This is the third meeting for Edmonton against the expansion Seattle Kraken. The expansion team had a record of 3-5-1 on November 1 in Edmonton, Oilers winning 5-2 on a big night (2-2-4) by Leon Draisaitl.
The second meeting was in Seattle, the Kraken winning 4-3 to run its record to 9-13-2, Edmonton falling to 16-6-0 in the December 3 contest.
Since that game, Edmonton (1-5-0) and the Kraken (1-3-1) have been floundering. This isn’t Ali vs. Frazier, this isn’t Bob Gibson vs. Juan Marichal, this isn’t Wayne Gretzky vs. Steve Kasper.
It’s an important game for both teams, though. The Oilers are a hurting unit, with Covid-19 sure to have an impact on the team’s structure and performance.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: 7 AHL trade targets that could immediately improve Oilers’ NHL forward depth
- DNB: How Stuart Skinner became Oilers’ ‘young goalie on the rise’
- Lowetide: Oilers still haven’t replaced Adam Larsson’s nasty edge and goal suppression ability
- DNB: Oilers’ 5-game losing streak highlights 5 glaring issues that need to be fixed
- Lowetide: If the losing continues will the Oilers make a coaching change?
- Lowetide: Oilers prospect Carter Savoie’s comparables, why he wasn’t selected for the world juniors
- Lowetide: Markus Niemelainen winning Oilers recall battle
- DNB: Ethan Bear is rising above and thinking big
- Lowetide: Tyson Barrie’s contract and skill set make his Oilers future uncertain
- Lowetide: Oilers may find inspiration from 1993-94 Detroit Red Wings
- DNB: Several Oilers issues coming to a head
- Jonathan Willis: Which Oilers are on track to make their countries’ 2022 Olympic hockey teams?
- Lowetide: Evan Bouchard’s first full NHL season a learning experience
- Lowetide: Analyzing Cody Ceci’s importance to the Edmonton Oilers and future deployment
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2021
- DNB: Brendan Perlini subscriber Q&A
- DNB: Oilers turn to Markus Niemelainen
- Lowetide: The Oilers won often in November, but is their roster built to keep winning this way?
- Lowetide: Is the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl even better than we think? A look at his stunning historic comparables
WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER
- At home to: PIT (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: SEA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- At home to: LAK, MIN, BOS, CAR, TOR, CBJ (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 1-5-0)
- On the road to: SEA (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: ANA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: LAK, SJS, CAL, STL, NJD (Expected 3-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 8-7-0, 16 points in 15 games
- Actual December results: 2-6-0, 2 points in 8 games
- Oilers in 2021-22: 17-11-0, 34 points in 28 games
I had this as a loss for Edmonton, so much has changed since the beginning of the month the mind boggles. The Anaheim game will be a massive test, Dallas Eakins has that team playing exceptional hockey. Winning tonight and running the December record to 3-6-0 is important.
COVID AND THE LINEUP
Edmonton’s Covid-19 list began Friday with coach Dave Tippett plus forwards Ryan McLeod and Devin Shore. By 10am, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was added to the list, and later, Duncan Keith.
Edmonton made a series of moves, with at least one more to come today before game time. The club recalled forwards Cooper Marody and Seth Griffith from the Bakersfield Condors, placed defenseman Markus Niemelainen on the IR and Kris Russell on LTIR.
The current roster shows just five healthy defensemen but Slater Koekkoek can be activated. There’s an outside chance Dmitri Samorukov could be recalled but that could have been done yesterday.
It’s also possible, though not a certainty, that Mike Smith could be activated in time for this evening’s game. I’m not sure of the cap moves that would make that possible. There’s a lot going on in the Oilers management offices. Here’s what I think we’ll see tonight:
- Warren Foegele-Connor McDavid-Jesse Puljujarvi
- Brendan Perlini-Leon Draisaitl-Kailer Yamamoto
- Zack Kassian-Derek Ryan-Kyle Turris
- Tyler Benson-Colton Sceviour-Seth Griffith/Cooper Marody
- Darnell Nurse-Evan Bouchard
- Slater Koekkoek-Cody Ceci
- William Lagesson-Tyson Barrie
- Mikko Koskinen (Stuart Skinner)
BIG NIGHT IN BAKERSFIELD
Raphael Lavoie was floundering and the boxcars were decidedly poor as he entered the last AHL game before Christmas. He went 2-3-5 last night and suddenly there’s a spark. Edmonton has a plethora of young scorers who will begin to arrive next season, but Lavoie is first in line and is a real scorer. The young man scored five goals in 19 games last season, he has two in 19 games this season. Last night was a big deal.
Ilya Konovalov was effective in net last night and has now recovered from his slow start. His SP for the season is .900, but .946 in December.
Philip Broberg scored last night, a great goal to run his AHL totals to 1-10-11 in 15 games. From what I’m reading on twitter, Edmonton was unable to recall him last night due to cap issues.
Can you believe Holland landed a top line winger that just needed to be given opportunity for a 3rd pairing defender.. Sheeeeesh
Hmmmmm… I believe we “may” have our Pisani = Foegele. Fingers crossed, that it proves to be true.
As i sip on my Empress 1908 gin & tonic, I’m thinking that this is a pretty satisfying victory. I know we just beat an expansion club and not the defending Stanley Cup champions, but given that we had 5 bodies out due to covid, a less than complete roster at puck drop, the sting of the 6 game losing streak still fresh, two terrible missed calls early (I no longer know what is boarding now) and the poor first goal given up, this is pretty sweet.
Empress is bells and whistles getting you to overpay for average gin, imo! Please try Sheringham’s seaside gin. It’s world-class local gin from Sooke! I always have a bottle cracked at home. It’s divine stuff.
