Category Archives: Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report

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2020-21 Edmonton Oilers GM1 Review: They Talk the Talk But They Don’t Walk the Walk

Well, Oilers fans, here we are in 2021 and I feel like we’re still watching an Edmonton Oilers team from The Decade of Darkness. What in Sam’s Hell is wrong with the defencemen on this team? How is it from year to year, the same GD problems keep creeping up? Is it a product of shoehorning young defenders into spots before they’re ready because that’s what the club has been doing for… ever?

How many times does Darnell Nurse need to join his d-partner behind the net or in the corner only to leave an opposition skater wide open in front of the net for a scoring chance against or a goal against? Caleb Jones got caught pinching on multiple occasions. Ethan Bear was fighting the puck all night long and Tyson Barrie looked lost. Adam Larsson went for the big hit leaving Bo Horvat open for a gimme and Slater Koekkoek… Actually, I really liked him. He was involved in a lot of positive plays on both sides of the puck last night.

This is what Mark Spector had to say about Larsson’s game in his post-game write-up,

“Is Larsson finished as a shutdown-type defenceman? He was poor last season, brutal in the qualifying round, and on opening night he made two reads that resulted in Canucks walking in all alone to score on Koskinen.”

After the first game of the season… Whew! Talk about turning up the heat early.

Wasn’t Nurse going on and on over the off-season about improving goals against?

“5-on-5, obviously, we have to get our goals down,” Nurse declared. “We talk about it far too often in the last five years that I’ve been here.” (source)

Then they go out and allow five? How am I supposed to react to that? Is this group all talk and no action or…

All we heard from Bob Stauffer before this game was how this mobile defence was going to move the puck better so that they wouldn’t have to play in their zone so much…

Coach Tippett certainly was unhappy after the game (rightfully so) and he started singling people out immediately,

“Larsson made a poor read on the first one. (Zack) Kassian made a poor read on the fifth one. Caleb Jones made a poor read on (the fourth one). Those are puck play errors compounded by poor reads, mistakes by players that lead to Grade-A chances against.”

I will say this though, Nurse and Larsson scored two really nice goals despite their roles being that of a “shutdown defenceman”.

That said, the Oilers really didn’t have any excuses. It’s not like their practices were closed for COVID protocol and they didn’t have their leading scorer forced to miss the game.

Speaking of leading scorers, how in the world did Connor McDavid play 26 minutes and not register a point?

Enough of the bitching and moaning, let’s talk about the good stuff.

My three stars for the night:

  1. Kailer Yamamoto – Showed the kind of urgency that everybody should’ve been showing. He was in the guts of the game all night long and I think he’s going to have Oilers fans soon forgetting about that Brendan Gallagher playing for the Oilers fantasy.
  2. Slater Koekkoek – I counted one misplaced pass the entire night. He was solid on both sides of the puck and overall, I found him to be one of Edmonton’s better defenders.
  3. Connor McDavid – He had a really good evening but just couldn’t get the puck to hit the back of the net. Vancouver’s defense didn’t have an answer for him aside from Braden Holtby. Can Thatcher Demko do the same to him tonight?

The Oilers’ second line was its best. Kahun and Draisaitl were electric and Yamamoto displayed a sort of desperation that you’d love to see out of all of your players. He even drew a couple of penalties, which is something I noted way back before he was called up as one of his assets.

Jesse Puljujavi had a really nice game. Yes, he was responsible for a turnover that lead to a goal and that penalty he took at the end of the game was unfortunate, but physically he fits right in with everyone else. He’s now able to take the abuse along the boards and in the corner a lot more than previously which allows him the time and freedom to make plays.

I really dug the game of Slater Koekkoek. He was hitting, blocking shots, making passes, getting up the ice, and not costing his teammates in the process. I’d have him on my second pair to start tonight if I was the coach.

Now, going into tonight’s game I think we’ll see a few roster changes. Me thinks the bottom-6 will see a different look. If Devin Shore clears waivers, I think he should draw in for Jujhar Khaira but that doesn’t mean he will as Ryan McLeod is also available.

Just on Khaira for a moment. Do you think he’s as tired as everyone else is with his inconsistency? It’s obviously something that he has no idea how to fix nor the plethora of coaches, GMs, and teammates he’s had in his career. Maybe it’s time for a change for his sake, on a psychological level, before he loses his marbles completely.

Getting back to tonight’s game, if I had my way, I’d give Kassian a period to show me something before swapping him with Puljujarvi. Don’t get me wrong, Kass didn’t have a bad game per se, but he still isn’t playing like the old Kassassin we know and love.

I know, it’s game two and we’re already throwing JP into the top-six, but here’s the thing, check out the 5×5 fancies of his linemates with and without him from last night’s game and then check his… It’s no coincidence…

  • Kyle Turris (9:01):
    • CF% with: 36.36
    • CF% without: 55.56
  • Josh Archibald (9:04):
    • CF% with: 28.57
    • CF% without: 83.33
  • Jesse Puljujarvi:
    • CF% rel: 4.15
    • FF% rel: 13.11

As a line, these three got out-corsi’d 7-2… Just a thought, but what if they swapped Archie with someone else. I feel like he’s really built for a different kind of line. If he’s not out there playing physical and getting in the grills of the opposition, what’s he really doing?

Lowetide summed up the game thusly and it would be hard to find an individual Oilers fan who would disagree with his sentiments,

“It’s one game, there’s plenty of track, and the Oilers have several new hands. If McDavid snipes a couple in the second, we’re talking a different game story today.

