The Oilers played their 3rd game in 4 nights when they lost 2-1 to the Ducks. Now they’ve managed get a little bit of rest and we’ll see how much of a difference that makes. Those situations are scheduled losses. It worked in Edmonton’s favor when they snapped their losing streak against the Sharks and it worked against them a few days later. Such is life.
The best part of that game was the play of Viktor Fasth who put in a stellar effort. At some point the Oilers have to start scoring more goals and those good goaltending performances wont be wasted. It seems the best advice is always the simplest. Go to the net. Don’t get pushed around. Keep your stick on the ice. It’s so basic (and in my head I always hear Red Green when someone says “Keep your stick on the ice.…).
There’s no need to try being more fancy, that isn’t working. Nuge scored in the last game off of a hard (illegal) forecheck from Taylor Hall and just put puck to net. No deke moves or slick passing. Just hard play. Yak finally scored a few games ago by just going to the front of the net. He wasn’t out by the circles waiting for a one-timer. It was just going to the scoring areas. That’s exactly what this entire team needs to be doing more of.
As for the goaltending, the Oil desperately need one of the goalies to take the ball and run with it. It seems they take turns playing one good game then playing one bad game. Scrivens starts well and gets the next game and blows it. Then Fasth takes the next game and does well enough to earn a second game and blows that one. The Oilers have the 29th ranked 5v5 save percentage (90.14%). Only the Wild are doing worse than Edmonton in that department.
Buffalo is another bottom feeder in the NHL league standings but they have the 8th ranked 5v5 sv%. They’re 8-3 in their last eleven and in that stretch they have had a 36.2 CF as per War On Ice but their goaltending has been outstanding. Even the worst teams in the NHL have a chance to win when their goalies make the saves. It’s why I don’t buy it when people say the Oilers are so bad that they make their goalies look worse. If that were true then the Sabres should look like they have Sievy McSieverson playing in net.
LINEUP
The Oilers have transferred Uncle Jesse to SC Bern of the Swiss Elite League. I cant begin to explain how dumb I think it was for the club to replace Joensuu with Gazdic and Pinizzotto. Maybe one of those two could come in for a short time, but both? Good grief. Joensuu had a role on this team that went deeper than “mix it up… or “punch dudes in the face…. I feel like this is a mistake but at the end of the day we’re talking about a 10 minute a night player. The team took one of the few positives they had from depth players and tore it up. Whatever, the goal is Connor McDavid anyway.
Hall RNH Pitlick Yak Draisaitl Eberle Perron Arco Pucell Gazdic Hendricks Pinizzotto
Ference Petry Klefbom Fayne Davidson Schultz
Fasth
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Fast Start. I give a bit of a pass to the slow start they had in Anaheim because the team was at the end of 3 games in 4 nights. The Ducks were all over the Oil and if not for Rene Bourque’s inability to hit the broad side of a barn they would have been out of it early on. Today they are at home and with a good rest. They need to be better.
2) Second Chances. The Oilers do not generate enough 2nd and 3rd chances in the offensive zone. Way too often the team is one and done. It seems to me they miss high and wide then then puck is coming right back out of the zone. Nobody is taking the shot low and collapsing to the net for rebounds. There are way too many guys at the perimeter waiting for saucer passes when it’s more likely for the goalie to have some rebound control issues and bounce the puck out in front of him.
3) Shelter Schultz. I don’t care for Eakins going back to the well with Schultz’ ice time. He was back over 22 minutes against the Ducks and that’s a losing formula. He isn’t a top minutes defender and he may never be at this rate. Give him huge OZ starts and lots of sugar time but when the puck starts in Edmonton’s zone he really shouldn’t be out there. He can help the team in the right circumstances, kill them in the wrong ones.
Puck drops tonight at 7:38 PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet West. Game On!
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