Beating the bottom feeding Ducks 6-2. Yawn Beating the hapless Sharks 7-1. Big Whoop.
Beating the Golden Knights... now we are onto something.
I'm sure fans enjoyed watching the 6-2 and 7-1 drubbings last week. Goals are fun and it was entertaining to see the Oilers seemingly score at will against two divisional rivals. That being said, the Ducks and Sharks are bottom end teams; the teams that "top teams" like the Oilers are supposed to beat. But Edmonton has not been a top team all year. Yes there have been injuries and slowly they are getting back to full health (more on that in a moment) but there is no excuse for some of the bad play we have seen this season and the wins that this team has let slip away.
It's still too early to call the win against the Vegas Golden Knights a turning point in the season, but it was crucial win in a tough situation. Edmonton was on the second of a back to back, on the road, having played three games in four nights and were playing a well rest opponent who sits at the top of their division. Not only did the Oilers win, but they controlled play for large stretches of the game. The team committed to defending and did an excellent job at limiting shot attempts.
Janmark opened the scoring on a great pass from Barrie, splitting the defense to beat Logan Thompson. Klim Kostin scored what would go on to be the game winning goal and continuing his hot streak. Draisaitl notched a couple EV goals as well but it was the depth scoring that secured this win for the Edmonton Oilers and something we have seen much more of in the last couple of weeks.
Jack Campbell has won his first three games in a row all season. Skinner was away from the team, waiting on the birth of his first child, giving Campbell a chance to play multiple games in a row, including both games of a back to back. In his last three starts Campbell has posted a 0.900SV% against Vegas, a 0.962SV% against the Sharks, and a 0.913SV% against the Ducks. I'm not making any sweeping statements that "Campbell is back" but it's good to see Jack get some confidence back and help his team secure some needed wins.
It's not all sunshine and roses though. The first goal against was a chaotic mess but one that could have been avoided if a single Oiler on the ice took the body and did something to disrupt the play. Campbell went down and wasn't set up to make any saves. Take a penalty, do something to disrupt their play. It was soft all around for the team on the ice. The third goal was a very similar situation with the Oilers failing to find one way to clear the zone.
Overall I liked the play by most of the D in that game but Nurse was probably the weakest link, again being far too passive in his own end. I really don't like him and Ceci together anymore and think JW needs to find some other pairing that works.
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Edmonton's work over their past few games have helped keep them in the playoff hunt as the team currently sits in the second wild card position, and tied with Calgary who sits in the first wild card spot with a game in hand. It was a strong road trip for Edmonton but now the team faces their Achilles heel; home games. Edmonton is 14-7-1 on the road and 10-11-2 at home. They are facing a team with the second best road record in the NHL in the Seattle Kraken. Since losing to the Oilers 7-2, the Kraken have won 8 straight games, including a record setting 7 game road trip where the team remained undefeated.
Following that game, the Oilers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning, another tough opponent. This three game winning streak was a good start for the Oilers, but if they lose both of these games than that good will once again disappears in an instant.
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Some good news may be coming soon, as it sounds like Evander Kane may be close to returning, potentially as early as for tomorrow's game. Edmonton should not have been floundering this hard without Kane but the difference with him in and out of the lineup is noticeable. Kane is a legitimate top six winger who provides physicality at 5 on 5 and a strong finishing ability as well.
That is the good news... the bad news is wondering how in the world Holland is going to juggle the cap to facilitate his return.
Adding Kane to the lineup as it stands puts the team 3.487 million dollars over the cap. In order to make it work, the team will likely need to send down (takes deep breath) Devin Shore, Warren Foegele, Markus Niemelainen, and Vincent Desharnais. The last one in particular is a shame because I have quite liked Desharnais' play but the Oilers have no cap space to work with right now.
The alternative is finding a way to trade Jesse Puljujarvi. The writing remains on the wall for the Finnish forward as he has found himself dropped down the lineup. Klim Kostin is out scoring him and Yamamoto has skills that the coach seems to appreciate more. If Kane is indeed ready to play, we will likely see some big activity from the team today. Something to keep an eye on.
Thanks for reading!