As we head into the quarter turn of this 2020-21 NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers are sitting in a playoff spot BARELY and that shouldn’t be the case but the hockey gods have found a way to curb our enthusiasm in a multitude of manners.
- Injuries to Mike Smith and Oscar Klefbom.
- Slow starts to the year for key additions Jesse Puljujarvi, Dominik Kahun, and Tyson Barrie.
- No starts to others like Tyler Ennis, Kyle Turris, Jujhar Khaira.
- To varying degrees, both Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear have been hit by sophomore slumps as well.
The most important, depth scoring has been near non-existent. I’m talking about the likes of Zack Kassian, Josh Archibald, James Neal, for example. These are players who have playing histories that include scoring goals in the double-digits.
What I want to know is, how long is the leash for some of these vets who are struggling so badly? Turris looks like he’s completely lost a step, if not two. Mr. Kassian is being paid very handsomely to be a ghost on the ice as is Neal. With #44 and #18, these are players who, if not scoring, have the ability to bring a physical presence to the ice, but are not. There’s no snarl in their game.
This year, the Oilers have had troubles getting scored on in bunches. I can’t begin to tell you why that is but you’d like to think after getting scored on a team would want to have a really good bounce back shift. Maybe do something to stunt the momentum of the other team while creating some for your own, right? Scoring a goal is one way, creating a scoring chance or some sustained pressure in the other team’s zone, or even a nicely laid bodycheck might even produce some enthusiasm. Imagine what might happen if a line produced two of those on the next shift? What kind of message would that send to the other team? Probably one that conveyed something like this, “We’re not going away. Buckle up, because we’re not going to stop coming at you.”
You know who’s been the most physically imposing player on the Oilers this year?
Jesse Puljujärvi with a nice hit on Marner after missing the hit on Matthews few seconds before. Matthews didn't like it. #oilers #nhl #puljujarvi pic.twitter.com/RL9yp68447
— Civilized Hockey Fan (@CivilizedHockey) January 21, 2021
Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Sens tonight,
- #19 Drake Batherson – Like Edmonton’s Jesse Puljujarvi, Batherson’s finally arrived at the age of 22 after a few seasons in the AHL dominating the minors. He’s filled out and is looking to be the top-6 power winger most were projecting him to be.
- #7 Brady Tkachuk – Will he be the first Tkachuk brother to beat Zack Kassian in a fight? If he’s not throwing down with Kass, he’s Ottawa’s most dangerous threat. Full stop. He leads the team with 54 hits and scoring (7pts).
- #26 Erik Brannstrom – He’s finally been able to make the lineup and has an assist in his pair of performances so far. There are high hopes for the young Swedish d-man since he was acquired for superstar defensive forward Mark Stone from Vegas. He’s a fantastic puck mover and if everything goes to plan, he and Tim Stutzle should be racking up points for the Sens for years to come.
For Ottawa to have success, they should find a way to slow McDavid and Draisaitl down. It sounds unrealistic given the playing personnel the Sens are employing, but the Oilers go as their stars do. If Connor and Leon are having tough nights, for whatever reason, the rest of the roster rarely rises to the challenge.
Ottawa will want to get pucks on net as much as possible (duh) but more specifically, really try and make those cross-seam passes work. Mike Smith (if he’s in net) might be in ridiculous shape for his age, but those groins are going to be like cold rubber bands after such a long layoff. Plus he’s never been great with those shots, so if Ottawa can force those on him, I reckon they might have a higher chance at scoring.
With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,
- #44 Zack Kassian – Will this finally be the game that motivates Kassian to start playing like we know he can or are we in the process of witnessing the sharp decline of what was once a great NHL power forward?
- #75 Evan Bouchard – One good game and one so-so game to date for Edmonton’s bluechipper. He’s looked calm and composed but at the same time present and assertive in his defending. In two games this season he’s already amassed 15 shot attempts on net with just under 50% of those getting through according to Hockey-Reference.com.
- #41 Mike Smith – I’m not 100% sure he’ll get the start here, but what I am certain of is that if he does, he’d best be having a helluva game for if he doesn’t and the Oilers lose or the game is closer than it should be, an obtuse amount of panic will set in amongst the fanbase but more importantly, the management and one thing you don’t want to be in trade negotiations is in a position to be bent over a barrel…
I’m writing this the morning of the game and I’ve yet to see any roster change rumblings or updates so far. I’m wondering though if tonight’s game might not be a chance to get some guys on the ice who haven’t been playing much. I’m speaking of skaters like Tyler Ennis, Patrick Russell, Caleb Jones, or Joakim Nygard.
Keys to Success For the Oilers
I’ll probably harp on this until the clubs starts doing it, but they’ve got to cut down on their shots against. Most notably their high-danger chances against. That means the forwards getting back and taking away the middle of the ice and the defencemen not getting caught puck-watching and/or chasing.
If they can do these two little things, the team’s offense will take care of the rest and the wins will start to rack up.
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