The second game of the 2015/16 season is in the books and the boys are still in search of their first win. The game was another Western conference match-up The Edmonton Oilers vs Nashville Predators was the second of a three game road-trip to start the season. The game started roughly the same as Thursdays contest with our guys needing the first few minutes to get their legs moving. That is definitely a habit that Todd McLellan and his coaching staff will need to rectify in one heck of a hurry.
In the first period the Oilers were out shot eight to four and couldn’t get a lot going in the offensive zone. This is a trend that I don’t see continuing. Edmonton will eventually find their game and the offense will come. It just depends on how long it is going to take to happen. After the first the Oilers took control of the game for the final forty minutes. They out-shot the Predators 23 to 12 in the final two frames and had the lions share of scoring chances to my eye.
Unfortunately the scoring chances that are important are the two that Nashville managed to convert on. The game winning goal scored late in the second period was one that never should have happened. There is no way that Andrej Sekera should have chosen to use a half-assed hip check instead of playing the puck or taking the body. That goal against is on him entirely, if the team is going to continue to give the opposition free rein in our zone then they are going to make us pay for it.
The second goal was actually even worse than the first. I have two issues with said goal. First why the hell would Ference attempt the rebound off the boards like that instead of just hammering it around the boards to keep it out of the danger area? That is a pretty bad rookie mistake. Secondly what was Todd McLellan thinking when he dressed Ference in the first place? I get that they need to see what he really has left in the tank but what on God’s green earth would possess Todd to take out arguably the best defender we had in-game one in favour of the elder statesman? Can anyone answer me that one?
"Can't ask for more out of him. It (settles us down), you know you have a guy that will bail us out." @6Schultz6 on @ctalbot33's showing
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 11, 2015
"At the end of the day, my record is still 0-2 and that's all that matters." @ctalbot33, strong again w/ 24 saves https://t.co/COW4WtWh3m
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 11, 2015
Cam Talbot has arrived as advertised and has kept both games a lot closer than most would have predicted they would be. On every goal he has allowed this season there has been some sort of additional factor that places the blame squarely on someone else’s shoulder. He looks legit and I am very stoked to have him here!
Last game Madison unveiled the Three Beer League Heroes of the game and as such I will continue the trend.
- Pekka Rinne – The guy had a 31 save shut-out. What else needs to be said. He is one of the five best goalies in the league and he showed it tonight folks.
- Taylor Hall – I know a lot of people have deemed Hallsy as the goat this season but for me he was flying tonight. He had nine shots on the night and nearly set up the equalizer on the waived off RNH goal in the third. He led the team with 24:18 played and had a couple of seconds over six minutes on the power-play.
- Filip Forsberg – Scored the second Predators goal on an errant pass from Andrew Ference. At least I think it was supposed to be a pass, not exactly sure what Andy was doing there.
"It's all about our mistakes, and we couldn't do anything on the power play." @Nail10_1993 discusses #Oilers loss https://t.co/evdQsfIpG1
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 11, 2015
Along with the Three Heroes of the night we are also giving out the much-anticipated golden plunger. This revered porcelain powerhouse is given out to the one player that best exemplified someone going number two.
Tonight I fully want to give this award to Andrew Ference for his complete lapse in judgement that resulted in the second goal against but I am having a very hard time looking past the play of our supposed top defender, Andrej Sekera. We all know that Ference didn’t play well but who really expected him to? Sekera on the other hand was brought in because he was supposed to lead the defense until players like Nurse and Klefbom prove ready to take the reins. The first goal was entirely on him and had he done something other than try a lame attempt at a hip check then the outcome could have been vastly different.
Again the team is improving and it is going to take time but they are heading in the right direction. Cam Talbot is keeping them in the games and that is all that we can ask for from him. We have hung in well against teams that have traditionally beaten up on our team and even pushed back some. That is music to this Oilers fan. Obviously I would like to see a different end result but it will come soon enough people.
I wrote a post on my site yesterday urging fans to keep calm. It is only the second game people and there are some very nice indicators to be sure! If you need the reassurance then head over to www.justoil.net and check it out!
Thanks for reading folks, throw me a follow on twitter, @justoil78 and let me know what you think the future will hold for the Oilers!
McDavid be with you!
Rob
Another good candidate for the golden plunger would have been Purcell. Total garbage all night despite his 5on5 CF% .