The Edmonton Oilers returned home following a quick two-game road trip, to take on the New York Islanders. After celebrating captain Connor McDavid’s 29th birthday in Nashville, the Oilers seemingly brought some of that mild southern weather home with them. Edmonton reached a balmy 11.6 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, making it seem like April, not January. The hope was that some of that heat would boost the Oilers’ play, following an overtime loss to the Predators.
Amidst a lengthy road trip, the Islanders came in hoping to pick up a crucial win. Every win is critical for every Eastern Conference team, given the logjam in the standings over there. The Oilers would have to remember that it takes more than home cookin’ (and last change) to muscle out a win.
Even beyond it being stating the obvious, this message was a major theme all night long. Both teams played intense hockey with great offensive chances at both ends. This quickly became one of those games where the goalies both became brick walls, and the team’s just had to chip away at them until a greasy one found its way through a seam somewhere.
With help from his friends Goalposts and Crossbar, Ilya Sorokin would be the one to hang on to his shutout in the end. This becomes the second time the Oilers get stymied in their own rink by an absolute stud goalie. Twice that you legitimately can’t point to bad goaltending as the undoing of the Oilers. Twice that it becomes agonizing how the puck just refuses to bounce in to the net just one time.
Oilers lose 1–0
Safe to say, we’ve seen enough of Sorokin to last a lifetime. Thankfully, unless this turns into 1983 or 1984, it’s the last time the Oilers will see him this season. Here’s the game story.
A goalie duel between Ingram and Sorokin emerges
One thing became clear in the early going: neither of the starting goalies were going to be easily fooled by their opponents’ offence. Of course, that’s always a given for Ilya Sorokin when he’s manning the Islanders net. Connor Ingram has not only seized the backup role from Calvin Pickard, but is challenging for even more starts. The Oilers ran with him in this game after Tristan Jarry had a so-so return to the lineup against Nashville.
Just past the midway point of the first period, the goalies had combined for 13 saves, and about half of them would be classified as the “Grade A” variety. This could have been 2–2 with plenty of time left in the opening stanza. But Ingram and Sorokin decided to turn the first period into hockey’s equivalent of John Cena versus The Rock at WrestleMania 28. 12 saves apiece in just the first period alone.
Ingram and Sorokin combined for 52 saves over the course of the evening, and a combined .981 save percentage. This would have been a game worthy of ending in a 0–0 tie, if this were a pre-2005 game. Neither goalie earned a loss on this night, and it’s a shame Ingram got saddled with one, to be honest.
Bet like a pro here with Bet99—Ontario’s go-to for elite odds and nonstop action. And outside Ontario, Canadians bet better here with Bet99—bringing top-tier odds and action from coast to coast.
Oilers held the distinct advantage in the second and third periods
After the opening 20 minutes, Edmonton did at least make some adjustments defensively. Realizing that giving up high-quality chances wasn’t the way to earn a win here, they buckled down, and played a more sound game at their own blue. The Isles still got a few good looks the rest of the way, sure, including the game’s lone goal. But otherwise, they were kept to the perimeter for most of the final 40 minutes.
The Oilers dominated shots on goal in the second and third, to the tune of 23–6. This loss wasn’t for lack of trying, or incredibly stout defence by the other team (although New York did make multiple key defensive plays down the stretch). This was purely the Sorokin Show in the second and third periods.
Penalty kill is once again what lets this team down
Anthony Duclair finally notched the only goal this game saw, and it came on the Islanders’ lone power play. This power play came in at just over a 15 percent success rate, dead last in the NHL. We as Oilers fans have been blessed the past couple of years with deep playoff runs, but we’re still scarred. How many of you sensed that it was gonna be the Isles’ power play that was gonna decide this game? The one outcome that should have been impossible? Admit it.
In a game like this, the penalty kill has to be much better. They become guilty of chasing the Islanders around too much. That allows Duclair to put the puck home from where he does. In a game where you are only called upon once as a unit, you have to be better at your job of penalty-killing than that. No excuses.
20-game point streak ends; maybe another one begins?
The last time Edmonton got blanked 1–0 on home ice was… yeah, the Jesper Wallstedt game. That was not a fun game to watch, and neither was this one. But, sometimes we have to choose the path of optimism over pessimism. For example, Edmonton isn’t hosting the FIFA World Cup, but we’re still getting a Canada Soccer home game in June. Optimistically, that’s a huge game to host, and will likely be just as good of soccer action.
The optimist’s angle with this is that McDavid’s hot streak began almost the second the puck dropped on the next game following the Wallstedt bagel. Wallstedt peeved him off so much he went on a career-best points streak, and put up an average middle-six forward’s season-long stats in just one quarter of the campaign. So you’re telling me there’s a chance it happens again.
If anyone can repeat history in the same season, it’s McDavid. Maybe he has an extra level to reach, beyond Super Saiyan or whatever he unlocked the last 20 games. Maybe this shutout was necessary.
Player perspective
“We had our chances for sure; when we broke them down, their goalie (Sorokin) was able to bail them out.” -Jake Walman
Out to Vancouver for the nightcap of Hockey Day In Canada
One of the best days on the Sportsnet/CBC hockey calendar is the annual “Hockey Day In Canada” day-long telecast. It does a wonderful job of showcasing hockey in Canadian communities, how strong it always is. As well, it does well in getting younger generations involved, and of course, featuring four intense games including all seven Canadian teams.
The Oilers will go out to Vancouver to take on the Canucks as the 8:00 PM game that finishes off the events of the day. This will be the last Oilers road game for a little while, thankfully. But it also affords the Oilers a chance to play a robust game, and handily bank two points. And every point right now is critical, in the tight Pacific Division race.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
