I didn’t do up a game 3 review because I thought the Edmonton Oilers played so poorly that simply publishing a picture of a steaming pile of cow manure wouldn’t be in good taste. I couldn’t think of one player who could be considered a “Star” and I thought it best just to move on.
So here we are. I’m still pissed but I’ve been practicing my breathing exercises, so I should be okay.
Here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Canadiens tonight,
- #44 Joel Edmundson – Draisaitl gave him quite the slash the other night, but I don’t expect that to slow him down. He was a wrecking ball last time out and made every player who came down his wing’s night a living hell. I’ll be curious if that continues should Zack Kassian draw in…
- #90 Tomas Tatar – Scorers score and that brace Tatar put up previously was sublime. Both goals were exquisite. He’s a bit of a quiet guy on the ice but he finds the soft ice time and time again and is a constant threat because of it.
- #27 Alexander Romanov – He lived up to expectations Saturday night, but now the Oilers know what he’s all about. Had a little bit of a thing going with Jesse Puljujarvi, so I’ll be paying attention to that match-up.
For Montreal to have success, don’t change a thing. Play the same way, use the same gameplan, and just wait for Edmonton to muck it up themselves, and then capitalize on the chance.
With regards to the home team, I’ll be watching out for these three individuals,
- #97 Connor McDavid – The last time he was “shut down”, he went ahead and racked up four points in the subsequent game. How will the Oilers’ captain bounce back?
- #19 Mikko Koskinen – He’s had it tough. The skaters in front of him have left him out to dry all by himself in every game so far this season. As stoic as he is, when will he start to show some fire and drop a few forwards who want to spend some time around his blue paint?
- #25 Darnell Nurse – What a clanger he had on the weekend… Got caught going for the big hit akin to Adam Larsson from game one against Vancouver. If this team is going to have an increment of success, a lot of that is going to be down to him and how he performs against the other team’s best forwards. So far, he’s been just okay and the Oilers need him to do a lot better.
I think we’re going to see quite a few changes. I’ve seen two media members suggest Evan Bouchard and Kris Russell draw in for Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear. It seems that Jones and Bear are behind a step so far whereas Bouchard has been playing consistently until training camp started. Rusty needs a game here too before his old bones fossilize.
What do the Oilers need to do to win this one? Start walking the walk, for one.
Buckle down and start preventing so many shots on net FFS! Come back into the defensive zone and help out the d-men. Get in positions that make it easier for the defenders to pass the puck forward. Win more battles on the boards. Let Connor worry about the pretty goals and everyone else should be prepared to put your balls on the line to get that puck across the red line. This team has had a reputation for being easy to play against for so many years, how about flipping the switch?
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