The Oilers kept the score close and had numerous chances to tie the game late against the Jets but the fact of the matter is that the Jets had control of that game from beginning to end. The Oilers were not sharp enough at any point until it was too late. The Winning streak was snapped, and now they have to start a new one. It’s as simple as that.
Health is a major factor in any team’s success. Last year, the Oilers kept incredibly healthy until the playoffs. The fact that the only game lost from their top 6 forwards all year was when they sat Maroon to give him a rest (versus being legitimately too injured to play) had a lot to do with the overall success Edmonton had last season.
What we’ve learned since then is that Edmonton’s blueline took a pounding in the playoffs and it was more than losing Sekera. Klefbom’s apparent shoulder injury was also sustained in the post-season last Spring. He’s been nursing it ever since. It would have been nice for the team to disclose that earlier and forego so many articles calling Klefbom a bust when they knew all along he was injured.
The team took the Christmas break as an opportunity to place Klefbom on IR and lose him for the least amount of games as possible. Today, before 3PM local time, he will be activated from the IR and for the first time all season the Oilers will have their complete defensive corps available. It is December 29th and the team is playing in Game 38. Almost half the year is gone and Edmonton is staring up from 2nd last in the West again.
As far as the defense goes, Edmonton is in a bit of a pickle, if you can call having more NHL defenders than you need a pickle. The Oil will most likely be sitting out three of Benning, Davidson, Auvitu, and Gryba. They all have varying skills and effectiveness, but all three can play in the NHL. While the top 6 of the defense is essentially the same as it was a year ago, the boost in Nurse’s play has risen the tide for all ships.
Even Kris Russell has found ways to contribute more this season. He’s still leaky as hell on zone entries and struggles on breakouts under the slightest pressure, but he has more goals and assists through 37 games than he did through 68 a year ago.
What the team really needs is for the Klefbom-Larsson pair to re-establish themselves as the go-to unit for Edmonton. Klefbom’s shoulder problems and Larsson’s incomplete offensive game seem to have really held them back. With the time off hopefully benefitting Klefbom, it might be time to give them a chance to find their old chemistry.
Points Back: 5
LINEUP
Klefbom is returning to the lineup today.
Lucic McDavid Puljujarvi Maroon RNH Caggiula Khaira Draisaitl Strome Cammalleri Letestu Kassian
Nurse Russell Klefbom Larsson Sekera Benning
Talbot OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) 4th Line Finds A Pulse. Zack Kassian and Mark Letestu finished the last game with 0 on-ice shot attempts for during 5v5 play. To state that in plain English, when those two were on the ice during 5v5 play no Oiler player (even someone else not named Kassian or Letestu) directed so much as a single weak wrister towards the net. It happens, but rarely. It’s the Lennart Petrell Special. Edmonton is not so good that they can have a line be shut out like that. The 4th line has to find ways to pull even. With Letestu’s faceoff ability and Kassian’s speed, they shouldn’t be hemmed into their own zone like that ever. It was a terrible effort and they need to bounce back.
2) Klef is Back. If his loss has been felt anywhere, it has been on the breakout. The Oilers have a bevy of high-end forwards and all they need is to get the puck in stride. Do that and half the battle is done. Klefbom’s shot velocity might be down, but he’s still able to make those passes. Between he and Sekera there are puck movers on two pairings. Nurse makes three but he’s more of a transporter than distributor. We are looking for smart, efficient plays from Oscar and that’s all.
3) Blackhawks Down. The Blackhawks just played last night and got beat up against the Canucks (good job, Gagner!). This is a team that might be feeling the sting of more than just embarrassment. They were forced to put starting goaltender Corey Crawford on the IR and early in the match last night they lost Artem Anisimov to injury as well. Backup goaltender Anton Forsberg has a .902 save percentage through 12 appearances this season, and has just a single win. If not him then it might be Jeff Glass playing his first ever NHL game at the age of 32 who gets the start. If there was ever a time to strike, it’s now.
Puck drops tonight at 7PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet One. Game On! Follow me on Twitter @Archaeologuy