The Edmonton Oilers roll into Ottawa for a back-to-back series looking to take their record against the Senators to 9-0-0 on the season, but Brady Tkachuk and his band of brawlers will look to deny Connor McDavid a continuance of the perfect win record Edmonton has against his team.
Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Sens tonight,
- #7 Brady Tkachuk – If my count is right, Little Tkachuk has as many goals as he does fights in his last five games, one. So, I’m betting he’s going to get on the scoresheet at least once.
- #59 Alex Formenton – This young man has got speed to burn, baby! I’m kinda hoping there’s a race to the puck between him and McDavid just to illustrate how fast this guy can skate. He can score too as he’s netted a pair in his last five games since being inserted into Ottawa’s lineup this year.
- #2 Artem Zub – I’ve been very impressed with Zub’s ability to move the puck so calmly and defend with so much poise. On the whole, he’s definitely given Thomas Chabot a run for best defenseman of the season for the Sens.
For Ottawa to have success, one thing they could do is apply a hard forecheck on Edmonton’s defenders. They’ve got the big bodies who can skate like the wind in Connor Brown, Alex Formenton, Drake Batherson, and Nick Paul and against the Montreal Canadiens, the pairing of Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear struggled mightily. So, chip and chase but make sure to put the puck just out of Mike Smith’s reach so he doesn’t have the opportunity to fire the puck back the other way and create a counter attack.
Another thing is if their goaltender could play out of this world, that would give them an excellent chance to at least stay in the game. Tim Stutzle has had some really nice performances against the Oilers this season and Evgeni Dadonov is always a threat.
With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,
- #22 Tyson Barrie – He’s playing injured, that’s plain to see. I’ll be watching to see if his mobility or shot is challenged. This is a player that the Oilers need to be as healthy as possible going into the final stretch.
- #56 Kailer Yamamoto – He’s due for a goal here. Yamo’s been getting his nose dirty and a real handful for the opposition on the boards recently. Edmonton really needs some scoring from their wingers and there’s no better time than against the Senators, right?
- #14 Devin Shore – Actually, his line with Khaira and Chiasson has been a puck possession beast. Shore’s been lucky enough to get a couple of Ginos as a result, but he’s been using his size and strength along the walls in the muck very well in his last three games.
Three Keys to Success For the Oilers
- Stop F*cking Around in the D-Zone
Edmonton’s defense has to be better at moving the puck out of its own zone. I don’t know if the wingers are taking their sweet-ass time getting back or if the blueliners can’t handle the puck pressure but this is where the Canadiens took advantage of the Oilers when they beat Edmonton last game out.
- Can I See Some Physicality?
It’s a selfish request, but I’d like to see a bit of intensity from the Oilers manifested in the form of some solid bodychecking. Maybe it’s time to let Evgeni Dadonov pay the price for that hit from behind in front of the benches he laid on McDavid earlier in the year…
- Get In the Muck
More often than not I notice that the Oilers attempts to score are plays off the rush or cute tries that involve a very low percentage deflection or multiple passes before a shot that misses the net or is sent into the stands. Enough of that. It’s time to send pucks to the crease and start getting bloody because those are exactly the kinds of goals that the team is going to need to score in tight games in the post-season.
You know who would do both of those things? Jesse Puljujarvi. He’ll shoot from anywhere and he’ll get stuck in. He gives zero f*cks as to who is in his way or if his safety is at risk. He’ll go for it no questions asked. Maybe it’s time to utilize that kamikaze attitude.
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