What if I told you that the Edmonton Oilers played a game where Leon Draisaitl had zeroes in the points column? Given how much the Oilers have come to rely on their MVP and this season’s Hart Trophy favourite, you would have likely taken the odds that the Oilers would lose this one. Well, I am here to tell you that this was not the case on Tuesday night.
Coming off two straight wins, the Oilers were poised to continue their winning ways as they returned to Edmonton to face the Utah Hockey Club. After scoring three goals in the first period, the Oilers decided to score four more on the way to a 7–1 victory. What went right for the guys in Copper and Blue? Let’s dive in below!
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is on fire
To say that this season has not been particularly kind for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be an understatement. Two campaigns ago, Nugent-Hopkins put up career-high numbers of 37 goals and 104 points. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the former number one pick this time around as his point production has been largely inconsistent, including scoring his first goal in the eighth game of the season.
Fast forward to his last two games and Nugent-Hopkins seems like a man reborn. Coming off a three-assist game against the New York Rangers, Nugent-Hopkins produced another three point performance, including a goal and a slick assist to Vasily Podkolzin for his first goal since January 15.
As the Oilers have been largely relying on Draisaitl and lacking secondary scoring with the playoffs around the corner, Nugent-Hopkins could not have picked a better time to arrive and we sure hope that he is here to stay.
The best offence is a good defence
As cliche as the saying is, that is exactly what the Oilers demonstrated in their tilt with the Utah Hockey Club. With Mattias Ekholm returning to the Oilers’ lineup, the team was looking to improve the defence that is often prone to giving up quality chances and odd-man rushes.
Unlike some of their prior performances, the Oilers’ defence played like an absolute unit in this one. Their ability to push Utah’s players to the outside limited the quality of their shots. In fact, the defence played so well tonight that Utah’s first odd-man rush did not take place until the third period, a welcome change from bad habits of the past.
Time will tell if this kind of defensive performance will be the norm and not anomaly but it sure looks to be a good sign of things to come.
Penalty kill is killing it
Another inconsistent part of the Oilers’ play this season has been their penalty kill. A shadow of last postseason’s version, the Oilers’ penalty kill is currently ranked 22nd in the league with a percentage of 76.5%.
After finding themselves close to the bottom of the rankings several times this season, the Oilers’ penalty kill seems to have turned a corner. Since giving up two power play goals against the Dallas Stars on March 8, the Oilers penalty kill has now killed 14 straight power plays and is looking the part we know they can.
Both the power play and penalty kill are starting to gain confidence and traction and the Oilers’ special teams could not have picked a better time to bounce back. Next step: more disciplined play.
What’s next for the Oilers?
The Oilers’ resurging penalty kill will get a run for its’ money on Thursday night when the best power play in the league, the Central Division leading Winnipeg Jets, fly into town. Can the Oilers’ special teams and defence build on their strong performances? Let’s hope so.
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