Wednesday night Oil Country was treated to a fantastic matchup that lived up to the hype, as the Edmonton Oilers took on the Vegas Golden Knights. As the two favourites in the Pacific Division this was always going to be a big game, but for many reasons the game had a lot more significance. Let’s take a look at some of the storylines coming out of the tight loss.
McDavid returns
The biggest piece of news is that Connor McDavid returned to the lineup. For the Oilers this is a fantastic development, returning early from injury. Though McDavid was dynamic and handled his regular icetime, it was hardly the sharpest game of his career. It was not enough to get the Oilers a win last night; it does bode well for the Oilers that McDavid should be racking up points for himself and the team in the near future.
Some rust might be part of the equation, but the Knights are clearly willing and able to play McDavid tight. The Knights like to clog up the middle of the ice, using their size, physicality, and length to swarm any attack to the middle. This will be important for any future matchups with the Knights, as well as the potential for these two teams to meet in the playoffs.
A weak penalty kill
The biggest area for concern for the Oilers is their woeful penalty kill. At just 59.5%, good for third worst through 15 games in NHL history, the Oilers losing record is in no small part thanks to their awful work a skater short. The offensive woes are unexpected, but the team will not have a chance to go anywhere if this trend continues.
It is quite out of character, as the Oilers penalty kill was incredible down the stretch and through the playoffs last season. While there was some personnel changeover, the Oilers still have the players and coaches to perform better in this area. There have been strong moments for the group as a whole, but with the Knights scoring an important power play goal the Oilers penalty kill fell short once more.
Ryan versus Philp
With McDavid coming back into the lineup and the Oilers in a dance with the salary cap, trying to acrue space instead of putting Evander Kane on LTIR, Noah Philp was sent down to the AHL. Navigating some AHL injuries up front, it is also important for the Oilers to get Philp some icetime. Despite being 26-years-old and ready for NHL action, Philp has very little professional experience relative to his profile. Still waiver exempt, there is no risk in the Oilers taking their time with him.
Philp might still be the endgame should the Oilers look to add centre depth to their lineup at the trade deadline. At the very least, he has asserted himself as the Oilers first call up option. There is a lot to be hopeful for his future with the team, perhaps even in regard to the aforementioned penalty killing issues. Still, fellow University of Alberta alumni Derek Ryan is a player who outperforms expectations. Philp should take inspiration from Ryan rather than be frustrated with his demotion, just as fans should be able to appreciate their unlikely journeys and quality play.
Ryan had some great shifts centering a line between Mattias Janmark and Corey Perry. Despite a smaller role on the team, the Oilers fourth line was every bit as good as the Knights highly acclaimed counterpart. This depth has been one of the hallmarks of the Knights success, so this was an admirable effort by Ryan and company. Even with the moving pieces over the offseason, the Oilers still have a good depth up front. Both Ryan and Philp are and will be a big part of that.
How to utilize three centres
Further up the lineup the Oilers made an interesting adjustment with McDavid back in the fold. Coach Kris Knoblauch and his staff broke up the top line, moving Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from McDavid’s wing to the third line. The lack of wins certainly increases the appetite for change, but so too might be an improved third line.
Adam Henrique has had a tough time scoring, and his shot might be a bigger factor with a playmaking presence on his line. Connor Brown can produce, especially in big moments, but might not be conducive to much regular season production. Perhaps the magic of a Janmark-Henrique-Brown third line is best left for the playoffs, or perhaps Henrique will find himself move valuable in a different role. Henrique and Nugent-Hopkins offer the Oilers a lot of flexibility, and maybe even a nice landing spot for a possible Evander Kane return.
Elsewhere, Leon Draisaitl is starting to show a lot of chemistry with his linemates. This might be as expected from Viktor Arvidsson, who has been pencilled onto Draisaitl’s wing all offseason. Less expected is Vasily Podkolzin fitting in nicely. Though without a goal, Podkolzin is getting in on the forecheck and skilled enough to keep up with his linemates. The trio had some incredible passing sequences last night, and all bring an edge to their game in general. Draisaitl did thrive in the spotlight while McDavid was out, as he is just as effective a player regardless.
Kulak and Nurse pairing
The answer to finding Darnell Nurse a better partner seems to have come from within, as Brett Kulak was elevated alongside. It might be as simple as putting their best four defencemen in the top two pairings, but the duo seemed to fare quite well against the Knights. Thanks to his salary Nurse will always have a target on his back, but it is clear that the Oilers have needed to provide him with a better partner to get the most out of him.
Combined with the recent trade for Ronnie Attard, a right shot, for Ben Gleason, a left shot, a Kulak and Nurse pairing might alter the Oilers eventual trade targets. For a long while the right side of the blueline has been thinner, but the Oilers offer themselves more options if they kick tires on left shots who might be available.
Thanks to his ability to play either side, Travis Dermott is useful. Still, he is probably best served as a versatile call up. For now Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher, two right shots, seem capable of surviving together. Even if Troy Stecher is able to play in the next game, hobbled in last night’s game, the Oilers could look to upgrade the left side of their defence in the future.
Team Canada potential
With several potential players for the Four Nations Faceoff on either side of this game, there were many team Canada scouts in the building last night. The headlining matchup might have been the one in net, as Stuart Skinner and Adin Hill went head to head. As Team Canada’s goaltending situation is a clear weak spot, both candidates had strong performances in the spotlight. It would be hard to fault either goalie on the goals last night, and both made their share of incredible saves.
The spotlight was on several other players as well. For the Oilers Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard have legitimate shots to make the roster. For the Knights Shea Theodore made a strong case to be as much as a lock as Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo are.
McDavid will be on the team either way. Outside of him there are few players guaranteed a spot on team Canada and many who are worthy. At least some of these players will be on the team, but there is a chance that they all do. If nothing else this underscores how strong both the Oilers and the Knights are, making the Pacific Division playoffs, read the first two rounds, a gruelling prospect.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
