Hold on to your ass, the Minnesota Wild are in town. Since the Wild arrived in the NHL, Edmonton has 39 wins 55 losses and 14 Bettman points. Add in the fact the Oilers kicked Minnesota’s ass in the early years (11-0-4 in the first three seasons) and the Wild bunch are a wagon in E-town.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN JANUARY
- At home to: Flyers, Preds (Expected 1-0-1) 1-1-0
- On the road to: Jets (Expected 1-0-0) 1-0-0
- At home to: Kings (Expected 1-0-0) 0-0-1
- On the road to: Blackhawks, Preds (Expected 1-1-0) 1-0-1
- At home to: NYI (Expected 0-0-1) 0-1-0
- On the road to: Canucks (Expected 1-0-0) 1-0-0
- At home to: Blues, Devils, Penguins, Caps (Expected 2-1-1) 2-2-0
- At home to: Ducks, Sharks, Wild (Expected 1-1-1) 2-0-0
- Expected Record: 8-3-4, 20 points in 15 games
- Actual Record: 8-4-2, 18 points in 14 games
- Season Record: 28-19-8, 64 points in 55 games
The Wild are run by Bill Guerin, a former Oilers player who has turned into an exceptional general manager. Same goes for Mike Grier in San Jose. All-time best former Oilers player turned GM? Glen Sather. He was a utility forward as a player, and a giant executive as general manager in Edmonton.
Oilers five-on-five scoring since December 1
In light of the pending Jack Roslovic $4 million times four seasons mistake Stan Bowman is about to make, I think it’s important to remind you that the Oilers have been overpaying complementary wingers since Connor McDavid arrived. Kasperi Kapanen has a five-on-five points 60 of 3;39 this season, and he’s doing it on a $1.3 million deal that expires at the end of the year. Vasily Podkolzin is at 1.94 points-60, and he was rewarded with a three-year deal (kicks in this fall) that will play $2.95 million annually. Both of these deals (Podkolzin is being paid $1 million this year) are true value contracts. Edmonton needs more of them,; the current Jack Roslovic deal is one of them. The moment he signs four by four he’s no longer value, in fact he’ll be a drag.
The Oilers shouldn’t sign anyone to an extension before the end of the team’s season. When the time cones, I would place Connor Ingram at the front of the line, Kapanen next, and then Roslovic. I don’t think there’s any reason to exceed Podkolzin’s deal for any of these men. Roslovic hasn’t proven he’s a strong option at center, hell he is scoring at below par when away from Draisaitl and McDavid (about 0.78 points-60). With Draisiatl, Roslovic is 1.76 points-60 in 239 minutes, and with the captain he is 2.44 in 98 minutes. He is 7-12 goals at five-on-five without the Glimmer Twins. Don’t play for the zoom, Mr. Bowman. Please and thanks.
I’ll have the Condors numbers up in afew minutes. In the meantime, please read this.
CONDORS
Shots
MiN ~24 EDM ~27
Shots?
Min ~5 EDM ~15
Jesper made a couple great saves
Jarry let in a couple soft goals
That’s funny.
Checked moneypuck game summary they had expected at
MIN 5.5 EDM 5
Seems obvious this is not the time to push all your chips into the pot for a 3rd or 4th year in a row. It’s a reload year where any move(s) you make at the deadline have to help next year just as much or more as this year. Grow the kids, lose cap weight (Mangiapane and Rico) and try find a youngish 3C who can help for several years. I would not be trading next years #1 or our #2 this year. Do what you can with one of the extra young small forwards and other spare parts.
I’m starting to agree.
But there is immense pressure to win every single year that McDavid is here. I doubt they will be able to resist the urge to be buyers, especially when the team they’re fixated – Florida – may miss the playoffs.
Worth noting kk is not bowman’s hire. Also, hard to justify firing a coach with a playoff team.
who would they replace him with?
im not sure if Stan is a fan of having to go through 3rd period heroics to win most games.
I hope not. Really that is an immature game from a mature group
I think the coaches have to tweak the defensive zone coverage over the Olympic break.
The Oilers give up WAY too many opportunities from the slot. The center or one of the D HAS to protect the low slot at all times until possession is recovered and the two wingers have to play closer to the net assisting on breaking the cycle on the half walls or clogging the homeplate area when the other team is cycling. Right now, there’s way too much space for attackers to walk into the royal road and take high danger shots with the forwards more concerned about shadowing the points.
If that hasn’t happened by now why would it?
Jarry not pulling his punches when discussing the game and team defense
Good. Can’t believe D zone has not been made more of a story this season. How many goalies does it take?
Two side by side
Yup, and equally, how many coaches does it take?
