The Edmonton Oilers played an odd Saturday matinee game, defeating their Pacific Division rival Anaheim Ducks 4-2 at Rogers Place in front of their hometown crowd.
The win served as a way for the Oilers to add to their playoff cushion, helping secure their postseason berth. It also served as a way for the Oilers to claw their way up the ladder as they try to supplant the Ducks atop the Pacific.
Although captain and superstar Connor McDavid was the main driver of offence for the Oil, it was a big thanks to their depth pieces and secondary scorers to propel them to victory.
Oilers depth continues to shine
The Oilers have needed their depth scorers to step up almost all season and despite contributions from some of them, it has been a weak spot for much of the year. Now down the stretch as the Oilers are full steam ahead towards the playoffs and what will hopefully be another Stanley Cup Finals appearance, they are stepping up.
There are three in particular that factored on the scoresheet in this game and have been having impressive seasons.
Jack Roslovic
Jack Roslovic was brought on board as a late free agent signing, inking his deal with the Oilers on opening night and has been a big addition to the team. In all honesty, now that the club has him, it seems impossible to imagine how the team would look without his contributions.
He has played up and down the lineup, spending time on the wing and down the middle, being an incredibly useful secondary piece. In this game he scored one goal, bringing his total to 20 on the season with 12 assists in 61 games. He has scored at a slightly above half-point per game pace this year and has made himself at home within the top-nine.
Vasily Podkolzin
Oilers winger Vasily Podkolzin is in the midst of a career high season, having scored 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 74 games. The 24 year old has become a fan favourite, flexing his power forward and hard forechecking game along with his offensive talent to help contribute offence within the Oilers top-six.
He has been a revelation for the Oilers who absolutely fleeced the Vancouver Canucks, nabbing him for just a fourth round draft choice.
Matt Savoie
The Oilers acquired Matt Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres in the summer ahead of the 2024-25 season for forward Ryan McLeod. Savoie was billed as a dimunitive all skill winger while McLeod was a speedy two-way centre. The thought process seemed to be that Savoie could reach significant heights inside the Oilers top-nine and would be able to inject secondary offence at a high level.
In just his rookie NHL campaign, he is showing off his potential, especially in the second-half of the season. He has scored five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 16 games since returning from the Olympic break. If this is just the tip of the iceberg, then Savoie could be a dominant offensive contributor for years to come.
The Oilers are a team with their flaws but one area that they seem to be improving in is their seconday depth offence.