Edmonton Oilers: 3 Keys To Victory Against The Arizona Coyotes
The Edmonton Oilers are playing their first game away from Rogers Place tonight. They will be in Arizona taking on the Coyotes. The Arizona Coyotes are off to a rough start and hopefully, the Oilers keep that trend going. After beating the Anaheim Ducks in a high-scoring affair Edmonton needs to buckle down defensively moving forward.
That’s not the only thing they need to do to win though. Here are three things the Edmonton Oilers need to do to leave Arizona with a victory.
1. Kick Them While They Are Down
The Arizona Coyotes are going to have a long season. I have a feeling they will be finishing last in the league this season. In the three games the Coyotes have played, their goal differential is -10. That means they have averaged losing each game by 3 goals.
The Edmonton Oilers need to be point-hungry coming into this game. This is one of a few games a year where a high skilled players can run up a score. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid should be licking their chops for this game.
2. Work On Defense
After watching the game against the Anaheim Ducks, the Oilers need to work on their defense. With the lack of skill that the Arizona Coyotes have, there needs to be a lot less defensive errors made by the Oilers. There is still a couple questions on the defensive end of the ice for the Edmonton Oilers, especially following Tuesday’s game. The Coyotes in the 3 games they have played have scored only 7 goals.
That is just over 2 goals a game. The Edmonton Oilers are trying to solidify themselves as a Stanley Cup contender. In order to do that they will need to hold Arizona to less that two goals. If there was ever a game I would expect a shutout, it is this game
3. First Start For Koskinen
After Mike Smith left the game in Anaheim, it is Mikko Koskinen’s time to start between the pipes. Koskinen played fairly well when he went in to relieve Smith after he left the game with an injury.
After having a subpar season last year, Mikko needs a good start if he wants to get regular starts moving forward. If he struggles to play good tonight that will put a bit of doubt in the minds of his teammates and coaches. If Tippett doesn’t trust Koskinen he will be more hesitant to put him in. So, this game is very important for Mikko Koskinen and his future.
This is a must-win game for the Oilers and I think they win it. This game will get them to 4-0 to start the season, heading into Vegas tomorrow. So even if they are unable to beat Vegas they will still be 4-1 after five games. That is an excellent way to start the season. If the Edmonton Oilers can keep playing at this pace they will be working their way into Stanley Cup conversations.