Edmonton Oilers Back To Earth In Ottawa

Well, that was not particularly pretty, was it?

Honestly, it did not look like the Edmonton Oilers were going to win this one from the very first shift. The Senators had a ¼ step on them from the word “go”, and Todd Nelson’s crew never did catch up. Too bad, too, as the Oilers match up quite well with Ottawa, and have been playing their best hockey of the year. 9 Things:

9. I see a lot of people hacking on Justin Schultz today, but really: If you are going to take issue with an Edmonton Oilers defenceman (and you could take your pick) Martin Marincin is mine. Exhibit “A”: He had Eric Condra behind the net, but let him slip away, leading to the back-breaking 5th goal. Marincin needs another 10-15 pounds to succeed in the NHL.

8. I have a beef with the linesman calling the misconduct on Teddy Purcell. He had the stick slashed right out of his hands twice, and there was no call. No one but the Oilers bench heard what Purcell said. I hate (hate) it when the Zebras think they are the show. Get over yourself, and while you are at it…review that off-side you flat-out missed on Eberle-Purcell, Mr. Perfect.

7. This may surprise you to hear me say this, but…breathe. This team just came off a really good stretch. Remember, a significant percentage of this team is made up of AHL players. Below-average teams will sometimes play to their potential, and win. But sometimes, they will play below their potential, and lose…sometimes badly. This game was “one of those”.

6. I thought I was done with the officials, but if you go back to the Senators first goal, the Ottawa power play was triggered by a very iffy interference call against Ryan Hamilton. This was an innocent, mid-ice collision, and the call was poor. This was not what lost the game, the Edmonton Oilers did a good job of that all on their own. But it did put them behind the 8-Ball, early.

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5. The Oilers gap management today compared to what it was against the Canadiens was night & day. Montreal barely had a half-second to make puck management decisions in the last game. Today, the Senators had that extra room to pick up trailer, to see all the ice, and make good plays. Poor gap management is code for lack of aggressiveness.

4. Coming back to Teddy Purcell: If he scores on that excellent short-handed effort, it “might” have turned the tide. He had two break-always and 7 shots on net. I saw someone the other day compare Purcell to a “thin Dustin Penner”, which made me laugh, but you know…it’s accurate and true. He’ll never be a fan favorite, because he’s not that physical, but he’s a useful player if you are willing to see beyond that.

3. I thought Derek Roy was the best player on the ice, for the Edmonton Oilers today. He scored a lovely goal to get the Oilers on the board, and was feisty all game long. I’m slowly being converted into believing that he would be a decent re-signing, a reasonable veteran option that gives them room to do the right thing with Leon Draisaitl. Food for thought.

2. That Luke Gazdic-Chris Neil scrap was something else. I know that some of you don’t like fighting in the game, and that is fair. But I (and I was NOT a rough-and-tumble guy when I played) DO think it belongs, and that was a Ring-A-Ding-Dong-Dandy. Gazdic also played a reasonable 8 minutes when he WAS on the ice. He’s been “ok”, lately.

1. I have come to believe, 100%, that Job #1 for the Edmonton Oilers this Summer is to get a #1 goaltender. Viktor Fasth may not have lost this game all on his own, but 2 soft goals allowed makes the score 5-2 instead of 3-2. The team had to climb uphill, too early in the game, for the state this roster is currently in. Scrivens is a good NHL back-up, at least. Find a real #1 goaltender, and this team is immediately a lot better…and not just a little.

All players can have good games, but one of the many things that the loss today revealed was that AHL-level players have a hard time sustaining the top end of their game. The drop-off from Montreal, due in part because of that, helps Craig MacTavish determine what gaps he really needs to fill.

Winnipeg will be a difficult test. The depth of this team’s character will be tested. Cross your fingers.