It’s a good thing the Edmonton Oilers signed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back in the summer of 2021. If he was headed to free agency this summer, one suspects the Seattle Kraken or Vancouver Canucks would outbid for his services. Nuge is having a career year at age 29, which is a rare feat. His boxcars (30-47-77) are all career highs and he has almost 20 games left to contribute to those numbers.
Nuge has always been a favourite, I used to worry that Peter Chiarelli wouldn’t recognize his annual flu-ridden dip in production and trade him for the center verson of Brandoon Manning. He never did, and Oilers fans can delight in his 200-foot brilliance. On a team that boasts the impossible, Nuge is merely improbable. The quiet man’s brilliance is a joy for Oilers fans.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New DNB: Why more vintage Kailer Yamamoto outings could solve Oilers’ right wing woes
- New DNB: Why the playoff lineup should be even better than last year
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers spring signing season preview
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto and the balance between value contract and injury risk
- DNB: Why Mattias Ekholm is a big addition for an Oilers team that needs to win now
- DNB: Oilers trading Jesse Puljujarvi was an unavoidable and necessary solution
- Lowetide: Oilers’ mediocre February shows importance of protecting the puck
- DNB: Connor McDavid records his first career 50-goal season
- DNB: Inside Brad Holland’s scouting process
- DNB: Oilers captain Connor McDavid surpasses 800 career points
- Lowetide: Revisiting Oilers’ choice of Philip Broberg at the 2019 NHL Draft
- DNB: The Ben Stelter Fund is a legacy his family, Connor McDavid and the Oilers will proudly carry
- Lowetide: Will Oilers prospect Phil Kemp have an NHL career?
- Lowetide: Oilers prospect Raphael Lavoie turns a corner, now NHL-ready
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2022
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FEBRUARY
- At home to: TOR, WPG (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- On the road to: WPG, BUF, BOS, TOR (Expected 2-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: OTT, DAL (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: SEA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: SJS, ARI, VGK (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: ARI, VGK (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: LAK (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- March expected result: 9-6-0, 18 points in 15 games
- March actual result: 2-0-0, 4 points in two games
- February actual result: 4-3-4, 12 points in 11 games
- January actual result: 8-2-2, 18 points in 12 games
- December results: 7-6-2, 16 points in 15 games
- November results: 7-7-0, 14 points in 14 games
- October results: 6-3-0, 12 points in 9 games
- Oilers in 2022-23: 34-21-8, 76 points in 63 games
Edmonton is on pace for 99 points, and if the season ended today would face the Dallas Stars. The Stars are the only team in the Western Conference with a superior goal differential, so it behooves Edmonton to roll up the wins during this month in order to push past the Seattle Kraken, Los Angeles Kings and possibly Vegas Golden Knights. The playoffs seem secure, Edmonton up nine points on Calgary (although the Flames do have a game in hand) and the top eight teams in the west appear to be home and dry. The seeding is important.
DEFENSE AND GOALTENDING
Darnell Nurse had a fine game, his minutes are going down and quality of play is rising. I noticed Woodcroft deployed him with Mattias Ekholm late in the period, interesting strategy Jason Gregor mentioned could happen during the TSN1260 trade deadline show yesterday. Ekholm has played two games and at five-on-five the on-ice numbers with the two big centers (isolated, so excluding 97-29 time together) are close: 2-0 goals in 9:42 with McDavid, and 2-0 goals in 13:04 with Draisaitl. In 31:43 at five-on-five overall, Ekholm is 4-0 goals. Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak played well in defensive roles.
Vincent Desharnais got beaten wide a couple of times and gave the puck away on the Mark Scheifele goal. He also moved like a bat out of hell to get back on a jailbreak, showing exceptional speed for a man his size. Philip Broberg got beaten and recovered a couple of times, the GA at five-on-five was a clumsy play by he and other Oilers. Evan Bouchard looked good to my eye, if he plays that well tonight I suspect the boxcar Gods will bless him.
