With the season winding down, the stakes in the playoff race could not be any higher. Whether it is for a position in the standings or to get to know your potential playoff opponent, the margin for error with each game seems to be razor thin and Wednesday night’s match-up was no different. The Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars met in Edmonton in a game that not only impacted standings but was also a possible foreshadow to a potential playoff match-up.
After going down four goals before the end of the second period, the Oilers put-on a gritty display and scored three consecutive third period goals in a comeback attempt that fell a goal short, but still had a lot to talk about. What are our three takeaways from this one? Let’s dive in below.
Fantastic first period
The Oilers may have been missing both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for a second consecutive game, but the team’s play did not seem to show it. The Oilers came swinging out the gate and (almost) did not miss a beat in the opening frame. Despite allowing a goal to Wyatt Johnston on an opportune bounce (and questionable back-checking), the Oilers immensely outplayed their counterparts over the rest of the period. From shots on goals and play in the offensive zone to defensive stifling of the Stars’ forwards, it was truly challenging to find a weak spot in the Oilers’ gameplan in the first 20.
While it is still not clear how much time Draisaitl and McDavid will ultimately miss, displays such as this from the rest of the Oilers certainly show that this team is capable of a strong start regardless of who is in the lineup.
An off night for Mattias Ekholm
Even some of your best players can have an off night and Wednesday night matinee is a game that Mattias Ekholm would like to soon forget. Despite being amongst the most reliable defenders for the Oilers on a nightly basis, Ekholm made some questionable plays that inevitably led to the Dallas Stars’ goals. In fact, Ekholm was the unfortunate recipient of being on the ice for all four goals against.
His decision making was debatable at best. From jumping into the offensive zone that allowed a two-on-one to losing spatial awareness of Jason Robertson in front of the net, both of which resulted in Dallas goals, Ekholm was certainly not himself. Of course, this is not to say that Ekholm’s play alone resulted in the Oilers’ fate but as a top pairing defenceman, you are certainly heavily counted on in games like this.
Comeback attempt is a strong positive
Despite ultimately losing the game by a score of 4–3, the Oilers were able to mount a comeback that produced positives. First, Corey Perry, Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman scored three straight in the third, showing a resilient and gritty response that this team is capable of despite missing their two best players.
Second, this was a win for the Oilers’ secondary scoring. Time and time again this season, the play of Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid has been heavily relied on to carry the team to the finish line. To see Edmonton dig in and put on the quality of the game that they did, which includes secondary scoring against one of the best teams in the league, is a positive sign for a team hoping to make another deep playoff push.
What is next for the Oilers?
The Oilers will now turn their attention to their division opponents in a rematch of their Saturday win against the Seattle Kraken. It appears that Edmonton might be without Stuart Skinner who was injured on what looked like an accidental knee to the helmet from Mikko Rantanen. Hopefully, this is just out of precaution as the Oilers cannot afford for the injury bug to hinder this team further with playoffs right around the corner.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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