This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!
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Cult of Hockey
Edmonton Oilers summon up a better effort, but not a better result in 4-1 loss to Wild: Cult of Hockey Player Grades
- PHILIP BROBERG. 3. Was too passive and allowed too much gap on the 2-0. Caught in no-man’s land in front on the 3-1. That leaves him -2 in 10:18.
- MIKKO KOSKINEN . 4. That 1-0 goal can’t go in. Yes, his D-man was guilty of soft coverage on the play. But if Koskinen is on his post that puck doesn’t cross the line.
- DARNELL NURSE . 4. The shot-shares suggested Nurse had a terrific game, 38-12 All-Events, CF 76%… But in the end 2 of his own errors resulted in Minnesota goals.
- KAILER YAMAMOTO . 4. 0 shots. 0 hits. 0 points. Not near enough impact on the game for a 2 nd line RW riding shotgun with the league’s leading scorer.
- DEVIN SHORE. 5. A good 2 nd period back-check. A couple hits. Looked rusty but effort apparent.
- MARCUS NIEMALAINEN . 5. Solid performance. 3 hits. A block. Was beat once for a dangerous 1 st period chance.
- RYAN McLEOD . 6. The 3 rd line performed quite well, on-balance. Got the puck deep and created some effective zone time. Had 3 shots.
- RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS . 6. Nuge set up Draisaitl for a point-blank chance. Maybe the best player on his line. But also shoulders some of the blame for the sputtering PP on which he played 8:02!
- JESSE PULJUJARVI . 7. The best Oilers skater. Puljujarvi potted his 8 th by smartly backing higher into the slot and then hammering home the pass from McDavid for the 2-1. Had 4 shots in all.
BLH’s Thoughts: I have to say, that’s the most energy I’ve seen this team come out of the gates with in a long time. Somebody would probably have to remind me the last time the Oilers start was that hot. It’s a shame that Darnell Nurse, one of the strongest players in the league, couldn’t outmuscled the Wild forward and I’m still wondering what Koskinen was doing? Who sprayed his pads with Pam cooking spray? The guy damned near slid into the corner trying to cover that post.
The third line was all over it last night. A really great game from them as they finally provided the speed, energy, and power we’ve been looking for. I’d love to know what the motivation was so we can get that every game!
mcdavid skates around for a while and finds puljujärvi.
2-1 wild. pic.twitter.com/AQVTQJAg8u
— Hockey Wilderness (@hockeywildernes) December 8, 2021
What did I say about Pulju? I said he was finding the soft ice and getting chances, but they simply weren’t going in. I also noted that his effort never waivers and he nabbed himself a gorgeous Gino from the slot. Brett Hull would’ve been proud of that one.
A caller called into Reid Wilkins’ post-game show and talked about the Oilers bottom-six lacking some hunger, some desperation, and I look at Kurt Leavins’ grade for Kailer Yamamoto and wonder to myself, “How does a guy who can’t produce any points on a line with the league’s leading scorer stay hungry?”
But it’s not only for Killer, he’s just the most obvious because Tippett won’t move him off that line. For the rest of the team though, what’s it going to take to get some urgency in their games?
Don’t get me wrong, I was really impressed with the amount of pressure Edmonton put on the Wild last night. THAT’S the kind of game plan I’m talking about! It was a really fast game, back and forth, but I don’t know how many teams are going to play the Oilers like that… Regardless, it should be Edmonton that is dictating the style of game that will be played on a nightly basis. They shouldn’t be feeling their way into games and then making a plan from there…
Sportsnet
- A 9-1 start followed by a 7-7 stretch. A lull that is inevitable in any 82-game season, yet one that makes you wonder: Which record is the real Edmonton Oilers, the 9-1 or the 7-7?
- Leon Draisaitl, once on a 50-goals-in-50-games pace, has now gone five games with just one goal.
- Edmonton is trying to prove it isn’t a two-man team, but the Oilers are not convincing anyone of late. McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for just (2-3-5) points in the past three games, and Edmonton has five goals to show their efforts.
- The Oilers are mired in a funk. Now we learn how — and behind who — they manage to dig themselves out.
BLH’s Thoughts: We know who’s going to dig this team out of this funk… His name rhymes with Bonner McSavit…
Actually, just watch the team turn it around once Ceci comes back to stabilize the defense.
The Hockey Writers Rumors
- According to Nick Kypreos, “Sounding like Marner could be out of the @Leafs line up longer than expected.” Both Marner and defenseman Rasmus Sandin have been added to injured reserve. The team has called up Alex Steeves, Kristiāns Rubīns, and Alex Biega from the Marlies.
- As per a report by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion talked to goaltender Matt Murray and his agent Rob Hooper over the phone on Friday. While Dorion wouldn’t talk about the details of that conversation, he did say that Murray would eventually be back with the Senators at some point this season.
- NHL insider Frank Seravalli has Joonas Korpisalo at the top of his trade bait board and writes with Elvis Merzlikins on a five-year contract extension, it’s just a matter of time before Korpisalo is moved.
- At the end of this season, the Montreal Canadiens will have 10 players as part of the roster who will have contracts that are valid for at least three more seasons. According to Jonathan Bernier of TVA Sports, those are the players to watch if the Canadiens choose to undergo a rebuild.
