March 3, 2020 /

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM67: Oilers @ Stars – 3P2W – Are Wins Bigger in Texas Too?

Put up your hand if you thought at the beginning of the third period of last night’s game against the Predators that the Edmonton Oilers would walk away from that game with an 8-3 win. I can’t decide if it was the Oilers actually turning up the heat or if it was Pekka Rinne completely losing the plot because to say he was bad might be an understatement.

Either way, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid walked away with a combined ten points and that is really something. My pre-season prediction of Draisaitl beating Connor for the team lead in scoring was in jest mostly and I’m willing to bet it might come true. That said, McDavid is up to 13pts in 5 games since his return from injury and if he keeps that pace up, he could very well catch Leon AND pass him before the season ends.

I hope that the boys saved some for Dallas though. The Oilers have been really good in the 2nd half of their back-to-backs this season though, so here’s to them continuing that trend and closing the gap on Vegas even more.

Dallas has lost two on the trot here and they’re only three points ahead of Edmonton in the Western Conference standings. Are those old legs in Dallas conditioned enough to carry the Stars into the playoffs? It’d be a shame if they hit a late-season skid.

(I’ve had a strong dislike for Dallas since the Oilers last played them in the post-season. Some great series’ but Dallas were a hated team under Hitchcock for me and that disdain for them hasn’t really calmed down in all these years.)

https://twitter.com/SportsnetSpec/status/1234707223353417728

Hmmm, with James Neal possibly returning against the Stars, the Oilers are going to have quite the decision to make with their forwards. My belief is that it’ll be one of Chiasson or Khaira that will be sitting but the reason they haven’t sat yet is that they’ve been big parts of Edmonton’s special teams. Maybe Athanasiou sits? Then again, you want his speed against an older team like Dallas, right?

Whatever it takes though, get one of Connor’s or Leon’s line out against Dallas’ pairing of Andrej Sekera and Roman Polak for maximum scoring possibility. Maybe have Kassian/Sheahan/Archibald on the ice against Lindell and Klingberg to soften those dmen up and leave Oleksiak and Heiskanen to Edmonton’s heavy line, whatever combo that ends up being.

Hey, wanna see something funny?

So if you don’t’ know, these are the analytics twins (well-known ones at that in their community) who said that Leon Draisaitl wasn’t in their top-50 for the Hart Trophy this year and they’d have Val Nichushkin ahead of him… They’ve been getting massive shit ever since and rightfully so. I believe their stance was that he’s a terrible liability on defense therefore he gets dinged for being a one-way player? Am I off base here?

Well, they’re not having fun anymore. SHOCKING! My question is, why don’t they just admit their system is flawed and go back to work on it instead of puffing their chest out and getting all pissy? But this isn’t uncommon with the fancy stats guys. A lot of them get their back up against the walls and have a hard time accepting that their work might need some attention. That being said, not all of them behave like this. I know lots that are very pleasant to communicate with even when they’re wrong and they’d prefer to have the discussion as opposed to avoiding it.

It’s just a shame that things have come to this point for those boys but you reap what you sow.  Maybe next time they’ll do things a bit differently.

The BLH Instagram account is growing like crazy! Three weeks ago when we started to get it back going we were at a shade over 1100 followers and now we’re gunning for 1500. So please, head on over and give us a follow as we’re posting exclusive content over there that won’t be published here or on our Twitter page.

Three Players to Watch for the Stars

  • #34 Denis Gurianov – This young Russian was brought along the right way and that doesn’t surprise me given his GM is a product of the Ken Holland system of development. Gurianov is a very fast player with a really nice wrister. I would say he’s a better version of Anton Slepyshev. He’s got three goals in his last five games. Tied with Tyler Seguin for most on the club in that time frame.
  • #47 Alexander Radulov – I swear, this guy scores every time the Oilers play Dallas. He’s just a constant threat without really seeming that way if that makes any sense. I mean, the puck kind of finds its way onto Radulov’s stick and then he puts it into the net.
  • #16 Joe Pavelski – I remember a game from earlier in the year and I think it was against San Jose (Pavelski’s old team) and if I recall correctly, Mike Smith was in net and the Sharks were firing everything on him from the point, getting a tip on it and I’m sure they scored  5 goals that night from deflections. Well, Joe Pavelski is the best in the NHL at that. It’s very annoying. So, if you see him in front of the net tonight and one of the Stars’ defenders has the puck on the blueline getting ready to shoot, watch how Pavelski positions himself for the tip attempt.

