There’s something going on here and it’s a little exciting. The Oilers have the best record of all the teams in the West over the last 10 games except for the Vegas Golden Knights (who knew?). They aren’t in the playoff picture yet, but they have managed to leap over one team in the standings.
If you had asked me 3 weeks ago what my thoughts about a possible comeback were this season, I would have told you they were less than 5%. Now? Things are a lot more optimistic. The Oilers have gone 7-3-0 in their last ten and are in the midst of a 4 game winning streak. They have been pushing teams around 5v5 and Cam Talbot is back to his old form.
This team has a real chance to be one of those history making clubs that battles from outside of playoff position late in the year to make the dance. I’m not ready to guarantee anything of the sort, but this team looks like it finally has its goaltending back. Mix that with a solid defensive group and three great centers and what you have is hope.
Talbot has won 7 in a row for the Oilers dating back to November 22nd. In that span he’s put up a .928 save percentage, which is good, but not SO good that this winning streak is all a mirage. He’s actually only 15th in NHL save percentage over that time. In fact, neither from the beginning of Talbot’s streak nor from 4 games ago when he returned from injury have the Oilers had a particularly good PP or PK either. There is still room for lots of improvement.
The way I look at that is that the Oilers are finding ways to win games by controlling the 5v5 play but with their talent level they haven’t even really begun to hit their stride on special teams. This winning streak is not all luck and good timing. They could be better still and that’s a dangerous thought for the 5 clubs still between them and a playoff spot.
If Edm keeps this up, I'd be willing to bet on them leapfrogging teams into a playoff spot. pic.twitter.com/41d0xc5Ruz
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) December 27, 2017
The Oilers are trending in the right direction but they still have a long way to go.
Points Back: 4 ***
A couple of Oiler prospects had good opening days in the World Junior Hockey Championships. Kailer Yamamoto picked up a goal in the 9-0 rout the USA put on Denmark. And later pick Ostap Safin had a goal and an assist in the Czech Republic’s upset win over Russia.
We are familiar with Yamamoto, but his offense has been dried up in his return to the WHL. It’s nice to see him find the scoresheet in this tournament so early. It should give him plenty of confidence. True to the form we saw in Oiler silks, Yamamoto was playing bigger than his size and scored that goal from right beside the net.
Safin is a big kid, he is listed in some places as 6’4… but Ferraro had him at 6’5… and just a hair under 200 pounds. He is playing his 1st season in North America and is at roughly a point per game pace for the St John Sea Dogs. He can skate for a big guy and has soft hands. This kid might have been a homerun. He’s a left-shot RW at this level. I can see him converted to LW in the NHL where handedness determines maybe more than it should. LINEUP
Lucic McDavid Puljujarvi Maroon RNH Caggiula Khaira Draisiatl Strome Cammalleri Letestu Kassian
Sekera Benning Nurse Russell Davidson Larsson
Talbot OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME 1) Healthy. The Oilers had both McDavid and Klefbom on the ice for the morning skate today. McDavid blocked a shot in the dying moments of the last game and looked to be in wicked pain. Klefbom, alternatively, was placed on the IR after dealing with nagging “upper body… problems for most of the season. I wager he was healthy enough to play but the team had the ability to give him some time off with Sekera returning. Klefbom can be reactivated from IR tomorrow. The worst part of the season appears to be over. Meanwhile the Jets appear to still be without Byfuglien.
2) Underrated. He’s been part of my underrated list long enough that he’s probably not underrated anymore. Blake Wheeler has just 2 fewer points than Connor McDavid this season. The man has been one hell of a player for a long time and is part of a dangerous few for the Jets that can torch you if you aren’t paying enough attention. He can make plays as easily as he can lay the body. Scheifele is not far behind him in points or on that list of underrated players. The Jets star players will challenge this Oiler winning streak tonight.
3) Get Back Into The Game. It was a nice few days off and most players took the time to travel home for the holidays (if possible). It’s a well-deserved break for anyone, but the Oilers have to jump right back into this grind of high tempo hockey. There’s no room for sleepy legs from Turkey consumption. The Oilers have a chance to leapfrog another team ahead of them in the standings. The Oilers have been playing well of late, but tonight seems like a good time to set the tone early.
Puck drops tonight at 6PM mountain Time on Sportsnet. Game On!
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