Yep, No coach in control of his team would plan to play like this
Ungar gets some support late from Jarvenite/Marjala for his 51 saves in a 3-2 win.
Nope, they won’t call him up, Tomkins has been the clear 1A in Bako and just as good – both have been top of the league.
I think they mentioned on the Youtube broadcast that the 51 saves is a new record for the Condors.
I think Ungar’s SV% is 0.951 now
At least they have the same strategy on the farm, leaving the goalies to dry
While I agree it has actually been “one of those games”, and it actually has not been “their night”, this season seems to have had far too many “not their nights”.
This homestand alone- Islanders, Devils and now this one.
There are two ways to think about this:
1) They are not very good, and “not their night” is just loser talk. If it weren’t for the division they are in, we would likely be looking at a coaching change.
2) They are losing games they are actually showing well in, and thanks to the division they’re in, this bodes well when the luck starts rolling their way, and all the better for said luck to start rolling in March and April rather than November through January.
Although I’m usually a former, after tonight, I feel more like that latter.
They don’t play the right way.
Yet they are still good enough to win with top talent.
This masks the problems and they do not get addressed in my opinion.
Mcdavid bouch and drai have been covering for bad coaching for a long time. Also poor depth. I think the coach could work more to get more out of the rest of the roster though.
The depth would play better in a better environment
At least the Knights lost.
Walman can’t blame his poor night on nurse.
Well unless he’s been watching nurse and trying to copy him.
The Jarventie goal:
https://x.com/bcurlock/status/2017834612949717437
The 49th shot is fanned on by the shoot and fools Ungar.
3-2 Condors with four minutes to go.
Condors going to the PK….
Roby Jarvenite is dummying AHL d-men the last 3 games, scoring ridiculous goals. It’s time to get him games over Janmark. Knob won’t allow it but its time.
You read my mind. Janitor not bringing nearly enough.
Could bring him up for 5 minutes of defensive zone starts.
That Faber goal is reason number 1 why Bouchard is not on the Olympic team. He gets walked … a lot.
Yep he’s just not predictable enough when defending
Perhaps the 3 goal deficit late had something to do with the decision making to step up there?
Lol, theres no game state where a 1 handed one and done fly by giving away the middle of the ice to a D man is the play there
Meh – its no different than the brilliant keep in at the line versus LA or a few games ago – he doesn’t make that, series over and game over – the chances of that working versus LA were low.
Haa, There’s no comparing this event to that one.
It’s fine, No need to defend 2. That was not the difference maker in this one.
He made some brilliant plays with the puck
As much as its fair to critique Jarry tonight, the Oilers’ defensive coverage has been poor and their offensive finish has been lacking. Lots of shots with no net front presence.
The oilers slot is there for the taking.
Check out the Wild shot heat map. For some reason this team does not prioritize between the dots in D zone.
It’s a consistent problem so obviously not emphasized by this coaching staff. Assuming they have a say in how they play…
The Wild have had some shooting luck tonight … the Oilers … not so much.
When you’re shooting from where they have shot from all night uncontested the percentages go way up
As mentioned earlier thats what Armstrong and Co are worried about with 2
Post and out vs post and in. Been that kind of game. Not for lack of trying to be sure but this game is not going to take them far in the playoffs against the top West teams.
Young Bowman just hit send on that 4×4
Sign the man! Quick!
Nice draw win and nice play by Nurse on that Roslovic goal.
I think Nurse was trying a wraparound. 🙂
Samanski with his first point on the face-off win?
Coaches don’t survive being on the wrong end of multiple home blowouts.
Lemaire would have pulled that trigger before xmas
Next shift, Marjala with a nice pass to Jarventie who crosses the line, dangles through two d-men, goes in alone and buries the 3-1.
Jarventie is HOT – some Beaty goals the last few games.
Jarvenite with a great stick in the natural zone to knock down a pass – he and Marjala pay catch on a 2 on 2 and Marjala rips home the 2-1 goal half way through the 2nd.
Lots of chances for the Oil but the continue to be primarily low. Put it upstairs.
Wallstedt impressive. Walman much less so. Let’s just meander behind the net for no good reason and leave the dangerous guy wide open in front. I think that may another regrettable contract.
Net/slot coverage continues to be a foreign concept for this team.
Obviously not prioritized by this coaching staff
Pitlick scoring was an easy pick for the bingo card.
Walman is horrendous currently.
Walman has been brutal all game
He’s been brutal for most of the season if we’re being honest
Coaching has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that anyone outside of the top 2 has struggled…
I’m not a fire-knob guy but, yes, I do think there are some deployment issues that effect individual play.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over Holland’s stupidity when he didn’t draft Wallstedt … at the time, everyone and and their dog knew the Oilers needed a goalie … and like manna from heaven a highly touted one fell into their laps … but Holland says “nah, I’m good” and goes on to draft an undersized winger from an inferior junior league, and a German D-man who isn’t even playing in North America anymore.