Game 1 offered very few answers to those pressing questions. It was a stormy and disappointing night in Edmonton on Wednesday. It’s a long season, and the Oilers should be motivated for Thursday night’s game.”

Thank you for reading. It’s been some time since we had to do these kinds of posts and so they might be a bit mucky until I find my rhythm. I appreciate the patience and if there’s anything I can do to make them better for you, the reader, please let me know!

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2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM12 Player Evaluations: Sloppy Seconds and An Interesting Quote from Jason Gregor

The Oilers really shat the bed against the Panthers. Not so much the team’s best players, but the supporting staff did nothing to help out and the pressure is mounting. They have to feel it, don’t they? Every day that the bottom-six doesn’t score a goal, the Edmonton media and blogs like mine, have another article up dissecting the team’s scoring woes. A funny thing is happening now though, the lower half of the roster is not only posting donuts on the scoresheet, they’re also starting to get scored on more often than not. It’s not a good trend.

So the title of this one is “Sloppy Seconds”. This is why,

  • The second period… Sloppy
  • The second efforts on the night… Sloppy
  • The 65 seconds where Florida took the lead and never looked back… Sloppy.

I mean, the start of the game was as frantic-a-pace as a game can get. The Oilers were giving it as much as they were taking it. I was just waiting for someone to score or some penalties to slow it down a bit and eventually, the game did take it down a notch and that’s when I started to notice a certain disconnect between the two teams. It didn’t help that Mike Smith took a Mike Hoffman clapper to the womb broom. The Oilers goalie said that his start to the second period had nothing to do with that nut shot, but I don’t believe him. He should’ve been in concussion protocol after that shot to the head.

(Sorry, I’ve still got a teenager’s sense of humor. Wait, I’m a bit older now. Do teenagers still have senses of humor?)

Was this loss because Florida’s team was better, more talented or were there some other mitigating circumstances?

Did You Hear…

On Oct. 18th, Jason Gregor and Tom Gazzola were talking about Taylor Hall coming back to the Oilers and some of the issues that might come with that to which Gazzola brought up that perhaps Hall wouldn’t want to play third fiddle to Draisaitl and McDavid. This was Gregor’s reply,

“I don’t really think they’re going to worry about who’s lead dog. When Connor McDavid was here, Taylor Hall said at the end of McDavid’s first season, he goes “He’s our best player.” He said it on record. It’s a bunch of bogus malarky that people in Edmonton think somehow Taylor Hall was upset that Connor McDavid was there. Taylor Hall was protecting him off the ice, picking him up at nightclubs so he wouldn’t get into trouble but that stuff’s not talked about because it’s not a juicy story.”

I don’t know about you but that line about McDavid needing to be picked up at the nightclubs to keep him out of trouble raises eyebrows. Sure, kids go out and have fun buuuut… Connor isn’t just some kid. He’s the face of hockey and with that power comes… Say it with me… Great responsibility. Meaning, you can’t just be going out and getting shitfaced without considering the consequences. Especially in the fishbowl that is Edmonton, AB, Canada. So good on Taylor for being a caring teammate. Changes my perspective of him a bit.

That said, we don’t know if these sorts of things were/are happening all of the time and to what degree. A birthday drink now and then is fine as long as things are kept under control and who doesn’t stay up late to play video games from time to time?

Bringing things back full circle, the point is, it’s all fun and games until you come to an afternoon game hungover and get outworked by the visiting team. Not saying that’s what happened, maybe the Oilers were playing well and simply made a goalie who’s had a tough go this season look great (again) or they were unlucky with their shots. A loss is a loss though

Game Grades

A – Multiple positive plays offensively and defensively leading to excellent scoring chances for and/or limiting scoring chances against.
B – Positively influenced the game with limited minor or major mistakes that didn’t lead to dangerous scoring chances against.
C – Low event night. Noticed on the roster sheet but not so much on the ice.
D – Limited positive influence while multiple errors lead to multiple goals and/or scoring chances.
F – Ate sh*t. Horrid effort.

Tomas Jurco – C – In his twelve minutes of ice time, he was on the ice for only two shots for and eight against… He can’t go on playing games where only one or two of his shifts result in anything positive. If he hit waivers tomorrow, I think the Oilers would be safe from losing him. He started the third with Gagner and Sheahan, so Tippett must’ve seen something he liked.

Sam Gagner – D – Gagner had a shot, a penalty, and four hits in nearly sixteen minutes of ice-time. That would be okay if his 5×5 Corsi relative wasn’t -15.53. That tells me that for every 60 minutes that he would’ve been on the ice, relative to his teammates, the other team would’ve had 15 shots on his net. This is a player who was brought up to infuse some offense into the lineup, not be a liability defensively. But, I suppose you can rarely have one without the other. Took a poor offensive zone penalty in the first that compounded things and his backcheck on Acciari before the Panthers winger deposited goal number three was pretty horrid.

Markus Granlund – D – Had the least amount of ice-time with just over nine minutes. Largely invisible on the evening. Tick Tock… This feels so much like the Jussi Jokinen experiment, doesn’t it?

Matt Benning – C – It was his blocked point shot that started the play back into Edmonton’s zone eventually resulting in Florida’s second goal. Good hit on Hawryluk in the second. Rattled the winger’s cage quite a bit on that one.

Kris Russell – C – Broke up an early 2v1 featuring Dadonov and Huberdeau. He was hustling on the night, there’s no questioning that. Missed intercepting a pass to Ekblad in the third that the Panthers defenseman used to ring one off the crossbar.

