March 9, 2020 /

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM70: Golden Knights @ Oilers – 3P2W – Is the Knight Time the Right Time?

Doesn’t it feel like every game is a “must-win” one now for the Edmonton Oilers? With how tight the race is in the Pacific, it’s hard to argue against that sentiment. What will happen tonight though? To say the Oilers have been underperforming 5×5 over the last week to ten days is a ridiculous understatement and the Golden Knights have the firepower to tear apart a struggling team. Add to that future hall-of-famer Marc-Andre Fleury and I think Edmonton is in very tough to win this one even with Vegas playing the night prior.

That being said, I’ve doubted Holland’s club before this season and have lived to regret that decision…

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Random Pontifications

  • Connor McDavid – During the Columbus game, it was mentioned that McDavid has been feeling under the weather lately and you could tell during that match that he wasn’t skating like we’re used to seeing him skate. I get that the team could use all the firepower possible right now, but I’d much rather have a healthy Connor in the lineup than one who is sick and possibly at risk of infecting other players on the roster as we head into the post-season.
  • Mikko Koskinen/Mike Smith back and forth + playoffs…
  • The 4th line = perfect playoff line?
  • Konstantin Okulov‘s name was brought up on Oilers Now last Friday again. Elliotte Friedman said he’d heard that the Oilers have both been in on the player and out… So take that for what you will. Okulov has been connected to the Maple Leafs and Canadiens over the last year.
  • Kurt Leavins said in his latest blog over at the CoH that the Oilers might be looking to add more AHL contracts to their minor league team going forward. The team is right at the 50-man contract limit max and can’t sign any 20-year-olds or NCAA free agents to NHL deals if they wanted to. I imagine that means there’ll be a fair bit of turnover in Bakersfield this summer. Leavins didn’t say it, but might this be a way to get players like Markus Niemelainen, Filip Berglund, or any of the other prospects Edmonton might be on the verge of losing their rights to into the Oilers system? Maybe Graham McPhee or Aapeli Rasanen would be candidates for that as well?

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Three Players to Watch for the Golden Knights

  • #67 Max Pacioretty – He’s absolutely on fire right now and apart from that Patches is also one of the NHL’s elite goal-scorers. Why in the world did Montreal trade him? Furthermore, why didn’t the Oilers trade FOR him when he was available?
  • #71 William Karlsson – “Wild Bill” isn’t putting up numbers as he has in the past, but he’s still one of Vegas’ main men when it comes to point production. Great speed, soft hands, and a snappy little wrister all combine to make him a very dangerous player.
  • #81 Jonathan Marchessault – Scored his first goal in what probably felt like forever last night against Calgary. He’s struggled as of late, so that makes him a player who’s motivated more than ever to put the puck in the net.

This is the team that Pet DeBoer iced against the Flames yesterday,

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #97 Connor McDavid – As I said above, I don’t like the idea of running out 97 if he’s sick. That said, if there’s no risk to his teammates or himself, I’d hope Coach Tippett keeps a close eye on his TOI and doesn’t use him more than he needs to. I like that he put RNH and Kassian on his wings against Columbus though. Two vets to help carry the load and they all combined for a beauty of a goal anyhow. Health be damned!
  • #28 Andreas Athanasiou – I reckon AA is going to be one of those players who takes some time to get his footing in Edmonton. I’d heard that he was pretty shaken up when he was told of the news of the trade and I simply believe we’ll see the real “Greek Streak” after about 20 games or so. Right in time for the first round of the playoffs too, nice!
  • #23 Riley Sheahan – Sheahan has slowed down a bit these last couple of weeks. He got lucky with that empty netter against the Blue Jackets but he hasn’t been as dominant on the boards, the faceoff dot, or in his own end for a couple of weeks now. How’s his health right now? It wouldn’t shock me if he was carrying a knock of some sort as most guys are right now.

Unless someone is hurt, I expect the lines to be very similar to what they were on Saturday. I’ll take a flying guess and say that Mike Smith is in net though. Last time out Koskinen let in a pretty weak one and he’s coming off of a massive performance. The following are the line combos Edmonton used against Columbus,

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) WIN
  • @ 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) 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) 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)

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CategoriesBeer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL

TagsEdmonton Oilers NHL Vegas Golden Knights

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!