The Edmonton Oilers squared off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the annual “Next Gen Game” yesterday at Rogers Place. Taking on a Flyers team that was at the end of a four-game road trip, this would be a good opportunity for a bounceback. After a rough performance on New Year’s Eve, maybe the Oilers could start 2026 off on the right foot. Put the Boston Bruins nightmare behind you, and get right against Philly.
The Oilers never seem to do well, however, with multiple days in a row off. Nor have they been really good at matinée games, such as this day’s 1:30 PM start time. Additionally, after Connor Ingram came back down to earth a bit on Wednesday night, Calvin Pickard would get the call in this one. He was very solid against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night, so this could be his chance to have a good stretch.
For the most part, this was a copy-and-paste of the prior Boston Bruins contest, albeit with more even shot totals. Pickard wasn’t the worst offender in this one, and actually kept it close deep into the third. But he offered little assistance in an eight-minute stretch of the first period where Philly would hang all three goals that they needed on Edmonton. The Oilers, for their part, battled back to within 3–2, but we’re snuffed out in the third period. The Flyers got two insurance markers to cement the result in said third period.
Oilers lose 5–2.
Not an inspiring start to 2026 by any means. Oilers are still only scoring two goals per game, and the past two games the goaltending hasn’t been entirely up to snuff. Here’s the game story.
A Tocchet-led team getting three quick strikes? Sounds familiar…
It’s kind of hard to win a game when you’re falling behind. Case in point number 1: the current Edmonton winter. In a typical post-snowfall period, roads would be plowed, bladed, and cleared of windrows. In Winter 2025–26, the City of Edmonton tries to make forward progress but Old Man Winter resets it with relentless snowfall.
Case in point number two is the Oilers falling behind 3–0 in the first period in a short time frame. Remember, folks, this is the same head coach who engineered the first literal last-minute three-goal comeback in NHL history last season. If you’re not careful when playing Rick Tocchet’s teams, one goal can become two, and can become three real quick.
Denver Barkey speeds past the Oilers defence and is there to put home the ice-breaker. Of course he gets his first NHL goal against the Oilers. The delayed reaction of the Edmonton defender is the major culprit on that one.
Newly-minted Canadian Olympian Travis Sanheim gets the second one. Pickard makes a few stops in succession, and this is the one goal of the three he’s absolutely not at fault for. There are way too many straight blue-socked legs in this clip. At one point, all five are clustered towards the near-side, with nobody covering Sean Couturier (and eventually Sanheim). Like this observer trying to remember to do fifty million tasks in a given day, the zone D does not succeed. If zone defence wasn’t the intention here, then there’s major problems abound.
Ugly turnover, ugly defending of the three-on-two rush. Ugly assignment reading as York is allowed carte blanche at the net-front. And ugly effort by Pickard as the re-direct stayed low enough that he should have been able to snuff it. THIS ended up being the game-winning goal. Completely rotten tomatoes.
No one besides the star players is scoring right now, and it’s dire
There needs to be a discussion on how much the Oilers are relying on their top guns right now. It’s grand that McDavid has another endless points streak going right now, and that him being with Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has elevated his output. None of it matters if the rest of the team can’t score to save their careers.
Once again, McDavid drove both goals for the Oilers. Goal number one was a breakaway of his own, and goal number two was a Bouch’ Bomb that McDavid set up. After an early season slump, he’s ratcheted his game up to its peak.
The other lines, however, can’t figure it out. Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin work well together, but right now are on their own skid. The “third” line was, befitting of the day’s theme, a “kid line” with the oldest, Quinn Hutson, having just turned 24 on Thursday. In true Kris Knoblauch fashion, that line barely saw 10 minutes of game action. The fourth line is Trent Frederic, Adam Henrique, and Mattias Janmark. That line is as inoffensive as a blue sky on a summer day.
Something has to give, and we’ll see what Knoblauch does with the lineup for Tuesday. But it’s clear Draisaitl and Podkolzin need a new linemate, and the other two lines should just be re-done entirely. As utilized in this game, that bottom-six will not cook anything.
Pickard wasn’t the main culprit, but still short of “good enough”
On Wednesday night, Ingram very clearly wasn’t at his best. On this night, it’s not so cut-and-dry. And given the kind of game Pickard played Monday night, that puts things in even more flux.
The first goal against, you might argue he could do a better job on, although Barkey was allowed to drive a Ferrari into the Oilers’ zone like he was at RAD Torque Raceway. The second goal is one he already did his part in trying to prevent. That one, the defensive-zone coverage specifically needs to be much improved on.
It’s goals like the 3–0 one where a save is necessary, and not provided. Therein, has been his season-long flaw. Numbers aside, Pickard has either not provided a timely save, or provided them ultimately too late in the game. With the Edmonton offence stalling, that 3–0 tally cannot go in.
Pickard wasn’t horrible in this game, and legitimately made some terrific saves down the stretch to keep the game within reach. But it still wasn’t good enough, at the end of the day. He had to make one more save, that he ultimately didn’t.
A moment of appreciation for “Next Gen” games
Genuinely, this observer appreciates the idea of a “Next Gen” game. If such a concept existed in 2006, it was certainly not rolled out well enough, not to how well it’s done today. And while the Oilers may not have a special alternate jersey, like the Toronto Maple Leafs did, or allow a kid to call a short bit of play, like the Seattle Mariners, they still do this occasion extremely well.
Stick taps to game-day reporters Parker and Ruby, as well as to “admini” Niat, and the kid(s) who got to do public-address announcing with veteran PA voice Al Stafford. This is a day that those kids will remember for the rest of their lives. And even better, it ensures this beautiful game will continue to have many fans for decades to come.
Player perspective
“They were definitely winning more 50–50 battles, some more pucks bouncing that they were coming up with, so it’s always just, know what you’re going to do with the next play.” -Spencer Stastney
Nashville’s next, and they can’t be so easily counted out
So a scrappy, playoff-contention Flyers team wasn’t the get-right opponent for Edmonton. Surely, then, the Nashville Predators might be? Nashville has been lousy all year, not once mentioned in playoff conversations even if parity has re-signed supreme.
No opponent should ever be taken lightly, however, especially when you’ve been outscored 10–4 in the past couple games, empty-netters aside. The Predators still have offensive weapons, even if they’ve struggled as Preds’. Steven Stamkos just hit 600 career goals recently, for heaven’s sake.
Know that you can, and should, easily win this game. But show no mercy to your opponent, and make it clear they are the team you’re using to “get right.” We need to see the Oilers’ best version of themselves Tuesday night. Anything less will be a disaster.
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