Edmonton Oilers “Post” 2-1 Loss To Penguins
By Kurt Leavins
Something stood between the Edmonton Oilers and two points, Friday night: The Post. No less than four times, the home team had a golden chance to change the ultimate complexion of this game, but instead the 17,000 faithful at Rexall Place were left with the loud ringing of goal posts in their ears.
Make the final Pittsburgh 2 Edmonton 1. 9 Things:
9. This was a pretty entertaining hockey game. Yes, the Edmonton Oilers lost. But I felt that they proved that they could stay with one of the top teams, and players, in the NHL. The Penguins won the 1st, but the 2nd Period was a draw, and the 3rd? The Oilers out-shot them 9-7 and out-chanced them as well. They deserved a point. Alas…
8. Andrew Miller has good wheels and decent touch with the puck, but he looks over-matched out there, physically. I’ve no quibble with Miller’s tools and effort. But I’m worried that he is not strong enough to succeed on an NHL level. I wonder if those Scott Hartnell rumors will lead to something?
7. Reasonable-me has convinced Emotional-me that officiating did not cost the Edmonton Oilers the game tonight. But Taylor Hall’s slashing call was borderline at best, he was playing the puck. And when did you last see that trip called on a goalie? The Hendricks hold and the Davidson interference calls were also soft. What did we do to deserve this?? Sigh. O.k…I’m better now.
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6. It is great to have Jordan Eberle back, but he clearly had some rust on him tonight. He fought the puck early, had a couple of give-away’s and struggled in the heavy going. But he’s been out 5+ weeks, and improved as the game went on. One wonders if he plays at all, Friday, if Connor McDavid is healthy?
5. The line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov and Benoit Pouliot was the Edmonton Oilers best, for most of the night. If you isolate the metrics in the 1st Period, alone, they were the ONLY unit going. There were fewer chemistry issues here, than with Hall, Draisaitl and Eberle.
4. There is a enough blame to spread around on the Penguins game-wining goal. Sure, Nail Yakupov did not have his man in front. But he was only there in the first place because Darnell Nurse (who otherwise played well) abandoned his post. Why? Because Andrej Sekera lost a long battle along the boards. And why was Yakupov back instead of his center? *repeat*
3. Oscar Klefbom was a marvel to behold on Friday. His rocket of a slap shot that accounted for the Edmonton Oilers first goal of the night was hi-light reel stuff. But it was the confidence with which he maneuvered out of his own end and danced along the blue in the other end end that caught my eye, over and over. A 1st-pairing D-man in the making. I hope we’re patient.
2. Anders Nilsson was excellent, Friday night, posting 31 saves against one of the stronger offensive teams in the NHL. Certainly, neither of the Penguins goals were on him: A point-blank shot on a defensive coverage breakdown and a lucky deflection after a rather iffy call by the Zebras.
1. Leon Draisaitl was the Edmonton Oilers best forward, Friday night. I make that the #1 notable thing about the game, because of the implications that his performance potentially has on the rest off the year. Not only did he not look out of place centering the 1st Line against Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, he was often spectacular, specifically on a marvelous effort late that clanked off iron, instead of setting off the goal horn inside Rexall. His speed through the neutral zone really impoved over the off-season, and his hockey sense is off the charts. If the Edmonton Oilers end up not missing Connor McDavid as much as many had predicted, it will have been because of the maturation of this kid.
On one hand, it doesn’t get any easier for the Edmonton Oilers, as the prepare to face the Black Hawks. But on the other, they go into Chicago to face a team that isn’t quite what it used to be, and with a gaping hole on their back end. The Oilers are in a large majority of their games, these days, and are playing quite well. When you do that, things gradually start to fall into place.
And hey…if the 2015 New Jersey Devils can beat Chicago?? So can the Edmonton Oilers…all day and all night.