Crisis mode has been activated. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are both injured at the same time, both expected to be out for up to a week. Luckily, the Oilers have a bit of a cushion on their playoff spot. And these injuries are happening at a time when they can afford to ice a disturbingly bad lineup. But it is still not good when the team’s best players are now having injuries pile up before the playoffs even begin, as Zach Hyman recently missed a game and Mattias Ekholm also missed time with a groin injury earlier this month.
All things considered, the team responded well to the situation. They started off the week on a major high note, playing what may have been their best game of the season, and the first time we got to see shades of the dominance that we witnessed last season, since the playoffs. A 7–1 win over the Utah Hockey Club was the reward for the strong play.
But then things went off the rails. Draisaitl was seemingly injured against Utah, but remained in the game. We found out after that he was, in fact, injured and would miss the game against the Winnipeg Jets. During the game against the Jets, McDavid sustained an injury and missed the third period. Stuart Skinner was also pulled from that game after being run over in the crease, but he was fine afterwards.
Despite the injuries, the remaining Oilers scored a tying goal in the third period and still got a point out of the game against Winnipeg, to their credit.
And an amazing collective effort from the team, led by the now de facto on-ice leader Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, got the decimated roster a victory on Saturday over the Seattle Kraken.
Nugent-Hopkins deserves a ton of credit for his performance this week as he posted six points, including four goals and a hat trick against the Kraken, as he enjoys his strongest stretch of the season with nine points in his last four games.
What will the Oilers face this week? Let’s take a look!
Edmonton Oilers games for the week of March 24
This could be a difficult week. In the middle of a stretch in which they play four games in eight days, mostly without their two best players, this will be a huge test for the depth of the Oilers roster and their resilience in the face of adversity.
| Opponent | Date | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Stars | Wednesday, March 26 | 44–21–4 |
| Seattle Kraken | Thursday, March 27 | 30–36–5 |
| Calgary Flames | Saturday, March 29 | 33–25–11 |
Can they close things out against the Dallas Stars better this time?
Assuming they can get a lead against the Dallas Stars again, anyways, the Oilers will be looking to have a better third period than they did a few weeks ago that saw them almost give up a three goal lead in the third period. They barely squeaked out a 5–4 victory. Not the type of clutch we want to see from this team.
Nevertheless, the Oilers will be in tough trying to win this game against one of the best in the Western Conference. The Stars are 6–2–2 in their last 10 and sit third in the league overall.
Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen has four points in seven games thus far as he adjusts to another new system.
Once again, the Stars are one of the deepest-scoring teams in the league, with three 60 point scorers and another three over 40 points. Thomas Harley continues to impress with his jumping into a big role in Miro Heiskanen’s absence while he has 44 points in 67 games, currently sitting just two goals, three assists, and five points shy of his career highs. With his recent performance showcasing his astute defensive play, active stick, and offensive instincts, he has very quickly become a top defender in the league and a player to keep an eye on in this game.
Let’s make it two over the Kraken this week
Wouldn’t it be nice to get four out of four possible points over the Kraken this week in the middle of a tight playoff seeding race? The Oilers may be in tough against a motivated Kraken team, but Nugent-Hopkins has shown it is entirely doable.
In Saturday’s game, Kaapo Kakko was the start of the show for Seattle with two goals to help get the team back into the game. Since being acquired from the New York Rangers earlier in the season, Kakko has 25 points in 28 games. Which may still be low, given his draft pedigree, but it is some of the best hockey he has played thus far in his career.
Will this be the final Battle of Alberta of the season?
The Oilers only face the Calgary Flames three times this season, and this is the final regular season game between the two. Currently, the series is split one game apiece with the Flames having a one-goal advantage in the head-to-head matchup. Almost entirely on the back of a phenomenal rookie season by Dustin Wolf, the Flames are unexpectedly competitive and remain in the playoff race. This could lead to a situation in which we see a Battle of Alberta in the playoffs, as unlikely as it does seem given current standings and context.
Despite being the tied for the second lowest scoring team in the league and having a -21 goal differential on the season, the Flames sit just four points out of a playoff spot heading into this week. Normally, the Oilers would be heavy favourites in this situation. But if one of or both of McDavid and Draisaitl are still out of the lineup, the game might be a lot closer than originally anticipated.
Connor Zary has been gaining plenty of attention from Flames fans this season for his exciting and high-energy play. With 13 goals and 26 points in 52 games, he has done quite well in an often times limited role. If he gets a chance higher in the lineup, keep an eye on Zary as he could be a fun player to watch.
Keys to the week for the Edmonton Oilers
This week will be a huge showcase for some of the lineup’s depth. Players will need to step up and take on a bigger role than they previously had been. And the team will have to adjust and play a slightly different game without two of the best skaters in the lineup. Here are a few things the Oilers can do to try and mitigate the losses and at least stay competitive this week.
Forwards need to step up
The scoring depth has been questionable this season. Aside from Draisaitl, almost every other skater is experiencing a down year that has taken a toll on the scoring depth throughout the entire lineup. Major players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman have been on a sharp decline this season. While even Evan Bouchard has dropped in points production, most notably on the power play, where it took him until earlier this month to score his first power play goal of the season.
We’ve alluded to these forwards recently who need to step up. And now it is going to be from a place of necessity that they lock-in and start producing.
Switch up the gameplan a little bit
McDavid and Draisaitl are two of the best skaters on the team. So if they’re both out, the team won’t quite be able to play the same way they had been. Most of the rest of the team is slower skaters, so the quick attack, rush offence the Oilers try to use in other situations might not work. With more depth-style players playing higher up in the lineup, the system the team uses might have to change a bit as they focus more on a shutdown game and generating chances offensively through crashing the net and playing more physical than they have been.
One Comment