Wallstedt is going to haunt us for years to come.
former goalie Ken Holland [snort]
Wallstadt’s face mask looks to me like the Pilsener beer case…
How many rabbits can you find?
It should be noted that the oilers haven’t won 4 in a row all season.
Tonight is not their night … playing well, but can’t buy a goal.
Why doesn’t Nurse finish his check there?
A shooter should never be able to get his own rebound. Absolutely not if there is a defensman there, that dman must pick up the man going to the net, and in doing so, stop any ability to get to a rebound.
But Hughes gets his own rebound. It’s awful play and he’s not disrupted in any way. Nobody even moves into his lane to slow him down, (Nurse)
That is the Oilers defence. It’s not a mistake, it’s what they do. They refuse to pick up the man. .
I agree. While it was Jarry’s mea culpa, I blame Nurse for his usual lackadasical play. He absolutely has no awareness. Pea brain play as ever.
Beer league goalies don’t let that shot in
Are we Destined for 3rd Period Greatness 🏒🏒🏒🏒
I don’t think so,.
Outshoot them 17-7. Get outscored 3-0.
Part bad goaltending, part no finish. When will the Minnesota curse end?
I haven’t looked yet, but I’m sure Jarry’s numbers look pretty ghastly right now.
All things considered, not a badly played game by the Oilers, but the Wild are showing why they have been winning a lot so far this year. I don’t remember Hughes looking this good with the Dys. Wow.
Billy G has built a hell of a team. I don’t like this matchup in playoffs.
Keep your powder dry young Bowman
Ungar finally beat half way through the second, a tip of a point shot.
Currently with 40 saves on 41 shots nearing the end of the 2nd period.
1-1.
41 shots against before the end of the 2nd?!
And he’s stopped 40 of them?
I get that you don’t want to rush a guy. But he is on an unbelievably good run, across several teams and leagues. Clay Yesavage started the year in A ball, then started G6 of the World Series. Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy won Conn Smythes as NHL rookies (in Dryden’s case, before).
Nhlpa has done a good job with job security for its members that have been rewarded with nhl contracts. This works against any potential future members
I like that he’s made that many saves but I don’t like that he’s had to.
The Condors have 4 of their top 6 d-men out with injury.
Another game demonstrating that the coach has no control of the way the team plays, and if he does, it is a terrible system.
I think we can call agree that this Minnesota team is deep and we’re going to be a load, but there is a formula for success and this wasn’t it.
They started out strong 5v5, picked off a lot of passes for good chances, but then they settled into the same habits and thought they could run and gun, resulting in in both getting beat off the rush and allowing multiple free runs to the slot.
It’s not good enough. Bowness has turned CBJ around. It’s not too late. Now is the time to make a change
Ha 29 and 97 determine how this team plays. KK will not be the guy to break the stallions
Minnesota will get knocked out in the 1st round like they always do so no worry there.. we were clearly the better team today but Jarry wasn’t ready to play. He will be in the playoffs
I always wonder if you could choose would you rather the goal here to finish the second or to start the 3rd on the remaining PP?
You always want the goal.
Well obviously you want the team to score. I’m just wondering if the score is 5-3 at 30 sec into the 3rd would you rather have scored at the end of the 2nd or to have scored to open the 3rd. I imagine the momentum is better if you score in the 3rd.
I’m not saying you don’t try to score, but as a fan when a PP overlaps periods I think I’m hoping for a goal to start a new period.
I think you could also argue getting a late period goal is a good momentum boost going into intermission, coupled with how much teams hate being scored on at the end of a period.
Nice rush Lazar. Gotta get a pp goal to end the period here.
Would have been nice if that pull had come after the 4th goal. Sheesh.
The Oilers can’t buy a goal in this period.
Another poor goal on Jarry. Maybe I jinxed him with the first period complement
I’m not liking the chances for a comeback tonight or Jarrys play for that matter…
All goes back to that penalty by Hyman at the end of the first.
They had all the momentum.
Preposterous. Jarry sh*t the bed and laid a giant egg. This l9ss completely on him. The team was playing great and 3 garbage goals in a row.
Harry got hung out to dry by his teammates on the first and second and decided to pay them back on 4 and 5.
Collective fail on 3.
I’m willing to take a few crash the net penalties.
Better team tonight with significantly poor goaltending =loss
Yep that one not good either. Below the dot far side.
3 stoppable pucks.
3 stoppable pucks? 3 pucks that wouldn’t have gone if if the goalie was pulled