Edmonton Oilers Have Blues, Lose 4-2
By Kurt Leavins
I found Twitter to be a little too edge-of-the-ledge on Tuesday night. Yes, the Oilers lost. But when an inferior team loses to a superior one, things like the score (not a blow-out) and how the losing team plays out the rest of the game (they actually push back) count.
This wasn’t an embarrassment, it actually ended way better than it could have, or even should have. Sooo…get over it, and get your drama under control. 9 Things:
9. Luke Gazdic only played 5 minutes, but a perfectly acceptable 5 minutes it was. He was physical, did not take a penalty that actively hurt his team, cleared the zone competently, and was strong on the fore-check. His TOI did not make a significant difference, but he did prove that as a tough guy, he is not completely over-matched as an NHL player.
8. I’ve said it numerous times this season: When your best players are not your best players, you will not often win. The Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Taylor Hall-Jordan Eberle line was thoroughly average on the night, and both Eberle & Nugent-Hopkins each had a defensive gaffe that led directly to a goal. This team, with this level of talent on the roster, can’t afford that often.
7. Rob Klinkhammer proved that he can play effectively higher up in the lineup. Not spectacularly gifted, he still did not look out of place on the flank with Anton Lander and Teddy Purcell. As much as Todd Nelson needed to get Gazdic in a game again, his General Manager also needs to know whether to offer Klinkhammer a contract. Get a pen, Craig…
6. Ben Scrivens has to stop that first goal. He actually played very well the rest of the way, and made several huge saves. The problem is: his team was behind the 8-Ball against one of the best teams in the NHL from early on because Scrivens did not get set quick enough, and let a very average shot squib through his pads. He did not lose the game, but nor did he win it.
5. The Oilers were killed in the face-off circle. It’s near impossible to be an effective possession team when you start fewer than 50% of your shifts without the puck. But on Tuesday night, the Blues won 30 of 44 draws. 30 of 44!! That just won’t get it done. The Oilers have been decent in the dot this season, so I’ll put this down to “one of those nights”.
4. Derek Roy continues to prove me wrong about him. He now has 7 points in 8 games, since coming over from Nashville, meanwhile Mark Arcobello was placed on waivers Tuesday. If he keeps this up, Craig MacTavish will offer Roy a new contract. The problem with that is: I’m not at all sure that’s what the Oilers need to happen.
3. The Oilers Penalty Kill team snuffed out 4 chances against it on the night, against a team that has been absolutely killing it on the Power Play. That is a win. But it is also precisely why I would not have either Boyd Gordon or Matt Hendricks on the trading block at the deadline. I see them as an important part of the 2015-16 Oilers.
2. Benoit Pouliot was by far and away the best Oiler against St. Louis. He was physical on the fore-check, fast & tenacious on the PK, and scored the club’s only two goals on the night (he now has 4 in his last 3 games). I also liked the fight in him at the end. This is a 1-game sample of the player the Oilers thought they had signed.
1. The Blues are flat-out a better hockey team than the Edmonton Oilers. But instead of folding like a cheap deck chair when they were down 3-0, the Oilers actually came out in the 3rd Period and made a bit of a game of it. Inconsequential? Don’t let anyone convince you of that. This is a sign of the new attitude Todd Nelson is bringing to this team. If he can get it to stick, there will more fun nights at Rexall Place than not, going forward.
Tampa Bay is exactly the kind of good team that the Oilers match up decently against, and have the chance to beat, if they play well and limit the number of mistakes they make.
Oh, yeah, and contain that Stamkos guy. You’ve heard of him, right?!