Edmonton Oilers Gameday Reviews: To Nobody’s Surprise, the PP Disappears and Edmonton Loses

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

Player grades: Sleepy Edmonton Oilers lose one in Detroit Rock City

Jesse Puljujarvi, 7. In the first both won the puck to kick off a virtuous o-zone cycle, then ended it with a dangerous slot one-timer… Got the Oilers back into the game late in the second with a great rush and snipe to the top shelf where Momma keeps the cookies.
Leon Draisaitl, 4. Super quiet game. Allowed the outside shot on Detroit’s second goal.
Zack Kassian, 3. He was having a rough game, then got hurt.
Warren Foegele, 3. Poor defensive game, allowing outside shots and crease shot alike.
Derek Ryan, 3. A few major mistakes on Grade A chances against, not much on the attack, not great on face offs, five wins, six losses.
Kailer Yamamoto, 7. At least one Oilers player had it going on. He made a great hustle play without his stick late in the second to push a player and the puck out of Edmonton’s end.
Evan Bouchard, 2. Nightmare game on defence. He contributed on the attack but made 11 major mistakes on Grade A chances against this game. Eleven!
Duncan Keith, 7. He and Ceci were easily Edmonton’s best defensive partnership. He was smart and cool with the puck all night long.
Tyson Barrie, 2 . Had one of those turnstile game on defence.
Stuart Skinner. 7. He came up much bigger than his team, even if he did make one bad mistake… He did enough for his team to win, his teammates did not.

BLH’s Thoughts: To say I’m not a little bit impressed by Skinner’s emergence would be an understatement. He’s looking like the real deal and his development has taken the next step. Personally, I think he should be rewarded with another start this week, maybe in Buffalo, considering how he kept his team in the game.

I can’t agree with Foegele’s score, in the third he was one of the Oilers offensive catalysts and the team’s better wingers in the muck. The Oilers didn’t trade for him because he’s an outstanding defensive player, that’s what the defensemen are for. I would’ve given him at least a 5.

How about that goal from Pulju?! WOWZA!!! The SPEED on that runaway locomotive!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdKtA9ArLYQ

Sportsnet

Another slow start dooms Oilers in Detroit against Red Wings

It turns out you CAN’T play 20 minutes and win a hockey game.
Goalie Stuart Skinner was fantastic, give or take a puck-handling error that ended up in his own net…
one run that died in Motown Tuesday came on the power play, as Edmonton failed to notch a goal for the first time all season, going 0-for-2. That’s a franchise record that stops at 10 games.
Vlad Namestnikov walked Tyson Barrie wide on the first Detroit goal, then he stood in the slot and poked home a rebound while defenceman Evan Bouchard stood next to him, admiring the Detroit forward’s fine form.
He (Skinner) looked far more comfortable than his maiden start last season, and despite a puck-handling miscue that gave Dylan Larkin a freebie, Skinner looked far more comfortable than he had in his only NHL start last season.
A young goalie could be crushed by such a play, but Skinner bounced back after that giveaway, giving his team plenty of time to catch up.
They didn’t deserve it, but indeed Edmonton nearly pushed this game into OT. They owned the Wings for the final 10 minutes…
Kassian never saw the second period after he suffered a “lower body injury” in the first.

BLH’s Thoughts: This is a game that the Detroit Red Wings had no reason being in and the Oilers basically handed it to them. The sloppy starts are starting to catch up with the team and as the competition increases, the losses are going to mount.

The 4th line had one really good shift, in the 3rd maybe, where they hemmed Detroit in and were very dangerous. I’d like to see more of that, please.

Spector’s Hockey

THE ATHLETIC: In his latest mailbag segment, Adam Vingan was asked if the Nashville Predators have held any contract talks with Filip Forsberg. His agent, J.P. Barry, told Vingan those discussions have not started but anticipated they could begin at some point in the season.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski suggested the Penguins target Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Justin Holl in order to shore up a blueline that has been depleted at times already this season by injuries and COVID-19. Young rearguard Pierre-Olivier Joseph still doesn’t appear while there are questions if Juuso Riikola will reach NHL regular status.