FORWARDS
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opened the tickle trunk and used all of the brilliant elements of his game last night. A strong back check results in his getting stick on puck and turning things over. He sent a gorgeous pass to Kailer Yamamoto for his breakaway goal. He sniped short side with a strong shot (biggest reason for his improvement is that wicked release) and then finished off a 29-97-93 goal that ranks among the most beautiful in memory. He didn’t fill it up, check the oil, wipe the windows, but did everything else on this night. As an admitted Nuge fan, that game, in my opinion, is among his very best. The numbers shine like a diamond.
Leon Draisaitl made a backhand blind through the legs pass that called on all the Gods on the Nuge goal mentioned above. He is 3-1 goals this month at five-on-five. It’s just two games but also a big win for a man who has been inconsistent this year. By month, his five-on-five goal shares are: 6-6 in October; 14-16 in November; 12-11 in December; 12-9 in January; 6-13 in February and now 3-1 goals in March. I know many of you are not fans of Kailer Yamamoto, but 29-Yamo are 10-6 this season without McDavid and if that works it’s a big damn deal.
Connor McDavid didn’t score and that’s breaking news, but his work was all over the victory against Winnipeg. He did have six shots on goal, two of them high danger, but it was his passing that won the day on this night. Enjoy him, he is a sledgehammer with the Midas touch.
Kailer Yamamoto had a strong game and is enjoying a nice run now that he’s back, healthy and in the swing of things. He’s important to the team, because once past the big four (97, 29, 93, 18) the offense falls off, right? Well, not so fast. Here are the Oilers current forwards and their five-on-five points-per-60 for the 2022-23 season:
- Connor McDavid 2.72
- Zach Hyman 2.61
- Klim Kostin 2.26
- Leon Draisaitl 2.10
- Evander Kane 2.10
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1.93
- Warren Foegele 1.84
- Kailer Yamamoto 1.67
- Ryan McLeod 1.67
- Nick Bjugstadt 1.52 (with Coyotes)
- Mattias Janmark 1.48
- Derek Ryan 1.44
- Dylan Holloway 1.20
- Devin Shore 1.02
Yamamoto and a healthy Kane will be key, but there’s also Kostin and who knows if Nick Bjugstadt develops chem with one of the skill centers he could be the second coming of Patrick Maroon. It isn’t crazy. Oh, and one more thing: I keep reading that Kostin’s offense will step into the elevator shaft, and I can read his shooting percentage (22.7!) and know what it means. I also know that before he arrived in Edmonton, his five-on-five pts-60 was 1.58. He’s running hot and luck will leave Klim Kostin just like a bullet leaves a gun (according to Tom Waits), but offensively he isn’t miles from Yamamoto or Jesse Puljujarvi in my opinion.
Woodguy uncovered the unholy alliance that is Draisaitl-Ceci a few days ago, and looked at the Draisaitl-Eklholm combination in this tweet. Early days of course, but it shows the coaching staff sees the issue and also shows Ekholm has had the desired impact early early early.
Video evidence of Määttä’s goal. Begins at 2:56.
Just a long ass day yesterday and I needed to catch up on the Condors’ third period this morning. Some great pressure on an early 3rd period PP, Philp fishes the puck out of a scramble and, from below the goal line, sets up Gildon in the high slot who makes it 4-1.
Condors due blow the lead and it heads to OT where Pickard channels a bit of Mike Smith and, instead of covering puck off a scramble, pushes it ahead and sends Griffith in all alone who buries the winner.
Younger Oilers fans:
Heark! I am an old fan, who honed my teeth on the 1984-1990 Dynasty.
These current Oilers win games in style, then lose a game or sometimes 2 games.
The old time Dynasty oilers regularly lost games. As soon as they won the first cup, they became a machine. .
This team is going to win Stanley sometime in the next 3 years. Book it.
Oilers have won two Stanley Cups since their last division title. They treat the regular season like lab time. Just get in.
Only 2 back to backs left. Campbell gets those and maybe 1 more (Leafs?). 2-3 more for Campbell and the rest of the regular season games should go to Skinner. Then pray Skinner stays healthy in the playoffs. Otherwise, I’m sure they have Matt Berlin’s dorm room number handy.
