The last time that the Edmonton Oilers were up 1-0 against a team was on November third in a game that ended up being a 5-2 win for Edmonton. Since then, the Oil have played five other games and in each case they have allowed the first goal. The good news is that the Oilers are 3-2 in that span but this is not a sustainable way to play hockey games over a full season. Edmonton can't expect to go down 4-1 in a game in the playoffs and expect to win 6-5 in OT like they did against the Rangers. Look at the Red Wings and Sabres games as examples. Edmonton played a nearly non-existent first period, started to fight back as the game went on but ultimately fell short.

As the Oilers make the long drive into Winnipeg tonight they should still feel the sting of defeat from their first round exit last season. The Oilers faced off against the Jets as the heavy favorites yet not only lost, but were swept. Yes, three of the games did go to OT and could have gone either way, but the Oilers failed to push ahead of the Jets in regulation in any of those games as the Jets effectively shutdown any offense the Oilers tried to bring.

Winning games right now is good. Winning the right way is even better.

Here are some thoughts from the Oilers last game and how to move forward:

It was great to see Ryan McLeod finally score his first NHL goal. McLeod looked effective most of the night alongside Foegele and Turris and the goal he scored resulted from getting a puck on net in a high traffic area. Hopefully getting the monkey off his back will help him clutch his stick a little less tightly and allow him to play his own game.

Speaking of McLeod, he and Foegele in the 14 minutes they have played together at 5 on 5 have a CF% of 61.54 and have been on the ice for one goal for and none against. I would keep these two players together on the third line for a few games but I would have someone other than Turris beside them. All the possession stats plummet the moment Turris steps on the ice with them.

Colton Sceviour was a part of that line as well and was on for the goal that McLeod scored. I don't know if he is an ideal long term option on that line but perhaps at least until Kassian returns he can be useful. Sceviour plays a simple game that can calm down the more chaotic nature that Foegele and McLeod can bring.

After going 38 games, dating back to last season without a goal, Kailer Yamamoto now has 3 goals and 4 points in his last 7 games. His one-timer game winning goal against the Blues was the kind of confident goal he wouldn't have been in the position to score 10 games ago. It's going to be a long journey for Kailer but right now he is playing like he deserves a spot in the top six.

Moving Derek Ryan to the fourth line and running that duo together should make for a solid defensive pairing. When Kassian returns Sceviour could be the best option to play here as well. You have to feel for both Tyler Benson and Brendan Perlini here but I don't think their specific skillsets will get them into many games until an injury occurs.

I'd like to bring this up in it's own separate blog but I wouldn't hate seeing Tippett alternate Draisaitl and McDavid on the third line. Both men are workhorses, capable of playing over 25+ minutes a night. Edmonton has the two best players in the league right now. Imagine the headaches any opposing coach in the NHL would have to deal with if any time they send their third pairing out against the Oilers third line and McDavid or Draisaitl jumps over the boards as well. It wouldn't wear down either player much in the long run if they each took an extra 2 shifts a game on the third or fourth lines.

In terms of what this team needs to add, I think I am elevating a top four left shot defenseman to the top of the list. Overall Cody Ceci has impressed me more than I expected but Duncan Keith hasn't met my incredibly low expectations. Keith was a Norris winner due to his skating ability and that has completely dried up. He is consistently beat in puck battles and cannot get back into the play if he makes a mistake (which he does constantly). The best option right now would be to pull his minutes back even further and have him anchor the third pairing. In terms of style, I would like to see the Oilers go after a guy like Kulikov; a defense first player who doesn't need to carry the puck and can make the simple outlet pass out of his own end.

Winnipeg is a top 10 team right now in preventing goals against, having allowed the 8th fewest at 37 (Edmonton is 19th with 42). Strangely though they're PK is the third worst in the league at 65.79%. Put another way, the Jets are an incredibly stingy team at 5 on 5 and have not allowed an inch but if you can force them to take a penalty they're going to be in trouble.

Can we talk about how bananas it is that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is 8th in NHL points with only one goal? RNH is now 1-17-18 on the season after finally scoring his first of the year against the Blues. We should expect more goals to start going in soon as the former first overall is averaging over two shots a game and now has a S% of 3.2%. Puck luck wasn't going his way but I wouldn't be shocked to see him add 5 goals over his next 10 games.

Thanks for reading!

Join the Discussion: » 23 Comments » Post New Comment

» Oilers Beat Stars in 5 - Oilers vs Panthers SCF Round 2

» Oilers vs Stars Game 5: Close it for Zach

» Stars Play Their Best Game - Oilers Win 6-1

» Oilers Tie Series Heading Back To Edmonton: On THE SLASH

» Oilers vs Stars Game 2: Oilered