Oilers at Bruins, Game 66 2022-23

The Edmonton Oilers have played four games since the trade deadline and things are looking much better on defense. Mattias Ekholm’s calm feet, mobility and passing ability has been a Godsend for the second pairing and that has rippled all down the line. How good are the numbers? Very good.

THE ATHLETIC!

• New Lowetide: How unique is Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins career season?
• DNB: Connor McDavid’s importance to the Oilers keeps showing no bounds
• Lowetide: Oilers finally commit to Evan Bouchard. How much will it cost?
• Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers prospect Tyler Tullio is outplaying the high picks
• DNB: Why more vintage Kailer Yamamoto outings could solve Oilers’ right wing woes
• 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
• Lowetide: Oilers’ mediocre February shows importance of protecting the puck
• 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 1-1-0)
• 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: 3-1-0, 6 points in four 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: 35-22-8, 78 points in 65 games

It’s so difficult to make up any ground in the Bettman NHL. In Edmonton’s last 10 games, the team’s record is 5-3-2 (12 points). The clubs they are chasing down had 14 points (Seattle, Vegas) or 15 points (Los Angeles).

THE BLUE IN THE LAST FOUR

Notice the time-on-ice numbers, and how much Mattias Ekholm has impacted the game. He may well be running luck in goal share but his ability to stand up at the blue line, retrieve the puck cleanly, and send it to daylight with tape-to-tape passes is absolute music! The other impact is on all of the other blue. When players who have been deployeed too much (Nurse has seen his ice time reduced by almost one minute in the discipline), or too high in the batting order (Kulak), finally land where they belong, more music! Absolute home run addition.

EVANDER KANE

Evander Kane was practicing on a line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman at Boston University yesterday. Looks like Mark Spector’s item a few days ago is true and it should be another big boost for the team.

Ken Holland took some heat online before the Ekholm and Nick Bjugstadt trades when he said Kane’s return would be like a trade deadline pickup. Not sure why he took the heat, general managers have been saying that for years, partly because it’s true.

One thing I’m looking forward to is seeing where Kane lands full time when all is set. Last season he played about 10 minutes a night with McDavid and the two men outscored opponents 30-17 (64 percent). This season has been injury-plagued for Kane, so the time together (147 minutes) and the results (4-9 goals, 31 percent) are not strong.

Meanwhile, McDavid-Hyman have outscored opponents 48-30 (62 percent) and that may be a pairing the coaching staff would like to keep. I suspect Kane will check down to Draisaitl, with Nuge moving up to the McDavid line, as the team will want two strong lines at the top of the order. It’ll all come out in the wash in the days to come.

CONDORS KIDS ARE FIRING ON ALL PISTONS

Oh doctor! They’re coming on strong now. I swear to GOD the post-Christmas results are almost always majestic for young players pushing for the NHL. Raphael Lavoie has now scored 20 goals (in 44 games) and his boxcars (20-14-34) rank him No. 2 in Bakersfield among forwards in points-per-game. His NHLE is now 31, and as you know anything north of 30 is ‘in the range’ for NHL recall (especially among prospects). He’s unlikely to see the NHL this season but next year is a good bet. Here are the numbers for Edmonton’s skill kids post-Christmas:

1. Raphael Lavoie 29 games, 17-12-29 (1.00)
2. Tyler Tullio 29 games, 9-9-18 (.62)
3. Xavier Bourgault 29 games, 5-11-16 (.55)
4. Carter Savoie 17 games, 5-1-6 (.35)

Bourgault is 3-7-10 in his last 10 and as you can see Lavoie is on fire. His goal last night was an NHL goal scored in the AHL. Lavoie was always going to be an all-or-nothing type prospect but his skill made him worth the risk. I had him as a first-round talent, and believe now, today, he will have an NHL career. I know this isn’t a “saw him good” blog and that’s not my approach, but lord in heaven I got the vapors when viewing the play.

FRIEDMAN

Elliotte Friedman has a new thoughts article up, I didn’t quote anything here but will tomorrow. This is in keeping with my 24-hour policy discussing work by others. You are welcome to chat about it in the comments section, but please click on the link and read the piece. Friedman spends his days and nights uncovering, the least we can do is click and read. Thanks!

LOWETIDE AND JAMIESON

A busy day on TSN1260, 10-2. We’ll preview a huge Oilers game in Boston, talk about the Jays, Aaron Rodgers possibly heading to Gotham and more! 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. Kick out the jams!