Edmonton Oilers Pregame Thoughts

Stinkers happen every once in a while, even just one period.

The Oilers have had a chance to at least get a loser point were it not for how bad their first period was. But I didn’t realize just how dominant they’ve been against the Penguins in recent years. They were 7-0 heading into Thursday night, dating back to the 2019/2020 season. It’s hard to keep track of all streaks, and they have to end eventually. Perhaps Sidney Crosby and his squad took it to heart. Connor McDavid, after all, has the advantage in points between them in meetings, and had another productive night against Crosby with 3 assists. But Sid had a goal and an assist, and also got the win; he was the one celebrating in the end. And congrats to 87 for passing Joe Sakic for 9th all-time in NHL points. Congrats to McDavid, by the way, for having his OHL number retired by the Erie Otters yesterday.

A part of me did admittedly feel confident Edmonton may’ve come back from 5-1 when they made it 5-3 before the second period. Brian Rust argued that McDavid dove, giving the Oilers that late-period powerplay they took advantage of. Connor did get enough of a shove to go down, but I can agree that he could’ve maybe gone down without spinning. Not that it really matters anymore.

Poor Stu, he finally got his save percentage above .900 after Tuesday night, only to have the very next game make him look beer league level again. I personally find it perplexing that fans were fairly quiet when Stuart Skinner was on a hot streak, but then went back to bashing him the moment he has a bad game again. That first period was bad for every Oiler, not just him. Skinner isn’t a perfect goalie, but I’d like it if we were also loud about his victories and not just when he loses.

The Oil are looking to get revenge against a team that made them look silly at home. The keys to the game are…

Edmonton Oilers Thoughts

Different Looking Team: “How dare they play down to their opponent’s level” is what I normally do and would say against Chicago. But the truth is, the Blackhawks are trying to bounce back from their embarrassing Winter Classic game in front of their home fans on New Year’s Eve. Don’t just look at the updated standings before puck drop. If they can beat Colorado in regulation, they can beat you too. They’ve already beaten you once this season.

Their Connor: Hard to not to mention Bedard when these meetings happen. His overall production this season has been modest for a 19-year-old linked with generational potential. He has 5 points in his last 4 games, and he’s really started pouring it on a bit more than he was earlier.

Road Pick: I defended Stuart Skinner and the Chicago Blackhawks moments ago, but this is also the sort of game you’d expect Calvin Pickard to play in this game. This is where his 6-2 road record in 2024/2025 comes in handy.