Alberta’s Edmonton Oilers are well-versed in coming out on top, and they’re also pretty effective at defeating the Los Angeles Kings.
This squad has always been confident in playing an open, run-and-gun style, but in the last few seasons, they’ve learned to feel at ease in tight-checking, defensive-heavy situations. They’ve picked up the skill of slowing down and playing it smart, not forcing scoring opportunities or taking unwise risks – often scoring key goals at the right moment.
This exhibition-style game felt like a real playoff matchup for January. The hitting was subdued, with a combined total of just 23 hits, but the tempo was quick and both teams showed restraint and were well-behaved.
Edmonton won because of an incredible save by Stuart Skinner in the first period, where he thwarted a scoring attempt by Adrian Kempe. Skinner kept the Oilers in the game until they found their footing. Playing in Edmonton and then traveling to Seattle, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Chicago before returning home likely affected their start, making them sluggish.
After the initial 15-minute mark, Edmonton delivered an exceptional defensive performance. Rather than taking a backseat, the team remained engaged. Darcy Kuemper made several impressive stops, particularly in the third period to maintain the one-goal margin, although the Oilers didn’t yield many scoring chances. When they did relinquish some control, Skinner made crucial saves to shore up the defensive end.
It’s his second shutout in three starts. I’m aware he’s not technically credited with a shutout in Boston, since he left the game for five minutes, but in two of his last three starts he hasn’t allowed a goal to be scored. Claims that “Skinner never makes saves he shouldn’t” or “he never keeps them in games when they’re flat” have been proven wrong again. Of course, the next time he doesn’t play well, the same haters will frantically post a social media message or comment at ON.
Captain Connor McDavid, who scored the lone goal in the game on his 28th birthday, was impressed by his team’s exceptional performance. He’s familiar with the Kings’ style of play.
We always seem to play a similar style of game against LA. It’s usually a tough, low-scoring, and somewhat uneventful game,” said McDavid. “We know how to compete against them. I thought we outsmarted them today by playing a patient game, scoring one goal and then holding on for the win.
I didn’t receive any text to paraphrase. Please provide the original text and I’ll be happy to paraphrase it for you.
He also emphasized the significance of Skinner’s performance during the first period.
“He was really good in the early going. That save on the two-on-one got us going. They are a team you want to have an advantage over (with a lead), because when they have the edge on you, they can be quite difficult.”
The Oilers have proven they have the recipe to defeat Los Angeles. I firmly believe the Kings might have a better chance to beat Vegas. They’d still be the underdog, but the Oilers can play just as good defensively as the Kings while still being a better offensive team. There are no guarantees in a playoff series, but Edmonton’s domination over the Kings in the playoffs has to be in the head of King’s players. Edmonton would be very comfortable if they meet the Kings in the first round for a fourth consecutive year.
They’ve gained a lot of admiration for the LA team, but also have confidence that they can get the better of them.
QUICK HITS…
1. Darnell Nurse and Ty Emberson were top-notch last night. Emberson has seen a steady improvement this season. He’s been outstanding on the penalty kill, and he’s starting to play more minutes at even strength. Paul Coffey has managed his workload smartly, giving Emberson a tougher role on the first unit but not throwing too much at him. This has boosted Emberson’s confidence immensely.
2. I’m surprised that the Oilers excel at scoring goals with a goalie in the net but struggle with scoring without one. Over the past three seasons, the Oilers rank 21st in empty net goals (ENG) with 30. They managed 13 last year, 11 the year before, and six thus far this season alone. Only five teams have scored fewer ENG this year.
Toronto sits alongside Edmonton with 20 regulation wins, but generates more close-range goals. Colorado outpaces everyone with 22 regulation wins and 18 close-range goals. Los Angeles also boasts 22 regulation wins and 15 close-range goals. An interesting fact is that the Oilers are half-way successful in securing close-range goals in their previous seven matches, with key forwards earning those goals. Specifically, Leon Draisaitl has managed close-range goals against Utah on December 31st and Seattle on January 4th, while Viktor Arvidsson secured one against Boston on January 7th. The Oilers’ troubles were evident last night in a match against Los Angeles. Connor McDavid had a shot that hit the post, Draisaitl opted to pass to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins rather than scoring into an empty net, and there were two other chances to score that were let slip. It’s quite peculiar to see the team scoring most since three NHL seasons started struggling to score while the net is empty.
3. Here is how teams rank in Eastern Network Time On Ice (EN TOI) (This does include time when a team is on a delayed penalty, as the NHL doesn’t separate 5 on 6 time).
It’s incredible how productive Carolina has been when there’s a power play. They’ve scored 13 goals in just under 22 minutes on the man advantage. The Lightning are right behind them with 13 goals in 22:51, while Edmonton has six goals in 30 minutes in similar situations. So far, it hasn’t hurt them, but it’s remarkable how often they miss the empty net or attempt a pass that doesn’t come together.
4. In the history of the NHL, a player has scored 10 or more points when an opponent’s goal net is empty a total of only 12 times. All but one of those instances (Jaromir Jagr in 2001 with 10) have occurred since 2019. Nikita Kucherov managed 14 ENP last season. Mikko Rantanen (13) and Nathan MacKinnon (12) are on track to surpass that this season.
5. The Flames are playing in St. Louis tonight and again on Thursday. I really enjoy scheduling consecutive games in the same city, or so the NHL did during the abbreviated season in 2021. It reduces travel for players and can result in increased emotional intensity, usually during the second game. It would be fantastic to see more of this across the league. Each team could have 2-3 such instances within their conference each year. I think it would be great to have these back-to-back games take place during January and February, which can be the most challenging part of the season. Oilers playing the Canucks consecutively and the Oilers taking on the Avalanche would be tremendous.
Get more articles like this one? Follow Oilersnation on MSN to see more of our exclusive NHL content.
More must-reads:
- Montreal player hit by car, will miss about three or four weeks
- The departures of key pass-catching targets may have a significant impact on the Texas QB Arch Manning.
- I’m not seeing any text to paraphrase. It seems you provided a title rather than a passage. If you provide the actual text, I’ll be happy to paraphrase it in Canadian English.