Patrick Russell – C – Another quiet game from my favorite Dane not named Claire. In open ice, not the greatest, but along the boards and in the corners, he was gold. Didn’t translate to much mind you. Another great night on the fancies. He was the Oilers’ best 5×5 possession forward with a 63% Corsi For in a shade over eleven minutes.

Jujhar Khaira – C –JJ found his shooting stick! Three shots but no goals. Tough break. He was one of the better forwards possession-wise. He was second on the team in 5×5 Corsi % relative with a 15.53. Basically the opposite of what Gagner was, but he was on the ice for two goals against and that sort of trumps any good he did on the ice.

Riley Sheahan – C – Nothing really special out of Sheahan in this one. I would’ve liked to have seen him take Boyle out of the play before he scored FLA’s second goal instead of doing an impression o fa ladder. Later on the period, his hard forecheck with Khaira created a turnover to which Sheahan gobbled up and got a good shot on goal. I read that some feel that he’s getting played too much. Similar to how the Oilers ran out Mark Letestu, but if I recall correctly, Letestu was getting minutes on the 4th line, the PP, and the PK at that time. So it’s no surprise why he might’ve petered out. Sheahan is getting 3rd line TOI and PK minutes, which is what everybody expected, right? If he’s getting gassed just from that, Tippett has a major problem on his hands going forward.

Brandon Manning – C – Got dangled by Brett Connolly on the second goal and failed to take the man. I love his old-school game, but I also wonder when William Lagesson is going to get a game too.

Oscar Klefbom – B – On the shift following Florida’s third goal, Klefbom made a really good check at the Oilers’ blue line and then sent McDavid on a partial breakaway. I’ve noticed he’s been using his wrist shot a bit more often on the powerplay instead of his slapshot. He lost his man on FLA’s fourth goal though and that allowed Dadonov to score.

Alex Chiasson – C – I thought Chaisson was a bit careless with the puck, giving it away twice in the first period when he wasn’t pressured to do so. Just poor passes. Was the team’s only player with a + beside his name at the end of the night.

James Neal – B – Got lucky on the PP when Nuge’s redirection hit him in the knee. He had one glaring giveaway in the Panthers zone that had me looking skyward. Started the third with Draisaitl and Kassian. He had another four shots. It’s so nice having a shoot-first winger on the team. 10 goals on the season so far which has him on pace for more than 60! #Wishin’

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – C – The 5×5 shot differential when Nuge was on the ice was one for and six against… Not a good look for one of the team’s supposed better two-way forwards. Also, on the team’s PP around the middle of the second, he passed the puck back into his own zone right to Alexander Barkov who walked in and got off a shot that should’ve never happened. Good job redirecting that shot/pass from Draisaitl on the PP though and he did draw two penalties.

Ethan Bear – C – Not a great play on Acciari’s goal, but I’m not sure how many options he had other than up the boards. Perhaps it was poor execution. Took a hard hit into the end boards that I’m sure had everyone holding their breath. It was his lovely bank shot off the end boards that Leon tucked home.

Darnell Nurse – B – Made a really nice saucer pass from the point to McDavid for the Oilers’ first real chance. It wasn’t just him, but I feel like the Panthers’ zone entries on his side of the ice were awfully easy. Laid out a big open-ice hit early in the second period that possibly took him out of the play therefor leaving Noel Acciari free to gather the puck off the boards and score Florida’s third goal of the second.

Zack Kassian – C – Kass had one really good chance in front of the net in the first period. All he had to do was deflect in the McDavid pass but the Florida defender read it and poke checked him. A couple of offsides stagnated any attempt at creating some offensive momentum when Edmonton sorely needed it.

Leon Draisaitl – C – Got himself a couple of points for his birthday and nearly scored on a breakaway at the end of the first. Definite pluses, but he sure made it like he has a ways to go before he can be considered an elite two-way forward like Alexander Barkov.

Connor McDavid – B – According to The Cult of Hockey post-game podcast, he was in on four grade-A scoring chances. He was on the ice for thirteen scoring chances for and only eight against. Obviously he was Edmonton’s best player on the night. I thought there were some shifts that he lacked some oomph in his stride, but those were few.

Mikko Koskinen – C – Had some really nice saves early on in his relief appearance but his concentration waned as the game got away from the Oilers. For a man his size and with feet as fast as his, that wrap-around goal from Dadonov should’ve never gone in and Hawryluk’s snapper at the end of the game should’ve been a routine save. It was him vs. the shooter and those should rarely go in unless you’re facing the league’s best.

Mike Smith – D – He should’ve said that the puck to the Rooster Cockburn was a factor, I would’ve given him a better grade. Had his stuff early making two really acrobatic blocker saves, but really shit the bed in the second. That’s too bad, he was doing well.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick

Next up the Oilers have their first back-to-back in Detroit and Columbus. Edmonton needs to take three of four points here to stay on pace. Let’s Go Oilers!

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2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM11 Player Evaluations: McDavid and Draisaitl Magic Lifts Oilers Over Caps + A Trade Idea

I haven’t seen a third-period performance like that from any player let alone the greatest skater in hockey today in a long long time. It was some time in the third period that I was wondering when the last time was that an Oilers forward had scored a goal and then BAM! Leon and Connor teamed up to end their respective scoring slumps and return the Oilers to the TOP of the NHL standings! 8-2-1 BABY!!!

FYI: The last forward to score before Draisaitl did last night? That was James Neal around 200 minutes prior. Tip of the hat to the Cult of Hockey’s Bruce McCurdy for the info there.

