Fresh off of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline where the Edmonton Oilers made some moves, the team was looking to get back to their winning ways with a midday stop in Buffalo. Unfortunately, the Oilers were bested by the Sabres in the shootout. For Edmonton, the trade deadline was sandwiched by two losses to lowly teams.
Charts and observations from the setback are below!
Game events
- This is probably one of the weirdest plots for traditional stats in an Oilers game this season. While shots were almost even, the Sabres were wrecking balls almost tripling the Oilers in total hits, while the Oilers were outright dominant in the faceoff circle, almost quadrupling the Sabres.
Goals
| Goal | Assists | Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan McLeod | Leon Draisaitl, Warren Foegele | 0:29 | 1st | EDM 1 – 0 BUF |
| Warren Foegele (SHG) | Ryan McLeod | 14:19 | 1st | EDM 2 – 0 BUF |
| Tage Thompson (PPG) | Unassisted | 15:35 | 1st | EDM 2 – 1 BUF |
| Jacob Bryson | Unassisted | 11:39 | 3rd | EDM 2 – 2 BUF |
- The Oilers opened the scoring in the first minute. With some new-look lines, Ryan McLeod potted a goal 29 seconds into the game; Foegele did his part with a shorthanded goal; while Draisaitl was the odd one out who went goalless.
- Beyond going just goalless, Connor McDavid went pointless for the first time in what feels like forever. His 13-game point streak came to an end as the Oilers stopped scoring after their second goal.
- The game needed a shootout to score after the Sabres came back to tie midway in the third, and the home team got the best of the visitors.
All situations Corsi
- The Oilers opened the game with a goal before the Sabres even registered a shot attempt.
- However, the two teams were quite neck and neck in terms of game momentum and total shot attempts as the final Corsi differential was just +3 in Buffalo’s favour.
- Edmonton was quite steady throughout the game but could have used more in protecting their lead.
- Both teams were able to get a large number of slot chances. This was not a game of defence but rather a goaltending battle. Both goalies in Stuart Skinner and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen were sharp throughout the game and had great numbers in making high-danger saves.
5v5 Corsi
- At 5v5 the Oilers edged out the Sabres just a tad. The Sabres’ third period push tied the game though, which again stung for Edmonton as they had their own push that was stymied by Luukkonen.
- Removing the power plays and overtime, the two teams still looked pretty similar in terms of offensive pressure. At 5v5, both teams prioritised slot changes and got them. However, the Oilers scored from in close while the Sabres got their 5v5 goal from the faceoff circle.
Do you have any feedback or suggestions? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @oilrigEDM.
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