You guys know Gin is merely a ploy for distilleries to bring in quick cash while their whisk(e)ys age for decades
Do the Oilers get extra standings points for this one?
As much as I hate Gio he seems like a pretty classy guy.
Evan Bouchard is a player.
Brown: “Foegele looks every comfortable playing on the first line. Very comfortable.”
Rob Brown: Benson’s best game. Marody and Griffith played well. Agrees with Reja that the ENer was a Come-to-God moment for Foggy.
I totally agree on Benson. The more he plays the more he is willing to make plays!
I’m in such a good mood I might not even fall asleep during the Xmas movie I promised to “watch.”
You don’t score on 100% of the shots you don’t take…
Somebody said that once. 😉
I like Jennifer she would make a good anchor.
I like her too😉
Hmmm. Take Foggy away from Ryan and guess what … he can score 🙂
Some of that is mind set from defending to playing to provide offence! You can see his confidence grow in real time which is fun to watch!
Skinner looks like Kayce Dutton on Yellowstone.
Better take Gio to the train station
Full value for this win tonight! Gritty effort led by guys not named McDrai, too. Count three goals scored in greasy areas by guys who need rewards! Happy for Foggy busting his ass and popping two! This type of effort has to be the norm for us to get to the promised land. Keep it simple, Stan. We’re goin streakin!!!
Gotta say it. Playing and winning a team game with Tippett out. Not a coincidence to have support players scoring last two games with different coach spreading out ice time.
Also covid.
I agree. Hey be noticed guys like Benson and Ryan more this game than any other. They were playing decent and rewarded with ice time. Not always the case with Tipps. He rides the top guys more.
I think they should run
FOGGY-MCD-JP
HYMAN-DRAI-RNH
PERLINI-MCLEOD-SCEVIOR
XXXX-RYAN-KASS
Guess I forgot Yam fry
mcdavid and drai double shifted with winger sets instead of the load up a line was the real winning play
I thought Yama had a really nice game tonight.
Well one huge key backcheck certainly helps.
Definitely. Happy for the kid.
I liked Sceviour as well. He will be good in the playoffs.
David Amber with a nice zinger on Bieksa. ‘Your lighting…Have you been taken hostage? Can you blink a couple of times to let us know if you are okay?’
Got him back for the “soft” comment in the second intermission.
Bieksa sounds like a great guy to have a beer with but you had better be prepared to verbally hack and slash. I’d down a pint with him.
Jack Micheals has regressed back to his radio days. When he started out his tv gig, he was fine and stuck to hockey, but now rambles and rambles about bacon and eggers and his high school wrestling days. Come on Jack, be better!
I liked the wrestling comment. It was pretty good given the McCann-Barrie match.
Jack enjoys talking about anything except the actual hockey game that’s taking place.
I have missed the last five games. Tonight was not a fortunate win – the Oilers were by far the better team despite being without four key players. Why? Coaching?
Keeping it simple. Lots of effort. Losing streak is over and the tension gone.
Keepin mind coaching has been blamed for poor starts and the Krak scored on their first shot on net.
FULL VALUE TONIGHT! Eat shit Giordano!
Man, what a game from the skeleton crew. Foegle, Skinner, Bouchard. Great performances. Character win. They needed that kind of win.
Shots 41-17 for those not in front of a television.
Jack: “Fewest shots against since 2017”
Would you have predicted that before puck drop?
That was actually one of their most complete games of the season. Well done!
Totally agree. Lotsa try and rewarded for going to the dirty areas.
Incredible win, with forwards 3-5 out and short-manned.
If the league breaks this will be a good vibe to pause on.
Gutsy, gritty, solid effort tonight.
Well done!
McDavid scores EN. A well-deserved victory tonight. Excellent forecheck. Hats off to all the condors.
Yes, that was enjoyable. Would’ve like to have seen Marody be more assertive, but that was a fine effort all around, including lesser lights like Koekkoek
Great effort by Ceci after turning it over.
Kassian and McDavid too obv.
Kassian was flying the zone, leaving Ceci no safe option along the boards. So Ceci has to play “hero” to get the puck to the blueline, while Kassian stands there doing nothing.
Ceci pretty much literally has to hand Kassian the puck because Kassian did eff all after the faceoff.
So selfish.
Just kidding!
lol
Surprised McDavid didn’t let Drai finish that off.
He saw how it worked out for Foggy. All started with an empty netter!
Ceci deserved that apple.
BOOM!!! Gut check win!!! Suck it Gio!!!
I don’t think duress means what Michaels thinks it means.
fun game.
That’s a big win for this team
A good one too
That’s nice to see.
Quality game.
Kassian? OK, then.
Well, he made a strong play on the boards there.
Interesting that Gully chose Kass and Sceviour over Foggy
Man, I wish Skins woulda took a shot there!
Is Ceci drunk?
back catcher would not be happy with that throw from the outfield
Drunk on victory.
Are they cloning goalies?
Nurse has been very solid tonight.
yams thought twice about taking a penalty on that backtrack
Note: Gully does NOT go McDavid/Drai on the 4 on 4 here and I approve.
lol
enjoyed that
Good Stuff, Barrie! Don’t take any shit!!!
McCann and Barrie having a little Christmas hug.
Ice Keeper Willy vanquishes the evil Tanev
Lagesson creamed Tanev with a hard hip check into the boards. Clean hit.
It’s almost Leon and Foegele time.
Good play by Laggs to go straight body on that play. Hope Tanev isn’t hurt
Just kidding! I don’t care! lol Good hot, Laggs! Hit of the game!
Nice hit by Wild Bill. Oilers need more of that.
Oilers deserve a regulation win tonight…. its been domination, in particular this 3rd period.
Now – finish it off boys!
I really like the direct play of this line up
Gio’s usually better at pushing players into other things.