Defence
Contrary to what most believe, the Edmonton Oilers’ defence isn’t bad. The Oilers are ninth in the league with a 2.79 GAA and tied-19th with an .898 save percentage. So, how could the Oilers’ GAA be solid, but have a mediocre save percentage?
The answer lies in the number of shots they’ve given up this season. The Oilers are 30th in the league with 914 shots against. In other words, only Dallas, Carolina, and Los Angeles have given up fewer shots than the Oilers.
What that means is that even when the Oilers give up two or three goals, the fact that they give up fewer shots than most teams in the league, drives down their save percentage.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Edmonton Oilers have given up 109 total goals this season. That puts them 24th in the league, tied with the New Jersey Devils. For reference, the Dallas Stars have given up the fewest goals this season at 95. That’s a 14-goal difference.
When looking at it from that perspective, the Oilers’ defence has hardly been spotty. The issue lies in the odd game where Stuart Skinner gives up four or five goals, making the team look bad. Then, Skinner puts together three or four games giving up three goals or fewer and everything is fine once again.
With that in mind, the Oilers’ defence gets an A-. They have played well, as the numbers show, but have not gotten the credit they deserve. While the Oilers could be more consistent, they have played reasonably well in close games.
Then again, that’s a statement that could be made about every team in the league. Virtually every club could argue they need to be more consistent. Moving forward, the Oilers’ biggest challenge will be to stay focused as the dog days on the season loom from mid-January to the 4-Nations break.
(All stats courtesy of ESPN)