EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers were in first place in the Pacific Division as they played (and lost) their first game of the second half of the season Saturday against Philadelphia.
At the same time, they’ve yet to win three games in a row this season, and their goal differential sits at a pedestrian minus-4.
So there are a few ways to look at the Oilers’ season to date.
They overcame the toughest slate in the National Hockey League prior to Christmas, playing out their entire Eastern Conference road schedule with more away games than any other team. The Oilers weathered their usual awful start after going four rounds the previous spring/summer and traded away their No. 1 goalie, yet they still find themselves tied for first in the Pacific with a far easier second-half schedule still ahead.
“We got off to a very slow start. I think that was anticipated,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Through December we played a lot better, getting some traction. We’re in a pretty good spot, but we have a lot of room to grow.
“Our offensive game is about where it should be. We’re scoring goals, we’re generating enough chances. But there is a lot of improvement to make defensively, whether that’s off the rush, or our penalty kill, or defensive zone coverage. Whatever can do to limit our goals against.”
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Since the Christmas break, the Oilers have lost three times and were entirely outplayed in the game they won, stolen by goalie Calvin Pickard in Winnipeg. Edmonton is the fourth-worst defensive team in the NHL, averaging 3.36 goals against per game.
That’s why the Oilers can’t seem to win three games in a row.
“You want to be able to string three, four, five (games together), have those big win streaks at times during the season,” said centre Adam Henrique, who drags a whopping 34-game goalless skid into the second half. “We haven’t been able to find a way to get there yet, but I’m confident in this group.”
Key stats
Record: 20-16-6 (T-1st in Division, T-13th NHL)
Goals per game: 3.31 (Sixth in NHL)
Goals against per game: 3.36 (29th in NHL)
Power play: 33.6 per cent (First in NHL)
Penalty kill: 79.3 per cent (19th in NHL)
Best surprise
On a veteran team with few rookies in key roles, there aren’t a ton of surprises. Jack Roslovic fits the bill perhaps, a surprise free-agent signing during training camp who has fit in nicely on Leon Draisaitl’s right side.
Roslovic’s consistency — not a strong suit thus far in his career — has been the most pleasant surprise for the Oilers. He’s tied for third on the team with 12 goals, and has 20 points in just 29 games played. He’s been very good on a one-year deal.
Biggest disappointment
There are a couple of obvious ones here in July 1 disasters Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic.
Mangiapane has already asked to be moved out, failing to find a fit with just 11 points and a team-worst minus-17 in the first half. He’s been a healthy scratch on and off of late, as has Frederic, and may well have lost his teammates with his desire to move on. Not a guy you want to go to war with when he’s quitting by Christmas.
Then there’s Frederic, who signed an eight-year deal in July and has proceeded to deliver three points in 41 games. This contract could be the worst one of Stan Bowman’s career if Frederic doesn’t find some traction.
Right now he just looks slow and ineffective — there’s nothing he does that makes you think, more of that and we’ll have a player here.
Big question for the second half
Which goalie will start Game 1 of the playoffs?
Bowman made a splashy deal when he moved Stuart Skinner out for Tristan Jarry, but Jarry quickly suffered a lower-body injury and hasn’t been seen since Dec. 18 in Boston. He’s not even practising with the team yet.
Earlier, Bowman slyly landed a recovering Connor Ingram, and since coming up from AHL Bakersfield, Ingram has given the Oilers three quality starts in four games. Meanwhile, backup Calvin Pickard has thrown his hat back into the ring with a string of excellent play, though he’s a backup here, not a No. 1.
So, can Jarry stay healthy, give the Oilers a higher brand of goaltending than Skinner, and make a genius out of Bowman? Or will the ex-Penguin — who has played just 17 games this season — forever be injured?
Stay tuned, folks.
Plenty must change if this Oilers team is going to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.
from Sportsnet.ca
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