Jeckyll, meet Hyde. Or is the other way around? No matter, we saw the Oilers alter-ego tonight at Rexall Place. I'm on my way out the door tonight, so this recap will be an extended version of quick-hits!
- Jussi Markkanen was phenomenal in goal tonight. The Oilers flat out lose that game if he doesn't keep them in it in the 2nd period.
- Is there a word more strong than 'dominant' to describe the Smyth, Horcoff and Hemsky line tonight? They put on a performance that the Oilers hadn't seen from a line in a long time. Hemsky looked like he was flying tonight and hopefully this was the first step into him hitting his stride down the stretch.
- Steve Staios came back with a lot of confidence in his game. Still a tad rusty, but really great to have him back.
- Zach Stortini didn't play a lot but for a newbie he fits right in out there.
- Still too much penalty trouble.
- The New York Rangers had a scouting presence in the press box tonight. Not sure if they were scouting the Kings or Oilers, though.
Ultimately this wasn't the complete 60 minute performance the Oilers had hoped for, but it was a solid step in the right direction. We've seen this before, though. The true test this time will be to take another step forward without taking one back.
Join the Discussion:
»