Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great holiday and week, however you chose to celebrate. Since we last talked, the Edmonton Oilers dominated the Sharks 5-0, won a thrilling shoot-out against the Kings, and also dominated the Ducks. These three wins in addition to the two wins against the Devils and Rangers prior to Christmas gives Edmonton a 5 game winning streak.
Since the firing of Jay Woodcroft, the Oilers have bounced back remarkably well. Here are some stats since December 13th; Knoblauch's first game as HC:
2nd best point percentage (0.714%) 3rd most goals for at 5 on 5 (56) 11th best goals against (40) 9th most PP goals (17) 6th fewest PP goals against (10)
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Edmonton has looked very much like the dominant team they were last season, albeit with some key differences. The powerplay isn't buzzing at nearly as good of a rate but the penalty kill has been far stronger. Let's talk about a few key players on this team.
The Ekholm and Bouchard pairing is the Oilers top pairing right now and only the most stubborn pigheaded individuals will deny what a positive effect Bouchard has on this roster. Here are some stats from Bob Stauffer on how Bouchard and Ekholm ranked around the entire NHL among defenders.
The @EdmontonOilers Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) January 1, 2024
As per Natural Stattrick
NHL Defence Ranks 5v5
(min 100 mins)
CF%:
Ekholm: 62.76 (1st)
Bouchard: 62.03 (2nd)
FF%:
Ekholm: 62.97 (1st)
Bouchard: 62.47 (2nd)
xGF%:
Bouchard: 64.83 (1st)
Ekholm: 63.35 (2nd) pic.twitter.com/n4Cpl6QqTy
For those who will try to dismiss his numbers as "piggybacking off of McDavid," let's look at some numbers. The Oilers have outscored the opposition at 5 on 5, 18-16 and outshot their opponent 209-139 with Bouchard on the ice. When Bouchard is away from McDavid the Oilers have outscored their opponent 14-13 and outshot their opponent 162-92.
Bouchard is not a perfect player but how many of those exist in the NHL? Bouchard is a dominant offensive option for the Oilers on both the powerplay and at 5 on 5 and when he is on the ice the puck is more often than not going in the right direction. That is an incredibly valuable player.
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Two other players to talk about fast are Draisaitl's new linemates in Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele. This trio have outscored their opponent 9-2 with all the fancy stats showcasing these are relatively sustainable numbers. The shooting percentage is a little high but overall this is a line that is able to control pace.
Warren Foegele had a 5 point game against the Ducks and was the first Oiler since Sam Gagner in 2012 to record 5 EV points in a game. For all of his amazing feats that is something Connor McDavid has not managed. Foegele and McLeod now both have 7 goals on the season, tied for sixth among Oilers forwards.
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We don't yet have confirmation but it's likely that Dylan Holloway will soon be ready to join the roster after recovering from his injury. Once he is ready, I would slot him in with Kane and Ryan on the third line. I do even wonder about trying Holloway at centre on that line with Ryan slotting back to the right side and Kane on the left.
That would leave a fourth line with Janmark, Hamblin and probably Brown as the option on the right side, though once Gagner has recovered there is a good argument for him over Brown. That bonus structure continues to look absolutely brutal for Ken Holland.
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Tonight Edmonton faces off against a Flyers team that has been shockingly good though they have lost 4 of their last 5 games. It should be an entertaining game.
Thanks for reading!