I’ll be honest though, after the second period I held little hope that the Oilers would be winning this game let alone scoring a single goal. Braden Holtby was on fire AND he was getting some love from the hockey gords all night. I didn’t think for a second that was going to end. Well, egg on my face and good on the Oilers for keeping their foot on the pedal in the final frame and kudos to Mikko Koskinen for becoming the first Oiler to start a season 5-0.

Check out this heatmap from the game. How Edmonton’s area looks, It’s exactly what you want from your hockey team in any game because it means two things if it looks like this, 1) you won the game 2) you lost the game but not for a lack of effort. So there are positive outcomes either way.

Edmonton won the possession battle last night too. In fact, they were winning it for about fifty of the 60+ minutes. Halfway through the first they turned it on and didn’t look back. Kinda crazy, right? I mean, I didn’t think they had a handle on the game until the third period. Ah well, that’s why we’ve got the numbers to help out.

Brendan Perlini

TSN is reporting that Brendan Perlini (CHI) is looking for a move away from the Blackhawks. He’s not getting any ice time this season and would like a fresh start. I guess work ethic and consistency are a problem for him.

Now, a question for Oilers fans. Is this a player taking control of his future or is it a player quitting on his team? I get so confused by this fanbase sometimes. I think a portion would say Perlini should “earn” his spot in Chicago’s lineup whereas another portion would say, good on the kid for doing what he thinks is best for his career. Where do you fall in this argument?

How do the Oilers factor in here? Well, Perlini played over a half a season with Dave Tippett as his coach in Arizona and scored 14 goals. There’s also a feeling amongst the fans that the Oilers should be trying to increase the scoring from the bottom-six, right?

I’ve seen some say that they should deal Jujhar Khaira for Perlini, but I have a hard time believing Coach Tippett would be okay moving anybody off of his successful PK units. JJ might not be scoring right now, but he has to be helping elsewhere. Regardless of what the numbers might be saying, he has the trust of the coaching staff.

I’d have time for Perlini but not if Jesse Puljujarvi’s name is involved.

For what it’s worth, I think the Blackhawks are looking for a player with a bit more sandpaper as their coach was complaining about his team’s work ethic recently. Maybe the Oilers could land Perlini for Tomas Jurco, Joe Gambardella, or Cooper Marody.

Jesse Puljujarvi Update

Speaking of the Wonder Finn, Pulju scored for Karpat AGAIN tonight in their 7-1 victory. He’s on a seven-game goal-scoring streak and has a point in nine straight games. If you ask me, it sounds like he took the summer off and is just playing lazy. Any beer leaguer from Canada could pull off a couple of streaks like that, amirite?

Game Grades

A – Multiple positive plays offensively and defensively leading to excellent scoring chances for and/or limiting scoring chances against.
B – Positively influenced the game with limited minor or major mistakes that didn’t lead to dangerous scoring chances against.
C – Low event night. Noticed on the roster sheet but not so much on the ice.
D – Limited positive influence while multiple errors lead to multiple goals and/or scoring chances.
F – Ate sh*t. Horrid effort.

Josh Archibald – C – Apart from that big hit he threw on Backstrom that landed the Swede on his back-side, Archibald didn’t stand out. Was on the ice for Ovi’s PP marker where he had all the time in the world to put it where? Yessir, high glove on Koskinen.

Sam Gagner – B – An eventful return to the lineup for Samwise. He provided some well-needed energy to his line and kept his head above water in his ten minutes of deployment. In limited minutes, I’m thinking that Gagner might be able to be a positive influence on the Oilers bottom-six. I’m just not sure about his linemates if that’s the plan.

Markus Granlund – C – Early on, he had a couple of good shifts that lead to his line putting some pressure on Washington, but as the game wore on and Edmonton was chasing the lead, his ice-time grew sparse.

Matt Benning – C – A simple pass from behind his net to Zack Kassian at the Oilers blueline started a play that ended in Leon Draisaitl taking a pass from Connor McDavid and giving the Oilers their second goal of the night. For those of you that watched the game in its entirety, did you notice him getting some shifts in the top-four later in the game?

Kris Russell – B – Successfully implemented the “Starfish” on Jakub Vrana to thwart a scoring chance early on and was solid for the rest of the game. I feel like I’m seeing a younger version of Russell this season. Something more akin to what he played like in junior. He’s skating the puck out more and moving it much better than he did under Todd McLellan and Ken Hitchcock.

Patrick Russell – C – I think Russell was a victim of the line he was playing on. After a handful of really nice performances, Coach Tippett rewarded him with 5:52 of ice time against the Capitals… I hope he isn’t hurt.

Jujhar Khaira – D – Things just aren’t going JJ’s way these days. He was absolutely destroyed in the fancies with a 37.5% CF% and quiet throughout.

Riley Sheahan – D – Six minutes of even-strength TOI is all Sheahan played and he was 33% on the faceoff dot. An uncharacteristic evening for a player who’d been doing quite well.

Brandon Manning – C – You know we’re in the end days when Brandon Manning is having games where he out-Corsis Connor McDavid. The other indicator is that nobody is complaining about Manning’s play and some are even praising it… William Lagesson has to be wondering what it’s going to take to get a shift.

Oscar Klefbom – B – Took a BIG hit from Tom Wilson early on, but it had no effect on the Six-Pack Swede. Klefbom was as he always is, quietly very effective in his 25 minutes plus.

