April 5, 2021 /

2020-21 Edmonton Oilers GM39: Oilers vs. Canadiens – Three Players to Watch

We’re back! It’s the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Montreal Canadiens for the fifth time this season! Montreal has taken three out of the four so far (pretty handily I might add) but the Oilers are looking to stay in the hunt for first in the North with a win and Mike Smith, who the Habs haven’t scored on this year, is starting.

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Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Habs tonight,

  • #45 Eric Staal – It’s time to see what the Oilers allegedly could’ve had but lacked a certain draft pick to get it done. Staal is going to be coming in with a reignited fire in his belly after escaping the Buffalo Sabres organization. I’m very interested to see how he changes the dynamic of this team because the Habs have some good young players at center, but they’re not quite “there” yet. Staal’s experience and pedigree should help.
  • #90 Tomas Tatar – It wouldn’t shock me if this fella is an Edmonton Oiler sometime in the next six months. At this point in time though, he’s got six points in his last five games and his line is feeling it.
  • #6 Shea Weber – Old Man Weber seems to have found his young legs again. Recently he decided to take Brady Tkachuk out behind the woodshed for a beating and he’s contributing to the Canadiens’ offense as well with four assists and 17 shots on goal in his last five.

For Montreal to have success, the recipe isn’t all that extravagant. Simply keep close tabs on McDavid and Draisaitl and the Oilers’ offense will disappear. Montreal has enough depth on forward that it should keep Nurse and Barrie busy and not helping on the scoresheet. Toss in Carey Price and his resurgence, on paper they should be in good shape. That said, they’re behind Toronto, Edmonton, and Winnipeg in the standings for a reason.

With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,

  • #74 Ethan Bear – I like what Bearsy has been doing lately and I’m thinking with Tyson Barrie playing banged up and his subsequent dip in form, we could see a reunification of his partnership with Norris Trophy candidate Darnell Nurse.
  • #39 Alex Chiasson – Chaser had a little break last week but when he returned he looked re-energized. I love his line with JJ Khaira and Devon Shore. They’re heavy and they can dominate possession in the offensive zone. I’m hoping to see a few shots and maybe a goal tonight in his return home.
  • #21 Dominik Kahun – The goal he scored in Edmonton’s previous game was exactly what the Oilers have been looking for. Meaning, he paid the price in front of the net to get it. I think what impresses about that goal is that he’s not the kind of player to get stuck in the muck like that. Hopefully he adopts more of that kind of grit to go with his skill and it contributes to a nice little scoring run as we approach the post-season.

Three Keys to Success For the Oilers

  • Win the 5×5

With Montreal struggling at basically every other aspect of the game, if Edmonton can take over the scoring at 5×5, the odds of winning will rocket in their favor but that means they’re going to have to be much better with possession and shot volume.

  • Dominate the Cycle

I don’t know if I’ve seen a better group of forwards for the Oilers when it comes to working the boards and down low in the offensive zone. Since the Habs do so well defending the rush, Edmonton is going to have to get their hands dirty and work some magic off of the cycle. The harder they work at this, the more likely it is that they’ll draw a penalty.

  • Wingers, It’s time to contribute!

Over the past five games, the only forwards scoring are Connor McDavid (4g), Leon Draisaitl (2g), and Edmonton’s left-wingers (4g amongst RNH, Kahun, Archibald, and Shore). The rest of the goals have gone to Edmonton’s first pair defensemen, Darnell Nurse (3g) and Tyson Barrie (1g)… That’s going to be awfully easy to play against if the Habs can manage to keep Leon and Connor off the scoresheet like they’ve been doing for most of this season…

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CategoriesArmchair GM Beer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL

TagsEdmonton Oilers Montreal Canadiens 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!