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Edmonton is 30th in the NHL yet again. Bask in all its glory!
Edmonton remains a mystery on so many fronts. Every time you think you have 1 answer, 2 more questions pop up. I can try to explain away the terrible for the Oilers, but eventually you just hit brick walls and all you can do is shrug your shoulders, shake your head, then drown your sorrows in bleach.
Let’s start with an Oiler apology, of sorts. The Oilers are indeed in 30th place (yay!) but they are actually in a 5 way tie for the least amount of Wins in the NHL with 6. Carolina, Toronto, Anaheim, and Philadelphia all have the same amount of Wins, but they’ve managed to extend games into OT and pick up Bettman points. The Oilers have largely avoided extra time due to some
We all joked about the Oilers being “Visually Better… last year even if we could see a bit of what then GM Craig MacTavish was talking about. This time around I guess I can be the subject of that joke because I have seen the Oilers better than a 30th placed team. Hall is playing great, Draisaitl is lights out, McDavid can do no wrong, and the defense has a future of some note. Still, we find ourselves at the bottom of the NHL.
Are they really the worst team in the NHL?
I don’t think so. I really don’t.
If we go by Goal Differential, the Oilers are actually the 24th ranked team in the NHL with -11. They are actually ahead of the Winnipeg jets who have -12 and are vastly superior to the Flames who sit at -26 already. I think early on this is a much better indicator of the direction the teams will be headed.
Edmonton can score goals. They are 20th in Goals For and in a couple months will get McDavid back. There’s hope there. Their problem is in that nasty Goals Against category. They are 27th in Goals Against with 58. And that’s been the Achilles tendon of the Oilers for years now.
Edmonton’s defense is not particularly good and all the best parts of it are inexperienced. After that thin veil of protection there are a stable of unproven goaltenders. Talbot started well then stumbled. Nilsson has since taken the number 1 job, but that’s tenuous at best at this moment.
The reality of the situation is that the Oilers are 20th in Goals For, 22nd in Corsi For, but 28th in Save percentage. They are absolutely being undermined by suspect goaltending and the occasional poorly timed breakdown. This is a team that, by my estimation on paper or by eye, should rise out of 30th place.
I wont say they’re a playoff team, because they need to win 6 in a row just to hit .500 hockey in the quickest amount of time, but they aren’t this bad. Some saves, an addition on the blueline, and some health should be enough to make this team competitive.
Heck, they have been right in every game they’ve played this year except the one against the Stars. So 30th place but visually better…and statistically better too. All that matters at the end of the regular season is how many points you have. So 30th is the rank they’ve earned so far, and I get that. I just forecast the team trending up, even just a little.
Otherwise, bring on the lottery. This team obviously doesn’t have enough 1st overall picks.
LINEUP
The lines have been re-jigged and Yakupov finds himself on the 3rd. The club desperately needs secondary scoring. Justin Schultz had a bulging disc, from what I heard, and is back skating with the club. So was Korpikoski. No word on when either comes back. Lander might be sitting the game in the press box. Nilsson should be getting the start.
Hall Draisaitl Purcell Pouliot RNH Eberle Hendricks Letestu Yak Korpikoski Lander Pakarinen
Nurse Sekera Klefbom Fayne Davidson Gryba
Nilsson
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Duos. The Oilers appear to be looking for duos that work offensively. Hall and Draisaitl have shown instant chemistry so it makes sense to keep them together. I would be riding that wave until it dies completely. Last year Eberle and RNH proved to be well suited together as well. After that the duos end. Well, as long as McDavid is out they end. Yakupov has shown good to OK without McDavid but he clearly isn’t as effective without him. Letestu hasn’t really clicked with anyone either. The 4th line is dying for someone to step up too. The changes tonight hopefully give Edmonton at least 2 lines that can score though.
2) Wary The Wing. This game against the Blackhawks is going to feature 2 of the NHL’s most prolific wingers. Number 1 in league scoring is Patrick Kane with 28 points in just 18 games. He’s on pace to demolish the 100 point barrier this year. The Oilers can ill-afford to take their eyes off Kane for even a second. The Oilers counter with Taylor hall who is currently tied for 4th in league scoring with 20 points in 18 games. If those lines see time head to head the right wing Kane and the left wing Hall should be battling directly across from each other.
3) Captain Serious. While Pat Kane is red hot, Jonathan Toews is not. He has just 4 even strength points on the year through 18 games. In addition to his offensive worries, Toews has middling possession numbers compared to his teammates. The Blackhawks Captain is more than talented enough to score on any shift, but right now the Oilers can afford to focus their defensive attention away from him and onto the Kane line. This isn’t the Hawks team we are used to. They are missing that depth of scoring.
Puck drops tonight at 7:30PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet 1. Get Better, Connor!
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