Alex Chiasson – C – The 5×5 shot attempts were 18/15 in Chiasson’s favor when he was on the ice and it was his work behind the net to get the puck to James Neal that resulted in McDavid’s game-tying goal. He has a very simple but extremely important skill that is really flourishing in Edmonton, that’s his ability to battle along the boards. He’s a big man and very strong with a relentless work ethic and a prickly personality.

James Neal – B – I was really impressed with Neal in this game. He looked to have his skating legs under him and a bee in his jock. He was a tad ornery in this one and took it out on a number of Capitals. Came close to tying this one up on his own in the 3rd, however, it was Neal who grabbed the puck from behind the Caps net and shoveled it over to McDavid to tie the game late.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – C – Got smashed by Tom Wilson early in the first but walked away unscathed. A minute into the third I thought that he was going to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead, but Holtby stopped RNH’s point-blank chance. Apart from that, I think that McDavid and Draisaitl might’ve cast a big shadow over Nuge in this one as he seemed a bit invisible.

Ethan Bear – B – This Bear couldn’t outmuscle the Russian bear (Ovechkin) and prevent him from tipping a puck that found its way into the net in the first frame. That said, on a number of instances, he was using that little dish pass from the corner to a swooping center in the defensive zone that had the Oilers breaking out of their own end with ease. There was another sequence late in the third I believe where his poise and patience was on full display at his own blueline as he got control of a jumpy puck, then outwaited a forechecker just long enough for a lane to open up and a cross-ice pass to be made and an offensive zone entry under control completed. No defender on this team has this unique skill.

Darnell Nurse – B – Had a team-high six shots! SIX!!! That’s nuts! Got lucky on his goal as his vintage play when he rushes the puck deep like that went in off of a Washington defender’s stick and under Holtby’s pads. Good on him though. He was a beast on the night. He and Bear definitely make up the Oilers top-pair now. There’s no doubt and if this play continues throughout the season, he’s going to cost Edmonton an arm and a leg to re-sign.

Zack Kassian – B – Kass had FOUR takeaways in this one to go with two assists, three hits, a penalty for getting mucky with Tom Wilson, and he also drew a penalty and added three shots. Speaking of mixing it up with the Capitals tough guy, I’m not sure Kass would’ve lasted long had that gone any further. I’d never question his toughness, but Tom Wilson is on another level when it comes to fighting. I do respect Zack for getting in there though and instigating the scrum.

Leon Draisaitl – AA – Finally, he decided to be greedy on a couple of 2v1s and shoot the puck instead of passing it. He wasn’t power forward Leon in this one though. No swatting of sticks or using his hockey butt to create room for himself. He was playing the role of skiller in this match and it paid off. The German ended the night with three points (2g and 1a), five shots and was 40% on the dot. A helluva way to bust a slump. That OT goal secured him the team record for most regular-season overtime winners in Oilers history.

Connor McDavid – AAA – As the Aussies say, “F*ck me dead.” What did he drink during the second intermission? He came out like a man on fire in the third and announced to the world that he was taking over. That’s putting it likely. Did it not seem like every one of his shifts in that final frame was there was a highlight from him. I think Nick Jensen is still looking for the puck from that play where Connor turned him into a pretzel and then went roof daddy only for the biscuit to go off the iron and over the glass. After a few games where he put up paltry numbers on the faceoff, he had a success rate of 64% on the draw.

Mikko Koskinen – B – After Ovie pulled the old Pat Maroon puck through the legs deke on James Neal, Koskinen stood tall and stoned the Russian superstar. What a great save on Backstrom to get the paddle down and prevent a wraparound winner. It basically set up the game-winner for Draisaitl down the line. I think he’d probably like to have that Vrana goal back, although, I don’t know who was expecting a shot to come from that play. It looked like the young Capitals winger was just going to pivot and dish off the puck instead of shooting a rolling puck. Now holds an Oilers record for hottest start to a season (5-0-0). Let’s see if he can take that to 6-0-0 on Sunday.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick

Next up, the Florida Panthers in an afternoon game! You can be assured that this game isn’t going to be a snoozefest. There’ll be lots of speed, skill, and great goaltending to witness.

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2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM10 Player Evaluations: Oilers Mild Vs Wild + Puljujarvi Rumor Update

My dad used to have a saying when he saw anybody have a poor performance be it at hockey or otherwise. He’d call it a dog’s breakfast and then follow that up by calling the player a candyass and that’s sort of how I feel about the Oilers’ game against the Wild right now. Save for two players, Coach Tippett iced a lot of candyasses and the whole effort was a dog’s breakfast. The question is, why?

What has happened to Edmonton’s offense? Everybody was crying about their secondary offense, but what about the primary scorers? They’ve gone nearly 160 minutes without a goal and that includes a shootout! I’m not going to say I warned you, but if you’re a regular reader, you may have read something to the effect that the floor was going to fall out sooner or later and boy, has it ever. Guess what, it’s not getting easier with Washington coming to town next.

Once again the Oilers allowed the opposition to fire away from point-blank range while they were content to drift in point shots for the most part.

Of course, that wasn’t the only problem for them. They couldn’t make a tape-to-tape pass for the life of them. The powerplay looked like it was the very first time those players had played together, nobody was winning any board battles, and this team simply got caught running around in its own zone too many times. The effort really looked like something out of the McLellan era.

