Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

Congrats to Oilers defenseman prospect Paul Fischer for winning the gold medal with Team USA at the World Juniors on Sunday night.

Edmonton almost did that thing against Seattle that they also did against Anaheim twice. The thing where they have a multi-goal lead and then let it slip away.

But they didn’t, so no moping. In mid December, we were seeing the Oilers needing to come back in games they were trailing in order to pull out wins. Now, just before New Year’s Day leading up to today, they’re putting themselves in positions where they are tested to keep those leads and not let one shift deflate them. Sometimes, you’re going to have to remind yourself of that without playing poorly, no matter how long the players on a roster have been in the league.

It was still a positive start for this road trip. The Oil are still on the road again for 6 of their next 7 games. This could bold well for Calvin Pickard, who has a 6-2 road record this season, which includes a .920 SV% and 2.15 GAA. If he continues that solid pace, his team will be confident enough in him that they won’t have to burn Stuart Skinner out with too many starts. They continue tonight against one of those teams I mentioned a moment ago, where they needed to stage a comeback. Can they repeat success in one of the NHL’s toughest rinks? The keys to the game are…

Edmonton Oilers Thoughts

Roadies: Dating back to the 2019/2020 season, 8 of the last 9 meetings between these teams have been won by the visitors. That streak was broken on December 19^th in Edmonton when the Oilers won 3-2 in Overtime. The Bruins are now looking to have the next home win in Boston, or we can keep the road wins coming.

Puck Management: What helped the Kraken attempt a comeback win, as previously mentioned, was nearing the end of the second period when the Oilers had a 3-0 lead. Kasperi Kapanen made a brutal turnover at the blue line as his team’s powerplay was expiring. Chandler Stephenson went on a rush and scored, cutting the deficit to 2 goals. I’ve written about mistakes before. It’s not so much about WHO makes those mistakes, because even the best players do; nobody’s perfect. The problem is WHEN those mistakes happen. It only takes one gaffe at the worst possible times to change the momentum of a hockey game. If you can’t see a particular play working, don’t even attempt it.

Third Wheel: With a goal and an assist in his last 2 games as a 4^th liner, Jeff Skinner was promoted to the 3^rd line with Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman during practice. Henrique didn’t have a great first half of the season, and Hyman shouldn’t be a 3^rd liner for very long. But this does at least give Skinner something to work with. Even if it’s not Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, he’s getting a chance with players who can provide secondary offense. Perhaps this helps Henrique get more productive as well.