December 4, 2019 /

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM30: Senators @ Oilers – Three Players to Watch

The Edmonton Oilers are facing the long-dreaded injury crisis that everyone feared. Zack Kassian will sit out another game with a back injury and of all the players that are sitting out, this might be the one that impacts the forward group the most. A back injury to a player who plays the way that Kassian does can really slow him down and Edmonton needs Kassian playing at his peak level. He opens up the ice for McDavid and Draisaitl to work their magic.

Another player who’ll be sitting is defenseman Matt Benning so the Oilers have recalled Joel Persson. The Prof has been lighting up the AHL since being sent down scoring once and adding four assists in six games for the Oilers’ minor league affiliate. From my viewings, he was finding a lot more open lanes down there but he was still having challenges with faster, more aggressive forechecks. I assume he’ll be on the third pairing with Kris Russell vs. Ottawa.

It doesn’t sound like Ottawa’s no.1 goalie is ready to go yet, so they’ll be putting one of Anders Nilsson (0-3-0, 5.61 GAA, .817SV%) or Marcus Hoberg (0-1-0, 1.82 GAA, .925SV%) in between the pipes. In addition to that, the Senators will be playing on the hind end of a back-to-back after losing 5-2 to Vancouver last night. Normally, that would make an Oilers fan’s eyes light up knowing that there’s a chance that the team opposite to Edmonton ACmight be icing a goalie who is playing as poorly as Nilsson is, but throughout the previous 12 years plus, the Oilers in their many reincarnations have found a way to make those kinds of goalies look like Dominik Hasek v2.0.

That bit of fan paranoia aside, the Sens are 2-7-1 against teams in the west and they’re on a 5-game losing streak. Edmonton, on the other hand, are 9-2-0 against teams in the east. I like their chances but they’ll have to be on Ottawa from the get-go. Allowing Ottawa to set terms early on by scoring or establishing momentum in their favor could be the touch of death for McDavid and company and it’s losses like that that can really sting. This is where Kassian is missed. He’s the sort of guy who can throw a hit early and get the crowd going to provide some life to the team and the arena. I’d say Darnell Nurse could do it, but I’ve only seen him get fired up once this year and that was in the last game vs. Vancouver. Once in thirty games… It seems odd for a player who’s known for his toughness to be so shy physically like this. Maybe Brady Tkachuk can bring it out of him.

Anyways, I’m going off on a tangent. I’m hoping for a very entertaining game tonight with a very high score 🙂

The Next Ten Games Part Three

The first ten games of the 2019/20 season went quite well for the Oilers, more so at the start than the end, mind you. The second ten games were equal to the first ten and it saw the team get a bit better from an analytical point-of-view. Now, the third installment might be the most important as we’ll pass American Thanksgiving (11/28) in this block. I think it was Elliotte Friedman that said 78% of teams who are in a playoff spot by this holiday tend to stay in that spot. I say the Oilers finish this segment of ten games with twelve points out of a possible twenty.

11/14 Colorado (11-5-2) (h): I like the Oilers’ chances against a third-string backup. Won’t be easy though. (WIN) WIN
11/16 Dallas (9-8-2) (h): The Stars are 8-1-1 in their last ten here and I don’t see Edmonton slowing them down. (LOSS) LOSS
11/19 San Jose (8-10-1) (a): Embarrassed from the spankings the Sharks have been giving them since last season, I think the Oilers bounce back here. (WIN) WIN
11/21 Los Angeles (6-11-1) (a): The Kings don’t scare me. Easy points for the Oilers. (WIN) LOSS
11/23 Vegas (9-8-3) (a): The Golden Knights are a dangerous squad and this game could go either way. I’ll take Vegas here as their home advantage is massive. (LOSS) WIN
11/24 Arizona (11-6-2) (a): Having already lost twice to the Coyotes, Edmonton will find a way to secure the two points here. (WIN) WIN
11/27 Colorado (11-5-2) (a): I reckon by this time, the Avs will be healthier and that much more dangerous. (LOSS) LOSS
11/30 Vancouver (10-6-3) (h): The first game of a B2B with the Canucks on a Saturday night and on the eve of Jesse Puljujarvi’s signing deadline. I’ll take the distraction-free Canucks. (LOSS) LOSS
12/1 Vancouver (10-6-3) (a): Revenge is a dish best served ice cold… (WIN) WIN
12/4 Ottawa (7-10-1) (h): Much like the Kings, the Senators don’t have a lot going for them. (WIN)

Records as of Nov.14th, 2019.

I predicted the Oilers would get 12 out of 20 points available in their latest ten-game stretch and they are on the verge of getting exactly that. I guess I’m on a string of lucky guesses, eh?

Three Players to Watch for the Senators

  • #72 Thomas Chabot – The Sens really lucked out when they picked up. Not that he wasn’t touted as being a future NHLer, but I’m sure I’m not the only one that didn’t think he’d turn out as good as he has and the timing of his emergence couldn’t have been better with Ottawa moving Senators legend Erik Karlsson last September.
  • #36 Colin White – I really like White’s tool box. He’s got the potential to become one of the league’s better two-way forces but injuries have set him back a bit so far in his young career. What stands out for White is his speed, his strength along the boards, and his smarts on the ice.
  • #21 Logan Brown – It’s taken a little longer than expected for the big skilled center to make his mark at the NHL level, but he’s here now and it looks like he’s here to stay. It’ll be hard not to notice him because he’s enormous, apart from that, you should notice how well he handles the puck and his above-average hockey IQ. I’ll be keeping an eye on how he defends against one of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #36 Joel Persson – Had five points in six games in Bakersfield. The ice really opened up for him in the AHL and he was able to make a lot of plays offensively. I’ll be watching to see how he reacts to an aggressive forecheck because I feel like that’s where he was having troubles before. Even down in the minors, he found a bit of trouble when pressed hard.
  • #89 Sam Gagner – Four points in his last ten. I like Sam but he’s a bit player now. He’ll offer some punch to the lineup in small doses but extended stays in the top-six might hamper things going forward for the Oilers. We’ll see though. His heart might be unmatched on this squad.
  • #52 Patrick Russell – Two assists in his previous five and nearly his first career NHL goal on numerous occasions. I don’t know what Russell has to do to get his first NHL goal but it might have to include contacting a psychic or a voodoo doctor or something. A lot of people can’t see his value to the roster, but I implore you to watch him during his shifts and count the number of times that he loses a board battle. I feel like he’s the best on the team with the puck along the wall.

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CategoriesBeer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL

TagsEdmonton Oilers NHL Ottawa Senators

Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!