Here are Dallas’ lines from their previous game,

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #25 Darnell Nurse – I’m kinda done picking on Darnell for the time being. He makes a couple of big mistakes per game and sometimes they end up in his net but I’ve liked his defensive game for the most part. It’s when he tries to become Paul Coffey that bugs me because his offensive IQ isn’t there and he’s got hard hands. Against Dallas, he’ll have his hands full as Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov are more than enough hassle for the best defenders in the league let alone the 2nd pairing ones that have been elevated in the depth chart due to injury.
  • #56 Kailer Yamamoto – Might Mouse is here to save the daaaaaaay! Man, this guy is good. Away from the puck he’s a hunter when the other team has possession and when his team has it, he’s like the invisible man that finds his way to the same areas that the puck is going. Talk on Oilers radio last night is that he could be better than the beloved Brendan Gallagher… Lofty… Lofty…
  • #28 Andreas Athanasiou – Still quiet and was more or less responsible for a goal against last night when he decided not to make the easy play to his teammate behind the net, instead opting for a high-risk dangle up the boards into traffic… Yikes… That’s not going to endear himself to his coach at all… Not sure about this fella… The warts are starting to show a bit here. Then again, it took some time for Ryan Strome to find his groove too and AA isn’t 100% either. So… We wait.

The Next Ten Games (61-70)

  • vs. Minnesota Wild (28-24-7) – Edmonton is 0-2 against the Wild this year and it’s about time the Oilers beat Bill Guerin’s boys. (WIN) LOSS
  • @ Los Angeles Kings (22-34-5) – I have to say, the Kings are a dangerous team right now. They have nothing to lose and can spoil a lot of teams’ seasons. The Oilers have won 2/3 this year against their old coach but Connor McDavid might be back in this one. Keep an eye out to see if anybody out of the ordinary is sitting for this one because the next day is the trade deadline. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Anaheim Ducks (24-29-7) – Last time out the Oilers put up six on Dallas Eakins’ Ducks. I expect Edmonton to equal that this time around and who knows how the roster will look as this is the game that follows the trade deadline. (WIN) OT LOSS
  • @ Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – The Golden Knights record might hover around Edmonton’s but I feel like this team is a bit better on paper plus this is the second game in a back-to-back. (LOSS) LOSS
  • vs. Winnipeg Jets (32-25-5) – Big Buff sank this team when he decided he wasn’t going to play but the Jets have stuck in the race the whole season pretty much. You have to love the heart! (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Nashville Predators (29-23-7) – I think the Oilers can sweep the season series with Nashville. The Preds defense isn’t what it used to be and there seems to be a bit of a dark cloud floating over the team at the moment. Pekka Rinne has hit a wall too… (WIN) WIN
  • @ Dallas Stars (35-19-6) – Edmonton and Dallas have each won one game-a-piece against each other this season so far. This will be the rubber match and I like Dallas here. (LOSS)
  • @ Chicago Blackhawks (26-26-8) – Going into Chicago to play the Blackhawks is never an easy task and the Oilers have always had a tough time winning in the Windy City. (LOSS)
  • vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-19-3) – Edmonton is 21-8-0 at home vs. Columbus all-time. It’s hard to argue with those numbers, right? On the other hand, John Tortorella has his team right in the running for a playoff spot in the East. This game should be a war of attrition to see who comes away with the two points. (WIN)
  • vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – I like Edmonton’s chances at home against the Golden Knights. History tells us they have a better chance at beating them in Edmonton than in Vegas. (WIN)

(Standings as of February 21st, 2020)

Kassian 3:16 Shirt
What does Kassian 3:16 mean to you? Click the pic above and get this design today!
Hey Flames Fans! Neal with it! Click the pic above and grab this beauty!
Grab this sweet Nintendo parody shirt! Click the image above!

CategoriesBeer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL

TagsDallas stars Edmonton Oilers NHL

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!