So: overplay Skinner now, to ensure he’s healthy and at peak performance when you really need him. 👌
Side with a great post below on Jack Campbell.
God awful performance.
I mean absolutely wrecked a dominant Drai performance
Kings score late on the PP and seal it with an empty netter 4-2
The out of town scoreboard giveth, then taketh away
3-0 final MIN over Calgary
a chorus of boos at the end, although they might have been chanting Lucic LOL
Don’t think anyone has mentioned this but Elliotte bwteen periods said the Oilers made a legit offer for Timo Meier. Were going to figure out what to do next (sign, flip etc) when the summer came, but they wanted him for the playoffs.
Followed up with also Zack MacEwan was an interest
asked yesterday what oilers would look like without Ekholm; guess those were other options
Meier trade was as convoluted as could be not sure what Oiler equivalency must be but Ill take the easy way out saying fans would’ve hated the pay for rental anyhow
not gonna find equivalent AHL guys prob kemp kesslering but trade is complicated
but like mcleod (zetterlund), someone worth mukhamadullin, 1st and 2nd for a rental of meier
seems like an overpay by NJD when their window is pretty wide open for years
Now I’ll add there is no reference to timing. Meier was known to be on the market for a long time so we don’t know if the org’s preference would’ve been Ekholm or not.
But I do like the thinking. That’s a move that has an escape route. Can recoup a pick or two if you can’t find the cap and he doesn’t want to sign cheaper with a contender (playoff success obviously determines how this all goes).
Wild are as good as anyone at winning games 1-0. Still wish they had an insurance goal.
LA up 2-1 and in full control so far.
Lavoie returns the favour from last night to Bourgault – this team Lavoie feeds Bourgault on the 2 on 1 and he buries it.
It bounced around and off Bourgault and in, not as pretty as the goal last night but its 3-1 Condors.
We all know Lavoie’s a wild card in your opinion does Bourgault have the ability to score 20?
I’m not watching, but Bakersfield now up 3-1 on the Ontario Reign with about 5 minutes to go in the 2nd.
Esposito scored in the 1st, and now Bourgault (his 13th) has scored from Lavoie and Kemp.
2/3 of a French connection line in Bakersfield. No idea if it was a nice goal or not.
MIN up 1-0 on Calgary thru the 1st period
Go Minny, break their hearts!
It’s probably just me, but the pre-game ceremonies/anthems/social causes/land acknowledgements/fat old man jersey retirements have become unbearable. Get rid of all of them and let me have an escape from my shitty life/the depressing world. If you tell me the game starts at 5 drop the puck at 5. Rant over.
You don’t really sound like a rabbi…
I’m not trying to be rude, and I fully support the social causes they promote. But I don’t understand why before you are able to watch a sporting event, you need to sit through nationalism, social education or politics. When did this become the norm? Yet before you watch a movie on Netflix they don’t ask you remove your hat and stand in respect of the flag?
We could get into the why, but this isn’t the place. You are not alone, and thank you for your honest feelings, but the “why” part is kinda off-limits.
Just was not expecting to hear a rabbi swearing, talking about how much their life sucks, and complaining about social causes undertaken by others.
I don’t know a lot of rabbis though, so perhaps this is more normal than I realize.
I grew up in a very long ago decade.
It was so long ago that St Albert still had about 80-100 pioneer farm cabins/shacks left over with diverse peoples living inside of them.
Today we live in a Totalitarian State.
I’m with you, rabbi.
Do all the pre-game stuff off-camera, then drop the puck at the specified starting time.
And while we’re ranting, did you notice that when the Leafs come to town the games start at 6 pm, but any other team and the start time is 8 or 8:30 pm?
There shouldn’t be any 8 pm start times… ever.
Veterans making hay for the Condors.
After a long possession shift, Hamblin back to Darien Keilb, a seeing eye shot from the side boards with tons of traffic is tipped in by Esposito.
2-1 Condors after 1.
Little disappointed no one asked Woodcroft abut Kostin. Good reporting guys.
Summarizing!
Jake Chiasson finished with the eventual GWG and an assist in a 5-1 victory. He was named 1st star.