It wasn’t all bad, just 95% of the game. I loved Archibald’s hit that took Jordan Greenway out of the game and I was impressed with Brandon Manning’s effort. Especially on that drive to the net that took out Dubnyk. I hope that Devan is okay. His head really bounced off the ice on that play. Ryan Donato owes him big… Lastly, Mike Smith was once again the Oilers’ saving grace. This game could’ve got embarrassing on the scoreboard if not for the veteran goaltender and I don’t think he can be blamed for any of the three goals that Minnesota scored.

Knowing that a couple of key players in Nygard and Larsson will be back at some point and the record being a more than respectable 7-2-1, is it too early to start making roster changes?

An easier route might be to call someone up from Bakersfield, but they’re not really playing so great at the moment either. I’d leave those boys down there as they’ve got six games in the next two weeks.

Keep an eye on Carolina though. Their farm team just signed NHL vet Jamie McGinn to a PTO. That could possibly mean they want to see if he can perform well enough to trade one of their wingers and we know that Jesse Puljujarvi and Julien Gauthier (4g in 4gp for Charlotte) have had their names in the rumor mill since the summer if not longer. Is Gauthier the guy to help Edmonton’s bottom-six scoring though and is Carolina the only team calling Ken Holland about Pulju?

Game Grades

A – Multiple positive plays offensively and defensively leading to excellent scoring chances for and/or limiting scoring chances against.
B – Positively influenced the game with limited minor or major mistakes that didn’t lead to dangerous scoring chances against.
C – Low event night. Noticed on the roster sheet but not so much on the ice.
D – Limited positive influence while multiple errors lead to multiple goals and/or scoring chances.
F – Ate sh*t. Horrid effort.

Josh Archibald – C – That hit on Greenway was sublime. Everything else, not so much. Did get a chance on the 2nd line with Draisaitl and Nuge in the third period mind you.

Tomas Jurco – D – He was asserting himself physically and did have a shot that was blocked. However, that’s about the extent of his impact.

Markus Granlund – C – He was THAT close to potting a rebound early in the game but that’s about it.

Matt Benning – D – One of the more engaged Oilers on the night. Three shots, three hits, and three blocked shots in 13:49 of TOI.

Kris Russell – D – It was back to the old Russell in this one. The Wild forecheck had Russell making extended use of the glass and boards when clearing the zone.

Patrick Russell – D – In the third, he found himself promoted to the top line with McDavid and Neal. Good on him, but I don’t think that’s where he’s going to be the most effective. Nobody can ever question this guy’s effort though. Three shots and three blocks in a defensive effort. At 5×5, was on the ice for 5 shots for and only one against. He’s exactly the kind of player you want in your bottom six.

Jujhar Khaira – D – Oh boy… Minnesota had their way with JJ. He could not get a single thing going and his decision making has been puzzling lately. On more than one occasion, he stayed out a bit longer than he should’ve and became a liability to his teammates.

Riley Sheahan – D – This was Sheahan’s first really bad night for Edmonton. In the past, we could look beyond his lack of offense because at the other end of the ice he was performing well. A -27.08 CF% rel is a shocking stat, but he still performed on the faceoff dot (60%), so that’s a plus.

Brandon Manning – B – Every now and then you need an old school honest effort and tonight that’s what this gentleman gave his team. He knows he’s not as skilled as his teammates, but he doesn’t give a sh*t. He goes out and gives it his all. I’m not giving him a B-grade because he created so many chances or limited them in his own zone, I’m giving him that grade because he was one of two players who looked like they wanted to turn this game around.

Oscar Klefbom – D – A team-high 25:12 minutes of ice-time for the Super Swede. He also managed three shots on the net, but for whatever reason was having a tough go moving that puck. Whether that was because the forwards weren’t coming back to gather it or because Minny just had Edmonton’s number, I’ll leave that for more important people to figure out. He was on the ice for five shots for and 12 against at 5-on-5.

Alex Chiasson – D – He’s cooled right off. Tippett saw this and moved him to the 4th line in the 3rd where I noticed a distinct upgrade in effort.

James Neal – D – No shots eh… Well, that’s not going to work going forward. He’s got to find a way to discover that soft ice. Not sure I liked him on McDavid’s wing, the game doesn’t flow for those two like it does for Leon and Connor. That being said, he did have three hits in this one. So he’s still trying to get things going when the offense isn’t.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – C – 75% on the dot and a post hit when Stalock came in. Not as gritty tonight I found. He was the best of the three big boys though.

Ethan Bear – D – It was a down game for Bear. The Wild’s vets had him in knots. Got switched with Russell in the third and that didn’t work. Hopefully, he takes the lessons taught to him by the likes of Parise, Koivu, Zucker, and Staal and learns from them. Washington is no joke and if he thought those old Wild players made him look silly, the Capitals will make a Netflix special out of him.

Darnell Nurse – D – Tough break on Hunt’s goal. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He was one of many that just didn’t have it. The puck jumping around for him and he was caught out of position on a number of instances.

Zack Kassian – D – Early on, I barely noticed him. In the third, when the game was all but lost, he started to pick up the intensity. I imagine that had a little to do with being taken out of the top-six.

Leon Draisaitl – D – Had a Volkswagen tied to his ass this whole game. Maybe, just maybe, playing him 27 minutes a night has come home to bite the Oilers coaching staff in the ass? On 19:55 on this night and a paltry 30% on the faceoffs. I’m hoping an evening or two in his own bed will refill his energy stores because Niklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Lars Eller are going to be his opposition next.

