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G3 Oilers vs Sabres: McDavid takes flight |
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The Oilers are 2-0 to start the year and look to extend this to a three game winning streak against the Sabres. After warming up against the Flames, it is good to get out of the province and start getting back to basic, solid fundamental hockey.
To hear McLellan this morning you can tell that the coaching staff recognizes the two wins are nice, but not indicative of a team playing to the best of its capabilities. The head coach knows that the Oilers wont average 6 goals a game the whole season and the shots against need to be walked back. Friday night’s affair in Calgary started with a disastrous 1st period, outshot 24-12. It was one of the worst periods in recent memory for the Oilers, but they limited the Flames to just 11 shots over the next two periods.
Edmonton has had a problem when McDavid hasn’t been on the ice. With McDavid on the ice 5v5 the Oilers have 35 shot attempts for to 25 against, 58.3% CF. When he’s off the ice the Oilers have had 32 shot attempts for to 68 against, 32% CF. Put that into shots, that’s 22 shots for to 41 against with McDavid on the bench.
The wheels don’t fall off the bus without McDavid. There IS NO BUS without McDavid!
This has to change for the Oilers if they want to have success. It’s very early and hopefully that gets a quick correction in the coming weeks, but it’s an indication into how much of the weight McDavid’s line carries for the team. Edmonton can be a legitimately intimidating club if the 2nd and 3rd lines can start to push back on the opposition.
Edmonton is missing pieces down the right side of the forward lines and the Flames took advantage of the shifts where McDavid was catching his breath. That’s the recipe for success against Edmonton so far: Just try to contain McDavid for as little damage as possible and attack lines 2, 3, and 4.
Edmonton have duo’s in RNH & Pouliot and Draisaitl & Maroon on the 2nd and 3rd lines. These duos had success a year ago so it’s possible for things to turn around on their own, but Edmonton also had stronger players acting as the 3rd part of their lines a year ago. The Oilers are missing the Purcell and Yakupov type players this year to add depth. They need their own young players to emerge quickly or they need to go out and get these guys.
Great news for the Oilers though. Connor McDavid is a dynamo. This kid is capable of doing things on the ice I've never seen before. Never. His line is out chancing opponents 17-2 so far. The mind boggles. He vexes me. I am very vexed.
LINEUP
Hendricks out several weeks. Davidson is on IR. Caggiula is still MIA. McLellan mentioned a potential lineup change depending on what he saw from the Sabres after warm up. So someone might be sitting out.
Lucic McDavid Eberle
Pouliot RNH Kassian
Maroon Draisaitl Puljujarvi
Pitlick Letestu Slepyshev/Lander
Klefbom Larsson
Sekera Russell
Nurse Gryba
Talbot
Gustavsson
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Not A Line. This morning Todd McLellan had an availability with the press and when he was asked about his thoughts regarding the Nugent-Hopkins line he had this to say, “The line itself has not been a line. It’s been Nuge and Pou and rotating different wingers in and out of there.” He’s absolutely correct and he mentioned their numbers. That line hasn’t been effective getting onto the scoresheet or in the advanced metrics. It’s missing a right winger who complements the things RNH and Pouliot can do. Edmonton needs this line going if they are going to have sustained success.
2) Challenge The Blueline. If the genius of Connor McDavid is anything it’s how he challenges defenders to stop him. He doesn’t avoid rearguards when he goes around them. He goes right after them with the puck, practically begging them to stop him. In the last two games he made TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano look like very average defenders. They are not. No matter which defensive pairing the Sabres want to match against McDavid, one of Gorges, Bogosian, or Franson will be on the ice. I would suggest that one or all three are going to have a bad night this evening thanks to 97. Keeping up with him is next to impossible. Playing physical against him is something he challenges blueliners to do.
3) Wounded Animal. The Sabres lost two big cogs in their machinery when both Jack Eichel and Evander Kane went down to injury. Eichel’s ankle shattered under the weight of expectation to be McDavid’s peer and Kane’s ribs shattered on a nasty spill into the boards as he was chasing down a puck. That leaves Buffalo down a couple important members of the top 6, but they still have Reinhart and O’Reilly. The bane of Tim Hortons’ everywhere was Buffalo’s leading scorer and Reinhart is an up and coming talent. Neither should be underestimated.
Puck drops tonight at 5PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet One. Game On!
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Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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