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Victory! Oilers Finally Find the Win Column

October 21, 2014, 1:58 AM ET [161 Comments]
Ryan Garner
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The final seconds ticked off the clock and I didn’t know how to react. It had been such a long time, with wins so few and far between, I honestly didn’t know what to do at the end of the Edmonton Oilers’ 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. How do you react? I’m accustomed to anger, frustration, and gentle cursing under my breath, mumbling to myself for a while before trailing off in dejected silence. Monday night I just soaked in the sweet relief and smiled in appreciation of a strong team effort.

It’s no time for negatives, so we can save all the discussion of Nail Yakupov’s ice-time (a team-low 10:47) or David Perron’s play (absolutely horrendous) for another day. Tonight, it’s all about the W. I was especially impressed with the penalty kill—tested twice in the first period—utilizing an aggressive gameplan that kept Tampa from getting established. Jeff Petry was terrific on the man disadvantage, hounding the puck-carrier and clearing the zone effectively. Keeping the Lightning off the board early was huge.

All night long, it seemed the Oilers defencemen had active sticks that disrupted Tampa’s rhythm. Standing up to the play at the blueline, pokechecking the puck to stifle the rush, sweeping passes away from their target, or pinning forwards deep along the boards, Edmonton defenders had their best game of the season. As a result, the Lightning only managed 24 shots on goal. Plus, Ben Scrivens was allowed to see shots clearly, which helped him carry over his strong play from Friday night against Vancouver.

The third period is where games are most often won and lost, and it offered the most encouraging signs during the Oilers’ victory. Edmonton kept up the attack, rather than just pulling back and trying to sit on their one-goal lead. Even after Tampa evened the score, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins responded less than three minutes later, converting on the wrist shot that looked so lethal in the preseason. The equalizer could have crippled Edmonton’s confidence, sparking the death spiral, but the team’s best players responded.

Dallas Eakins’ postgame press conference took on a celebratory tone, and the positives he pointed out didn’t ring hollow the way they do after a one-sided defeat. It was a welcome change. Eakins had to be the happiest person in the building afterward, securing employment for another day and coming back to work tomorrow without a goose egg in the win column. His comments on a variety of topics help tell the story of Monday’s game, and give us some indication of where the team is headed going forward.

On the Hendricks-Gordon-Joensuu line: “They’re playing well and they’re taking minutes. Those guys have been able to give us some confidence in our game. We’ve been real impressed with them up to this time, and they’ve done some heavy lifting for us.”

To my eye, Matt Hendricks and Boyd Gordon are really making this line effective, grinding down the opposition and poaching minutes from other lines that might be higher on the depth chart. Jesse Joensuu is just taking up space and filling a lane, reverting back to the guy we saw last season, but the line has been solid overall and should continue to see increased minutes.

On home-ice advantage: “I was amazed by the crowd tonight. They were able to push us along on the bench. It’s an amazing feeling when you have the noise behind you. That’s what home-ice advantage is for me. It’s not having last chance or getting your stick in last on the faceoff, it’s the crowd.”

The Rexall Place crowd seemed nervous and tentative early on, but came to life at Taylor Hall’s beckoning right before his penalty shot gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead. When the fans see a team worth cheering they can provide a huge edge, demoralizing the opposition and building momentum. The crowd stayed active down the stretch, and really seemed to factor into the victory.

On playing Eastern Conference teams: “I think last year we had more success against Eastern Conference teams. So far this year I think we’ve matched up well against every team.”

Ummm… I’m just going to step around this cow pie. Let’s move on.

On the matchup with Tampa’s first line: “We wanted Fayne and Marincin against them. We figured they matched up real well against them size-wise and matchup-wise.”

Steven Stamkos didn’t have a goal or assist, which is a huge accomplishment for a team that’s given up hat tricks to much less talented players through the first six games of the season. Martin Marincin has made a seamless leap from the American Hockey League to shutdown pairing, leading everyone to wonder why he didn’t start the season with the Oilers. No matter the reason, he’s been outstanding so far.

On Leon Draisaitl: “Leon’s a work in progress. We can’t forget his age. I think he’s supported by his wingers really well. I was really hoping for him when he had the game on his stick, because that would be a huge boost for his confidence getting his first, but that’ll come.”

Draisaitl’s future has become the focus of the story-starved media. While he hasn’t played well, he’s a better option than the alternative: Will Acton. If Craig MacTavish brings in another centre who can carry 15 minutes a night and win faceoffs then Draisaitl could be riding buses for Prince Albert next week. Unless that happens, I look forward to him continuing to learn at the NHL level.

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