Edmonton Oilers: Three things to watch for against NY Rangers
The Edmonton Oilers will wrap up their three-game homestand on Friday, and here are three things to keep tabs on in their matchup against the Rangers.
The Edmonton Oilers are 8-1-0 for the second time in franchise history after topping the Nashville Predators 5-2 on Wednesday night. Dave Tippett‘s group will look to continue their winning ways in their three-game homestand finale against the New York Rangers. Here are three things to watch throughout the game.
1. Honoring Kevin Lowe before puck drop
The Oilers will honor a legend on Friday night, raising defenseman Kevin Lowe‘s No. 4 jersey to the rafters before puck drop. Drafted 21st overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, the Lachute, Quebec native spent 15 of his 19 seasons with the blue-and-orange while also spending four seasons with the New York Rangers.
He amassed 84 goals and 431 points while consistently being in the Norris Trophy conversation.
Defenseman Kris Russell has been wearing Lowe’s number, and he plans to change to the No. 6. He spoke about having a chance to wear the same uniform number as Lowe.
“I was very thankful that I was able to get the opportunity to wear No. 4,” Russell said on Thursday. “Selfishly, I think that it’s great for me that I was the last guy to wear it before it goes up for Mr. Lowe.”
Lowe was part of the Oilers’ glory days, winning five Stanley Cups while also winning one with the Rangers during the 1994 season.
2. Rangers penalty kill versus Oilers high-octane powerplay
The Oilers’ powerplay has been off to a great start this year, and that’s putting it modestly if we’re being honest. Edmonton is converting at an insane 46.4 percent clip, with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid pacing the team with four goals on the man advantage apiece.
Draisaitl had an outstanding powerplay goal in the dying seconds in Wednesday’s game against the Predators. McDavid cycled the puck from right to left before dishing the puck to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the high slot, sending the puck over to Draisaitl at the right dot, who fired one of the most precise shots past Predators’ netminder Connor Ingram.
“Our main goal, besides creating chances and scoring goals, is to give our team a little bit of momentum,” Draisaitl said after Wednesday’s game. “Create chances, get the crowd into it; that’s our main goal and focus, to do that. Every power play wants to score every single time they go out there and that’s impossible, obviously, but we know what we want to do. We’ve been together for a long time now and we’re pretty dialed in with what we want to do.”
Leon Draisaitl power-play goals are to be expected... 🤫
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Zach Hyman, who was signed to a lucrative seven-year contract over the summer, also has three powerplay goals through the first nine games.
However, the Rangers penalty kill has been great in the early goings of the 2021-22 season, ranked ninth at an 86.1 kill-off rate entering Friday’s matchup.
3. Good early-season test for Dave Tippett’s group
If anything else, Friday’s game will be a good early-season matchup for the Oilers. The New York Rangers come into this one with a 6-2-2 record. Reigning Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox is pacing all skaters with 11 points, and Artemi Panarin leads all forwards with 10.
The Rangers are getting balanced production from all four lines. Chris Kreider has been lethal on the powerplay, collecting five goals through their first ten games. While Gerard Gallant‘s group is averaging just 2.40 goals per game (27th), they are stout defensively, allowing 2.20 goals per game, good for fourth-best in the league.
Draisaitl will look to continue his early-season dominance after being the first player to reach 20 points in the first nine games since Mario Lemieux did so in 1996.
“We all want to win,” the former Hart Trophy winner said. “We got a great group. The start is great for me personally and us as a group. Just looking to continue keeping the confidence, helping the team win and doing the little things right. Just continue to get better and win.”