Tonight, to the surprise of many, the Oilers will actually play a meaningful game of hockey. Yes, this is a game that people will be checking the score on in the Western Conference because it has big Wildcard implications. Don’t blush, but people are watching us right now. I feel so pretty.
The Yotes are tied with Dallas at 85 points but the Stars have a game in hand so Phoenix is stuck on the outside looking in. With a victory over the Oilers Shane Doan’s Quebec…er…Phoenix club can grab a spot in the Playoffs (at least for a little while). The Oilers are tasked with playing the spoiler and, what with them having an innate understanding of what it takes to choke, I think they are well suited to the task.
Unfortunately for the Coyotes I don’t think this is going to be an easy win for them. The Oilers have lost their last 2 games in regulation but only after pushing two Western Conference power houses to the brink of defeat right before they remembered to give up late goals and maintain Draft position. But not only have the Oilers scored enough to have almost won those games, in terms of possession they have really held their own.
These last two games have been the most promising consecutive games in a long time and that includes when the Oil were actually winning contests. If the Coyotes take the Oilers lightly there’s a good chance that this becomes a Lose-Lose scenario, where the Coyotes lose out on precious points and the Oilers lose out on precious Draft positioning. What’s really becoming apparent in these last 2 games is that the Oilers top line has really started to play like they want to lead this team.
Again in the last game the trio of Hall-RNH-Eberle sawed off the possession metrics against a true top line (Getzlaf/Perry) then dominated the shutdown group of Koivu/Cogliano. Hall ended the night with a 70% Corsi rating and his mates were both above 60%. However these guys are doing it, they are playing keep-away with the puck from legit NHL talent. That is exciting.
Assuming Eberle isn’t traded in the summer for a 1D then the Oilers should be confident with their 1st line moving forward and they have pieces for their 2nd line (Yak/Perron/Gagner) that might not fit perfectly together but maybe only needs a little tweaking. What I’m getting at is that the Oilers’ top 6 isnt a great concern for me. The Oilers have a lot of problems but they are almost completely concentrated on the Defense right now.
MASTERTON
The Edmonton chapter of the PHWA (Professional Hockey Writers Association) has nominated Ryan Smyth for the Masterton trophy. The Masterton is dedicated to players who exemplify Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication to Hockey. Around the league players who have overcome great injury, illness, or hardship are being nominated for the Award. Smyth stands out on the Oilers for his dedication to Hockey, which few would even try to deny. I don’t like his chances to win, but at 38 years old he is as in love with the game as he ever has been. It’s easy to take for granted because there has been no singular event that has been the catalyst for this. It’s an every day thing that for most goes unappreciated.
Here’s what I wrote about Smyth before I was officially the Oilers’ blogger here and just a guest blogger. It still stands today for the most part, but part of that dedication he showed was working on getting that half-step back.
LINEUPS
MOAR Injuries kept piling up and the wonky knee of Tyler Pitlick meant Steve Pinohcdfuiwgferyugfzotto got to play (18% Corsi, Barf). Pitlick is still listed as day to day so I expect the same skaters will be deployed. I thought Fasth played well so I wouldn’t be shocked if they gave him another game here, but I am just working on the assumption Scrivens plays until proven otherwise. The Captain took the morning skate so he might give it a go tonight.
Hall RNH Eberle Lander Gagner Perron Smyth Gordon Hendricks Pinofqowgfwezotto Acton Larsen
Klefbom Schultz Marincin Petry Belov Ference?
Scrivens
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Depth. The Oilers have 4 players ahead of Phoenix’s top scorer (Yandle 51pts) but the Yotes have 8 players with 40 or more points. They don’t beat you with flash and sizzle, it’s just consistent contributions from the whole team. BOOOORRRIIINNNGGG.
2) Beware The Point. As noted above, Yandle is leading the Coyotes in points and OEL isn’t far behind. On the whole, the Phoenix D has outscored the Oiler D 163 – 102. 60 extra points from the Defense is huge, and just highlights how unhelpful the D has been in generating offense.
3) Don’t Be Fooled By The Losses. Winning was fun but the Oilers were getting pummeled in shots and shot attempts. Now the team has lost 2 in a row but put up respectable efforts. They shouldn’t let the losses fool them They have played the right way these past couple of games. Rewards will come if they keep it up.
Puck drops tonight at 8:08PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet Oilers. Game On!
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