The Edmonton Oilers have gone three-for-three so far in preseason.
Most of that hasn't exactly been pretty hockey, but it is what it is. The team's most recent effort, a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, was exactly that.
With limited time left before Edmonton names their opening night roster, let's take a look at who impressed on Thursday and what needs to be worked on in the lead-up to the regular season.
Isaac Howard's performance against Vancouver will give Mike Babcock something to think about
Isaac Howard has been the talk of the town throughout the month of September. Having put in a decent shift and then some to start camp, a not-so-great performance on Saturday against Winnipeg caught the eye of head coach Mike Babcock, but it seemed that both the veteran head coach and the prospect forward saw the same thing in that regard.
Against Vancouver, Howard hit the ice with a purpose. Four minutes into the game, Howard picked up a loose puck off a failed Canucks zone clearance, putting it into the back of the net to make it 1-0 for Edmonton.
From there, Howard continued to make an impact on the game, getting involved in board battles, pushing the puck up the ice, and even helping to win turnovers and board battles whenever needed.
With Howard finally making an impact on the scoring and turning his positive momentum in practice into meaningful in-game performances, it seems that Babcock is going to have to try and find a way to fit him into the opening night roster.
Did Connor Clattenburg do enough to make the opening day lineup? What about Quinn Hutson?
One of the more underrated players on Thursday? Connor Clattenburg.
Even though he did not record a point in the game against Vancouver, one could argue that Clattenburg had a solid outing. Despite losing his stick early in a first period shift, he immediately got back in the play and ended up bringing the puck out of the Oilers' zone upon recovering his stick. He then tried his luck at a shot on goal but spent the remainder of the shift near the front of the net ready to pounce.
He did take a needless penalty during the third period, but even then, Clattenburg was able to keep the skates moving all game. With all of the aforementioned observations considered, he should be seen as a fringe option for the opening day roster, but he might end up being one of the last players left off the lineup.
But while Clattenburg did well to make an impression on Thursday, other forwards did the same, if not to a much more obvious degree. I already made my thoughts about Howard clear, but one shouldn't be surprised if Quinn Hutson, who scored what was the game-winner and recorded five shots on goal, ends up getting the call for opening day.
First period shooting is still a major question mark
Five shots on goal in the first period.
I didn't think the Oilers' ability to create early-game scoring chances could take another hit, but the team found a way to achieve just that.
On the positive side of things, the Oilers managed to score first.
On the negative side of things, the Oilers' inability to create constant pressure during the opening 20 minutes left Vancouver in striking distance even after Hutson made it 2-0. The Canucks responded shortly after the goal to make it a 2-1 game; they also created a handful of power play opportunities throughout the latter half of the game.
The Oilers might have only gotten outshot 26-21, but there needs to be a much stronger shooting mindset going forward.
Lots of skating ... and a lot of one-way traffic the other way
I alluded to this point a little bit during my discussion of Clattenburg's performance. But the skating was kind of a mixed bag for Edmonton on Thursday.
I will say that the team did well to get the puck up the ice quickly and set up in the offensive zone.
That said, the Canucks were also able to do just that. Not only that, but there were too many sequences that saw Vancouver pin Edmonton in their own end for several minutes while forcing a hefty number of quality scoring opportunities.
What's next?
The Oilers will conclude their four-game preseason slate on Saturday, September 26 when they take on the Calgary Flames in what will be a preseason edition of the Battle of Alberta. Puck drop at Rogers Place is set for 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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