I was a fan of the Minnesota Wild from the moment I saw the logo. As a Montreal Expos fan, I love love love logos that have multiple, layered meanings. The Wild logo is, well, Wild! The team has had an interesting history (Marian Gaborik was a perfect early pick and he would eventually win Stanley with LAK) but the Jacques Lemaire years were a grind.
The Wild are interesting again, with GM Bill Guerin emerging as an astute judge of talent and Kirill Kaprizov delivering at a unique level offensively. Minnesota will eventually win a Stanley Cup, fans already earned one with their devotion to the North Stars (I also loved their logo and colours) but I don’t think it’ll be this year.
The Athletic article today is about a perfect fit for Edmonton at the deadline. It is here.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN JANUARY
- At home to: ANA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: SEA, BOS, PIT, CHI (Expected 2-1-1) (Actual 3-1-0)
- At home to: LAK (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: MIN, COL, VAN (Expected 1-1-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: WAS, VAN, BUF, SEA, DET (Expected 3-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected results: 8-4-2, 18 points in 14 games
- January result: 5-1-0
- Oilers in 2024-25: 27-13-3, 57 points in 43 games
Edmonton is on pace to deliver 109 points and are in contention to win a division title for the first time since 1987. I think that kind of accomplishment, like making it to G7 of the SCF, is important. A team improves over time on the way to Stanley and collects new plateaus along the way. Before the Oilers won the SC in 1984, the team lost in the 1983 Final, the team won the Smythe in 1982, 1983 and 1984. It’s a marker, it’s higher ground.
NOAH PHILP
The Oilers have been slow-playing Philp for some time now, saying he needs to adjust and make sure he’s all the way ready. That’s fine, but the NHL team has been in need of a RH No. 4 center with speed for a few weeks now, so I’m going to call this recall overdue. Need to give the man a full chance here. I always want to see the AHL numbers, and here they are.
- 2022-23: 70, 19-18-37 (.529 points-game)
- 2024-25: 28, 9-8-17 (.61 points-game)
So he’s progressed, and this year’s team is having the damndest time scoring so Philp’s improvement is probably more pronounced than these numbers imply. Let’s look at the EV strength scoring:
- 2022-23: 47-39 (55 pct) Condors 113-113 (50 pct) with Philp OFF ice
- 2024-25: 22-18 (55 pct) Condors 48-56 (46 pct) with Philp OFF ice
Philp’s performance this year is even more impressive considering the difficulty Bakersfield is having in goal scoring overall. He’s ready, he could be the solution on No. 4 center and the Oilers need to give him a full chance. Starting now.
A busy day on the Lowdown, Sports 1440 starting at noon. We’ll have Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal to discuss Edmonton’s impressive January, the Noah Philp recall and we’ll probably ramble on a little about old timey things. Declam Krueger’s Declanations will feature Dunkin’ with Declan and we will have plenty of chatter about Oilers, MLB Sasaki signing and NFL. 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, it’s available post-show on apple and spotify, and we tweet it out on X.
3 Canadian goalies in the top 5 for save percentage. Who said Canadian goaltending was bad?
(too bad not one was picked for team Canada…)
Anyone worried about the league making some BS example of McDavid?
I don’t actually think there was malicious intent there, but the league only seems to care if someone gets injured, albeit with variable concern.
Hartman deserves the same fine as Kempe. The refs refusing to call the penalty on either play in back to back games against star players is inexcusable. The fact that the one tonight led to a near critical goal is even more egregious
Little bit, but I don’t think they will. Did you see Kempe took to Twitter to ‘like’ the department of player safety tweet that he’d been fined 5000 for the slewfoot? Sleaze.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/adrian_kempe_stirs_the_pot_on_social_media_after_being_fined_for_slewfoot_on_connor_mcdavid/s1_17450_41582980
That Wild player embellishing the alleged hit should have got a penalty at least.
He didn’t play the rest of the game. There was no embellishing.
I thought it odd that there was no movement of his head at all that I could see. Usually a dramatic snap back of some kind. Glass jaw I guess.
The OIlers jumped up into 4th place overall in the standings both on points and points percentage so full value either way. Coincidently, McDavid jumped up to 4th Place in the individual points standings, just a few points behind Leon in 2nd.
A .670 win percentage mid season, don’t think we’ve seen this since the 80s.
This is no to take personally but its one of my biggest pet peeves and its used ALL THE TIME including by prominent media – its points percentage, not win percentage and there is a difference. Just pointing it out for information not to critisize.
I suspect RNH is emerging as a real leader for the newer Oilers; helping to show them the ropes so they win the cup later this year.
Clouder with his first hattrick in the Sabres win tonight. His EN goal for the hattrick was awarded after he got tripped before he could knock in a puck that had been fired off the Hurricanes post from the far end. Buffalo recorded no shots on goal for the period. First time ever a team got a goal in a period with no shots on net.
On the Power Wins list that was a PW and a Comeback win. Not at home ATM, will update games and maybe put up recent stats of the 13 teams
Marcus Johansson didn’t play again after taking the elbow from McDavid. He was not faking it.