Connor McDavid – D – Three. Games. In. A. Row. With. No. Points. John Carlson, a defenseman for Washington, has surpassed him in the NHL scoring race… Connor had nothing in this game. He was a non-factor as the Wild must’ve watched what Winnipeg had done with the Oilers because it was a near-perfect emulation of that defensive tactic. Keep him to the outside and rough him up a bit, right? Where’s the eye of the tiger, Connor?

Mike Smith – B – Thank the hockey gords the Oilers signed this man. I do wonder if there’s any paint left on the walls in the Oilers locker room after this one though. That save off of Jason Zucker’s breakaway was fantastic!

When skill fails to show up, what are you left with? You’d better hope that it’s work ethic. This is what I mean when there’s all this talk about overloading the offense by signing an $11M Taylor Hall. Unfortunately against the Wild, nobody showed up. The lunch pail gang stayed home too and that’s a problem because the goaltenders and cagey vets are only going to put up with this for so long.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick

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2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM9 Player Evaluations: Goaltending Rescues One Point for Offense Dry Oilers

One of my biggest pet peeves as a sports fan is when the game I’m watching doesn’t feature any scoring. So you can imagine how I must’ve felt watching the Oilers and Jets walk into a shootout that would feature the game’s first “goals”. God! Shoot me now… Especially with the firepower that was being showcased.

On the other hand, if you’re the kind of fan who loves a tightly contested match where the goalies are standing on their heads, this game would’ve been a great one for you! The rare double shutout. More elusive than a Milan Lucic penalty when his team plays the LA Kings.

I’ll say this, I wasn’t prepared for a goaltending duel but I won’t complain that it happened either. Mike Smith was fantastic for 65-minutes and he did everything he could to keep his team in the game, but I’d be willing to bet that he might’ve had some unkind words for his teammates after this one.

For the second game in a row, the Oilers were letting the opposition shoot at will from the most dangerous parts of the ice. Surely, that’s not part of Jim Playfair’s plan. That said, the Jets would’ve done themselves a world of good had they hit the net more often. Edmonton might’ve won the shot battle, but that’s thanks to Winnipeg’s lack of accuracy.

See that bit of red over the Jets logo. That’s where they were shooting from the most 5×5. Edmonton’s equivalent is near the blue line… Not good. The Jets shut down the middle of the ice for the most part and Edmonton didn’t.

Carl Dahlstrom thought he won it for the Jets in the third frame with his first NHL goal, but the keen eye of Edmonton’s eye in the sky, a gentleman by the name of Jeremy Coupal caught an overzealous Mark Scheifele who’d gone offside and rightfully had Coach Tippett challenge the goal. It’s a good feeling to be winning some of these coach’s challenges, right? I mean, didn’t it feel like they couldn’t win any of them during the McLellan era?

Some are calling for a bottom-six reform, but I can’t see that being in the cards. Khaira, Sheahan, and Russell were a really good line two nights ago but when Tippett reunited Archibald with that line, the Jets ate them alive while Russell flourished with Jurco and Granlund. Sure they’re not scoring, but if you think that adding Sam Gagner to this group is going to spark what little offense these guys are bringing, you’re fooling yourself.

If they want to force the offense from those two lines, they’re going to have to sacrifice something to get it. I’ll let you speculate as to what that could be.

The Caveman Cometh

Colby Cave sure made his presence known in his season debut for the Oilers AHL affiliate vs Stockton. The Heat’s notorious pest Martin Pospisil decided that he’d throw down with Cave and man, was that one of his worst decisions ever.

But just to show he’s not a bad guy, Cave contacted the fallen Pospisil later on via text to see if he was alright. What a guy!

https://twitter.com/mpospisil91/status/1185984922642571264

Game Grades

A – Multiple positive plays offensively and defensively leading to excellent scoring chances for and/or limiting scoring chances against.
B – Positively influenced the game with limited minor or major mistakes that didn’t lead to dangerous scoring chances against.
C – Low event night. Noticed on the roster sheet but not so much on the ice.
D – Limited positive influence while multiple errors lead to multiple goals and/or scoring chances.
F – Ate sh*t. Horrid effort.

Josh Archibald – D – Experienced a painful shot block early on and a painful game of hockey for Archie according to the Corsis. He was on the ice for four shot attempts for and TEN against 5×5. To add to that, Zero scoring chances for and FIVE against at 5×5. Yes, he did throw three official hits and was a pain in the ass for Connor Hellebyck, but I wonder if he sits for a game soon or is swapped with Patrick Russell again?

Tomas Jurco – B – He keeps showing flashes of competence but playing him is a catch 22, right? You could move him up the lineup but he’d be facing much tougher defensemen or you could keep him down the lineup at the cost of lesser skilled linemates. The fancies loved him in his eight minutes on the ice. He had a 100% shot share 5×5, was on the ice for a single attempt against 5×5, and five scoring chances for with zero against 5×5. His line was fantastic by the numbers.

Markus Granlund – B –  A much better effort I’ll say. His 50% on the dot was helpful. The 100% shot share 5×5 should please the coaches as well as the one shot attempt against 5×5, five scoring chances for and zero against 5×5. His line was a dangerous one in the final frame even with the Jets driving the play for most of that period.

Matt Benning – C – Tippett really doesn’t trust him farther than he can throw him. Only 9:55 of ice-time even strength and 46-seconds on the PK.

Kris Russell – C – 800 games eh? That’s about 8.43 anti-Russell articles per 60 by my count over the course of his career… AS AN OILER. Say what you will about him, every player he’s played with has his respect and he showed why in this game. He guts it out and sacrifices himself for the greater good. Nearly four minutes killing penalties on the evening… Man! That is tough sledding.