Joel Määttä scored the only goal in a 4-1 loss. (It was allegedly an end-to-end special, but finding video evidence thereof has proven fruitless.)
No soup for Lachance in a loss.
Münzenberger was once again a scratch.
Just saw the highlights. There’s some bad luck in there for Campbell with deflections and screens, but there’s at least 1 goal per game now that you should only see go in maybe once every 10 games on an average NHL goalie.
His reactions after goals are of desparation
He’s unplayable at this level at this point. I thought we knew that 2 weeks ago though.
It’s as if he’s flinching on shots – or maybe it’s guessing. Instead of making himself bigger, Campbell makes himself smaller when there’s traffic in front. Certainly some bad luck but is involved but he’s struggling on many levels.
Campbell needs to be sent to the AHL to try to play himself into form. Oilers have wasted enough points this year waiting for that to happen.
Recall they are not actually wasting points with Campbell in net, as poor as he has been.
(points% with Campbell .633; points % with Skinner .559)
can still win more than not and still waste points
I hope someone does a deep dive of goal support given to campbell vs skinner
Poor play by a Reign player on the defensive half board allows McKegg to set up Bailey on a breakaway from his own blue line which he buries – damn he’s fast in a straight line.
Justin Bailey breakaway goal. He might see NHL action later in the regular season.
If, you know, we can just get on with putting the playoffs to bed. Be nice if the team could buy some up-and-comers a couple cups of coffee with some consistent on-ice success.
We’d need to send guys down to do that and there are only 4 call ups permitted now.
I know. I only have two in mind. And I wouldn’t do them at the same time.
I’d like to see it. My choices would be Lavoie and Bailey, sending down Devin Shore both times.
The Nurse chasing players thing everywhere sucks. Especially up to the point
Can’t they do normal rotation?
“Sid
@NHL_Sid
Ever since 2007, no Oilers goaltender with over 10 GP+ has a lower save percentage than Jack Campbell. That includes every single goaltender that played for the Oilers in the decade of darkness.
Does the defence magically become worse than the DoD Oilers in front of Campbell?
6:47 PM · Mar 4, 2023”
https://twitter.com/nhl_sid/status/1632196132251262979?s=46&t=dIPkcHqv6_HaUpKzPYgwGg
YIKES
You can send Campbell down for a conditioning stint without it being a referendum on his contract. He’s signed for four more years. He’s playing next year, no question. But that doesn’t preclude a short break in the minors.
Sending your expensive starting goaltender to the minors is tantamount to punting on the season.
The Oilers are a Skinner injury away from disaster and you can bet the competition is very aware of it.
Serious question. When LA sent Peterson to the farm, were they punting on their season?
The Condors have put 3 passed Peterson on 18 shots tonight through 2.
And he has a .914 save % in the AHL (right about where Pickard is – .913). Copely is rocking an .899 in LA. If Pickard could give the Oilers a .899% I think we’d take that, no?
We have a very good team.
I Don’t like losing, but if there’s one positive takeaway from the B2B’s, it’s…
in one game we made them look foolish, in the other we kept right on their tails, just couldn’t get the ultimate result.
It’s not all on Campbell. Just wish he could stop the ones he’s supposed to stop… stop the ones he can see.
Weird game. We sucked. Campbell sucked. And the Jets sucked. The five-alarm giveaways by the Jets in their dzone was shocking.
The Oilers goalie coach has had a good run but, time to move on.
He’s outlasted Queen Elizabeth the man is untouchable.
Looking at the schedule – I don’t think we need to play the backup until the ARZ games at the end of the month if we wanted to give the net to Stu. Even the first ARZ game is optional – the 2nd one a B2B.
Given the schedule – I’d ask Campbell to go to BAK for a 2 week conditioning loan to try get his junk together. He’s a hot mess and Picard is playing OK and can sit on the bench just as well.
Accountability at some point
Yes he didn’t give himself the overpay, but he signed it and can’t honour it
No lack of opportunity
There is no avenue to a true conditioning loan – he’s not eligible for a Section 13.8 or Section 13.9 loan.
Of course, they could just waive him and send him.
