Edmonton Oilers: 3 Keys To Victory Against The Anaheim Ducks
The Edmonton Oilers are off to a great start so far this season. After beating the Calgary Flames 5-2 on Saturday the Oilers are now 2-0. Tonight they are playing the Anaheim Ducks. This is a team that Oilers should be able to beat. In years past the Oilers have struggled to consistently beat weaker teams in the style they should. Here are 3 keys for the Edmonton Oilers for beating the Anaheim Ducks.
1. Quick Start
The Anaheim Ducks had a late night last night playing against the Calgary Flames. They were able to beat the Flames, but the game went to overtime. Playing a back to back is difficult in the best scenarios, but after playing extra time only will add to the Ducks fatigue.
If the Oilers start the game quickly they will be able to catch a tired Ducks team with heavy legs. The Oilers are coming off two days without playing a game and should be fresh and ready to go right at the drop of the puck.
2. Lots of Shots
With the Ducks playing last night, the Oilers will likely be facing Anthony Stolarz in net. With John Gibson playing the game in Calgary last night he should be getting the night off. This should be an advantage for the Edmonton Oilers. Although so far this year in his one-start Stolarz has a 0.953 SV%, you would much rather play against him than Gibson who has a 0.961% so far this season.
The Oilers have been outshot in both of their games so far. 47-33 against the Flames and 38-34 versus the Vancouver Canucks. That is a total of 85-67. If the Oilers want to be a contender they are going to have to start getting more shots than their opponents.
3. Play Edmonton Oilers Hockey
The Edmonton Oilers in the past have had the issue where they play down to their opponents. This season the Oilers are expected to be a winning team. In previous seasons they will go play a team that is lower in the standings and they will play a bad game and lose.
This season the team has to start taking advantage of weaker teams. That needs to start tonight. The Anaheim Ducks will be finishing near the bottom of the Pacific Division. If the Oilers want to finish in the top of the division they need to beat the teams that the rest of the league are beating.
This should be a fun game to watch if you are an Edmonton Oilers fan. After the Anaheim Ducks eliminated the Oilers from the playoffs in 2017, I just want the Oilers to beat the Ducks and beat them bad. The good news I have a feeling that this could be one of those games. With the Ducks on the second half of a back-to-back and the Oilers playing on rest, the ice should be tilted for the Oilers.