Patrick Russell – B – In ten minutes, he lead the Oilers with four shots 5×5 and was only on the ice for one shot against. He was responsible for five scoring chances for and none against 5×5. He’s playing fantastically right now. Took a big hit from Blake Wheeler but bounced back up like it was nothing. He’s quickly turning into a real favorite of mine. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone as good as him on the boards.

Jujhar Khaira – C – The advanced metrics did not like his game at all. During his TOI, eleven shot attempts against 5×5, zero scoring chances for and seven scoring chances against 5×5. Woof! He was outmatched by Winnipeg’s more determined skaters. That said, he’s an important part of Edmonton’s PK unit. So, it seems, no matter how poor he is 5×5 or how many extended shifts he gets caught out for, he still has the trust of the coach shorthanded. I’m with the coaches on this one I think. Edmonton’s special teams and goaltending are what’s going to help them reach the post-season. If the bottom-six can tread water, let the top-six fire away.

Riley Sheahan – C – 75% FO% but was on the ice for zero scoring chances for with five against at 5×5. You have to love that faceoff domination but I wondered what would happen with the Oilers not having the last change and my fears were correct. Winnipeg took full advantage and Sheahan’s line simply couldn’t compete.

Brandon Manning – C – He plays an honest game, you got to give him that. But he gets walked all over by anybody with an ounce of skill and that happened once or twice against the Jets. There’s a part of me that wonders if this is a showcase because surely William Lagesson is a better option here.

Oscar Klefbom – B – 27:04 TOI!!! That’s getting into Ryan Suter range, my Lord. He did improve on his giveaways though. In this game, he posted a zero in that category. Oscar is just so solid out there. Against Winnipeg, he got the job done in Niklas Lidstrom-like fashion. Quietly and effectively. Is it not a blessing that we’ve got this guy under contract for four more years at a shade over four million dollars?

Alex Chiasson – C – With as many shots as the Oilers had from the point, you’d have liked to have seen more tips or rebounds tucked home and this is an area of the game where Chiasson thrives. No such luck on this night. If Chiasson can’t find a way to get on the scoresheet, the Oilers might have to make a move to find someone who can. On one hit and not even one shot on net… Not a great showing.

James Neal – B – Neals statline was pretty barren with only a two in the category of shots on goal. Winnipeg did a nice job of keeping Edmonton’s stars to the outside and on more than one occasion the Jets were lucky enough to have gotten away with some illegal tactics to stop the Oilers. A prime example was in OT.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – B – Another game goes by where Nuge is probably the Oilers best 200 foot forward. There was a Jets 2v1 where Nuge busted his ass all the way back through three zones to stop the Winnipeg forward from behind that just showed how amazing he’s playing right now. His work on the cycle has been really impressive too for a guy that’s not 6’4″ and 225lbs. He’s slick and slippery and causes a lot of grief for the opposition. He had 21:21 TOI, three takeaways, three hits, a 50% FO%.

Ethan Bear – B – He’s having himself quite the start to the year eh? Skated 25:31 and only three shots against 5×5 but like Nurse below, the attempted shots on net were much higher (13). According to the Cult of Hockey, Bear played nearly 10 minutes in the third period… That’s nuts! He has to bury those chances when the come to him though. McDavid’s pass from behind the net found Bear for a one-timer in the slot but Hellebuyck saved it.

Darnell Nurse – B – He did a masterful job against the Jets top men, limiting their offense. With 26:23 of TOI, only allowed two shots against 5×5 BUT at the same time, he was on the ice for 15 shot attempts against. So to translate, while he was defending, only two pucks got to Smith but 15 made their way to the net but maybe they missed it or they hit the post. Ended the game with two shots on net, four blocks, and a penalty. To say he was involved in the play is an understatement.

Zack Kassian – C – Had he scored on that odd-man rush with Nuge, that would’ve been it. I think the Oilers would’ve turned on the Jets (ha! puns are awesome!) and taken over the game. Kass has consistently been himself all year. The peaks and valleys in his game have flattened and you know what you’re going to get from him night in and night out. Four more hits for the team’s premier power forward. I love his shot when he has time to let it fly, so I was disappointed when at the end of the game, there was a zero in the shots column.

Leon Draisaitl – B – Man, you would’ve liked to have seen him take a shot on one of those 2v1s with Connor. A mind-boggling 25:31 of TOI. I have no idea what Tippett is doing playing his big boys so much, Does he not trust the rest of his roster or is he looking at some analytics that are telling him that he can ride these boys like Mules? Draisaitl looked absolutely gassed and his 38% FO% as well as the eleven shot attempts for and fourteen against while he was out there hints at that too. However, that pass in OT… Glory be to Leon’s backhand.

Connor McDavid – C – What was going on with his release on those 2-on-1s with Leon? 50% FO%, during his ice time, there were eleven shot attempts for and fifteen against. That’s two subpar games in a row. Maybe it’s time to cut down on the TOI a bit and trust the rest of the roster to do their jobs. Not sure his penalty for slashing was really worth calling. Wheeler had just filled Patrick Russell in along the boards and McDavid was just giving the Jets captain a little tap to let him know how he felt.

Mike Smith – A – What an effort! He was dialed-in and through the Oilers’ PK unit on his back and said, “Shhhhh. Don’t worry boys. I’ll carry you through this warzone.” Man am I happy that the Oilers are getting competent goaltending. They need to bank as many points as possible early this year so that when the inevitable dip comes, it won’t derail their season completely like it has in the past.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick

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