The year has not gone as Jesse Puljujarvi expected. After a solid pre-season Puljujarvi was bounced around the lineup as October progressed. McLellan preached consistency for #98 but then completely contradicted himself by changing his linemates every second game and then proceeding to scratch him for four straight games.
Luckily the team finally decided to send Puljujarvi to the AHL where in his first four games he registered four points (2G,2A). Playing the 20 year old in a top role on the AHL team will benefit him greatly.
The #Oilers have recalled forward Jesse Puljujarvi from the @Condors. pic.twitter.com/aZRJNh5cZq
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 24, 2018
Sigh.
The Oilers new bench boss Ken Hitchcock specifically asked Chiarelli to call up Puljujarvi. We are already seeing a difference between McLellan who was hesitant to play Puljujarvi until the GM was forced to send him down...and Hitchcock who asked for him by name.
"I felt like we could have two third lines & really do damage if we could put more heat on the puck... Hopefully moving forward, within a month, he gets into a top-six role."
McLellan was a coach who spoke often about accountability and preached development yet never provided any concrete statements on what he expected Puljujarvi to do in order to move up in the lineup. While fans may be frustrated to see Puljujarvi on a fourth line tonight, at least the new coach has laid out a plan for the fanbase to see.
LINEUPS
OILERS
Spooner-McDavid-Draisaitl Caggiula-RNH-Chiasson Lucic-Brodziak-Kassian Rattie-Khaira-Puljujarvi
Klefbom-Larsson Nurse-Russell Gravel-Wideman
Koskinen
Spooner and RNH failed to click during their first 5 games together. Spooner was a burden to RNH's possession numbers as he had also been to his linemates in New York. Hitchcock is hoping McDavid will have more success in pulling some offense out of him.
Look tonight to see fairly even minutes between the third and fourth lines as Hitchcock will likely try and get his kid line offensive zone starts. The Oilers coach has started double-shifting McDavid on the fourth line meaning we will see a Rattie-McDavid-Puljujarvi combo at several points tonight.
KINGS
Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown Wagner-Carter-Toffoli Kovalchuk-Kempe-Hagelin Clifford-Thompson-Luff
Forbort-Doughty Muzzin-Martinez Phaeuf-Fantenberg
Petersen
4 KEYS TO VICTORY
1) Not Cap Friendly. For those frustrated with how Chiarelli has used the Oilers cap situation one only has to look to LA to see how much worse things could be. The Kings have 7 players over 30 that are signed to at least the 21/22 season. After a Hart worthy season Kopitar has a mere 10 points through 21 games. Kovalchuk was brought in to be a dominant offensive threat and he has 5 goals. This is a game Edmonton should win.
2) Petersen Starts. Injuries have also been a story with the Kings this year. None have hurt the team worse than the loss of Jonathan Quick. Tonight the young Cal Petersen will get in to only his 7th NHL game. Please don't make a backup look good, please don't make a backup look good.
3) Enter Wideman...no not that one. Chris "Not Dennis" Wideman will play his first game with the Edmonton Oilers. Wideman who has typically been a strong possession player was underused by his coach in Ottawa especially after the Uber incident. One area Edmonton is still lacking in is an effective shot from the point on the powerplay. Wideman should start on the second unit tonight.
4) Lesson Learned. The end of the game against Anaheim was a massive disappointment. The team battled strong against the Ducks for the whole game earning a 1-0 lead. Hitchcock sent the Lucic line out in the final seconds which were hemmed in their own zone before allowing a goal with only 16 seconds left. Draisaitl cost the game in OT but it should never have come to that. Maybe Hitch can learn where McLellan never did that Lucic is not the player to count on when the game is on the line.
FILM OF THE DAY
Maybe a fresh start is all Jesse needs. A new coach can do wonders for a young player and Hitchcock might be just what he needed. Tonight could be the first step in Jesse becoming an impact player. Hopefully Jesse Puljujarvi's fate is better than the fate of Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James.