No that was an intentional elbow they just replayed it. Nasty Connor. The league made him do it
Marcus Johansson has average 6 penalties per year over 15 seasons. Not a single major and a fairly low hit rate. I don’t think McDavid was trying to extract a pound of flesh on Marcus, it was a subtle pick move to spring Leon that went wrong. Fortunately for the game itself for the Oilers it went un detected (as often happens the other way – or ignored).
Calvin Pickard was absolutely fantastic. Oilers defensive zone coverage was absolutely garbage.
Great goaltending.
Pick summoned his inner Johnny Bower.
Pick stole one for sure.
Their defensive zone play might have been the worst of the year… and that’s saying something. Have to tighten that up tonight.
Right now, Calgary Flames fans are in the Seventh Corridor of Hell.
Where they belong
Oilers are now calmly dissecting the opposition.
Like Victorian medical school professors taking apart dead bodies in the theater.
lol
Oilers playing gets better and better.
Give the Wild credit. They look like a great young team.
Entertaining game! Lots of twists and turns. The moment that will stay with me the longest is Pickard’s save on the two on none.
Pickard’s play this year has been exceptional.
Feels like a game the oilers probably should have lost, particularly how it started. But good teams can win even when they aren’t playing at their peak.
Great result and hopefully everyone is well rested (and no J. Brown in the lineup) for tomorrow against COL
Nice win, big two points. Didn’t look promising when we were down by two. Going to be extremely difficult game in Denver tomorrow night.
Weird! Satisfying! #PlayLaBambaBaby
Wild got goalied. Good game by Pickard.
you want to shut out the oilers just don’t put a goalie in net
Awesome
I will say, this years team does not implode like last years team. Much calmer.
Huge win.
As the stakes get greater, and the closer we get to the playoffs we have dialled up the intensity. Good arrow.
What a great effort tonight – solid win.
Yup, McDavid did his thing but damn did Arvy and Podz drive a line away from 29/97
These guys look absolutely bagged. Stu gonna need a superhuman effort in Colorado.
Put the oxygen masks on now
Fantastic. Made that far harder than it should have been
Fantastic.
Meh – they are smack dab in the middle of their most brutal stretch of the season – bottom feeders are being elite teams multiple times per week – the Wild are a top team and still a good team banged up.
Great win!
I didn’t mean that as sarcastic. Don’t think the worst OP
Sweeeep!
EN scourge is alive and well
Pickard despite a shaky start deserves a star in this one!
Drai has been pretty casual this game and turned over a lot of dangerous pucks
Connor needs to roll out of that check into the boards. No need to take hits for no reason, he’s the best skater on the ice
D and W haven’t handled the heavy forecheck well. Weak plays up the boards and Wingers not able to make a play under control = turnovers at the blue
Ha, 97 fumbles it and still finishes
McDavid is so filthy.
Oily, even
Quite an acute goal by MachDavid there.
McTopCheddar!! 🚨
Mcdavid keeps churning out 3pt evenings
Connor shot a puck high. Alert the press.
McDavid loses the handle and then makes an unreal shot.
Oh, and holy hell Cal Pickard!
Nice Connor! Upstairs where Norman keeps his mother!
THAT is fantastic.
I believe that was Danny Gallivan’s. Always loved it
Bouchard just pinched with a one-goal lead and 8 minutes to go against Minny’s useful line.
That contract keeps taking little hits.
I love keeping your foot on the gas and playing to win, but man that play gave me a heart attack
Oh yea baby what a shot by Connor!!!!!
How Boldy jumps into open spots and gets good shots off is what I think we should be doing far far more. With all the talent they are playing along the boards too long with no plays coming quickly enough. Let’s the D just set up and it gets harder
Have to give Pickard credit. He has made some huge saves this game. Hopefully he can close this out.
Pod supporting well a great play by Arvi. Pod is smart I hope he can find a little more O
6-8-14 in his last 25 games after going 0-3-3 in the first 19 games this season. I like him!
He’s the type you need. Hard for 60 minutes and gives up little, keeps plays alive
Leon suddenly deferential. I don’t like this.
Fire the pill
Great play by Ek after an AWFUL offensive zone play by Drai for the 3 on 2 against.
Refs playing game managers again. Can’t give the Oil a PP at this point in the game
I guess kicking a players leg out is legal.
Holy hell dangerous slew foot by Hartman. WTF? He literally kicked him to the ice.
Big save Picks.
Josh Brown in the defensive zone with a one-goal lead in the 3rd is just, well, anxiety rising.
Not sure what you’re seeing here played it as he should
He is just glacially slow.
He’s far more mobile than Des to me
That is a pretty low bar.
For sure but he cleared it
This team routinely lets Hartman get away with garbage. He’s due for a stick-in-the-legs arm-in-the-back play.
I hope they remember him and Kempe and somebody drops them open ice next time
Big Markus who could have handled this is sadly no longer Oilers property.
Heh heh
I’m sure they could bring him in from the German league if they want – he’d probably get hurt on his way over the ocean though….
Heh heh
Everyone but Jack can say Pod-coal-zin properly.
Does no one correct this guy?
Zuccarello deserved a penalty on that mugging
That May be Podz’s goal?