Heading into Wednesday night's game between the Edmonton Oilers vs Philadelphia Flyers, I highlighted three players to watch in that game for the Oilers.
They were; Matt Savoie, Stuart Skinner, and Jack Roslovic. All three players showed up in big ways in this tight game. Savoie notched two assists, assisting on both Oilers goals. Skinner was steady, stopping 20 of 21 shots against, sporting a .952 save percentage. Roslovic once again came in clutch, potting the overtime and game winning goal for the Oilers in his second straight game.
Deeper than these three players' contributions, the Oilers were able to put together a full game effort. There were no blowouts, no big comebacks needed, they did not let the game get away from them, an issue that has plagued them all season long.
Oilers strong performance
The Oilers finished this game as the rightful winners, dominating in shots 32-21 and by extension, expected goals (according to moneypuck.com).
The starting goalie Skinner left the game with a 1.78 goals saved above expected and the team as a whole led in xG with 3.49 to the Flyers' 2.78. At 5-on-5, where the Oilers have struggled this year, they also led 2.59 xG to 1.72.
This trend was seen throughout the game as the Oilers took the xG late in the first period and never let go.
Preaching patience
In his post-game media availability, the man who scored the game winner, Roslovic said that the Oilers ",did a good job of staying patient". This is a good take on this game but also a good philosophy for the club to carry going forward.
So many times, the team gets ahead of itself, stacking up a lead, only to see it crumble and they end up on the losing end. It can happen the opposite way too where the opposing team gains a lead and the game seems insurmountable for the Oilers to overcome. This is what happened with the Colorado Avalanche and their 9-1 victory over the Oilers.
However, the game is 60 minutes long and requires a full effort. In the same way, the season is a grinding 82-game schedule and a minimum 16 game playoff battle to win a Stanley Cup. This requires plenty of patience from an Oilers squad that is stocked to the brim with talent and skill.