Hey y’all! Welcome back for another season of Edmonton Oilers hockey! I’m BLH and I’ll be giving you the skinny on today’s game!
If you’re new here and are wondering what 3P2W means, well, it stands for Three Players to Watch and seeing I’m as lazy as I am, I figured we’d shorten it to 3P2W.
So with that out of the way, let’s talk a little bit about what’s been going on lately in the Oilogospehere and then get into the player’s I’ve put under the spotlight for today’s matchup!
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Random Pontifications
- Tonight’s game is going to be a good one. I like this challenge for the Oilers and I feel it’s very similar to the one the Rangers gave them.
- Prior to that New York game I had the Rangers taking the game easily because they were simply deeper at every level and I reckon LA, while not having as much depth as New York, are a very difficult challenge for Edmonton due to its scoring depth, solid defense, and above average goaltending.
- I don’t know who’ll be in net for Los Angeles as of the time I’m writing this but I hope it’s Cam Talbot. I like games with good storylines and Talbot vs. the Oilers is a good one considering how badly he wanted out of town when he was traded.
- Toss in the McLellan chapter too. I didn’t like the McLellan era Oilers much and I like the McLellan era Kings even less but you have to give him some credit. LA was kind of on downswing when they hired him and he’s turned that ship around lickety split.
- I’m going to predict that Ryan McLeod’s streak comes to an end tonight. Just a hunch but he’s been punching above his weight class for a bit too long and I reckon the Kings will bring him back to Earth.
- That said, his line should line up well against LA. It’s big, fast, and physical.
- Los Angeles’ blueline isn’t as strong as it once was. I think the secret to its success is its simplicity. They don’t much around but with that said, they don’t do a lot of blocking either… Shot volume and net front presence could be a key point for Edmonton tonight.
- Another key to the Oilers success tonight will be containing LA’s attack and hitting them on the counter. The Kings have fantastic scoring depth throughout all four lines and Edmonton needs to suffocate that offense and kill it with a hard counter.
- The Royal Road best look like the Henday at rush hour or else players like Fiala and Kempe are going to feast all over it.
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Three Players to Watch for the Bad Guys
- #11 Anze Kopitar (14g 19a 33pts) – The Kings have slowed down slightly in December but Kopitar keeps producing. He’s got 4g and 8a in his last ten games and more recently he’s accrued two goals and four assists in his last five. How this guy continues to put up points at his age really points to how good he really is. I think the Kings had eyes on PL Dubois replacing Kopitar at some point with that trade but at the moment the long-time King has his “replacement” centering the 3rd line…
- #12 Trevor Moore (17g 9a 26pts) – How in the world does this guy have 17 goals already?… Will he be this year’s Cy Young recipient?
- #8 Drew Doughty (7g 11a 18pts) – Doughty always manages to find a way to get himself involved vs. the Oilers. He thrives on hunting their young forwards who dare come down his wing and making them pay for that decision. But it’s not only that, I feel like he continues to get his name on the scoresheet against the Oilers and the more important the goal, the more he shows up. He’s clutch in that regard when the silver and black meet the copper and blue.
Three Players to Watch for the Good Guys
- #97 Connor McDavid (12g 33a 45pts) – He’s still smarting from missing that wide open net vs. San Jose and will be burning red hot to try and score tonight. In 28 reg. season games against LA he’s got 15 goals and 21 assists.
- #14 Mattias Ekholm (8g 23a 31pts) – He’s got five assists in his last five games and is Edmonton’s leading point producer on their blueline in that time. This evening’s contest will be a great challenge for him because the Kings’ are scoring very well throughout their entire lineup.
- #91 Evander Kane (13g 10a 23pts) – Only two goals in his last ten games whilst putting up 29 shots in that time. This is how it is with Kane. Holland didn’t trade for him to solidify Edmonton’s two-way effectiveness, he was brought in to upgrade the team toughness, its physicality, swagger, its shot volume, and to add to its goal scoring. With all of that that you’ve got to go through his peaks and valleys. What doesn’t waver though is his in-game “game”. He’s still out there banging and making sure nobody takes liberties against his teammates.
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