Heading into the Thursday night match up with the Minnesota Wild, the Edmonton Oilers had plenty of reasons to feel like the odds are stacked against them. Since the 2015 season, the Oilers have a 7–16–2 record against the Minnesota Wild. They have not won a game in Saint Paul since 2019. In their first match-up this season, the Oilers lost to the Wild team that did not feature either superstar Kirill Kaprizov or star netminder Filip Gustavsson. To top it off? The Oilers were playing a team tied for most points in the standings.
Despite all that, the Edmonton Oilers bet on themselves and came out on top in a very lopsided 7–1 victory over the Minnesota Wild where they seemed to dominate all aspects of game play. This win now extends their winning streak to four games and marks their seventh victory in the last eight games. What went well for the Oilers? Let’s dive into our takeaways from the game.
Draisaitl’s big four-point night
Leon Draisaitl was simply unstoppable in this game as everything he touched, turned to gold. His four point total came before the third period had even begun, which included his league-leading 21st goal. On top of that, Draisaitl is now tied for fourth in the league with 42 points this season.
Draisaitl’s shooting and tape-to-tape passing is well known and respected. Look no further than his pass to Warren Foegele for the opening goal in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers last season. But what I believe to be one of his most remarkable traits is his ability to keep the puck away from the opposing players. This was on full display as he moved the puck deep in the offensive zone, pushing the Wild players aside and making a quick pass to Kasperi Kapanen for the Oilers’ second goal of the game.
On a team that features two of the world’s best players, we are truly spoiled by seeing what Connor McDavid and Draisaitl can do on a nightly basis.
Oilers exuding confidence
Oilers are looking like a confident bunch. After their 5–3 loss to the Wild in late November, the Oilers have been slowly getting their mojo back and have now won seven of their last eight games. This confidence was evident in all aspects of their play tonight.
Early in the game, Ty Emberson set the physical tone by squaring off in a hard fought fight against Jakub Lauko, which featured some absolute haymakers. Oilers’ offence seemed firing on all cylinders as 13 of the 18 skaters had at least one point, and all 18 players had either a point or a shot on goal. This included Darnell Nurse picking up his 200th and 201st assist as an Oiler.
Oilers’ defence shut down the potent Wild offence with more success as compared to their meeting from earlier in the season. To round it out, Calvin Pickard was outstanding. While he may have had some help from the iron, he managed to make 29 saves on 30 shots.
To put it simple, Oilers played a full 60 minute effort, squashing any sign of life that the Wild may have had in this one.
Bouchard’s unknown status
With less than four minutes left in the game, Ryan Hartman made what seemed to be a frustrated and senseless play when he pushed Evan Bouchard into the goalpost of the Oilers’ net. Bouchard was slow getting off the ice and did not return for the remainder of the game.
It is not yet known whether Bouchard has sustained a significant injury as he will be re-evaluated on Friday. Hopefully, he has avoided any potential injury as Edmonton cannot afford to lose its’ top defenceman and one of its’ best players with each subsequent game becoming more meaningful to the standings.
What’s next for the Oilers?
Edmonton will now begin their five-game homestand which begins with an early Saturday afternoon matinee against the Pacific Division leading, Vegas Golden Knights. This will be a key matchup for a team looking to make up ground in the tightly contested division and continue its’ climb.
Of course, all eyes will be on Edmonton this coming Monday as Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers visit Edmonton in a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Final. With the wounds still fresh for the Oilers’ faithful, expect a loud and raucous crowd in what figures to be a testy tilt.
Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire
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