The Oilers take on the Florida Panthers tonight in a match up that once again Edmonton wants to win to prevent the Ducks from pulling too far ahead for 1st in the Pacific. (The Ducks are at 59 points and have played 1 extra game. Edmonton can get to 57 with a win). The Panthers just played last night in Calgary, leaving the door open for the Oilers to exert some pressure on a tired club.
The Oilers have won three in a row and look to make it 4. The Schedule for the Oilers is a bit odd after tonight. They will face Nashville and Calgary on back to back nights, get 3 days off, play Anaheim and San Jose in back to back nights, then get 4 days off. So the league has packed a lot of hockey in a very short amount of time for the club then immediately gives the group a rest.
One of the things that we should look out for is how McLellan handles the back to backs and his goaltenders. Gustavsson was jettisoned and Brossoit will get his shot, but 3 of 4 games in the back to backs are against Division rivals. I would expect Brossoit to start against the Predators to save Talbot for the 4 point game against the Flames.
It’s important to note that while Brossoit is probably better than Gustavsson, we don’t know by how much. He was having a poor year in the AHL and is here because the team doesn’t have other options. I don’t think the confidence level in this player should be there right now and I certainly don’t hold out hope that “maybe he’s better in the NHL than the AHL.” I really don’t think that’s how it works for goalies.
***
Kevin Shattenkirk’s name has come up again recently in conversation about trade rumours. The right shot defender has been a Power Play performer for years and represents everything the Oiler need in terms of a puck moving blueliner.
As Elliotte Friedman notes in his
30 Thoughts, the Oilers already tried to get their hands on Shattenkirk but he didn’t want to sign with the team long term. That killed any potential deal. Who knows what kind of trade might have gone down if he had said yes, but the Blues appear to be willing to move him now and get something instead of losing him as a free agent. Edmonton, I’ve been arguing for a long time, needs what Shattenkirk delivers. There may be a fit again.
The problem with Shattenkirk is that he’s a rental. The Oilers cant give up a 1st rounder for a rental player and they aren’t trading core pieces either. Now they could deal a conditional 1st (2018) based on him re-signing with the Oilers and there could be some other prospects thrown in too. However, because of the expansion draft, the Oilers cant afford to re-sign Shattenkirk (or any other defender) until after the draft goes down or they have to risk exposing another quality defenseman. So the Oilers (and a lot of teams) are handcuffed by this ridiculous expansion.
When it comes to Power Play points by defensemen, Kevin Shattenkirk is 3rd in the NHL in 5v4 Points per 60 minutes with 6.42 P/60 (minimum 50 minutes played). He’s number 1 in the NHL by that same metric over the last 3 years. He would be a huge boost to any team’s Power Play. In terms of possession, he’s tied for 1st in shot attempt ratios for the Blues’ regular defenders. This guy can play and would be an interesting addition to Edmonton’s top 4.
The question for Edmonton is “Has Shattenkirk changed his mind?” If this player looks at Edmonton today: new arena, McDavid, already a better club than has been for a decade, and can see himself living and playing here long term then the Oilers should pursue this option. If Shattenkirk still only sees Edmonton as a short term destination then I think the price for this rental will probably be too high.
Still, I’m dreaming about this top 6:
Sekera Shattenkirk
Klefbom Larsson
Nurse Benning
LINEUP
Why change it?
Maroon McDavid Draisaitl
Pouliot RNH Eberle
Lucic Caggiula Slepyshev
Khaira Letestu Kassian
Klefbom Larsson
Sekera Russell
Davidson Benning
Talbot
Brossoit
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Cursed. Jordan Eberle is a cursed man. This became apparent against the Coyotes when not only was he stoned on a breakaway attempt that had no business being stopped, but he even took a penalty for nudging the goalie after shooting. What a nightmare. He hasn’t scored in 18 straight games, which for him must feel like an eternity. I think he’s playing well right now, along with that whole line. The goals have to coming. We’re watching someone play his way out of a funk. First there will be no goals even when he deserves some. Then they will come. He has 8 goals on 115 shots. He’s shooting 7% as a career 13.4% shooter. He didn’t forget how to play hockey. The curse will be lifted.
2) Keep Punching. The Panthers just got the snot kicked out of them last night after being up 2-1 at one point and losing 5-2. From about halfwat through the 1st period the Flames dominated Florida and didn’t let up until there were about 10 minutes left in the 3rd and the game was essentially over. Edmonton needs to sense blood in the water and attack. The team has been attacking well since the start of the new year and this is a test. They didn’t have a let-down against the Coyotes and now with the Panthers they have the same task. The Panthers aren’t nearly as awful as the Coyotes so I doubt they will fold like Arizona did, but a few early goals might get the visiting team thinking about the next game instead of the one they’re in.
3) Ekblad, Ekblorse, Ekblorst. Aaron Ekblad is the Panthers’ leading receiver of ice time but the former 1st overall pick is not having the kind of year either he or the club was hoping for. Right now he’s on pace for just 23 points, a career low for the 6’4” defender who had 39 and 36 points in his first two seasons. This just goes to show that defensemen don’t develop in a straight line. Ekblad has had concussion issues in the past, including one sustained after a collision with Matt Hendricks. How that has affected his development remains to be seen. The Oilers should be pushing the Panther defender as far as they possibly can to test what he can do right now.
Puck drops tonight at 7:30 PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet One. Game On!
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