So this is one of those games where fans of the Edmonton Oilers see the news that Auston Matthews won’t be in the lineup nor Joe Thornton and think to themselves that the win is in the bank because, in the past, that attitude has never come back to bite us in the ass at all… Now if they throw in backup goalie Jack Campbell, the game is all Toronto’s, am I right?
All facetiousness aside, I’m very nervous in games like this for the Oilers. Since I really started paying more attention to the team in 2010 I’ve noticed the team plays to the level of its opponent and I’m not sure if that’s a product of having kids in over their heads or if it’s a work ethic thing or what, but it’s annoying as hell to watch as a fan.
For once, can this team go out and dominate in a game they’re supposed to?
Here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Buds tonight,
- #94 Alexander Barabonov: He should be in the process of adjusting to the North American game still but from what I’ve seen of his time in the KHL, he’s a shifty SOB with very tricky hands. A clever clever hockey player who is quick on his feet and has outstanding edges. Owns a shot with some zip too.
- #3 Justin Holl: Put the quilt on Connor McDavid in game one between these two clubs. His reach and ability to time his stick checks correctly is something worth noting for all you aspiring beer league d-man.
- #65 Ilya Mikheyev: The speed on this tall glass of vodka is impressive. He was a constant threat on the penalty kill in the first game of this series and if he’s given any daylight to skate with the puck, he’s gone.
For Toronto to have success, maybe I should forget to write this part since that’s what happened last time and Edmonton won…
The team still has Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander. So it’s not as if they’re completely lost without Matthews. I would say that when Keefe got his second line out against Edmonton’s third, they couldn’t be defended last time out. Going strength on strength with the Oilers tonight might not be very fruitful. At least where the forward lines are concerned.
They’d best outwork Edmonton in the corners and really try and funnel the puck out as far as possible from their net. The Oilers aren’t a team that is inclined to take a lot of shots from the point I find if they’ve got one of their top-two lines on the ice. They also don’t have a lot of players who’ll head to the net for redirections. Clog up the middle lane and force the shot from the outside I say.
With regards to the away team, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely for Edmonton,
- #63 Tyler Ennis: Ennis will be added to the third line to inject some offense. Joakim Nygard’s forecheck has been very effective but there’s been a distinct lack of point production with him on that line. Hopefully, Mr. Ennis here can solve that with Puljujarvi and Kyle Turris.
- #18 James Neal: The PP needs him desperately. Also, do you remember last season when he buried John Tavares in front of the Leafs’ bench and basically taunted them right after. I wonder if that moment gets re-visited tonight? I expect the start of his game to be very intense and for him to cool off as the match wears on.
- #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: He’s going through a bit of a slump right now but he had a couple of wide-open chances the other night. One going off of Puljujarvi’s skate and right to Leon Draisaitl on the PP. His defensive game is still quite good and his work along the wall has been very nice to date. He needs to work on the behind-the-back pass with Barrie on the man-advantage though.
What do the Oilers need to do to win this one? Pretend they’re playing the Flames?…
Buckle down in the neutral zone and keep everything to the outside in the d-zone. Get in front of every shot possible and forecheck like crazed banshees. I’d also like to see some better passing out of the defensive zone to the forwards and for that to happen, folks are going to have to stop bolting said zone looking for a breakaway pass.
The most important thing for this team right now is that they get off to a good start in each period and not let in a soft goal at the wrong time. You can hear the confidence drain from them over the TV broadcast each time that happens.
If Mikko Koskinen can stay true to his form, the Oilers can take this one and climb to .500 on the year.
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