Well they can’t really waive Campbell so I guess they just ride Stu this month. Not a bad idea really as he hasn’t been overworked. He only played 2 games between Jan 9 and Feb 9 and the schedule this month is not bad with lots of home games.
Why can’t they waive Campbell?
T Barrie with a goal for NSH
It’s a shame that “leaky” Mikko has already been used as a nickname.
Leaky Campbell Soup is more fitting.
Pourous
Cheese, Leak and Potato
Was going to at sieve, but sieves actually stop things.
Sieves let all the soft stuff through … just like Campbell.
Great push in the third but looked like the guys were gassed. Legs were good but hands weren’t.
5 goals should win you most games.
Soup sunk us, again…
Its Skinners net now. If I see soupy again it better be in a d2d…
Hellebuyck was nearly as bad as JC.
Is this not Edmontons third game in 4, second of a back to back?
Pretty decent effort if so, also explains the myriad of brainfarts.
Not the mostly goalie’s
Send Campbell to the AHL and recall Pickard. Run with Skinner moving forward, let Campbell play his way out of this slump in the AHL so we aren’t pissing away points and further cratering Jack’s confidence
I said the same thing but my comment disappeared. Stu can play every game for the next 2 weeks given the schedule. We don’t need the backup until the the of the month with the ARZ game at the front end of a B2B. Send Campbell on a 2 week conditioning loan and let the team form around Stu. Pickard can sit on the bench just as well and maybe Campbell can get his junk together.
Campbell as the big contract piece going back to SJS in a Karlsson trade this summer might happen.
Nothing worse than a Piunk goal
Hrudey sucks
CANNOT rely on the PP to win games. They don’t yet have the 80’s level mindfulness. They seem to get tight and it goes south. Same thing last playoffs
.
Silver lining. Bouch 3 apples and led D in overall TOI and TOI at evens. Looked like top 4 guy tonight.
Back to Skinner for the foreseeable,
I just don’t feel like Campbell is making the most of his opportunities
“I just don’t feel like Campbell is making the most of his opportunities”
understatement of the night
That was one of those games. Not a single bounce going to the Oil.
Jets win has to come from hard hitting game. Oil will need their hitters in the line up.
Bad game but Oil are a better team 9/10 times.
Not sure why they left Kostin off the ice tonight in favour of Shore … Kostin’s aggressiveness was missed tonight.
5 on Hellebucyk, you should win
Everything considered, this is 100% truth. When you get 5 goals against a top 5 goaler in the NHL…
Jack Campbell is the ONLY thing wrong with the Oilers.
Anyone but Jack!
Anyone but Jack!
Fkn Jack Campbell. . .
That was quite the game.
Shitty tending aside (combined with loose play in the middle of the game), the Oilers came in absolutely waves all third period.
If Woody would stop starting that useless plus the Oilers would be running away with the division.
The biggest thing all of the media isn’t doing is hounding Jack out of town. I’m dead serious on this. He’s beyond useless, someone waive him for the love of god just waive him.
He’s killing this team it fucking embarrassing
Im sure Spec will be right on that
Agreed. This is right in Spec’s wheelhouse.
I also don’t care about the cost but get out from under this donkey’s contract.
Its more toxic than James Neal.
And created few quality chances as I saw
As always we hoped….. Yada yada
I don’t know how one could watch that 3rd period and not think the Oilers had a number of high end chances – that’s a wild opinion in my mind. For what its worth, NST had HD Coris at 10-1 in the 3rd period.
well on the bright side,
oilers are scoring like it’s the 80s
downside Campbell playing in net like it is
Helly with a hell of a 5 GA game
Well, we had a great 3rd, but did not deserve this one.
Drai taken by surprise by that pass?
just looked gassed
ah Debrusk with the replay thank you
Bouncing puck, pass across from 97 was deflected.
nice hustle by nurse there to break up a 2-1
Nurse is not a slow man
Keep coming
that’s how you battle. wow. Hard shift
Barrie looking at the out of town scoreboard. “Campbell must be starting.”
Oil getting their chances. Will get more too. Just have to keep Jets from getting one more.
Alex Peters is having a break out year.