Plays Here?” Arvidsson with his best Hyman impression.
Good choice by coach!
Nice goal. Hell of a pass by McDavid.
To the Viktor go the spoils!